CHAPTER 8

                  After hours of nerve-wracking drive, they finally arrived and a step out of the car to a completely different axis, greeted by a piercing chilly swirl of air. Humidity surging through their nasal way till it hits the high note on the brain and cricket chirps in the ambiance of a rain forest. With no exaggeration, they were in the middle of a forest. The effort to make each visitor’s stay comfortable and non-primitive are obvious, with a valet boy running towards them, bowing, and taking over their car.

                The pack paced into the resort, awe-struck, scanning the whole entire space. The lobby walls were primarily built with tempered glasses, giving a clear vision of the surrounding forest. Smell of fresh roses engulfs visitors. Everywhere they turn, the light was dim to soothe aching eyeballs. Nothing too sparkly or colorful can be found hanging or laying around since all the furniture was made out of mostly wood and rattans, tying the whole theme together. A hot water pool outside, on the corridor, evaporates steam against the magnificent green canvas. The forest was within walking distance. No other stores or restaurants were available nearby and so, the resort is their only option for a meal. No kids or pets are allowed, eliminating chaotic situations at the root. Yoga, spa, Bali massage, candlelight dinner, forest walk, a moonwalk is just some of the services provided under the canopy. The forest is famous to attract wildlife and the botany profile is supposedly exquisite, not that the others would understand since none of them could differentiate persimmons from a tomato.

                  Each room opens up to a double bed with sheer curtains on all 4 poles, again ambient dim light, and the bathrooms had no locks with a wall of frosted glass. The bathtub is below ground level with wooden flooring and an exquisite marble tub. Draw up the bamboo drapes and get a view of the forest.  Candle blocks emit a nice scent throughout the room, even before being lit. Clearly, it was meant for honeymoon couples– even a dead can see that the whole resort is customized for newlyweds. How on earth did Laura miss the memo? It’s odd for a group of friends to be here since they usually tend to gravitate towards high adrenaline pumping, sporty, Bungy jumpy sort of getaway.

                  Every aspect of the resort was sculptured to remind him of Sarah and how is he supposed to win the bet in such a deceptive territory?

                  Laura has booked one suite room that can accommodate 4 people. The suite had a living room and pantry upon entrance before spreading into 3 room that was quite spacious further in, again, primarily built with glasses. The view outside was one of a kind, nothing else but tall trees, vines, and a long wooden plank bridge connecting 2 distant worlds. This place will remind you to hit the pause button on life itself. Even in that pause, Mike kept thinking about Sarah. He fought tremendously not to contact her but he is not so strong-willed. Just as he took out his phone to send her a message, he receives one from her.

“Hi, have you reached yet? How is the place?” casting a smile on the grumpy boy’s face. Mike walked over to the entrance of the resort, took a selfie with the resort’s welcome board with a curled down lip. He sent to her and replied

 ‘Arrived, just now’

                  Sarah could only smile at the photo as satisfaction tickles her toe.

“Sarah, come on it is getting late” she got distracted by her mother’s calling. She put down the phone and walked off but within a few steps, something struck and she turned back–which she will regret later. How hard could a simple reply be?  She took the phone and hastily tapped a simple message.

‘Miss you, have a good time’ and sent it whooshing out of her phone before she carried on the wedding get-ready-with-MOM.

                  It comes to no surprise that a woman at her age would shy away or straightforward rejects her mother’s makeup and wardrobe choice but not Sarah. She like her mother’s handwork and trust in her choice of outfit. Hence, she just sat in front of a mirror, eyes closed, earphones stuck in her ears– bobbing her head away – sort of a getaway too. Santha pulled out the earphones for a brief talk.

“Your cousins wouldn’t probably let us go back immediately after the wedding. We might be stuck there till early morning. Why not we just bring along our bags for changing clothes?” Santha suggested

“Yes Mommy” she said with annoyance, sticking her earphones back in to resume her indulgence.

                  A dash of make-up with a rose gold eye look, a sweet pink lipstick, and a peach dusted cheek–that is what Santha had cooked up for her daughter. She is blessed with a bright, bold, deep chocolate, doe eye, and with black eyeliner, it looked even more accentuated. Paired with bushy eyebrows that lean to a sharp tail gave her a devil–on–Prozac sort of vibe but the reality is, she is just a harmless little puppy. Her virgin hair, never touched by chemical treatments, flourished long with large locks and she tend to let them loose on special occasions since they are good on their own. The mother-daughter duo then fashioned a dangling teardrop gold earring, a simple bracelet, and not forgetting to finish it up with sweet, mild vanilla-based perfume. Last but not least, the best asset of her, a smile and that’s a wrap. With everything already provided by Santha, Sarah didn’t even bother unpacking and sort of grab–and­–go her bag on the way out.

                  On the other end, Mike had just settled down at the single, wooden chair nestled into a corner of the lobby with a steaming cup of coffee, ignoring the beautiful view. Instead, he kept staring at his phone.

‘Miss you, have a good time’  

                  Those words were getting more prominent and almost bounced out of the phone screen with every glare he took at it. His face turned gloomy. Why the hell would she mention missing him? Just to add oil to burning fire? Probing him to miss her even more perhaps? He scoffed with a gritted tooth.

                  As he took a sip from the cup, another ‘ping’ terrified him, skipping a heartbeat even. He was downright strict not to pick up the phone. His hands balled into a fist and all but here he is, after a second, placing his thumbprint on the phone screen to unlock it. A selfie of Sarah from the entrance of the wedding hall popped– looking owh, so salivatingly smashing, again with a downturn smile.

‘OH fuck!!! Why must she send a selfie at the entrance of the hall??? As if she can’t find another location???’

                    He carelessly dropped his phone on the table in front of him before plopping back into his seat. Fingers pinching his nose bridge with a short-lived sigh, he thought things through as he remembered sending a selfie from the welcome board, so she must subconsciously choose to do so too. It’s not her fault, it’s his fault. He glanced at his bulky watch. It was 7 pm and his anxiety spiked more and more with passing seconds.

                    Laura had conveniently distributed the rooms, where Mike will be alone at night, just in case she gets lucky. They settled into their own rooms, bathing and relaxing– not to mention leaving Mike to suffer alone. He paced out of the lobby in excuse of a cigarette break. His thumb flickered his cigarette more than necessary, that most of it was wasted into sprinkles of grey ashes on the floor and he is pacing around like a psycho.

‘Don’t lose it Mike, don’t lose it’

Another 5 minutes passed and his breath is hitching. He grabbed his hair with both his hands and stomped his feet, cursing another part of him that is whining about losing precious time.

 “Arghhhh….” a grungy scream escaped his mouth and the next minute he is already running to his car, open the door, and key in the wedding hall name from the welcome board picture Sarah sent into the navigation system. He didn’t think much after this point and remain mechanical all through the drive. If she hadn’t sent that picture, he would have known where she is exactly at this very moment and probably would have won the bet but that’s not what happened now, isn't it?