Chapter 168 - An Unusual Sight!

Standing frozen before the entrance of the public park where she visited last with Zeus, Eva was hesitating to take a step inside. The park was filled up with crowds of people and unknowingly, she chose to visit the place filled with their happy memories, despite her disinclination.

"Damn...why am I even here? I...I will feel more down once I enter inside... I...should really go somewhere else..." Anticipating her thoughts, she was striving hard against the conflict between her heart and mind. Her heart wanted to revive those memories she spent with her beloved one whereas her mind wanted to run away from them. After a moment of reluctance, much hesitatingly she took a step inside. 

As usual, the park was crowded with countless couples walking next to each other holding hands in hands. While walking alone holding a grievous, wrecked heart, it was painful for her to even look at the couples who seemed much jolly and fulfilled in love. Quietly, she chose to walk towards an empty public bench and took her seat taking a deep huff of breath out, lowering her face down. Indeed, her gleesome memories spend with Zeus were flashing before her vision making her sadder than ever.

"Umm, aren't you the young lady who danced with the handsome man that earlier day?" 

Suddenly, a polite voice startled Eva as she quickly raised her chin up to look at the person who summoned her. It was an old, kind-looking woman probably in her late 50's, who was smiling standing in front of her. She seemed unfamiliar to Eva and hearing her sudden remark, she was startled.

"Pardon ma'am... A-Are you asking me?"

"Yes. Aren't you the pretty woman who danced here earlier with your man gracefully? You both were shining beside each other." She sounded very amicable, softly taking her seat next to her on the bench.

A small curve of a sad smile appeared on her lips as Eva lowered her head down. "Thank you..." She uttered slowly.

The woman continued glancing at Eva for a few seconds and took a heavy sigh out. "Hmmm, judging from the situation now, both of you must've fought with each other... I was quite surprised when I saw the young man, sighing here alone." 

"What?" Surging her dilated eyeballs wider, Eva almost shrieked in surprise. "Ze-Zeus came here?"

"Yes. I have seen him around almost every day I came here. But he didn't seem the same person glowing in happiness when he was with you... Instead, his cheeks were gaunt, his face looked haggard with swollen eye bags beneath the eyes just like yours. I was a bit surprised to find him alone here without you...but right now, watching you in the same state...I think I can conclude that you both must be striving a rough patch." Gazing at the cloudy sky emitting a glum aura, the woman whispered to her.

Engulfed in wonder, Eva was completely spellbound hearing her tender reciprocation. She was rolling was dilated eyes, breathing heavily while fidgeting her fingers anxiously over her lap. "Did...Did he look sick? Was...he in a bad state...madam?" She quivered.

"Both of you seem barren and distressed without having each other by your side, my child." She smiled, turning her face towards her mumbling in a soothing voice.

Eva quietly stared at her for a few seconds and lowered her eyes down. She was squirming from inside but chose to keep her silence momentarily.

The woman looked away from her and stared at the murky sky again with a blank gaze in her wide eyes. "You know, when I saw you both dancing happily in arms of each other, it seemed as if I was looking at my good, old happier days with my husband... We were just like you. We fought a lot with each other and most importantly, we fought a lot to be with each other..." A sad small smile escaped her lips as she was narrating her own story. 

"Good old days? Aren't you...together with him...anymore?" Curiously frowning her brow ridge, she mumbled to her.

"We were together till death parted our ways, my child." She chuckled with a glimmer of sadness profused in her eyes. Her voice grew heavier as she took a deep breath out. "It has been three years already since I am adjusting to this life without him. Our families were against our relationship... At some point, it seemed as if we won't be able to stay right next to each other... But our faith and love kept us going through the tough times. We endured many happy and sad aspects of life staying together till our forever..." Her voice crooked a little. 

Eva was quietly hearing with a deep gaze towards her, watching her grimace engulfed with sadness as she was talking about her late husband. Tenderly, she grasped her arm and tapped a few times consoling her, "it must be...so lonely for you to live without the person you loved with your all heart...right?"

"Hmm... I won't lie, it's quite suffocating sometimes...But the only thing that keeps me going on is the precious memories that we spent with each other." 

Apprehending her tender answer, a wave of glum stirred inside her soul. Her heart twitched with an unavoidable pain as she took a deep huff of breath in, gasping heavily. "Aren't memories painful for you to bear?" She asked.

"They are. Memories are the ones that make us happy and sad both at the same time. But...without memories, we will be the same as a lifeless person. That's why it's important to keep holding onto memories." She turned her chin towards her, gawking with a small sad sneer. 

Eva was quiet and numb with her answer, nodding her head in response. Her heart was filled with countless worries, especially the proposal from Czar that was tormenting her the most. 

"My child, I may be not in the position to say this, but your smile will be the evident proof when you find the right one for yourself. The way your eyes were glowing in bliss holding the arm of your beloved one, they seem so hollow right now.

Well, fights and disagreements do happen when two people try to stick with each other. But everything depends on how you find the way back to each other once you realize your happiness depends on the other one. 

Life is too short my child... You know, your forever will be over soon before you could even realize it. So...be honest to your heart and do what it says..." She softly patted her head tossing a warm smile at her. Slowly, she stood up from the bench and walked away in the opposite direction from her while she was gawking from behind, holding a sad gaze.

"Perhaps...everything between us would have been normal if both of us were just powerless humans...I know...I will probably be never happy without him with these existing memories...but...why? Why can't I run back to him just the way I did earlier? Everything feels so fucking messed up..." Swallowing her tears inside and wondering inside her mind, she stood up from the bench and was about to head away outwards.

But a startling sight locked her gaze immediately! A small kindergarten kid was running towards the giant highway, holding a football in his petite arms. His mother was busy chatting to someone over the phone by standing at a distance a bit away from him, looking at the opposite side. A huge truck was fiercely coming towards the child while he was heading that way!

"Oh...Oh my God! The child! The child gonna get into an accident!" Shocked at the frightening sight, she shrieked out in fear and started running in the direction. But she was a bit far from that sight which was happening on the other side of the street and her heart was throbbing in fear! It was just a matter of few seconds when the truck almost reached the child running in the middle of the street.

But something miraculous happened at the exact time! With a huge rushing speed and grabbing the child in his broad arms, Zeus almost jumped over on the side of the street saving him from that dreadful accident approaching the child! Trembling in fear, the child started to cry bitterly, and instantly with the sudden ruckus, his mother noticed it with her wise eyes and came rushing to him. A few people gathered around them when Zeus quietly released the child from his hold to his mother.

Eva was shocked to witness such an unimaginable scenario that happened right before her eyes in a matter of few seconds. Zeus, who never even bothered to glance at a human, willingly saved the life of a small child from being run over by a truck. Frozen in awe, Eva was gazing at him intensely with a profound longing in her sullen eyes, standing on the other side of the highway.

"Is he the Zeus I know? Is he...really trying to change himself for me? Since when...he became sympathetic towards humans?" She mumbled on her own, ogling at him.