26. THE TENTH DAY

7th June 2019.

The sun was not the same when I woke up early. Morning tasted different to me. It didn’t warm me any more like before. It was not as bright as before. It was ten long days we remained with no proper conversation. It happened for the first time in the history of our ten incredible long years of relationship. I tried to keep aside these thoughts for a while and attended our morning meeting of our boring bank manager.

I was helpless. I was self-obsessed with these thoughts till our bank manager finished his monotonous speech. And the moment it went over, I pushed the door and came out of his cabin. I distanced myself from the bank and called Sunita, Nisha’s female cousin, who was here in Kolkata. She knew everything about our relationship. She was the only person in her family who knew a lot of stuffs about us. She was less a sister and more a friend of mine. I called her twice but both times she disconnected. My mind encircled with negative questions, why the hell she was not picking my call? Then I texted her in WhatsApp. 

Hey! Need to talk. Urgent. 

To which she replied.

Can’t talk on the phone call, Mumma around. Please tell here.

 I was quite ok with it. I knew their family members were too strict. So, I continued our chat.

We are not in touch for past ten days. Neither any call nor text from her side. Do you know what’s going on with her?

Yes, I know.

My mind got stuck when she said ‘yes’. My heart beat pounded faster. Blood in my veins ran double its speed. I put my hand on my head and tried to gather some guts to ask and typed my feelings.

Please tell. I am dying without her.

I was silent after clicking the enter button. Millions of questions popped my mind. Her long typing gave a vibe of a secret. My eyes gazed at screen, which showed she was typing and my heart filled with panic. My hands shivered. My body got fainted. What she will say? Three minutes passed, but she was still typing. Every second passed, and increased my discomfort. I couldn’t conclude what she will say. At last her text nailed my world.

Bro! 

Last night she had her ring ceremony with that guy whom our family was thinking about. She is getting married on 23rd of June. Everything decided at last night itself. She couldn’t face you. She has moved on, and will not come to Kolkata anymore. I request you too move on. It will be tough, but it’s the only option you have.

Veins in my head started paining. My brain stopped functioning as if someone had hit hard with a hammer. I was semi paralyzed and found no sense in my body. My world turned upside down. As I read her words, my skin burnt. At first, I thought I did a mistake in reading, so I read it again. But it was exactly the same. Whatever I understood from her words detached my joined lips and dropped my jaw down and enlarged my eyes with shock.

 I lost all strength to stand on my feet. My nostrils got blocked, and I started drowning because of lack of air to breathe. I took screenshots of her messages and sent to Ankit, Kartik and Nisha too. I didn’t know what to do anything else than informing them. It was something unexpected for them, too. Ankit called, and I lost control. Tears were ready to discharge from my eyes. He advised to call Nisha immediately.

So, I called her seven times in a row. But she didn’t receive, and I lost control on my tears. I gazed at those screenshots which I had just sent her and at sudden, I saw those blue ticks started appearing on all those images one by one. She called after reading those messages and with no delay I asked her,

“Whatever she said, is it true?”

“Yes.” 

I cried out on call. I asked again.

“Why didn’t you inform me before?”

“I didn’t have guts to inform you.”

As she said such, I accepted the fact I almost lost her. 

 I asked with throat struggling to pronounce,

“Please tell the entire thing, how it happened suddenly?” 

And I listened to every word, which she told with a guilt in her voice.

“I was not happy with you. I was with you because of your happiness, as I can’t see you crying. But, first time in my life, I have taken a decision for my happiness. My family is fortunate for this relation and I am happy too. I have moved on and I can’t step back, So, I request you too do the same.”

All her words stabbed thousands of swords in my chest. Tears flowed down. With wet eyes and dry throat, I asked. 

“I am ready to come to you and take you away from them if your family is pressurizing you for this marriage.” 

With no hesitation she cleared my doubts.

“No. It’s my own decision. I am under no obligation or any kind of pressure. It’s completely my own choice. As everyone has a right to take a decision about their future so, I did the same. And if your love is genuine, then please admire me for my decision and forget me forever. You take care of yourself and please do not take any step which will hamper my new life.”

She shattered every hope and expectation of my life which I kept weaving for past three years. She crushed all our dreams which we dreamt together for ten years.

My body became numb, as if it got paralyzed. My heart started paining. Lots of aches wrapped my heart. It was more painful than a gunshot. In a second, she snatched my world. With no words left, I begged.

“I cannot live without you. I have never imagined my life without you. You are a part of all my dreams. How could you do this?”

She became so practical, like never. A girl who used to live in a world of dreams, gave such a practical suggestion, I couldn’t believe, is she the same girl who broke her leg only to avoid going there? I wondered how people change with time. 

She explained.

“This is just a matter of speaking. With time you will forget everything. Don’t be childish.”

“Are you sure this is your final decision?”

I asked my last question of my life for the last time.

“Yes. It’s my final decision. I am not coming Kolkata anymore. I will get settled here.”

“Ok. Be happy. I will never call you again.”

I threw my mobile. 

My world completely changed in a jiffy. The girl who used to spread elixir of love in my life suddenly flooded my life with poison. My acquaintance made me lost deep in agony. I struggled as old people struggle before their last breath.