Sweetheart under the moonlight

Masks off

.... When suddenly Maithili was no longer in my arms.

Someone had pushed her and she was lying on the ground. I couldn't even figure out what had just happened. I looked up and saw Laksh. He had seen her. He had seen her with me. He looked full of rage. His hands were tightened into a fist and he looked extremely angry. I know that he must have thought that Maithili was cheating on him with me. But he had pushed her. He had hit her. And his face showed no sigh of regret. It was at that moment I realised that he could never be the one for Maithili. It is simple that you can never even think of hurting the person you love. And Laksh, Laksh had actually hurt her physically.

I just couldn't control myself anymore. How could I? The old Viraj was back because Maithili needed him at the moment. I was filled with double the rage Laksh might have felt on seeing Maithili with me. Maithili didn't deserve it. I rushed towards him and grabbed him by his collar. I swear I ould have just killed him then and there if Maithili wasn't there to stop me.

"How could you even touch her?", I yelled at him.

He struggled initially and despite the force by which I held him, he freed himself from me and headed towards Maithili. She was standing at a distance, still trying to absorb all that was going on.

"Look honey, he is getting angry because I just pushed you. And what about me? What about the anger inside me that I felt on seeing you so close to him? Oh, I get it. I get it all now. You told me about him, right? It was all my fault to allow him to be with you in my absence", he said looking at Maithili and then paused for a while. Then he continued, "No.... no... he did nothing wrong. How can I blame someone else when my own partner is characterless?".

"Say another word about Maithili and you'll experience what death feels like, right now", I said while strangling him. I was so disgusted with the things he was saying about Maithili that I just wanted to strangle him to death. Who was he even to point a finger at Maithili's character when she had not even done anything wrong? Maithili rushed towards me and tried to rescue Laksh from my grip. "Viraj.... Viraj stop it... let him go...leave him...He'll die... Viraj listen to me", she pleaded. I just wanted to finish off the matter. At that moment, I was unwilling to even listen to Maithili. But then, her eyes! Her eyes were telling me to let him go. She looked too terrified. So I loosened my grip and threw him on the ground. 

He was still trying to get his breath back. I was once again going to hit him when Maithili came from the front and stopped me. She held me and didn't let me go. All I wanted was to give him some more slaps and punches. But it still wouldn't be sufficient to compensate for the hurt he had caused to Maithili, both physically and emotionally. Soon, he just got up and looked at Maithili with anger. Even after all that happened , he was angry at her. But without saying a word, he left. He disappeared from my sight before I could even give him a warning to stay away from Maithili. 

~Maithili~

Another heartbreak. Another trauma. Another incident to remember for a lifetime. I was still trying to comprehend all that had happened. And it all happened because of me. I quietly slipped down slowly and sat near the railing of the terrace. It looked like everything has fallen apart. I just buried my face in my hands as I was no longer capable of saying or doing anything anymore. And then, I broke down. I didn't even know if I was crying over the fact that Laksh said and did all that to me, or the fact that Viraj stood there for me. He was the one who was there for me, once again. He had saved me, once again. And even after all the while, what had I given him except pain and suffering? I regretted all that I had done. 

Viraj came and sat in front of me. He held my face and I looked at him. I was still crying. "Maithili, why are you crying?", he asked. I didn't know what to tell him. " I'm tired, Viraj.... I'm tired of all this.. I want to go away... somewhere far away from all this chaos of life", I replied while my voice was still breaking. 

"Maithili, look at me", he said. I looked into his eyes and I felt that all the pain had just vanished. "We'll go away from all this... Life will be peaceful... But promise me, promise me that you will not shed a single tear now. It hurts to see you cry", Viraj whispered. And within a moment, I was in his arms, letting go all the tears I had held inside inside me. I was tired of pretending to have everything sorted out. I was tired of trying to fix everything on my own, while lying to myself that I was really in love with Laksh. I was tired of pretending to be someone who I wasn't.

I felt everything had shattered. But Viraj was there to collect all my broken pieces together and make me whole again. He kept me in his arms till I was done crying my heart out. He was my safe place. How stupid I was to have let him go. He didn't say anything but the silence between us felt more comforting than any words ever could have been.

"Viraj... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for having let you go. I'm sorry to do all that to you. I know I'm a bad person... But please... Please... ", before I could continue, he put his finger on my lips. "Maithili, you never need to say sorry. I was never upset with you". His words made me tear up a little. I knew he was not upset. But he was definitely sad for all that happened. He didn't deserve all that. He didn't deserve any of it.

We were still sitting close to each other. Too close to each other. I could feel his breath. He seemed calmer than before. At that moment, I felt complete. I just sat there without saying a word.

~Viraj~

Maithili was too disturbed after all that happened. I tried to calm her down because none of it was her fault.

"Viraj, do you still love me?" she suddenly asked looking into my eyes while we were both standing beside each other.

"Still? I never stopped loving you", I said looking at her.

"Even when we were apart?"

"Especially when we were apart".

She looked away and smiled a little, though there were still tears in her eyes.

"Let's go Viraj", she said.

"Where?", I asked.

"Home".