The Arrangement by Chauhan

22) Lost

"Eighteen months" He mumbled.

She ignored him "And you have already talked to your parents. You wanted to meet my Pati just last week, but somehow I convinced you that it wasn't the time. We are still dating and you are imagining our marriage and family. This...this is so soon. What if I don't want it?"

"You don't want me?" He asked in disbelief.

"No, I don't even know if I love you anymore." Her lips wobbled while she pursed her lips to not stutter.

His eyes took in the tear dropping down past her cheeks and he immediately cupped her face, wiping it. "Please don't cry. I am sorry. I should have not assumed. We will take time, but please do not cry."

"You are closed off to everyone. None of my classmates wants to talk to me because they are scared of you, I cannot make friends or work with them because I fear offending you, Anirudh. I do not know what to do or how to try and stay with you anymore. I don't care about others but never once you let me know how you feel about me. You are so reserved with your opinions I feel like I am forcing you to follow it."

"I talk to you all the time." He stated feeling betrayed.

"You talk but you don't tell." She stressed. "There is a difference."

"Then tell me what to do to?" He maintained his composure but he felt as if he was slapped on his face by the very woman who was as important as his mother and GM in his life. "How can I fix this?"

"You cannot." She muttered tiredly "Not everything can be fixed."

"Vandita..." He tried holding her but she stepped back, her palms raised in the air as she shook her head somberly.

"Don't speak, please. Just, don't say anything." She begged controlling her sob and he bit his tongue to follow her words. "I will be forever grateful that I met you. There have been so many things that I have learned and experienced with you but I don't think we can be together anymore. I cannot be with you anymore. Somehow, we met and knew about each other's existence when there were a million possibilities that you and I would have never met and that's enough for me. Somewhere our stars crossed yet they were meant to break free and find different paths to entangle with others. We are not meant to be, Anirudh." She wiped her tears and picked her bag from the floor, passing him she reached the studio gates while he waited for her to turn around and say it was one of her stupid pranks. "P...please do not resent me. I wish I were not me and...you were not you, so that we could be together as someone else. Like two people who fall in love and stay together."

"Are you leaving?" He asked as she opened the door and his heart begged for her to turn and look at him one last time.

"I cannot stay."

The door closed behind her yet she never turned back, walking out of his life just like she walked out of this place which meant nothing to her, like him.

The sun descended the sky, leaving him and his broken pieces behind.

"We are here, Sir." The driver said rather loudly breaking his daze. Anirudh rubbed his eyes to make sure his eyes and face did not betray his thoughts down memory lane. He nodded at the driver and asked him to park in the available space as he stepped down.

The sun was ready to make its way down the ocean line as the bright orange and pink hues took over the charge to trick blue in their charm and trade it with black. The cold breeze lulled the birds to return to their nests just like the humans made their way back to call their day off except for one.