Chasing the Sun

The Indian summer sun rose on a new day. Vibrant shades of tangerine, ruby, and gold flooded the sky, mirroring the spice market's splendor below. As Jeremy looked up, he wished he could take in the scene with the love of his life, Sonia Patel, warm in his arms, soaking in the peace. Instead, he was standing in front of her palace gates, waiting for the angry and judgmental Rajesh, her father. His contemplation was interrupted by a sudden vibration in his pocket. He grabbed his phone and saw a missed call and voicemail from an unknown number.

Hello Mr. Williams, this is Wilco Insurance; we are calling regarding outstanding payments for your mother's care. Due to this default, we regret to inform you she will be discharged from hospice tomorrow.

An invisible dagger pierced his heart; he took a breath and regained his composure. He knew he would figure it out, just not now. Now he had to fight for Sonia. Rajesh flung open the door. His bitterness and hatred accompanying him. He was determined to protect his daughter at all costs. His thick accent filled the quiet air.

"Listen, you and I both know why you are here. It has only been three months since you started dating my beautiful Sonia."

Jeremy tried to interrupt; they had actually been together a year, hiding their relationship from her judgemental parents. Most of Sonia's friends followed a pattern that kept their American college boyfriends a secret, knowing they would only invite disdain and possible disinheritance from their traditional families. The difference was that unlike all of Sonia's friends who had broken up with their beaus before returning home to be matched, Sonia and Jeremy were very much in love. He wanted to shake Rajesh and tell him that he was wrong and wasn't going anywhere. Before Jeremy could utter a word, he bit his tongue to save Sonia from any further trouble; everything he did was for her.

Her father continued with his misinformed rant, "There is no real love there. You are not a proper match, impossible!" Rajesh's cruel laugh echoed down the street. "You're a simple American from Missouri. A place I had to google to find. You are no one. You will never be suitable for someone so noble and perfect as Sonia. You will never be anyone." The disgust, judgment, and hurt trickled through Jeremy. He had thick skin, but these were words from his hopefully future father-in-law. He focused his attention back on Rajesh.

"You've had your fun. You have your story. But this is the end." The defensive father reached into his satchel and pulled out a thick envelope. "Here are $20,000 and a ticket home that leaves in three hours. Take it, leave, and never think of Sonia again."

The lovesick American felt his heart plummet. How can he hate the family of someone he loved so much? He balled up his fists but thought better of it. "There is no amount of money you can pay me to leave her. None." Anger bubbled inside him like an eruptive volcano; as he looked on, his nemesis smirked.

"I thought you'd say that. Except, I know about your mother, Delilah." Rajesh let his ominous words sink in as Jeremy felt his world slip away.

"Leave her out of this!" Jeremy was livid but knew he was trapped. He thought back to the call from the debt collector and the last text from his mom. The words flashed through his mind.

Jerbear, I was approved for the new study, but I know we can't afford it. I just want you to know it's okay. I'll be okay. Love you.

Jeremy snapped back to his current reality, watching Rajesh's hollow eyes fill with twisted amusement. "I know your mother has stage 4 cancer and that your writing salary can't cover her needs. How sad. What will you do to save your mom? I'll give you $20,000 cash right now and pay the rest of her health expenses until she dies."

Jeremy hesitated; this could save his mom, the strongest woman he knew. He flashed back to visions of Delilah alone cooking pasta for him and his three younger siblings while studying her nursing textbook next to the pot. She was a saint who deserved to live. The thought of being her salvation was one he had never anticipated before. Could he sacrifice his happiness for it? Sonia was his everything. So many questions confronted him in regards to her joy, future, and take on forgiveness.

The bitter man cemented the inevitable, "Before you start thinking that if you married Sonia, she could foot the bill. Know now, if you marry her, she will be disinherited and disowned. She will have no more family. She will have nothing." As Rajesh looked on with satisfaction, Jeremy felt that he no longer had a choice. He had to protect the women he loved most. He refused to destroy Sonia and separate her from her entire family.

He reluctantly grabbed the envelope and stared toward Sonia's balcony, praying for her to emerge, hoping for a happy Bollywood ending. The doors remained bolted shut; even the breeze stilled. Life isn't a Bollywood film. Jeremy knew he had to move but felt his feet had grown into the floor like the roots of an ancient Banyan. He looked into his manipulator's eyes and hoped for the most minimal amount of mercy.

"I will go. But please, let me leave a note." There was no hiding the desperation in his voice. Rajesh looked at him for a moment." I will allow you a note as long as you blame yourself and mention none of this exchange." Jeremy nodded and grabbed his trusty little black book and pen from his back pocket. Each page overflowed with inspiration and recollections, littered with passion and authenticity to reveal his life story. He held the black leather against his heart, inhaled, and began to write.

