Stars and Moon

Stars and Moon

 By- Isha Rawat

“I dare you to drink that whole bottle that you’re holding”

Triv doesn’t even blink twice. I then dare Poppy and she makes an expression of extreme shock.

“What is wrong with you guys?”

“Chill Poppy it was a fucking joke”

“You disgust me Val”

Poppy stands from their circle of trinity to walk out into others life. Triv stares into a void of nothingness which Val believes is because of the alcohol.

“Do you think I’m weird Triv?”

“That was practically not normal to dare Poppy to kill you”

They both are currently sitting in the attic while the world parties away.

“You know I think world is just a place for winners cause the losers just survive till the last bread and that’s a life not worth living. Poppy is a loser”

“And you?” he says

“I’m an intruder in their world “

“I need a new bottle”

“And I need some fresh air”

Val had always thought of her existence, soul searching, and afterlife and about how people are born. Her mother had explained it to her by saying that the babies were in the sky in forms of stars, delivered to earth by fairies. It was much later she discovered the biology behind it and the act itself.

“You’re leg is bleeding” this was not unusual for Val.

“I’ve been standing on my legs for far too long today” she sits down and starts to remove her right prosthetic leg from above the knee. Val cleans the blood by wetting her handkerchief in alcohol. It does not burn her skin like it use to when she had her whole leg. She looks at Triv who got busy with another bottle. Triv has also been called by the school authorities who had allegedly heard about his drinking problems and had assigned him to the school counsellor. That’s where they met. After one session both of them have never seen her office.

“Let’s go Val”

Walking would hurt right now so she shoves her prosthetic leg into her shoulder backpack and climbs onto Triv’s back. It’s like a piggy back ride but more turbulent. Though he’s never dropped her nor will he. He’s earned her trust. They are not concerned about anyone spotting them, the alleys are dark and the rooms are closed. People are either too drunk or high to remember them especially Poppy.

They are on Evelyn road, that’s a little far away from Val’s house. Triv doesn’t put her down though she wouldn’t have whined if he did.

Val says “I think you’re good for the next three days”

“I don’t know, it’s not something I have control over”

“Have you had lunch?”

“The donations for this month have been quite less. So they have scraped off lunch for the time being”

No one knows in school that Triv lives in an orphanage and studies through the scholarship program. He’s intelligent there’s no question to it but lately he’s been slacking off.

“Wait for me on the roof. I’ll bring you something.” He nods. Val can feel the stare of other people on the street. They look at Val and Triv with loving expressions, reminding them of their young love. There sympathies have been covered by her long coat. These are good stares, curious ones. The bad ones are from the school which usually pierces her soul.

Upon reaching he helps her down. He stands away from her with his hands in his pocket as he feels the need to help Val, but Val would not like it. He instead rings the bell for her and makes his way behind the house from where he will climb his way up. It’s not his first time doing it. He himself never got to know how this became a routine .If someone got to know about his living situation he would be ashamed and annoyed with himself. He didn’t want to become a charity case to yet another person, his existence was one. He descends into a sitting position on the roof. Quite a few nights he had spent in exactly this position hearing Val talk about stars, moon, galaxy and surprisingly astrology. She would often predict his days by just seeing his sun sign in the sky.

Val would swallow her discomfort but never voice that how sitting on the roof proved to be the hardest thing for her. Often when she would lie in bed after her nightly sneak outs she would go to a soundful sleep. She liked this and would often indulge in this adventure as it gave her monotous life meaning.

She slowly makes her way to an already seated Triv with a Tupperware case in hand. She gives it to Triv and stares at the sky. Lately she’s been unable to make out any sun signs cause there hardly any stars out there. But today seems to be her lucky day she points at the bull- Taurus.

Triv likes this side of her, it feels as if suddenly she’s been spooked with life. He enjoys the food. The wind is cold today as if it already carries the message he’s about to deliver.

“Val” she squints her eyes at the stars as to make something out of them.

“I’m being shifted to another orphanage. This one has no funds, so probably by the end of the month all the children would be placed somewhere else.”

Val does not know what to say or do, was she suppose to cry. It baffles her. She’s been devoid of emotions for so long that now what she feels is a numbing.

“What about school?” she says

“ I don’t know, from here on its a mystery”

“I want you to know this hurts me more than losing my leg”

Instead Triv just looks up at the sky

“You know I’m like stars and moon. I’ll always be here” they hold each other’s hands and Triv sings

Lights out. Moons bright

Stars twinkle in your shadow light.

Black sky. Birds fly

Will breathe while you sleep.

Val closes her eyes but the light is so blinding that she could still fell its effect with eye lids closed. Triv had vanished into thin air and had gone to a place no one knows. Days later she heard on the radio that a new cluster of stars has been found indicating a new addition to the zodiac sign lists . It is visible in the sky in the shape of a man and has been named cancer.