Silent Hearts

28| Twenty Eight

The responsibility of love:

To keep another's heart safe.

-Bridgett Devoue.

* * *

❝No. I do not love her❞

Nandini froze.

She remained by his door, unmoving until how many moments? She comprehended naught. Her gaze fell, shadowed with something she could not put a finger on, that remained fixated on the ground below. Some words rang in her ear, she felt them. She felt them creating a vexing 'buzz' until she lost the meanings behind them. And she could hear no more words that followed.

Slowly, suddenly, Nandini heeded those words. Truly. Deeply. Her fingers, on their own, that had been wrapped around the gifted jewel, tightened, harsh till she could feel the edges claw at her skin, not painfully so, yet the insensibility it was, that indeed bothered her. It was true, was not it? It was meant to be true? Right, right? Tushar was not for her, no! He was not, not ever, meant to be hers, or, she never was to be his. It was the truth. The reality. Then why, why so, the reality felt to turn so bitter? It didn't always bother her before when she knew she could never develop any kind of feelings for this man, besides the gratitude that had been engraved in her soul.

It was meant to be just. . . thankfulness right? Why did then she feel as if there should be more? More to what? Nandini had no familiarity with the known things she had forgotten. Nandini knew nothing. It shouldn't have frightened her, no, it shouldn't.

It mustn't.

Inhaling deeply, her sight pushed back towards the partly opened door, masking away the possible traces of her emotions, that should not be known to anyone. Her frail fingers landed on the cold wooden piece, pausing for a second but then, pushing it further into the room, making herself clear to the two figures behind the room. As she had surmised, both of them, Tushar and his sister were shocked. The words that were coming out of Tulika died down to nothingness, her mouth agape with incredulity, a solemn expression, however, lingering in her wide eyes. Her gaze moved from Tulika to the man she could not hate, Tushar, who had, as noticed by her, gone rigid the moment his eyes fell on her form. Her straight gaze remained fixated on him, while his sight never fell on her.

Why can not you meet my eyes, Tushar? She looked away as well, clutching at the jewel in her right hand, before stepping towards Tulika. A smile, hurtful, yet sincere flickered at her bare face. ❝Tulika di,❞ she began, her sight falling low, lips trembling with the agony that clawed at the left of her chest, voice as dead as a herring, as low as the hush of the night, ❝you are right,❞ her eyes moved across the room, before coming back to the woman before her.

❝Nandini I-❞ Tulika started, shaking her head, her hands fisted by her sides, her eyes held no regret, nothing to be afraid of, as Nandini had known. It was just the plain, utter sadness in them. . . ❝listen, Nandini, whatever I said-❞

❝Nothing you said was wrong. Nothing is,❞ Nandini breathed, gulping the lump down her throat, silently asking for more strength, for more. . .❝Truth can never be wrong, after all,❞ she chuckled wistfully, her gaze shifting to the right, falling on his calm stance, peering at his sorrowful eyes, ❝Your brother-❞ their eyes connected through the mists of grief between her and him, through the layer of unseen, unnoticed moisture in her gaze, ❝he doesn't love me. He would never.❞ She looked down, unable to accept his regret through the window to his soul.