He walked on a stone road, made from uneven marble bricks with round edges, place at different heights. It could have been there on purpose to give runners a better grip, or it could be an innovative design, or it could not have any explanation at all. It could confuse those who decided to ask questions and find the answers where neither the first, not the latter were possible.

However, that was not important "Where did the road lead ? " Now, that is the question one should have been asking.

Luv did not have the answer yet . He walked on that road, unsure about how he ended up there . All could be remembered was standing on a bridge, looking down and seeing navy blue water with white foamy edges slowly hitting round stones .

One second, they were covered; and in another, the whole stone world would reappear. Luv tried to count them , but the waves could come back quickly, and he would lose the count .

Luv was so focused on what was beneath his that he forgot, momentarily, why he was there . He remembered the desperate to stop the feeling.

No , not one particular sense of fear , anxiety, depression, but to desire to stop the feelings at all!!! He could not take the overwhelming emotions anymore. He did not was to rationalize with himself

He did not want to know that why he was happy , excited or motivated one minute and out of breath the next. Out Of Breath For Life.

He did not want to fight or be strong. He wanted to end it up,as fast as he could.

But the stones and the waves distracted him. He took a break. He knew he really needed once. Right before the action Would be taken. He was not scared to jump . He was exhausted and needed a moment to gain his strength.

Suddenly, he heard someone calling . He looked towards one side and saw a Lady coming out of the car park, right before the bridge. She caught his eyes.

So, she slowed down. Her body language and tone became extra careful. As she was dealing with a challenging teenager. She had to try to get him, to behave in a particular way, in a safe, well-mannered and quick-to-be-over way.

In the next second, Luv woke up, and he was shaken back to reality. Like an electrical shock that went through his body, it dawned on him that someone might see him do what he planned to, or worse, that someone has occasionally tried to save him.

So, Luv jumped back over the rail and rain the other direction. He knew then that he needed the perfect condition to accomplish what he had planned. He was a writer. An unknown one, but one with a soul desperate for perfection. Perfection in everything, even in death.

Luv was not sure for how long he had been walking. Neither was he sure where he was going. But, he had a feeling that he was on the right path. His perfect route would have taken him to another bridge without anyone around. Little did he knew that life would lead him in a different direction.-;).

Luv did not know how much time has passed since he left the bridge. According to hhis calculations, he should have crossed at least two similar bridges already. But so far, the scenery did not change. The same stone road, with short strips of forest replaced the fields at times, but the view would return to that of empty lands soon again.

He had not met anyone on the way;

neither did he see any vehicles passing by. It seemed strange, but somehow Luv knew - he was on the right path.

Suddenly, he noticed a concrete house in the distance. As he approached it, he realised that the building, with a small window, was standing on the side of the street.

The construction was very close to the road so everyone could easily approach the window, whether walking or in a car. It looked like one of the border or passport control cubicles, but without any warning signs around it, no guards with weapons on trained dogs on leashes.

Luv came closer and looked inside the window. He saw a middle-aged woman dressed in the blue uniform. She had stars on her shoulder that generally identified the rank. But in her case , it seemed like the stars were more for decoration than for status indication. She smiled widely and greeted Luv in a very soft and soothing voice.

"Welcome! How long are you planning to stay with us? "

"Excuse me, where exactly am I?"

Luv was a bit shocked as he did not expect anyone to question his intent. Moreover, she was unsure about the duration of his stay as he had very different plans for his future earlier in the day.

The woman did not seem to be surprised by the question. "Welcome to Village PERFECTI PUERI. My apologies. I should have mentioned it. Since, you are new to the area, I must inform you that.....you can stay up to 4 days. You can always extend your stay, but only after completing the minimum 3 days and 4 days visit. "

" im not sure if I can stay". Luv could not find the right words or make a decision.

The name was very intriguing, and Luv caught himself feeling curious for the first time in a long time. He was not sure if he liked the feeling. It certainly was not hurting him, but was it enough to convince him to stay alive and explore life for a bit longer?

"Sir, I should mention that the stay is free for the 1st three nights. After which, you can find a job and stay on as a resident of you like it. For now, I will issue you a tourist pass. Show it to The Hotel staff when you get there, and they will provide you with food and lodging."

