The Question

She was alone at the huge teakwood table, carved and highlightened in gold paint. The entree had been however served.

Wait! Who served the entree?

She looked around, but there wasn't a soul anywhere. The mango slice seemed tempting, so she took the fork and had it. It was just like what she wanted it to be. Delightful.

She suddenly felt a tap on her right shoulder. Startled, she looked, her face being a perfect mixture of shock, curiosity and the fear of the unknown. It was Reed.

Reed!

Suddenly the huge hall changed into some garden. The entree transformed into a hot dog and the table just wasn't where it stood. She and Reed sat on the bench, looking particularly nowhere. She wanted to ask him, where he'd sprung from and what was happening... But she was befuddled to even ask that.

Reed sincerely munched into the hot dog and they started walking, both looking down at the grass.

Just as they always did. Reed could never look at her in the eye whenever they walked together. It was the same even now. Some things never change, she thought. And it made her smile involuntarily.

Reed saw her smile in the corner of her eye and he couldn't help but smile too.

Reed asked her where he could find certain day-to-day something. He said he'd go and be back soon.

But it happened again. The place transformed again.

She found herself not in that garden, but in the University campus.

"What happened, honey? why've you been staring at the spruce so long?" said Gant, holding her from behind, gently kissing her earlobes.

She suddenly realised she had changed the place again, like what always happened. She was no longer with Reed in that garden, smiling for reasons they both knew and yet didn't. She was with Gant, her boyfriend of a few month, in the Uni winter. Gant was holding her from behind like he always liked to.

The winter was closing in and yes it felt nice to be wrapped up in warm arms. Her clothes had changed too, for a woollen hat and a soft scarf had appeared, obviously apart from her sundress (in the garden with Reed) changing into warm woollens.

But she was still quite uncertain. Something didn't seems entirely right. There seemed to be things falling out.

No! I can't compare Reed and Gant! Gant is my boyfriend..!

But then what's the thing with Reed?

Why do I still feel I should be walking with Reed, looking down at the ground rather than being in a wintry Uni with Gant?

It didn't exactly make sense.

By now Gant was holding her closer, definitely going in for a kiss. She turned and faced him, and they kissed. Very passionately so.

Suddenly she felt as if she were on fire. It was hot and she was sweating.

She could feel the light hitting her eyes.

No please!

Not another transition.. Let me just be, someone!

And suddenly she realised. It was a dream.

It was still 5-20 am, but thanks to the merciless long days of summer, the sun was bright and hitting right upon her face.

She was irritated at that. My body does respond to natural timings, but this is cruel.. why does the sun have to be up so early? she stared out at the window and suddenly the dream came back to her.

Whatever does that mean?! she thought, as she lazily creeped out to the water bottle kept besides her bed. As she drank, a few drops came out and wet her shirt. Darn! Why do I have to mess about so much!

She sense that others were sound asleep. She turned to the fan to turn it faster, but at the fastest possible speed it already was. Darn again!

She eased out to her chair, and logged onto the net. They weren't any new mails. Ok.

She started surfing pictures of Robert Downey Jr, the one man she totally adored. But her mind was entirely elsewhere. On Reed. On Gant. Wait! On Reed or Gant?!

And then she smiled involuntarily to herself.

Well that's the very question, isn't it?