Tears streamed down his cheeks, falling to the page. His hand moved swiftly, trying to express his love and sorrow into words. He felt another piece of his heart crumble with each stroke of his pen—another piece buried in India, never to be found again.

Finally, he looked up and handed the sacred Moleskine notebook to Rajesh. He looked puzzled, "I said a note, not a book." Jeremy pleaded with him, explaining that the notebook was their history and that he filled the last page with a distorted truth to help her move on. Rajesh reviewed the final page; seemingly satisfied, he closed the notebook and gestured toward a cab waiting at the curb. "Goodbye, and good riddance."

Jeremy carried his body toward the car, every part of him fighting to stay. He looked over his shoulder one last time and prayed that Sonia would read his words and find the truth, that he sacrificed his life to save the women he worshipped. The shattered man hoped her eyes would see the page he secretly filled with answers as to why he left and a prayer of reconciliation.

Rajesh watched as Jeremy got into the cab. He promised he would give her the notebook but never said when. The victor smiled to himself, proud of his cunning ways. Once inside, he hid the little black book in the kitchen pantry, a space Sonia neglected. He tucked it behind a jar of Green Cardamom. Rajesh walked away with the intent to return and properly destroy Jeremy's dream, believing that she would never know the truth.

Five Years Later

Sonia gazed out her parents' kitchen window recalling her latest argument with her husband, Aadesh.

"Sonia, what do you want from me? I show up when I have to. I love Kamal. I don't hurt you. I support you financially and allow your passing fancies you call work. You have all the jewels a woman could want, and to society, you have a noble, titled husband. There isn't more to give."

Frustrated, she pleaded." I need love, passion, a best friend. Don't you want that?"

Aadesh sighed and grabbed his briefcase, preparing to leave. "We can't always have it all. Be grateful for what you do have."

Sonia's mind was in disarray until her thoughts were quickly interrupted by her boisterous toddler, Kamal, running down the hall chasing his ball. She smiled at the love of her life, reminding him of the rules.

"Darling, what did I say about throwing your cricket ball inside Dada Rajesh's house?" Just as quickly as the words left her mouth did the ball slip from his tiny fingers, flying straight into the pantry. Kamal looked to his mother with alarm as an abrasive sound of shattered glass reinforced his fears. Tears sprung to his eyes.

Sonia came to his side, "It's all right, my love, we can clean it together. Just remember, no balls inside." She kissed his forehead, grabbed his hand, and walked toward the mess—fragments of glittering glass mixed with spilled Green Cardamom powder like a blanket of freshly mowed grass.

"Tell Dada and have him help you get the broom." Kamal was off like a flash. Not one for cooking; she couldn't remember the last time she was in the pantry. Sonia began to grab the larger pieces of glass off the shelf. That's when she saw it. Her piercing midnight eyes recognized it immediately. Sonia's hands trembled as she reached for the little black notebook. So many emotions overcame her - anger, resentment, hope- but mostly lingering love. In a trance, enchanted by the dusted leather, she turned the scented pages, each distant memory came alive, dancing through her mind.

Sonia,

There are no words to explain this new reality. I wish I had more time to tell you everything that happened. Know that I love you, that I did this for you. I wish I could stay, but pray we'll be together one day.

No matter how many years pass, my heart is yours.

Love,

Jeremy

Sonia, unsure what to feel, clutched the book as an aromatic scent met her nose, an unusual mix of leather and cardamom. She never wanted to let go; she had finally found a piece of him after all this time. Sonia had so many questions but mostly wondered if it was still true. She looked around her family home and down to her blinding wedding ring. It would be a betrayal, but there was no love with Aadesh, only a convenient business agreement. Decidedly, it was better to betray him than her own heart. She had already done that for five years.

One Week Later

Sonia dialed the one number she promised she would never call again. Some promises are worth breaking.

"Hello? Sonia …." Jeremy cautiously spoke. He recognized the number immediately.

Sonia rambled, "Jeremy. I don't know if you remember me, but this is Sonia. I found your notebook." Jeremy held his breath as she spoke.

"Tell me if it's still true?" Her eyes closed as she braced herself.

Jeremy exhaled, "It will be true until the day I die."

A tear slid down her cheek. She felt hope spring alive. "Jeremy. There is much to be said and asked. It's too much for the phone." Time marked the moment the call became betrayal. "Come back to India."

Without resignation, he was ready to reclaim his heart regardless of the consequences, "Yes." He exclaimed, overcome with raw emotion, "I'll leave tomorrow." Sonia smiled as she watched Kamal playing outside.

"Good because there's someone very important for you to meet." The call ended, Sonia took her first breath of peace in five years.

The rose-colored sun sank into the horizon. It embraced Sonia, enveloping her in an array of brilliant golden hues glistening with hope. Her eyes focused on Kamal's silhouette laughing against the now indigo sky. Sonia knew that the new dawn would bring beauty and chaos, for tomorrow, Kamal's father was finally coming home.