Broken Hearts

It was raining heavily that evening, looked like even the sky was mourning. I opened the rusty gate and made my way through the evergreen bushes. Only a few people, consisting mostly of neighbours were present. My eyes were searching for her in large backyard of their old house. That is when she came running from behind and hugged me tight. I could feel she shivering and sobbing, whilst holding my shirt. I put my arms around her. I don’t know any other way to comfort her.

It’s been 2 weeks since her sister’s funeral and she’s still in denial. I am trying my best to support her, she doesn’t have anyone except me in this world now. It breaks my heart to see really change from a cheerful young girl to person who rarely comes out of her room now.

I still remember the first time I saw her. It was a local fair, where the villages display their handicrafts for people to buy, and there she was standing at the pollen shawl table. She was there to help Catherine, her neighbour who weaves these wooden shawls. Even in the hot summer afternoon, she looked fresh, her slightly pink cheeks were shining against the bright sun. Her long brown hair tied back in ponytail which would sway with every nod of her head. The mesmerising smile which was attracting the customers, were magnetically pulling me towards her.

It’s been 6 years since that day and I have never seen Reily like this before. Honestly it scares me to see her in this condition. I snapped out of thoughts, alarm on my phone. SHIT, IT’S ALREADY 1 PM. I take lunch for Reily everyday, after her sisters death. She refuses to leave the home let alone cooking. I run down stairs, straight to the kitchen and start packing the already cooked lunch.

I am there at Reily’s old bungalow in just 5 min. I walk up to the front door and take out the extra pair of keys to unlock the door, knowing that she will be sleeping. I remove my shoes and slowly head to the dining table. To my surprise Reily is sitting on the couch staring at something outside the window. She notices me entering and gives me a slight smile.

I finish setting up the table and both of us eat quietly. None of us speak anything. I head over to the kitchen to wash the used dishes. Reily is standing at door watching me silently, that is when she comes in and hugs me from behind. She rests her head on my back. "Thank you for everything Harry. Thank you for being so patient with me. I know I am troubling you... I mean it very much."

Riya, her sister, was severely allergic to peanuts, which became the reason for her death. It was a pleasant evening that day, me and Reily had gone to our usual spot to enjoy the sunset. It was a small hill overlooking the valley. It was a secured spot and infamously known as the suicide spot. Yeah, you guessed it right, the name itself is suggestive of its story. Reily put her phone in silent to peacefully enjoy the sunset together. That is when the tragedy hit.

5 months have passed now, everything is slowly coming back on track now, that is in our daily lives. Speaking of our relationship, Reily’s been very distant now. She is not still been able to overcome her guilt. The spark in our relationship is missing now. The mischief and naughtiness has disappeared forever, like a kid who’s grown up but just in one moment.

Today we are going out for dinner after many months. Yet it feels like it’s been decades since we spent time together. I crave for her love and affection, the intimacy that we shared. I was waiting for her in my car, outside her bungalow. As usual she was running late, but this normally felt great. I lazily rested my head on the window of the car waiting for her. The door opened and there she was, dressed in simple yet elegant red frock paired with black heels. The long brown hair was resting on her shoulders and over her chest. She turned back to lock the door relieving the back visible through the deep cut of her dress. The subtle light was perfectly flaunting her fit body. She flipped her hair back from her shoulder and it fell like a curtain on her back. She must have caught me staring. Embarrassed I started the engine and she came and sat on the front seat.

We finished the dinner and walked out hand tied together. The mission was still pending with the ring still in my pocket. We made our way to the car and started driving back. That’s when the idea struck me, I can't find a better place than our secret spot. I gently held her hand, placed it over the gear while I changed it. She didn’t resist. "Can we go to our secret spot? Remember how we used to spend hours going at the infinite sky?" "Hmm sure we can", slowly in a muffled voice Reily replied.

I quietly drove until we reached. The weather was pleasant with cool breeze gently caressing our face. We lay silently under the star. This is the perfect moment now. I sit upright and remove the box from my pocket. She follows, I opened the box to show her the ring. I look down at the diamond then raise my gaze to meet hers, paint instead of smiles. I see her tears rolling down her eyes. No they are not due to happiness.

‘No don’t do this to me‘ is all she says again and again.

"Hey hey you can take your time. I won’t force you, but you do love me right," I asked her.

There is a silence with only the leaves rustling in the background.

‘Reily you do love me right?’

‘Yes I do love you, but how can I be so selfish now. It’s been just months since Riya left us. How can I do this to her? Even when she was alive, all she did was think about me, and now after her death, how can I forget everything.’

‘No Reily I can’t be treated like this, I have loved you selflessly for 6 years, but all you did was compare me with your sister. You could never give my complete space in your heart, I had to always share the love with your sister. Whenever I try to talk to you, you start talking about your sisters. What did I do to deserve the 2nd place in your life.

It was me who always stuck with during all your highs and lows, while she never cared about you. If not for me, you would have long dropped out of college to support your sister who didn’t even express gratitude. What did she ever do to deserve this love of yours?'

‘No it was never like that, i had always loved both of you equally’

A wide grin spread on my face,

‘But why was it that I got only half of the love? When I deserved it completely. That’s why I had to get rid of Riya.’