If there was one last word in the world, I wouldn't want to hear before going to bed on the night of 20th October '13, that would have been a "No".

Her highness was kind enough to add a comma between adverb, and the negative— Frankly, no!
My thumbs trembled as I pressed them against the keyboard of my phone while typing the reply.

"Okay, thanks"

That is all I said. A hole had been punched right through my heart, and that's when I could feel my whole world crumpling in the dim glow of the tiny phone screen.

"Oh for heaven's sake, sleep! It's almost midnight!", an infuriated voice sourcing from the tall, sharp figure standing right next to the door.
"Good night mom", I whispered and kept aside my phone. I knew I wasn't going to have a good night anyway.

I had closed my eyes for just a minute or two now when suddenly the door bell rang. I'm not sure if it was because I was expecting someone, but out of my instinct I rushed to the door before any other member in the house could attend it. I led the stranger lady inside, and offered her to get comfortable on the sofa lined geometrically by the guest room.

Thinking it would be rude to leave the guest alone in the room, I took a seat beside her. The fact that the newly arrived guest was fairly my age, I felt a little awkward too for not being able to lift up my face to catch a glimpse of her.

I drifted my mind from the stranger, and instantly got lost thinking about the chat conversation I had half an hour ago with the girl I was so in love with.

She denied that she had any feelings for me anymore.

"Frankly, no!"
Not even in my wildest dream did I picture living a day hearing that she doesn't love me anymore. I could never imagine that. Not until that day.

How could that be? Where did I go wrong? Where was it? Where?

I was least bothered about how I was going to do without her, and more concerned about where did I go wrong! I was in my mind palace once again searching every corner, trying to find any hidden clues that could answer that one question. I felt helpless. Tormented.

"You okay?" sounded the stranger.

"Yeah!" I murmured without looking.

"It's not worth it.. Don't c.."

And with that, my head still bowed down, I felt something moving close to my face. At first I panicked, but slowly closed my eyes on feeling a gentle touch on my forehead. It was her lips.

All my worries popped out like a pin prick in an air bubble, I felt lighter as the intense mind fog temporarily evaporated. Nothing in the world could be more comforting than that feathery touch, I felt peace. I forgot everything. Not a shred of evidence from the last chat conversation. It was peace all over.

I gently opened my eyes to familiarize with the figure, but it was morning.

I've been hallucinating whole night.