"And look , it's Mrs Punctual coming in late,"Sean sneered at Iris for her tardiness which was not her at all as you've heard it from the nickname he had given her on this bright and sunny morning.
"Ha!Well don't you love gloating over my mistakes ,Bunny?"
"Of course i do it keeps me alive ,now why are you late we could have missed our flight"Sean said rolling his suitcase while walking beside Iris .
"We are past check-in , aren't we? So no flight will be missed."Sean rolled his eyes at her remark but still eyed her with much suspicion,he knew something was not right but he didn't probe ,he will probably later or not .We were on board and settled Iris didn't say much during the flight. Not because she had nothing to say, but because she couldn't shake the odd feeling that had taken root inside her since last night dream .Her fingers kept brushing the edge of the now- empty envelope Mr Jones had given to her .
Sean was studying the file while she absent mindedly nodded to whatever Sean was saying,her mind was drifted to her dream last night it was disturbing and sure had her thinking hard for something that could have meant nothing and be just a normal dream but it was not.
"Iris ? Iris!"
"Yes? " Sean had gotten her out of her trance ,she looked at him weirdly .
"Did you even hear what i said? "
She shook her head and Sean was exasperated ,he had had it .
"What's going on with you first you make us almost miss our flight,two you're not even listening to what I'm saying and third you're tearing that envelope!"
"Oh!"was all she said as she gathered the shreds on her legs and put them away ,she had not noticed what she was doing,but she was thinking and she had a habit.
"I'm just tired Sean ,we will review the documents and sketches later when we land"
She said that as she put her headphones on and looked out the window.
Sean on the other hand pouted and mumbled a whatever as he took out his tablet, thinking how it was unfair when he got into business mode ,she was not even paying attention talk about unfairness at the highest degree.
They landed in Rajasthan, India, late in the evening. The sky was bruised purple, the air thick with dust and fading heat. A jeep awaited them at the airport.Their driver was a tanned young man , likely around their age , with a deep baritone voice that rumbled as he told them to get in. He helped them with their suitcases and helped Iris open her door like a fine refined man, although nothing about his dressing spoke about refinement.She thanked him as she got in ,"Wow your majesty,"Sean couldn't help but remark and Iris being Iris rolled her eyes .
The gentleman took them to the hotel where they'd be resting,two rooms just across each other .Iris was exhausted .She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.The moment she dropped onto her bed ,her eyes fluttered shut and sleep took her almost instantly,but not even a minute later ,a voice echoed through the depths of her mind...
"Nefira."
She stirred in her sleep ,her brow furrowing .The name lingered like smoke , haunting and unfamiliar,yet somehow known.