UN-RAVEL : The inner strength.....

UN-RAVEL 52...

'I am fine, thank you.' She said robotically looking away.

'Hye, I know you are not okay; it was a stupid question to ask. Sorry... I know how it feels.' He said averting his eyes at end and Zamira could bet she saw him get teary eyed. He was talking about the time he lost his mother. That's when Zamira realized how similar their situation was. His mom was killed by some delinquents for money and a car, while she died protecting him. She died because some random person thought money was way more important than her life, just like dai ma. The question that how could someone be so malicious, dug holes in her head.

'Well... does it ever get easier.'

'No.' he said shrugging his shoulder.

'Wooh... reality check hmn.'

'But as every single day passes by you start accepting it a little more. It starts hurting a little less. Until one day something reminds you that you might be the reason and it hits you like a rock.' He looks at her then nods. 'Of course, you aren't the reason here.'

'I might be.' She says in a trance.

'Hye.' He takes her hand in his. 'Don't go down that rabbit hole. You don't deserve that.'

'Maybe, I do Brian. Maybe, I do.'

'Maybe, you don't Zamira. See I don't know what's going on with you but I have seen you. You are very kind. Way more kind than I deserve. But it's your heart and how you can forgive people that makes you stand out.'

'Everybody doesn't deserve to be forgiven, Brian.'

'Well, someone told me, sometimes forgiving others isn't the task, forgiving yourself is.' He said with a sly smile quoting her words to her.

She chuckles- a dry humorless laugh and nods. 'Easier said than done.'

'Oh, boy... yes.'

Both laugh lightly and then nod dismissively.

'Look, what I mean is life kinda already sucks after somebody you love leaves you. If you blame yourself, it isn't going to get better, it just keeps getting worse till the point you start questioning your love for them and every nice innocent thing that ever existed between you till you are filled with so much hate that you end up hurting the people you love. Believe me I know that better than anyone else. I drove everyone I cared about away from me. Till a point I couldn't even look at myself without accusing or hating myself. That place, it's lonely as hell. You don't wanna be there, in fact you should never be there. You brought me back from that place, Zamira. Think about it do you wanna be where I was. Being a lost cause. Not able to talk to your dad, hurting everyone in your family. Hurting the only girl you love, who stood by you all along. Driving your best friend away to a point where you can't look into his eyes and apologies.'

Zamira nodded her head in disagreement, 'That would be really bad.'

'Then let this go. Trust me.'

'I am just hurting, Brian. I don't get it. Why? Why so much?'

'Because you love her and it's natural to hurt.'

'She has always been so kind to me and now she is gone, just like that. No goodbyes. I want to tell her so many things.'

'I know, you do. Take as much time you want to Zamira, there is no hard and fast rule while dealing with pain. Just don't be so hard on yourself that you start hiding yourself and then just to stay hidden you will start being rude and start lying and eventually regret it at the end. If you don't want to talk to anyone else. Talk to me. I will be a good listener, I promise.'