Love Is Not Enough!

 Abhi hugged her, as if his life was dependent on it. Ria didn’t hesitate. She knew he needed it. He didn’t know, what to say. All he had, was that very moment. It was the last day. The day he dreaded for, the day he never wanted to come.

He hugged her as tightly as he could, he wasn’t going to be this fortunate again. To Ria’s credit, she didn’t step back. She was always giving. Finally, he gave her some space.

“It is going to be okay. You will be good. At least you don’t need to handle those temper tantrums now!” she joked.

“Can I go and play with Otto?” Angad asked Abhi. Abhi looked at Ria questioning.

“Oh of course dear. You play with Otto, I will be back by evening. Then we will go for the ice-cream hunt. Okay?”

“Wow Maa, you are cool! Dad, let’s go. Otto is already doing that funny thing!”

“No Pizza, no burger, no chips young man. I have cooked the parathas for you both. And no TV. Will be back by evening. Love you.” She hugged him hard.

Angad already made his way to the garden, warning Abhi to come soon.

They were all alone suddenly. Nobody said anything. She looked through the glass door, Angad was playing with Otto, he was happy. She smiled. Then she started looking at everything. Each wall, each space, each tiny little detail. Her eyes were taking in every possible detail. Finally, they stopped on Abhi. His eyes were pleading.

A tiny drop slid from her chick. She looked so vulnerable, so pure, so beautiful… And then she smiled saying, “Bye Abhi.” With that, she left. Never turning back.

She left him.

“Dad, maa will be back in the evening… Why are so worried? She never lies, does she? She will some. Let’s play.” Angad’s insistent words broke Abhi’s trance. He took a breath, realizing he was holding.

With Angad aboard time flew. As promised Ria came and took Angad for the night. Abhi was all alone, in the whole house. It was pretty new to him. So, he did what he usually used to do when alone. Looking at the photos on the walls. It was all Ria’s work, though he wasn’t very fond of being clicked but secretly he always liked to skim through those memories!

It was majorly Angad’s. No surprise at all… Angad being the big poser and his mom being a nerdy photographer what to expect? He smiled with that thought!

There were so many photos. Some photos were with him, some were with his family, some solo portraits of Mr. Photogenic! All were beautiful memories. Angad as a baby…when he started crawling… then walking…then of his school… his birthdays…many candid shots of Abhi himself, maa-baba, his in-laws… The list was endless. He could see his life passing through those photos!

Everything captured wonderfully and arranged thoughtfully. It was all Ria! She was always a miracle worker. She always gave all or none!

Then he looked for her photos. But there was none. He checked again. No Ria that plagued his mind. He started looking from the beginning. Each photo, every canvas, every portrait …every smile… every face… she wasn’t there…

He couldn’t process it, it was impossible. He ran through stairs to their bed-room. He ran fast not sure why. What was he looking for? her photo… her memory… There was nothing in the whole house, which tells she lived there.

The beautiful house was suddenly looking ugly! Everything seemed daunting his loneliness. His only cure was her photo, her memory, her very existence in his life. Because he already had realized in past days, that he didn’t know how to live without her. He felt incomplete without her. How difficult it was to not able to touch her. How unnatural it felt, when he couldn’t hug her, kiss her. Without her everything was empty.

But it was too late…

He was searching for the whole house like a mad-man. Tossing turning things, tapping the walls, looking through cupboards.

And… there it was…There was an old coffee-mug inside the showcase where their photo was imprinted. A very young Ria and Abhi laughing in each-other’s embrace. She was looking at him as if he meant the whole world to her.

A pool of tears made their way through his eyes. He clutched the small mug, as if it was the most precious thing in the world. He didn’t know what to think, all he could feel was pain and only pain.

There was a note inside the mug.

“I love you, dear Chashmish. With this silly mug, I gift you my whole life. Nobody will break our bond. We will be together till our last breathe….

Oh so romantic! Tada…I can be romantic..The nerd can be romantic… But hold on..

Here comes the TnCs ...

Above stated information will only be true until the below conditions are met….

Don’t break my trust… Yes… I will give my whole life to you… But don’t ever break my trust… If anytime in life, you like someone else. You are the one who is going to tell me and vice versa. I will not ask anything and will set you free. But don’t cheat… Don’t ever break my trust… That day you will lose me forever.

Always yours

Ria”

******************

She was looking outside the window. The night was happening.

He did the forbidden. He broke her trust. The night she saw him with her own best friend, she lost faith in everything. The life which she built piece by piece carefully, was shattered in a moment.

She never hated him, she didn’t feel anger. She just walked away…

But the saddest part was she still loved him.

Ping…. Her phone buzzed with a message.

Ria, I don’t know how to live without you.

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You are my life. I love you.

.

I know you are reading this. But I am really hurting Ria.

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Please come back. I love you and only you.

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And I know that you still love me!

.

The messages kept coming. She couldn't hold her sobs. She looked at the messages. All the happy memories of their life passed in front of her. Her eyes sparkled with water. As she didn’t reply, the phone started buzzing. She cut the call.

Yes, I love you! And I will keep loving you forever.

But sometimes only love is not enough!