The explicitly free-willed rain coupled up with the early setting in snow from the previous night; had left some beautiful marks on the neatly arrayed boroughs. As dawn arrived, broken and empty clouds drifted swiftly across the span of the sky. The stillness got a shake-shake as the rhythmic although bothersome ringing of an alarm echoed through the nearly vacant room and awoke the sleeping girl.

With a swipe of her index finger on the glassy surface of the phone, the girl turned the noise off, restoring the silence. She was wide awake as she sensed the subtle presence of the plumed blanket that wrapped her body. It rested softly against her skin. She did not attempt to get out of the bed. Instead, lingered around the cosiness and warmth; which had been sufficiently produced by the weathered room heater.

The dull off-white ceiling stared down at her as uninterestingly as it was itself. It appeared lustrous and undeviating in most parts of the apartment, however on paying close attention towards it, one could easily tell that it was precariously losing its shine and sheen. The most trivial of fissures were visible where the wall met the ceiling. It was a give away that the apartment was ageing fast.

After a moment, she left the comforting ambience of her bed and walked over to the window. Leftovers of nature’s cold romance from the previous night had smoothly entered through the hinges of the windows and settled like an invisible sheath of dust in her room. Her feet were contradictorily warm as they propelled down the frore wooden tiles, but in a matter of a few seconds, they went cold. A chill travelled upward her spine, and with a blink of an eye, countless goosebumps emerged on her bare arms and legs. But as she walked towards the window while adapting to the temperature, they vanished as orderly as they had appeared.

The white awning window resembled the frame of an enticing painting. An elongated granite bridge ran along the centre of the scene. It’s steep trail remained elegantly-sparse during early mornings. Incandescent street lights enclosed the bridge on either side and blazed effulgently like the sun, which had begun to rise nonchalantly. Underneath the light, verdant trees seemed extravagantly greener. And beneath them sat various automobiles, each parked uniformly, taking pleasure of the shade that was catered by the trees. Altogether, it formed a contemporarily ethereal painting.  

Reposed and reclined like a statue, the girl gazed at the perpetual scenery. Her eyes danced over everything she could spot. Eventually, she resided from the window and her nearly void room. She strolled down a dusky, narrow hallway and entered a room at the very end. It was filled with similar awning windows. Through them, sunlight seeped in, forming a magnanimous web of crimson and gold light; spilling throughout the room, casting shadows of everything in there. 

The room held minimal furniture, a part of which was a huge mahogany table, that stood in the heart of the spacious room. It was unusually bare. Six wooden chairs were tucked in from all around the table. In another corner laid an L-shaped sectional sofa. Its grey-linen body sounded exhausted by the look of it, sharing the story of how numerous people had had the honour of resting their buttocks in ease and comfort. And besides that threadbare sofa, a shiny drinks’ cabinet, with mirrors on the interior, was set. On its transparent surface, one’s reflection could be viewed distinctly.  

With a passing glance on the inanimate objects of the room, the girl went over to one of the window sills. Once possibly white, the sill was presently covered with imprints of circular dark brown rings, left behind by pots of plants that may have once occupied the space. The fragrance of those burgeoning plants could still be felt. Beyond them, was the familiar view of the bridge. The once-deserted bridge had now begun to jam with vehicles. The street lights had gone to sleep, waiting for darkness to return. Whereas, the signal lights were full of zeal as they continuously switched from green to orange to red. The trees swayed with joy as the sun shone brilliantly. The city suddenly started looking like an active video game which had been left on autopilot as well as a repeat mode. The contemporarily ethereal painting had eventually faded. Nevertheless, it left behind a heap of hope that things will return to almost the same serene settings once the sun settles down for the day.

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