Page 32 of Chasing Hope

The team broke into another round of healthy discussion. Ethan ticked off agendas in his diary as the meeting progressed. Deep in discussion, the remainder of the hour rolled past without notice.

Ethan’s eyes flew to the doors as Rizwan, a junior reporter, stormed in halting their marketing groupthink.

‘Sir, I have Breaking News,’ he said, short of breath. Ethan nodded. A chill swept up his spine. Most often, Breaking News was never good news. ‘A teacher at Maya Valley School, Chennai, caught the Principal molesting a thirteen-year-old boy in the utility room of the sports complex.’ Ethan clamped his jaw. His heart pounded, making him breathe hard.

‘What is the authenticity of the report?’ he asked. Ethan never bent his principles for anything or anyone. Only one-hundred-percent truth was aired on his channel.

Rizwan slid his iPad in front of Ethan and switched on a video. ‘This video was captured on a student’s phone and uploaded on Facebook ten minutes ago.’

Ethan’s heart cramped at the sight of the young boy crouched in the corner of the room next to the trash can. His face bore bruises like he had been repeatedly slapped. The SOB principal was being dragged out of there by the teacher who discovered them together. Ethan’s breath froze as the boy lifted his gaze to the camera. Those lifeless eyes tore his heart to shreds. Why did the world have to be so cruel?

***

No matter how hard he punched the boxing bag, Ethan couldn't seem to rid himself of his anger. Sweat oozed from every pore in his body, drenching him to the bone. He grunted and landed an overhand right hook; the sound of his fist connecting with the bag echoed in the night’s silence. Another swing with his left hand caused the heavy bag to sway with the pressure. In a precise technique, he then threw a punch along with a simultaneous step forward, which resulted in a force strong enough to unhinge the bag completely. Every muscle in his body screamed in agony. His heart thudded as angry breaths tore from his chest. He pushed himself beyond his limits, oppressing his mind and body.

How long had it been since he had last lost his shit? Afraid to step out tonight, Ethan chose a safer outlet to vent his fury. Try as he might, he couldn’t seem to shut out the painful image of his mother’s dying face. Blood gushed to his ears and his vision turned grey. The dreadful incident with the boy had shaken him to his core. It triggered in him memories of his horrific past.

No longer able to stay in the studio, as soon as the producer announced “cut”, Ethan ripped off his mic pack and stormed out of the office. Reading the news tonight was the toughest thing he’d ever done. More than once his voice choked with raging emotions of grief and anger. Images of the innocent boy would ravage him for days to come.

Why did he allow himself to get emotionally attached every time? Why couldn’t he tune out that particular part of his brain? When faced with such gruesome scenarios he lost his ability to reason through logic. His tough exterior did nothing to avert his soul from withering. As a part of his job he was expected to read the news. Good, bad or anything in between. Maybe he needed to change his profession.

Maybe you should stop surrounding yourself with grief. Maybe it’s about damn time you rupture the manacles trapping you to your past. Maybe you need to move forward, instead of living in the shadows of the past.

Ethan growled, formed a good tight fist and punched straight into the centre. He kept on pounding till his knuckles turned blue. With every pummel to the bag Ethan’s power to control his feelings slipped into a deep void, exhausting his mind, body and soul.

The ringing of his phone jolted him out of his agonising thoughts. Ethan unclenched his jaw and dropped his forehead to the bag as he read the name of the caller. His hand shook as he lifted the phone to his ear.

‘Ethan.’ Emotions burned a hole in his heart at the sound of her soothing voice. It felt like the warmth of the sunshine, skimming over his skin. Ethan sagged to the floor and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the wall. Silence stretched as Ethan couldn’t bring himself to speak. A swift breeze blew past his garden, picking up the scent of roses.

‘Hope,’ he whispered, hoarsely. Her heavy sigh drifted through the speaker and Ethan’s throat tightened.

‘I had a word with Dad. He mentioned you missed today’s daily meeting,’ she said as a conversation starter. ‘I’m sorry, Ethan… you had to go through a monstrous ordeal today. I can understand the pain you must be in. I will pray, both for you, and the innocent little boy.’ Ethan’s eyes stung with tears. He lacked the energy to protest. ‘I’m right here if you need me. I—’

‘Sweetcheecks, it’s 1am.’ On account of his tightly wound feeling, he failed to register the slip with the endearment.

‘No big deal, I’ll be there in half an hour tops.’ Ethan gazed up at the starlit sky and pictured her smile. Beautiful and contagious. ‘We live in Mumbai, remember? The city that never sleeps.’ God, the woman was like a two-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle. She oscillated to extreme spectrums. She hated and loved with a valiant passion.

‘Phoenix misses you,’ he bluffed. In all honesty he missed her vehemently. Now more than ever. What would he have done if she were around? Having her next to him and not being able to touch her was getting more and more difficult each day.

‘Hmm… I miss him too. If we’d been together right now, I’d hug and kiss him till his mood brightened.’ Ethan's mouth lifted in a slow smile. This is what he liked most about their kinship. They spoke in codes and were yet able to decipher their true meaning. A feeling of hope grew inside him.

He put his phone on speaker, relaxing his aching arms. He stretched out his long legs and flexed his fingers to release the stiffness. ‘I’m feeling blue too. What would you do to help lighten my mood?’

Ethan shut his eyes as her soft laughter poured over him. Undoubtedly, they were attracted to each other. His heart romped playfully in readiness to her reply. ‘Hmm… let me think.’ Ethan grinned as she made a deliberate pause. ‘Considering you and me go way back, I’d probably hug and kiss you too. As a matter of fact, I would be doing a huge favour to not only Phoenix but everyone in connection with you. Because…’ – she lowered her voice to a purposeful whisper – ‘when you get all grumpy you can be a real pain in the ass.’

Vigorous laughter burst out from his chest. Damn, the saucy minx lit up his body inside and out. How best could he handle this intimacy between them?

‘Full points for your honesty,’ Ethan said, still laughing.

‘Ethan, life’s too short for regrets. Remember each day gone by without a smile, is a day wasted.’

In a much relieved state of mind. Ethan’s eyes scanned his surroundings. The lushness of his garden displayed signs of great love and care. Life had so much to offer. If only he dared to partake in its glorious adventure. Ethan drew in an uplifting breath and let the comforting spirit of the universe sweep away his trepidations.

Chapter Twenty

This was her idea of a super relaxed afternoon. Hope secured a headband over her messy hair and tossed a bath bomb in the tub. The bomb sizzled and soon the aroma of tea tree wafted around the bathroom. She placed the bubble bar under the running water and the tub frothed with a blanket of snow-white bubbles. She dipped her fingers in the tub, testing the temperature of the water. Twisting the regulator she dimmed the light to a pale yellow, creating a befitting setting for a spa.

‘Perfect,’ she said and sank into the heavenly lap of luxury. She closed her eyes, inhaling the exotic scent. Sighing, she dropped her head back as the delicate bubbles skimmed over her skin. For a long spell, Hope sat in silence as her limbs grew heavy in surrender. With her hectic work schedule, she hardly ever got the time to bask in some mental peace. Usually her mind worked overtime. It felt great to finally give it some much-deserved rest. Hope sighed again and sank deeper into the water, enjoying her lush bath bomb experience.

---