On that note, she issued Luv a pass and handed it over through the window. Luv was in shock, without coming up with a response, he grabbed the paper, smiled briefly at the woman in the house and walked towards the village.

He was puzzled about what he was doing and why he took the opportunity. Maybe it was because deep inside, he wanted to postpone his decision to end his life or did not want to lose the chance to convince himself that it was not the only option.

Something told him that woman had made a mistake and had issued a free pass to the wrong person. She didn't ask him for any documents; She didn't ask his name. She could have made a mistake, and Luv could have taken someone else's opportunity.

He was not happy with his own life, and the possibility of taking on someone else's seemed very desirable.~

Suddenly, the scenery changed. Pretty one - storey houses started appearing on both sides of the road.

Luv passed a few before he stopped at an extensive construction with playgrounds and a golden fence all around. He saw children. Many children. All smiling and laughing, wearing blue uniforms and holding blue backpacks.

" Blue colour must be in trend, " Luv caught himself being sarcastic already. He had not been sarcastic in a long time. It seemed refreshing. Luv decided to walk further, as having children, raising children and children overall were not his favourite subjects.

Luv did not have kids. So, he did not know what to say or how to behave around his friend's kids. He did not hate them,

neither did he hate the idea of having children someday.

Luv had no clue what to say to them. He wanted to explain himself somehow but often avoided that thought as much as he avoided children.

The further in Luv, the more people he started noticing. Men and women, all dressed nicely, were either riding bicycles or walking (some even seemed jumping or flying a sort of a happy walk). It was nice to see people smiling and greeting each other.

"It must be one of the benefits of living in a smaller place. Everyone probably knows one another here," he thought.

Luv came from a big city, where everyone only cared for themselves. No one had the time to get know the neighbours or even say hello to each other. He knew some people that had tried to change the natural depressing flow of life, but all were discouraged quickly. Either through the sad silence to their greetings or an aggressive open - ended judgement to one wasting other's time through small talk.

Luv shrugged, remembering the faces he used to see every day near his apartment. Not one smiled. Ever!!!

Deep in thoughts, Luv walked for about 20 minutes before reaching the roundabout with a fountain in the middle. It indicated the central point of the village. He raised his eyes and saw a sign, The Hotel.

Luv was surprised that what he was looking for was so easily found. He crossed the road and walked into the building. He gave the pass to a young woman behind the counter at the reception.

" Welcome, sir. What is your name, please? "

" LUV, " he did not feel like sharing his personal information.

It seemed weird to accept the invitation for a free stay but not share even his full name. Luv knew it was not fair, but he could not resist offering as little information as possible. It was more than enough and continued doing something on the computer.

Minutes later he announced that Luv's room would be number 125. She advised that, clothes and toiletries would be in the room and Luv could use whatever suited his needs. Meals will be thrice daily 7:00 - 8:00 am, 1:00 - 2:00 pm and 6:00 - 7:00 pm. There will be no snacks in between. Luv could speak to the local doctor who would prescribe a special diet if needed.

At this point the young girl behind the counter was getting overly excited. She behaved as though she was checking Luv into a luxurious hotel somewhere in the Maldives. Luv almost choked on her last words. So far, he liked everything about his free vacation at an unknown destination. But, the words snacks and prescription in one sentence seemed a bit too much.

The receptionist never picked up on her client's confused emotions and carried on sharing all necessary information.

Suddenly, her face changed. Unlike Luv, the girl lit up with exhilaration , while Luv's face had surprise written all over it. Involuntary, the receptionist tilted her head down. Her body language was screaming admiration. Whether, one is familiar or not with Asian Culture, bowing one's head is not just a greeting but a show of respect to an honorable person.

Despite the emotional surprise, he was determined to finish to finish his last sentence but noticably slowed down. So, Luv had a chance to look at the person, whom he was addressing his respect to before any direct communication took place.

The woman who approached the reception was about 45 years of age. Luv only guessed it from the wisdom in her eyes. Otherwise, noticeably, she looked beautiful and much younger, The women had long shiny carmine [red colour type] hair collected into a hairstyle with a perfect ponytail. She wear light make-up but slightly brighter lipstick. She looked like she worked in The Hotel. Not only worked, but she also managed it and those behind the desk. ~