‘Yes!’
‘Tonight?’ Olivia pressed, praying that there was some miscommunication occurring between the two.
‘Yes, Livvy, tonight!’ Tracey whooped, sending a group of pigeons near by fleeing for their lives. ‘Would you look at that? The solo travellers can become a duo!’
No, they can’t.
They 100 per cent can’t.
‘The thing is, I’m on quite a tight schedule.’
‘Great, I need someone to kick me into touch. Otherwise, knowing me, I won’t get there until midnight.’
‘I have a very specific train I need to catch.’
‘Brilliant. I love travelling by train. It’s the best way to see the country. What time are you heading?’
Olivia was desperate now, clinging to every possible excuse and escape route. ‘I don’t know – it depends how quickly I finish at the other tourist sites this afternoon. I have a lot to see.’
‘Hold on.’ Tracey’s face crumpled in confusion. ‘I thought you said you had a specific time to leave?’
‘I do, but also, you know what it’s like out here …’ Olivia felt the heat prickle along the back of her neck. ‘Things never go to plan.’
‘You’re damn right about that, kid! But hey, you just tell me where to be and when, and I’ll do it. Travelling by yourself is great, but if the offer of company is there, I am not going to say no.’
Olivia swallowed hard, her mouth dry and her body temperature rising rapidly. There must be a way out of this. Could she lose Tracey after the Taj and sneak off without being noticed? Tell her to meet her at the station and then jump on an earlier train? She knew it was cruel, but surely there had to be a way to escape being lumbered with this woman for any longer than she had to.
‘Shall we keep walking, Livvo?’ Tracey placed a solidhand on her shoulder, pulling Olivia out of her spiralling thoughts. ‘You want to make sure you’ve got plenty of time for the rest of your activities if we are going to make that train later, hey?’
‘Yeah …’ Olivia bit down hard on her tongue, her jaw clenching almost as tightly as her fists. ‘Yeah, we do.’
‘Blimey, what a turn-up for the books! Jaipur, watch out, because here we come!’
Jacob
Jacob made his way back to his hostel after yet another long day. He’d been spending his time wandering the streets of the city, taking the opportunity to revisit all of his favourite haunts. The dusty cafes tucked away, saturated with the smells of spices and cigarette smoke; the little market stalls overflowing with trinkets and talismans; and, of course, the masterfully built palaces that stood tall and, proud, watching over the city with a composed knowingness, rare sanctuaries of calm amidst the labyrinth of madness that unfolded around them. He walked morning to night, never stopping to rest, the unrelenting energy of the city pulsing through his veins, pushing him forward on his quest of discovery. What else could he do? What else could he see? But no matter what he sought out or where he went, he couldn’t help but notice how different it felt doing it by himself.
All alone.
Normally his solitude was his one constant comfort. However, over the past few days he had to admit that his solo pursuit had, at times, felt a little lonely. Had it onlytaken three days for him to get accustomed to company? To enjoy having another pair of eyes to view things with, and another brain to share ideas with. He was annoyed at himself for thinking it could be any other way. Hadn’t he learnt, from doing this for five years, that the moment you open yourself up, you immediately invite in the fall?
And the last thing we can afford to do is fall …
Jacob could feel his swollen feet throbbing against the seams of his ragged trainers. His legs were so heavy with exhaustion that the last few steps towards his hostel felt like an impossible task. Today he had outdone himself, covering miles and miles in a vain attempt to settle his mind. All day it had been racing with thoughts, flitting erratically from one thing to the next. A thousand insects were trapped inside his skull, whispering her name over and over. And then, like clockwork she would appear. The same face with the same blue eyes. So close to his, and yet so completely and utterly out of reach.
Yes, and for good reason.
At last, Jacob reached the front door, and with all the remaining effort he had, pushed it open and stepped inside the brightly lit reception. His weary heart lifted a little when he saw the oversized teenager hunched behind the front desk. Jacob selfishly had to admit he was glad that Kushal was still working in his father’s hostel; it was always nice to start the day with a friendly, albeit often exasperated, face.
‘Jesus, Kushal, are you still here? I thought you only worked the day shifts?’
The boy turned his drooping eyes to Jacob. He had the expression of an old man, but the facial hair of a teenage boy. ‘Someone called in sick, so I said I’d help out.’ His fine moustache fluttered as he sighed.
‘Very admirable of you.’
‘Not really. My dad said if I didn’t help he wouldn’t pay me for the month, so what was I meant to do?’
‘Say no? Demand a raise?’
