Let Me Live

CHAPTER - 22

Sahil

I stared at her back as she was quietly sitting on the bench staring at the beautiful sunset which casted an ethereal golden glow around the garden as I stepped forward and sat next to her. I stared forward as she did and both of us sat quietly for some minutes.

"I was five years old...". She started talking and I listened. "When I saw my dad's anger for the first time. He was shouting at mom and I was hiding behind the door. Suddenly when my mom answered him back he slapped her. I...I was totally numb. I didn't knew what was happening. My mom was on the floor holding her cheek and dad went out after kicking off the table. I ran to my mom to ask what's wrong but she wasn't able to speak anything. She was more shocked than me. Time passed by and everything was becoming worse between my mom and dad.

Everytime he came back home from his work then his first task would be to insult my mom for no reason. He would throw the plate of food on her saying its not delicious. He used to throw her out at night and the next day she would be sick but still did all the work at home. He never appreciated her. Never. I still don't know what wrong my mom did that she suffered so much.

I wasn't really good at school. Just a normal average student and for that also my mom was blamed that she wasn't taking care of me well. I would've been a really good student but I wasn't really getting time to study. I was using school to escape home and home to escape school. Then, when I was in 8th grade, our classes got shuffled and I saw one guy for whom I was secretly whipped".

I looked over to her and noticed how her lips turned into a small smile.

"I really liked him, because he appeared very charming to me. He even helped me in so many things and suddenly...". Her smile started to fade.

"I don't know what was gone wrong that from being friendly he started being rude to me. He used to make me feel bad about me, he was so nice to me but he started making my fun in class. He used to bring up a fight with me every single day. That was none other than Arjun Khanna". Oh...so they knew eachother since they were teens. But how can he be such a jerk. I know everyone is like that in this age but still...he shouldn't have done that.

"I was getting hurt everyday, I was regretting that I liked him. For 3 years I had to deal with him and instead of getting rid my feelings, I was feeling that they are getting stronger but I still tried to get over him, for I knew that I will find my one and only, for whom I am sent to this world, and god will send the one who will love me truly the way I am.

Soon, we all got separated and I was happy that now I will finally not see him again and get over him but I was wrong. When I turned 24, on my birthday. My father told me that he's having a birthday present for me. I was really happy, I couldn't control smiling same goes to mom. I never really celebrate it because no one would come and dad wouldn't allow it anyways so mom used to make my favorite dish. He gave me an envelope and told me that is the gift. I opened it only to get shocked.

I saw a picture of a person and it was none other than him. Arjun Khanna. I looked at my dad and asked why he gave it to me and he happily told me to get married to him. I couldn't understand what he was trying to say and then he told me that Arjun's dad wanted this to happen and it would just be a 1 year marriage and it would be hidden from everyone and he gave 30 lakhs to my father for that. I never understood why they wanted this marriage anyways.

I knew I was no one to Arjun. I'll never be.I never expected him to be my husband but I never expected that the little bit humanity which was left in him died. I don't know if it was because of me or someone else I don't know but I just wanted him- not just him but everyone to let me live peacefully". Suddenly she looked at me and it felt like she came out of her world in which she was lost.

"I'm sorry, I know you'll be thinking it as rubbish...". I interrupted her.

"I don't".

She looked at me and I asked.

"Did you share all this with anyone?".

She shook her head.

"not really".

"Then why me?". I asked.

"Because for the first time I felt that I was heard by someone. Someone is listening to me".

I felt my heart skip a beat.

I gulped and said.

"Will you...you really go back to Arjun?". I don't know why I was asking this to her but I just wanted to.

She looked down and said in slow voice.

"There's no reason to look behind".

"What if he gave you a reason to look behind?".

She looked at me and said.

"Then I'll give him a reason to step back".