text: “I am not going to stay here for another second.” She stomped out of the dark tunnel and through dimly lighted the staircase, arrived at the underground opening of the neighbourhood backyard. The soft curls playfully fell on her flushed cheeks as she struggled to raise herself on the lawn. The long white skirt and suede boots, all soiled up, added the fuel to her irritation. Her apron appeared loosened at the right shoulder and the black blouse underneath crumpled up. After a few minutes of puffing and pushing, she placed herself on the soft grass of the well-trimmed lawn with a sigh of relief. Tiara closed her emerald green eyes and inhaled the fresh air under the clear blue spring sky. Her soft, rose pink lips curved into a smile filled with contentment and the tiny dimple emerged on her ivory pink cheek. “Tia, oh my my! I was looking around for you and here you are basking in the sunshine glory. Where the hell have you been? Look at your clothes!” Anna’s eyes popped out with concern while scrutinizing her from head to toe. “Oh...mmm, err, I just slipped and fell. No injury, just the clothes got a bit soiled. I will take care of the dishes soon, Anna.” Tiara managed to mumble out nervously. She hurried past Anna and went into the pantry. The aroma of freshly baked cookies made her feel home. Though, far away from her secret land, this felt like a home away from home. Anna was the best baker in Dunstand, a quaint town having around a hundred households. A cosy town place, where everyone knew each other’s family tree. The only exception was Tiara, who happened to arrive here a couple of months ago. Initially a tourist and now an assistant baker, storekeeper and one-stop solution for Anna's every trouble. Tiara glanced at the sink filled with recently used utensils and baking trays in the sink. She wanted to clean those, the way she did them, every day; with a scrubber and lots of soapy foam. She loved the way the tender bubbles formed in the whole act. However, the latest tiff with Aunt Kimiya left her feeling drained. She just gave a look the tap and with a gush of water, the utensils began to dance in the sink back and forth. The soap tumbled down from the case and rubbed them well. In a jiffy, the pots and pans placed themselves in the rack in a neat manner, all shiny and squeaky clean. All this while, Tiara kept looking outside the window, gazing at the pink and blue hues of the sky. The pretty sunset made her miss ‘him’ even more. Tiara had the power to move things at her whims and fancy; the superpower to make things act according to her wish. But it was not the things which wanted to move only. “Oh! Why those hearts not moving underneath the soft lawn of the backyard.” She murmured to herself. “Tiara, you are a magician! You cleaned up the place within moments.” Anna’s words jostled her out of her thoughts. I know,” Tiara spoke aloud. “Is everything ok, Tia?” Anna held her face by the chin. “I have to go back.” With a loud sob, Tiara fled out leaving Anna in a state of wonder. In the evening, the guests began to arrive. Anna’s friends and family all were there to wish her luck. It was the beginning of a new journey for Anna as an entrepreneur. Her new bakery shop was the talk of the town. This little party at the new store was arranged by Josh, her best buddy in her honour. The music, the aroma of chocolate delicacies and exotic drinks...everything seemed perfectly in place. Tiara simply gazed at the food table and before anyone could notice, it was neatly arranged for the dinner. Her eyes were constantly drifting towards the main door. Her hopes pinned high for his arrival. But there was no sign of Harry. Harry was a fan of Anna’s bakery products. His visits increased after the arrival of Tiara. He would specifically wait for Tia to deliver him the order, after winding up all other customers. Tia found him attractive with the tuft of dark and silky hair. He was gentle, shy and a good listener. Anna had noticed the sparks and one fine day set up a date for these two youngsters. There was no looking back since then. Harry and Tia began to Date each other. Tiara forgot all about her secret world. She baked and cooked for harry. She would not use her magical superpowers, because she loved to do things from scratch for him, pouring all her heart and soul into it. The Guardian Angel, Kimiya got a hint of this. “You need to respect our gifts, Tiara. This is what makes you special. What are you without the superpowers?” “Aunt, I am Tia...a girl who has madly fallen in love with Harry. He loves me for being Tia, and not the one with deep emerald pair of eyes that can move anything. I shall be happy without the powers if it allows me to stay here with him, forever.” “Tiara, you can stay here forever. But he can’t. He will die one day, as all humans do. And, then you shall