Karma knew she shouldn’t pry into Isaac’s past – what happened years ago was his business and it should remain that way until he told her himself. She couldn’t help herself though; she had this dying curiousity to know and she convinced herself that she would be helping him in the end. Right.

Walking into the kitchen of the house she shared, she poured herself a glass of milk and sat down at the kitchen table, spilling her textbooks around her. She uncapped a ballpoint pen, chewing slightly on the end of, deep in thought. If Isaac wasn’t going to tell her, then who would? It wasn’t the point the fact that Isaac had a secret he wasn’t telling her, many people have mysterious pasts. She was just worried about him, it was obvious he wasn’t getting much sleep. Something had to be put to rest for his own wellbeing.

Isaac ended up in a deserted library after fleeing the café. He knew he must have left an impression on Karma, but that was the last thing on his mind. To know that she had guessed so correctly was astounding, but maybe not so unusual. Karma had this way with people; she somehow knew what they were thinking even if they didn’t know themselves.

Isaac had spent the majority of his firsts months of arriving in the city in this very library. He had found it by mistake really, stumbling in to escape the pouring rain. The owner was quite surprised, visitors were very rare these days, but welcomed him warmly nonetheless. People preferred upscale libraries loaded with computers and technology, something this quaint library didn’t offer. It’s charm was what kept Isaac coming back time and again, and forming a deep and lasting friendship with the owner.

It was in this little library that he spent the rest of the night, rereading faded letters under a musty desk lamp. They were postmarked from India – a place holding so many majestic memories, yet holding something so precious from him…Brinly. Her name wasn’t a traditional Indian name, but Brinly wasn’t the traditional girl from India. Her name meant “princess” and that she was, his very own Indian Princess. The letter was the last one he would receive from her, and its reason was there between the lines. Although she wasn’t traditional, her parents were, and greatly disapproved of the relationship she and Isaac shared. As soon as he was back on the plane towards the United States, her parents arranged a marriage for Brinly and a wealthy prince. Brinly thought it would be best for them to leave their relationship it at that…and remember all the great memories they shared, not create bad ones.

He could still taste the softness of her lips, smell the exotic perfume on her skin, feel the silkiness of her hair. He wished more than anything to be able to be in her arms again, but wishing something that would never happen only brought upon more pain and that’s why he vowed never to think about her, never to risk losing himself to another person as he had lost himself with her.

The next few days held more surprises than one could have imagined. The dreams were gone, not entirely, but they were replaced with something much more peaceful. It was like being in the gardens of Eden…all pure and innocent. He didn’t believe he had found the missing piece, but he did believe that he had gained a deeper understanding of the dreams through Brinly’s letters. He was kind of shocked that the answer was so simple, yet so complicated at the same time.

His life changed all within one phone call. It was from a lawyer, Edwin’s lawyer, the owner of the tiny library. He introduced himself, explained the circumstances, and asked if Isaac could meet him in his office as soon as possible, within the hour preferably. Isaac agreed, and precisely an hour later, they met up in the lawyer’s office.

The lawyer was a tall man, with broad shoulders and filled out his Italian made suit very nicely. Women called him attractive, some men were envious. Isaac was merely curious. The lawyer introduced himself as Ethan Noble, of Noble, Noble & Noble. The law firm had been in his family for generations and had quite a reputation in the city. They shook hands, and Isaac was sitted across from him.

Noble started speaking. “I know you’re probably curious as to why I phoned you, and requested you to come here so urgently. I’m afraid I have some bad news.” Edwin’s dead, Isaac thought. He could feel it in his veins. Why he was needed at a lawyer’s office mystified him, though. The look on Isaac’s face must have given it away, because Ethan looked suddenly sympathetic, and nodded. “You’re right, Edwin has passed away. He died peacefully in his sleep two days ago. The reason you’re here though, is because he left something for you in his will. The only thing that meant anything to him, his library, as he called it. He has no family that he was aware of, and he considered you his son. The library is yours now, and everything inside of it.”

Isaac didn’t speak for awhile. It hurt him to think. Edwin had been the only one who understood him without ever needing a work to be exchanged. He had once quoted that “life was a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think”, with a twinkle in his eye. That was something he would always remember about the man, his wisdom and how it always rang true given the thought. He cleared his throat. “Where do I sign?” he asked Ethan Noble, and the lawyer showed him where to sign and explained all of the legal procedures that went with it. Half an hour later, Isaac thanked the man and headed home. He had a lot to think about.

Isaac stayed in his room most of the day. Julian and Karma were concerned, but thought it would be best if they left him alone for awhile. He wasn’t sure why, but Brinly’s letters always seemed to find their way into his open hands. He hated reading them, but loved it at the same time. He would always love her, but the memories hurt. A lot.

He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with the library. There was no way he would shut it down, because Edwin had put everything he had in him into that library. Although it received very few people these days, he knew that maybe someday it would touch someone like it had touched him.

A sudden inspiration hit him, and he went over to his closet and opened it. Tucked away in the far corner, was a box full of momentos he felt he would never be able to look at again. What he was looking for, was the framed photohgraph of Brinly. It was going back on his night table, the place where it rightfully belonged. No matter how much it hurt him, he was going to survive. Even when the darkest cloud held no glimmer of sunlight, he was going to make it through his life, and be happy. Because he knew that was what Brinly would have wanted. And he was right.