"I could never hurt him enough to make his betrayal stop hurting. And it hurts, in every part of my body.
Veronica Roth, Insurgent
The world had gone unusually silent. A sinister muteness had taken over every soul present on the street at the moment. She stood there starring at him who had broken her all those years ago, he looked different, he felt...Humble. Omkara stood at a distance of two hands from Anika , Gauri had left the shop only to be shocked to the core from the scene in front of her.
Shivaay had been eyeing her since minutes and she responded back with equal fervour , her black orbs were spitting fire on his blue ones. They were questioning him for the injustice that he'd done all those years back. He stood there motionless , in front of the reason for his guilt , for all those sleepless nights he had spent tossing in bed, maybe it was all going to get over.
"Anik-..." Shivaay began uttering words and moved forward only to be stopped by her.
"Leave !.." Anika yelled at him and turned in the opposite direction heading towards her home. Om spit disgust from his sight in Shivaay's direction and grabbing Gauri followed his best friend.
She'd been walking aimlessly in a straight direction for an hour now. Her heart was experiencing the most excruciating ache she'd ever thought of. 'Why is he here after everything... Does he thinks that I'll forget and say hey to him' her mind had all the sarcasm and reasoning that he was a bad dream and yet her heart screamed that he's changed. His deep blue eyes had already said what he didn't.
Anika slammed the door of her house and without bothering to lock it she rushed to her safe spot , the balcony of her apartment. She lifted her arms in mid air and grasped the railings hard, making her knuckles stretch out like pointed edges. She raised her head up and within no time tears graced her beautifully kohled eyes. She wasn't a stone , she wasn't strong and she cannot handle Shivaay anymore.
It wasn't late when Omkara entered the scene with a worried Gauri dangling behind him. They shared a look and Gauri gave him a firm nod indicating him to go further and tend to his friend. He came forward and put an arm around Anika's shoulder and she leaned on him , wailing loudly. It pained him to see her like this and that's why he has decided to never reveal the truth to her, because if this was an ache of 9 on the scale of 1-10 the truth will be a clear 15.
00
Four days went by immediately with Anika being miserable and Om trying to get her back to normal. She'd not stepped out of her house in these Four days , her home had become a humble adobe. Om was trying to make her have a toast with coffee when they heard an urgent ring of the door bell.
He stood up and opened the door making visible a panicked Gauri and a worried Insha , he knew something was seriously wrong. He looked at his fiance's eyes , not a hint felicity .
"What's wrong ?.." he asked in lassitude. Gauri looked at Anika who was paying no attention to their conversation , she went near Omkara and whispered the matter of concern to him. He stood there motionless, in utter astonishment .
"What's going on Om ?" All heard a weary and curious voice of Anika calling out to them. Insha at once went beside her friend and hugged her firmly.
"You'll have to listen.." And with that she was dragging a tired Anika towards the balcony. Om's protesting voices of 'Don't do it , She'll be ruined. Please !' cut through the barriers and reached Anika's ears making her more curious.
Insha placed an assuring hand on Anika's shoulder and pointed in the direction of the road. There he was , with unkempt and shaggy clothes, tangled hair and scarlet eyes. She stood there trying to decipher the scene in front of her , Shivaay, under her house, looking shabbier than ever. ' For how long ...He's been th- ' She choked on her own tears while questioning Insha about him.
"Almost four days, he said he's not going until you listen to him. He's sick Ani..Hear him out. For yourself, you'll keep hurting too. Just give him a chance..." Insha pleaded to her friend in soft voices while Anika stared in the eyes of the man down .
"Once...And he's gone." Anika stated to Insha and she nodded .
"Anika you can't..This isn't right ! I'll take care of hi-." Om yelled loud enough for the neighbors to hear.
"You'll do no such thing, She needs to talk Om, I've seen Ani hurting and I know maybe this will cure her from the ache she'd been going through." Insha replied with equal fervour and went down to call Anika's destruction up. These four walls were about to experience a scandalous encounter of two frenemies .
He stepped in, a slender Insha pushing him further . She stood there gazing the flooring of the room , unable to look into his eyes . The one who had given her sleepless nights all these years was standing in front of her, waiting to utter words she'd always wanted to know. 'What did Om do to stop you from being anywhere near me ?'
"What are you doing here ?!.." Anika asked in a cold manner.
"I- I'm here because...I wanted to ap- apologize for wh-what I di.." he stopped when he heard a snort from Omkara and Anika looked least bothered from outside but everyone present there knew She'll break down any moment now.
"Get . The. Hell. Out. Of. This. Apartment. Now !!" 'Why was Om so agitated from Shivaay's presence , even Anika had maintained her posture' was Gauri's thoughts. She knew something was peculiar and today at this moment it was going to open.
"Om..Let him finish. " They heard Anika's low pitched voice.
"I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done it. I was an idiot..I was not in-in my correct state of mind I am sorry I'm really..Wanting you to free me of this guilt.. Please Anika I'm sorry..I.."
He slumped down crying.
"You broke me ! You played with me , made a laughing stock out of my feelings for you, killed my soul and after all these years you come here and say 'SORRY' Really ? You..You are the worst person I'll ever meet in my life...If that's all then you can go. I'm not forgiving you." She held her head high and stated in an authoritative tone.
"I can't-..I - I love you." And the room went silent Anika backed up and held the table for support dropping a glass in the process and smashing it to smithereens .
"I . Do. Not. Get out of my house." She voiced , tears not stopping even for a second.
"No Anika ... Please.. Please ..I " before he could complete the sentence he felt Om pushing him out from the door punching him in the process. Shivaay's lip had turned blue instantly and before Om could give him a second one he hit him in the face. Angry as ever, he felt Anika come in front of Om and she shouted 'Get Lost Shivaay !'
"He knew I was going to do it !" Came a yelp from Shivaay's lips and everything went cold. She looked back at her friend trying to find a spec of denial, but all she got was shame.
All had gone tumbling down.
She had been cursed with a fate that was worse than death.
On a scale on 1 to 10 this was a clear 20.
