With uneasy mind and heavy heart, I gathered up my courage to give her some assurance. The more time I took to assemblemy words, the more restless Ridhi got.

I gulped my uneasiness and spoke, “I called her that morning to meet her but she got engaged in some work. Later Ravi called me to go with him and bring the decorations and also meet the caterers for the event. In the evening I called her to go to the party with me so that we two could spend some time and sort out things. But it didn’t work out well. I really didn’t knew what suddenly happened to her. In the party, Avu tried to kill Shagun. She was so different from the usual days. She...”

“KILL??” She asked in astonishment.

“Yes and that day itself I told Avu not to mess up with Shagun...”

“Why?” She cut my words again.

“I told Avu not to mess up with Shagun and never come between us because…”

Ridhi cut my words “Because what?”
Impatient human being!! I rolled my eyes and continued.

“Because she might hurt her again the way she did it before.”

“She did what?”

“She tried to harm Shagun. Not ones not twice but many times.” 

She was all confused “What? I don’t believe you. And why would she do that?”

I replied, “Because of me!”

“What?”

I explained to her “She felt jealous whenever Shagun used to talk to me. Do you remember during the cultural night, Shagun had to be hospitalized due to food poisoning? It was Avika who spiked her drink”

Her eyes got suspicious. Of course she couldn’t believe me.

She asked, “And how did you know that?”

“Shagun told me when I visited her in the hospital. She told me that Avika made a drink for her that night.”

“But she might lie…she might want to create misunderstandings between you two. She very well knew how you two loved each other.”

What Ridhi analysed could have been correct about that incident but she didn’t knew everything. Of course I won’t tell her.

I spoke, “Not only this, one day Avika locked her in the library until next day just because that day Shagun sat with me during the economics class and after that we both went to canteen together.”

I continued, “Moreover one day I went up to Shagun and asked for her help in my field reports and guess what? (I sighed) Avika burnt her assignments when she went to the washroom.”

“But how come you know all this?”

“Shagun told me.” I replied.

“But how did she knew all this?”

“Suparna, our classmate saw Avu burning the assignments and went to inform Shagun. Suparna suggested Shagun to inform to the Head of the Department but she refused to do so because I pleaded her not to complain.”

“You love Shagun right?” she asked something I wasn’t ready to answer. I rolled my eyes left and right to think of something that she would believe and not that thing that actually happened. 
I figured out something that she would love to hear, “I don’t love Shagun and I never did. I just wanted to protect her from Avu. She got jealous everytime she saw me with Shagun. I gave every proof and explanations , but Avu was all set to destroy SHagun. I thought that if I said Avu that I loved Shagun, she might not harm her and leave her. But I misunderstood her.”

“But why didn’t you say the truth that you never loved Shagun?” Ridhi asked.

“Don’t you think I tried to do so? I tried several times to explain her and cut the misunderstandings but as days passed by, she became more aggressive. One day she slapped Shagun infront of all just because she helped me to choose a name for my music band. Not only that, she forced me to back off from my band. You were present there too, remember?”

“Yes, but Avu told me that Shagun was flirting with you and both of you were having an intimate scene.”

I shouted at the top of my voice “What?? But That’s not true. And if she told you the truth, just imagine how can anyone have intimate scene inside the canteen especially when it’s break time and people are near you.”

Ridhi stood there like a stone. Perhaps she got a very big shock.

“I tried not to tell all these to anyone but now I guess it’s time to reveal.”, I tried to hit the iron when it’s hot.
“What?”

“That day in the party she tried to kill Shagun. I thank God every moment I think of that incident. I reached in time and rescued her from Avu. If something would have happened to her, I could never forgive myself.”

“What happened at the party?” she asked curiously.

“She pushed her from the terrace. Shagun was lucky that I saw the incident and saved her. After that I scolded Avu a lot and also slapped her out of anger. I know that I shouldn’t have slapped her but I got the real shock when she said that she loves hurting Shagun and will continue to do so. With no options left for me, I asked her to stay away from both of us and lied that I loved Shagun. I belittled her in the hope that she might stop hurting her.”

I continued “Next day when I thought that I need to settle everything with her, I saw a new side of Avu. She hurt herself due to her frustrations and accused me of doing that. She told her self-made imaginary story to you all that I went to her and tried to hurt her and bla bla. When I heard about this from you, I felt so helpless because no one would believe me and understand my side of story. I tried to contact her many times but she avoided me. I wanted to know the reasons for her drastic change and wanted to help her…but she was all different from that day.”

“But I don’t understand one thing. She went for her higher studies somewhere and stayed there. And after 2 years she suddenly appeared in our neighbourhood. What exactly happened within those years?” Ridhi asked me.

“I too don’t know anything about it exactly. And the person who can tell us everything cannot tell us anything now. People suspects me but I really don’t care…. I don’t care as far as we are together.”

“Ok I understand all these. But why did you hide her? She might be suffocating all day sitting inside that clogged and nasty room. What if she might recover when she encounters with her people?” Ridhi asked with a spark in her eyes.
“No! I cannot let her go out. People will make her life horrible outside. They will force her to move into an asylum and I cannot let that happen in any way. She is fine and safe inside my house.” I shouted at the top of my voice.

I instantly looked at Ridhi making sure everything seemed in place. I bet seeing my emotional state she would never accuse me now.

“What next?” Ridhi enquired.

“My love for her will always be the same. And I’m ready to live with her like this. I want to tell her how much I love her…how much I long for her love…but I’m happy…happy that she is with me and will be with me forever. I’m hoping for a day she will recover and get to know how much I care and love her. And I can see that she is fighting…fighting hard everyday and conquering her illness. And I’ll always be with her. We’ll win…it might be not today or tomorrow…but definitely one day. Now I can only hope that someday she’ll recover and we’ll lead a beautiful life just like a normal couple. There are not many reasons for this….it’s just that my heart has chosen her. This monster will always be with his angel!!! As for who wins and who loses… who cares…we’re all hurt anyway. ”

               

( End of Part I )
( Part II will be out soon )