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The Story Of Us

The Story Of Us

5 mins
4.8K


The view in front of her is breathtakingly beautiful. The ocean and the azure blue skies have always been her safe haven, but they look like home to her as she gazes down upon them from atop a cliff. The wind kisses her face and her flesh rises in goose pimples. Something about the air reeks of melancholy to her. It is probably the dusty grey sky, storming with anger over the oceans for having kissed earth. Ah! How fond she is of such metaphors. She looks down below her and realizes that it would be a good time to take the plunge, jump and let it all go; leap and let the peace seep in.

“Ria, you don’t want to do that..”

She doesn’t need to turn around to put a face to that voice. She could recognize that voice even in her sleep. She does not move. Nor does she turn around. She just stands there, waiting for him to speak, to tell her not to jump. She only pulls her shawl closer to herself. And waits.

“Ri, I need you to slowly walk back towards me and away from that cliff.”

Why? Why should she walk away? Why did she have to listen to anything he said? And who did he think he was, ordering her around like that?

“I am not ordering you, Ri. I am pleading. I insist that you move back slowly and grab my hand this instant.”

“It is so beautiful out here, is it not?”, is all she utters.

She imagines a look of utter bafflement and annoyance across his face and a childish sense of pride washes over her entire self. She expects him to lash out, to huff in irritation, pull her back or leave. She is pleasantly surprised when he does neither of them. She feels him move right behind her, almost touching. Almost. She could feel the heat radiating off his body - a welcome presence on the chilly cliff.

“What is going on in your head, love?” is all he asks.

There it was again. That word - love. She was not his love, no matter how hard she tried to let the word become hers, she couldn’t. For she knew that this man was far beyond what she deserved. She did not deserve his love. Not when she could not give him the same love back.

“You know how I hate it when you answer my question with a question of your own,” she huffs in annoyance.

His entire body vibrates with laughter that makes her feel light headed. His presence had always done that to her. Make her feel like she was high on happiness.

“Ri, yes, it is beautiful out here. But may I be courageous enough and ask you about your purpose of standing at the edge of this beautiful cliff?”

She smiles when his arms circle her petite self reflexively, his worry unhidden. Yet he takes them away instantly when she flinches unintentionally under his touch. If he is hurt, he doesn’t show.

“I-I was not considering jumping, if that is what you are implying.”

“It would have been a great cover story if I didn’t know you as well as I do.”

Silence is what follows and neither one of them wishes for the quietness to break.

This man, her husband, has been anything but kind, loving and a best friend to her. And yet she finds it beyond her to let her guard down and give this beautiful and enigmatic man a place in her heart. She wants to, she really does. But her fragile heart is too afraid to be let down again, to be broken down again. This wall she had around herself made her feel safer. This way she didn’t have to worry about all that pain all over again.

“Ria? You listening to me?”

The look of utter confusion on her face hits him like a sucker punch. No matter what he does, he finds himself at those doors that she refuses to unlock. Whoever crushed her heart, made sure the damage sustained longer. If only she would let him, if only.

“Could you ever learn to love me?”, his voice is almost a whisper and had she not been standing close to him, she wouldn’t even have heard it. Her heart broke and built itself back for this man who was scared and yet patient enough to wait for her. And she did not want to disappoint him. That would crush her soul. He had become her pillar of support. He was everything she had never seen in a man - patient, understanding, mature, supportive and compassionate. He respected her wish to stay ‘friends’ rather than jump into the age-old dynamic of husband and wife.

More than understanding her, he understood her heart or whatever was left of it and was understanding enough to let her heal. Four months of marriage and a life with this man and she did not know what she had done to deserve him. Yet, here she was.

She turned around slowly, his arms immediately finding haven around her, concerned about her safety more than her flinching.

Her honey brown orbs found their way to his hazel ones and she dared herself to place her palm against his cheek. If she didn’t know him better, she wouldn’t have believed that sharp intake of breathe. His heart soared through the clouds as he saw her head nod lightly, wondering if he had imagined. His entire system froze when she weaved her fingers through his and placed a chaste kiss upon his hand.

“Just not today. For now, all I want you to be is my best friend. But one day, I’ll let my heart love you. If you have the patience and if you will let me, that is.”

For the first time, he stood there speechless. So many things to say and yet all he could do was stare at her, awestruck. This beautifully intelligent and strong woman. His. if not today then soon. Devoid of words and overwhelmed with emotions, all he could do was hold her against himself and kiss her on the head. One day is better than never at all.

And there, on that cliff began what would become their journey of love and friendship.


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