That Reminiscent Fragrance

Forget. The only word that Arohi's mind kept telling her, but her shameless heart still didn't accept. Its over and he will never come back. Sam. That name was going to haunt her for her entire life. Her first love. Those promises that he told her, to protect her, to always be with her… were just beautiful lies. He always exclaimed, "I will always be by your side in your happy and sad times."

Three years ago, on that snowy night, under the mesmerizing streetlight of the bridge, Arohi ran to Sam and embraced him, he coldly smiled. He firmly held her as the soft snowflakes danced down to them. "Let's end it," he mumbled into her red ears.

She pushed him back and glared as he turned his back and rushed to the other side of the bridge. Tears descended down her puffy face and her eyes wandered around looking at him while her ears longed for an answer. Why? She fell hard to the ground as her legs went weak. She cried the whole night. She whispered to herself, "Am I not even worth an explanation. Does he hate me that much?" She spent days, months, years blaming herself then blaming him…

Now, as five years went by things had changed, she could finally let go. At least she thought she did. She made herself so busy that she would not think of him. To her surprise, she subconsciously went into the café where she first met him. The worst part was Sam was sitting on the top floor in the same café. She left the café immediately hid from him. Soon, Sam came out and marched towards a lonely street. He was almost unrecognizable. He looked pale, devastated, and dead. Arohi unwillingly followed him.

As they moved deeper and deeper into that eerie street there was an old house that looked like a gangsters' hideout. But what shocked her the most was that Sam going into that place. Suddenly Sam turned back. She tried to hide. She was frightened to encounter such a situation. There was no one around. She slowly tried to track her way back to the café. Things never go the way you want them to. She peeped slightly into a road and saw a group of strong men with guns. Her hand shivered vigorously. They came closer and closer. Her heartbeat raced to a point where she could hear it.

"Shhhhh. Be quiet." said someone from behind as he closed her mouth and dragged her away from there.

She could feel her skin crawling. They hid into a small corner of that street and watched them leave. After the men left she let out a deep sigh. The hand that covered her mouth felt familiar. The ring. It was Sam. She slowly grasped onto his hand, took it away, and said, "Sam…"

"Leave!" he retorted rudely.

She didn't let go of his hand and asked him to take her back home. He hesitantly took her back. When they reached, she forcefully took him into the house. Sam was surprised and expressed, "You have become stronger."

"Shut up" she replied. 

Sam avoided eye contact. 

"You better explain or…" ordered Arohi.

"I have nothing to tell you. I'm leaving," he replied. But as he took one step towards the main door he fainted. She was shocked and ran to him and asked him to wake up as she shook him gently.

She could feel that he was weak as she treated him. She was speechless as she saw scars all over him.

Sam slowly opened his eyes and saw Arohi asleep next to him. He brushed her silky hair strands with his fingers and smiled. She woke up and was relieved. She hugged him. Tears continuously dripped out of her concerned eyes, her hand was in his, as she looked down.

"Please, why are you doing this to me? You suddenly leave me. Now when I finally see you, you are full of wounds," she cried.

"I'm sorry," he answered as he wiped her tears. He confessed that he was in a huge debt so too went into gambling with those gangsters and did the worst mistake of his life, signed a contract with them. He paid off the debt and thought that everything became normal. But the gangsters cheated him and asked him to pay back all the money with twice the interest. So that’s why he left and was ashamed of himself. He told that he was begging them for more time and all these years he was trying hard to pay them back. He left her only because he didn’t want her to get into trouble because of him.

Arohi slapped him and questioned, "who gave you the right to leave me and decide everything by yourself? If you were in a debt you could have asked me for money. Did you believe in those goons over me? It was just money. Am I nothing to you?"

"I know, it's all my fault. I was just too ashamed but I really didn’t know things would turn into this. I'm sorry," he pleaded.

"How much do you owe them? We will go to them tomorrow and pay off the debt?"

"But…"

"Just tell me the amount or else I'm going to break those bones of yours."

"Ten million rupees."

"Fine. Okay."

The next day, they took a loan from the bank and went into the hideout with the money. Silence had gulped the whole area. Not even a single person was to be found.

Sam shouted, "I brought the money." A young man came out. He looked dangerous and suspicious.

Sam covered Arohi and spoke with the man. The man counted the money. He smirked and told that his debt is over and asked them to leave. As Sam and Arohi slid towards the rusty door the man screamed, "Boss!"

Bang!

Sam turned back; the blood rushed out of Arohi. She was down on the cement ground and her hand moved towards Sam.

In the span of a blink, Sam fell beside her. Both of them helplessly glanced at each other. Arohi lamented. Arduously Sam crawled towards her.

The heavy petrichor scent fused with the bitter blood that surrounded the room within no time. 

Both of them in one another's arms left behind everything...