SERENDIPITOUS|✓

Chapter 20

It had been mere two hours since Krishn had left, and Radha felt sick. Her current state was beyond her reasoning.

She didn't know why she had her head in her hands, why lines of distress decorated her face and why the tears kept pouring uncontrollably.

Two hours ago, it was two hours ago when it happened. She was sitting inside her room at that time, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her tummy which started, undoubtedly, by the news of Krishn's departure.

And then it was a sudden moment, an instinctive action, an unexpected situation.

Just a second before she was alone and just a second later he was standing in front of her. Krishn had chosen that exact moment to walk into her room, without knocking, not giving her a chance to school her face, to hide her pain, to remove the mistiness out of her eyes, to force a tiny smile, to just watch him one last time without the blurriness in the way.

A bag was etched on his shoulder and a suitcase in his hand. It looked awfully similar to the last time he left. The only difference being, last time when he left, he left to come back and this time, he won't. He'll go and never look back, won't look back at her, at the broken girl he fixed up unintentionally, at the barely fixed up girl he'll be breaking again, unintentionally.

Radha stood up shakily to her feet, holding the wall for support, just in case.

Krishn's gaze traced the movement quietly, his heart aching from guilt.

Wasn't he the one wanting Radha to always stay happy? Wasn't he the one who wanted Radha to never have a tear in getting eye? Wasn't he the one praying to God for her smile?

Wasn't he?

And what was he doing now? Leaving her like this?

But he had to do it right?

He didn't have a choice.

"My taxi will be here in fifteen minutes. I'm going back," he informed Radha without meeting her eyes and she exhaled shakily.

"G-good." She exclaimed lowly.

Good enough, Krishn thought to himself.

What was he expecting even? That he'll tell her he's leaving and she'll ask him to stay?

Good enough, Radha thought to herself?

What was she expecting even? That she'll tell him to stay and he will?

"It was nice meeting you." Both of them said together, exhaling yet another shuddered breath simultaneously, chuckling dryly to themselves.

Krishn, regaining his courage decided to look up at her one last time before he walked out of her life forever. His throat became dry while his normal breath changed to shorter ones when he saw Radha already looking at him.

She looked at him continuously, their gazes not breaking the contact for even a minute.

It was Krishn - with the tears threatening to overflow the border of his eye - who broke the contact first, averting his gaze to the ground and locking his fingers into a fist unable to see Radha looking at him with too many harsh emotions in her soft, doe eyes. He saw a bit of betrayal and a hint of hurt, he could also see a smidgen of affection and a lot of, a lot of sadness. Her eyes were leaking with melancholy and he was the reason behind it. He was so angry with himself, so disappointed. He wanted to stay, stay for nothing but Radha.

But she was getting married. Tomorrow she'll be someone's fiancee and then a wife and he'll be just a stranger. But even that was ok with him. He was ok with staying a stranger, he just didn't know-how.

He knew it was selfish of him, selfish of him to wish for something so impossible, selfish of him to want for something so forbidden.

He knew Radha would be doing this for her parents but what about him? He'll be doing this for whom? For Radha or himself?

The truth was that just as Radha couldn't break this marriage, he couldn't see it.

He wouldn't have to see it.

He wasn't needed here anymore and therefore he'll go, go away.

His hand rummaged through his front pocket at the thought and grasped the thing he was looking for. His eyes once again searched for Radha and found her still looking at him. He then wordlessly enclasped Radha's hand, gently with his fingers and brought it in front of him.

He was met with no resistance at all.

He saw as Radha quietly traced the movement with her eyes, with them speaking more words than she ever did in his entire stay, telling him to just, just think about everything once again.

He had thought though.

He had already thought about everything and therefore he didn't anymore.

He just gulped thickly and tied down a bracelet on her wrist. A pearl bracelet made up of white, shiny pearls - soft to see, hard to break.

"Saw it the other day, reminded me of you." Krishn reasoned without making any eye contact with Radha, "Keep it as an, an engagement gift or a w-wedding gift or anything. O-or leave it. It's your wish."

"My wish. . . " Radha whispered into her mouth, smiling bitterly but then shook her head. "Thank you, Krishn."

Krishn saw as betrayal vanished somewhere, hurt disappeared too. All that was left was an overwhelming affection and a newfound longing.

He couldn't shake that look from his mind.

At that moment, his fingers itched to just reach out and stroke her cheek once, to just reach out tickle her ear, to do anything to just make her smile, to see her happy. Just once.

That didn't happen obviously, what happened was the loud horn of the taxi which echoed through the walls of the room, indicating the time of his farewell.

He internally laughed at the timing, at his fate.

His hand was still clutching Radha's and his thumb was mindlessly brushing her knuckles much like the first time they met and had shook hands.

It didn't feel as good as it did then.

Back then there was happiness and an excitement to get to know a beautiful stranger but now there was only remorse, for he was still a stranger.

With one last stroke on her hand, Krishn turned and went out of the doors, taking away his warmth, his light and safety not turning to see the river, Radha had cried after him, for him.

But that was it for their journey.
Their serendipitous journey.

The End

Kidding