As I saw our daughter snuggled in the quilt with him, I couldn’t help wondering. Did I deserve to be in his life? He would find anyone, but could I ever replace him? How can someone be so perfect and how do we not realise it even when it is staring us in the face? “The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.” I’m glad I learned, and unlearned, a lot from my past.
Anuj showed up at my door unannounced that evening. His wet clothes and dishevelled hair clearly demonstrated he’d been caught unawares in the sudden showers that afternoon. An appetising Biryani smell, presumably from the steel tiffin he was carrying with him, wafted and filled the air and my nostrils. Looking at me gazing at him from head to toe he impatiently sputtered, “Can I at least come in first? You can stare at me at leisure then!”
I smiled meekly and slid aside, visibly hesitant and cognisant of the strewn around boxes and the dust that lay under them. I wasn’t able to process his presence there at all. How could he have known where to find me? My life and stuff was dumped into boxes and shoved around for two days. Everyone had turned their backs on me. Thankfully, an old acquaintance found this place I could rent out.
You’d never believe me if I told you that I was innocent, but it’s true and I can prove it.
Besotted with my colleague Tanay’s good looks, I naively gave in to his charm and attention much too easily. In long working hours and closed cabins our love blossomed prematurely skipping several phases and graduating to intimacy hastily. I was in love for the first time. It was pure and complete surrender for me. He was my Prince Charming after all! For him, well, it was just play.
I was shaken out of my reverie when the two lines on the test showed me how two-faced Tanay really was. To cut a long story short, he not only washed his hands off his responsibility but also estranged me from my family by airing it to gossip-mongers who did a swell job of spreading the word around. I had to move out of my parents’ house and grudgingly take the step of silencing the unheard cries of my child. How could an uprooted tree dream of bearing fruits?
Anuj read my mind but pretended he didn’t. Muttering something under his breath about the mess he kept stepping into in the house he opened a box and found a plate. “Don’t expect me to unpack for you, ok. I’d rather make you unpack at my place.” he said suddenly. As I shot him a confused look he added, “Oh yes, you’ll have to marry me for it first. Will you?”
I was too stunned to speak. Had I blundered by turning him down once? Did my past not bother him? Did he love me so much? Was I dreaming?
He served the homemade Biryani, feeding me spoonfuls even as tears rolled down my cheeks. He knew it was a yes.
This post is written for Day 1 of the The Write Tribe Festival of Words June 2018.
Adding a link to an old post written for Write Tribe Festival of Words 2017.
Image prompt and two prompts:
“The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.” – The Lion King
You’d never believe me if I told you that I _____________, but it’s true and I can prove it.
A short and sweet tale. Just loved it.
That was a good story Varsh. I liked how you used three prompts and cooked up a sweet story. One that goes beyond the rules of our society.
My life. What a story! Absolutely loved it!