be left all alone. Come back, my child to your own world. You will definitely find a wizard of your match.” “I won’t be left alone. I shall have his memories to carry on.” Tiara’s eyes swelled up with tears. It was that car accident which made Harry to think about Tia as someone extraordinary. Since that day he was not coming to the bakery. He didn’t even call her. But today, Anna visited him personally and invited him for the inauguration of her shop. He couldn’t refuse. Is he scared of me? I know he definitely saw me making the car move the other day. But, what else could have I done? He was standing there. If had I have not averted it with my eyes, he could have been crushed to death. My powers must have had terrified him. He just couldn't accept me as someone from a faraway fantasy land with superpowers. Does he think I am a witch or someone to be afraid of? She withdrew herself from the crowd and walked on the soft lawn under the moonlight. A soft touch on her back and she froze there. Have they come to take her back at this instant? Slowly she turned around, only to find herself under the gaze of his sparkling blue eyes. “Why are you hiding here? You are the only reason I am here tonight.” He drew her closer. “Harry, you still like me?” “No, I don’t like you.” There was an unbearable pause. “I love you, you stupid woman.” He continued as he pressed his lips against hers. His fingers began to run into her soft curls and moved slowly on her bare shoulders, through her silky strapless short dress. The kiss was long and soothing. With his arms still wrapped around her waist, he looked deep into her emerald green eyes. “Tell me, Tia...what do you have in them? I saw the other day, very clearly. It was not the way you normally look at things. You saved my life, but you were someone different. A girl, whom I couldn’t recognize. Who are you, honey?” “I am an old soul. I belong to some other world where each one of us has some kind of special power. My eyes have the power to make things move. But the more I stay here, the more I lose this energy. I have lost more than half of my energy in the past three years. But I don’t feel like going back and recharge those powers in my world. I feel energetic looking at you. The way you smile at me gives me a sense of completion. With those powers, I could move anything, but not my own heart. This love of ours makes me smile, giggle and feel alive. For me, your love is the superpower to live.” “Oh, man! I was dating a SuperGirl, who doesn’t have her own fancy costume." Harry squeezed her tightly.” “But now, they want me to come back. I was a naughty one and to teach me a lesson I was left here by Angel Kimiya to learn a hard lesson of life. They wanted me to understand the power and responsibility of magic. But I now know, there is something more magical...and that is love and true happiness. There is a kind of happiness and satisfaction in doing things with all your honest efforts sans any privilege of superpowers. Today I was summoned by the Guard of Emerald Powers and asked to return to the World beneath immediately.” “What if I don’t let you go?” Harry held her hand tightly. “If I don’t leave by tomorrow, I shall be stuck here for another hundred years, without my superpowers. You might not accept the way I am or you might even leave me for some reason, and I will be left all alone. I was about to leave, sweetheart." "100 years, living sans superpowers. That will be a feat. But look at the brighter side; you can enjoy a lifetime with our great-grandsons, even when I am not there. There is no way I can live for another hundred years. Miss Tiara, will you be my wife for the rest of your life, till the death do us apart, knowing well that I might leave you in midway?" Looking earnestly into her eyes, Harry kneeled down, holding her hand. And she said, “Yes”. Superpower is in embracing the choices you make, well aware that someday things might be different. It is the power to hold on to the one you love, come what may. The next day she was standing in front of the huge pile of dishes in the sink. She looked at them. The plates didn’t budge. She smiled and arranged them into the dishwasher and sat on the couch by the window. “Aunt Kimiya, don’t you worry. No powers, but these humans have created miracles out of science. Life is still beautiful here. I don’t feel the need to move things when I can move the emotions of the hearts ” She thought to herself as a content smiled played on her lips. Harry and Tiara lived happily for the next fifty-one years until one day Harry left this World because of old age. Tiara is still the most beautiful Granny in the town of Dunstan with around six sons and daughters and 18 grandchildren. Her superpower to love abundantly gives them the strength to stay together as a close-knit family, full of warmth and magic.