Pain and vulnerability walks in with the emotion called love.

His knees weakened seeing his love with someone else. There was no hope , no chance and he decided , he wouldn't try anymore. He was tired of holding onto every last second of happiness. This time he let it go , he let her go.

He could hear the echo of his shattered heart , it's pieces strewn all over , when Aditya made her wear the ring and she accepted with a smile.

The ugly side of love mocked him. Well he had never seen the other side. Love took him nowhere except towards heartbreaks and realisations.

There was this bubble , the fantasy of a happy place, cuddling her in his arms by the fire. There was a taken for granted joy in believing that the love that didn't acknowledge his presence would suddenly surrender the world to him.

But today it was wrath and disappointment bursting his bubble. Happiness faded away and love walked away without saying a word.

He wanted to be loved. He wanted her to look right through him into the tiny bits of his heart and know him beyond the masks he wore to avoid judgements.

Loud cheering and claps brought him back to the ceremony. Everyone looked happy and satisfied , except him. Walking away from the hall he rested against a pillar. Fishing out his leather wallet , he caressed their picture from nights back.

A wild cry of heartbreak erupted from his lips.

Holding the picture in his hand, he went back to the happy days. A picture where there was her, him and the exquisite feeling called Love , one sided. 

There first outing as friends after ten years was still etched in his mind. Where he had laughed at her lame jokes and sang old school songs together while driving in the roads of Delhi , late at night.

That night was full of love, fun, laughter and happiness. They enjoyed every bit of it, not aware of the fact that they were making memories and she would move away from him.

He knew that loving would hurt, but that is the only thing that he knew. Loving her was the only thing that made him feel alive. But one thing he wasn't aware was, how he would live once she left.

But then that's the beauty of photographs. It neither asks nor demands. It just reminded him of those wonderful moments. Of those lovely and noteworthy times where it was just him and her and that everlasting bond between them. Where the moments were just still, holding them together.

Where eyes don't close and hearts don't beat. Where hearts cannot be broken and words are not spoken. Where there are no days and where there are no nights. Where no one is allowed to enter and where no one is allowed to leave. Where smiles on the faces and looks in the eyes do all the talking. Where the feeling is still. Where there is no hurting and where skins don't feel. Where the time freezes and only thing that's remembered for lifetime is; that moment. And he couldn't live that moment again cause she wouldn't be his anymore.

And that is how he planned to get used to live without her by carrying her memory everywhere with him, in the jeans he wore everyday .

He carried their treasured moments with him, he carried the love with him, he carried them. He kept it next to his heart where she should have been.

She would  be in him and forever with him, even if she chose someone else and moved away from him. 

Placing the picture back in his wallet he stepped out of the venue.

Driving back home , he controlled his urge to drown in the vicious liquid and entered his room with a broken heart , once again. How many more heartbreaks would come his way ? He had been pondering the answer for ten years now.

When he finally felt a stability in his life , the next moment everything was falling apart and even this time the reason was his mother. He was ashamed to call her that.

Couldn't she see the longing in her own son's eyes ? Definitely not.
She was blinded by her love for Aditya.

Heavy thoughts kept circulating in his mind until sleep peeped in. A dreamless sleep.

It was past midnight when the phone rang awaking him. He was greeted with a sob when he accepted the call and it was unmistakably her's.

Sleep disappeared from his eyes.

' Sumo...' he whispered into the phone which was followed by another sob , then another until she was crying hysterically.

' Meet me please ! ' She spoke with her voice quivering.

All the resolve to stay away from her disappeared. Fetching his car keys , he drove to her house through the dark streets.

He was half way through their secret knocking code when the door flew open and she landed on his chest , her arms wound around his neck while her tears drenched his t-shirt.

He held her tight against him , his eyes closed feeling her warmth.

As her cries subsided , he lost himself in the rhythms of her breath.

' Shravan , I can't do this.' She whispered placing her cheek on his chest and holding his t-shirt tightly.

' Do what ? ' He asked softly.

' I can't marry Aditya , Shravan. I can't do it , not for Nanu , not for anyone ! '

Holding her palm he guided her towards the swing . She looked exhausted with dried tear marks etching her beautiful face.

A few moments later , his life fell into place, once again. It wasn't her decision to marry Aditya but Nana Ji's whim to get her married. She wasn't given any choice. She was forced. His heart bled when tears streamed down her cheeks as she narrated her side of the story.

' What do you want , Sumo ? '

Her eyes sparkled and met his in the dimly lit garden.

' You , I want you ! '

A smile appeared on his lips , the first time in a fortnight.

Their foreheads touched , his hand griped her shoulders and a spark  embraced them.

' You will get what you want , this is my promise ! ' He uttered into her ears.

Holding her face inbetween his palms , he wiped the drops of tears stuck to her cheeks.

The time stopped as he leaned towards her. His lips found her's in a sweet harmony. The world dissolved for them behind the closed eyes. Their hearts excited yet a calm fell over.

He made her feel secured . He made her feel beautiful . He made her feel loved. He made her feel alive.

When she opened her eyes , the world was a little different. She was happier. As her eyes gazed upon his face , her heart drooled over him. She wished to stay in the moment forever , it was worth the wait.

They spent the night under the stars.Both tucked in the soft arms of love.

Hello Edkvians ! I am back with another tiny tale.
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