“Our senses are all lies?! How? What makes them lies?” she asked doubtingly.

The monk looked with wandering eyes towards her then spoke:

“You do not know light. What you see as light is merely through the organs known as the eyes.

You do not know sound. What you hear as sound is nothing but waves that vibrated in your eardrums.

You do not know touch. What you touch is nothing but the feeble feelings of the hand.

Ahh, man is in such blindness. Your body made of five elements will fall back into the ground. How will you perceive light without your eyes then? How will you perceive sound without your ears then? To hanker and chase pleasures within these is like chasing happiness in dreams.  Only that which can withstand the death of these five senses are worth pursuing. Everything else is illusionary.  

Not the eyes but the one who receives the dreams that are projected through the eyes.

Not the ears but the one who receives the sounds through the ears.

Not the touch but the one who receives the touch by being behind the touch.

Not the five senses but that which is behind the five senses.

Not anger, fear or death. But that which can see those with unfaltering observation.    
The truth that which can overcome even death.

If there is any sense of happiness in a person’s life, it is to uncover the truth. Unlocking the mystery of who one is through their whole being”.

Aletha and Jessica listened to the man’s poetry silently. Jessica looked at the man in awe.

“Wow, did you just came up with that right here and now, mister?” asked Jessica with excitement. 

But this positive attitude was not shared by Aletha. If anything, she was irritated.

“That which is behind the five senses? Come on, what are you talking about? Is there anything like that? Man is just a combination of meat and bones that are stacked on top of each other” Aletha said with a loud voice.

Hikaru smiled at her playfully and said:

“Are you sure? You sound so confident. But it is dangerous to be confident about what you don’t know. Not only you may fool others but you may also fool yourself”

Aletha opened her mouth for a rebuttal but a sudden light of awareness stopped her.

He, he isn’t wrong. It’s not like psychologists and scientists agreed upon this and undoubtingly proved it. This issue is still…highly debatable.

Aletha did not talk back. She just looked at the floor contemplatively.

“You girls sleep on the bed. I’ll sleep here” said Hikaru as he pointed to the mattress on the floor.

“Is it okay? Hikaru san?” asked Jessica.

“It is fine. Do not feel ashamed. Hikaru finds it rude to let guests sleep on the floor” said Hikaru happily.

The events of the day, the words Hikaru uttered had floundered Aletha’s sleep.

In her head she could see the visions of the usual world. Jessica was lying on her queen bed. Jessica looked happily towards her. Aletha looked at Jessica to see that a similar situation was happening right now as well.

“Can you see what’s happenin, Aletha dear” Jessica said playfully.

“Yeah, you’re caressing my hair. And talking about how I’m your white knight” said Aletha bashfully.

“Yes you are. And you white knighted me twice too. You’re such a cutie”

Jessica slid towards her and wrapped Aletha in her arms. Aletha smiled and giggled. She liked Jessica’s friendliness, her warmth. It was nice to have someone she could trust wholeheartedly in this world. It was a rare gift.

             Tomorrow morning, they got up early when the bright yellow rays of the sun bathed into the hut. Aletha stood up and examined the room to see that Hikaru was no where to be seen. The mattress on the floor was gone. A little keen observation showed that it was neatly placed in the corner behind the wardrobe.  

Even more surprising was Kailu who was lying on the bed, awake. He peered into the ceiling blankly, as if consumed by thoughts.

“Hey, you feeling alright? I hope you’re in a less murdery mood” said Aletha sarcastically as she dressed with Jessica alongside her.

Kailu did not respond. He only turned his head and faced the wall. Judging by how he wasn’t yelling and screaming like yesterday she could only deduce that Hikaru’s trick worked. Rubbing their eyes, the two girls got out of the hut and stretched in the morning sun.

“Oh, there is Hikaru!” said Jessica as she pointed towards the woods where the soulorbs resided. A small red figure of a man was visible.

“What is he doing there?” asked Aletha.

“Why don’t we go and ask that from himself” said Jessica.