Chapter 21

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RAHUL

"Why did you let this happen? Why did you?", I whispered and my vision turned blurry as tears flowed down and I stood silently beside the freshly dug soil underneath where Alya's coffin had been buried sometime back. The head stone was surrounded by several cards and flowers. Those were brought from the college kids and professors. Its ironic how everyone falls in love with the dead. The person who hated you till your last breathe is bound to grieve for you after death.

I hated her for what she tried to do with me and Nandini, and I knew I would have never forgiven her for her actions. But now the disgust that I felt towards myself was much more intense. How could I kill my own family, my own blood, my sister.

My cell pinged and I immediately checked it. It was Nandini.
I drew a breathe of relief. I had been calling her and texting her since yesterday but she had ignored me. I knew she needed distance and time, but I also believed that I would let nothing destroy the bond that I share with Nandini. We can go through this together.

Meet me in the campus within an hour.

was her small text

We need to talk things out. I had several explanations to do and I owed her many apologies. And here she presented me with the very opportunity to mend our mistakes.

I typed in a reply.

Will be there within 10 minutes. Love you.

I pressed send. In normal times I would have received a 'love you too' back but this time nothing came back. I glanced my sister's grave and leaving a slient prayer I headed to my car.

As I pulled into the parking lot I could see Nandini standing at the far end. Even from the distance I could figure out her face. Her shoulders were slumped indicating she was tired. I had been edgy about my relationship with her and seeing her should have calmed down my nerves but it didn't. I felt something bad is still waiting to happen.

Gradually I got out of the car and dragged myself to her. She turned in my direction as I approached her. Her familiar beautiful face made my heart skip a beat and I wasted no time to take her in my embrace. I sniffed in her smell, my favourite fragrance and it makes me feel home, feel loved. I dug my head in the crook of her nook and whispered," I was worried about you. You weren't answering my calls. I thought something bad happened. I was so afraid that you won't come back to me ever after what happened. I am sorry Nandini....sorry for everything that you had to go through. I shouldn't have kept secrets from you. I am sorry."

Slowly her tiny hands wrapped around my chest and her gesture relaxed me a bit. She his in my chest and mumbled," I am sorry too".

I pulled her back to watch her face. It had a few tears trickling down.

"Why are you sorry Nandu, baby you did nothing wrong. We will survive this together, I promise" and I slowly wiped away her tears. She raised her head and looked into my eyes. I stared back and all I could see was pure pain in her large beautiful eyes which were once filled with so much love for me.

"Rahul", her voice crumbled and she closed her eyes drawing deep breathes as if she was preparing to face the worst. Seeing her struggle made me lose my former strength and I felt exhausted.

"What is it Nandini?", I promoted her to continue. The silence was deafening.

"It's over. We can't be together any longer.", her words were barely a whisper. Her tone was hollow and distant but I could see her agony. I knew it broke her as she said the very words to me.

An unbearable grief wrapped my heart and I stared at her. I couldn't cope up with what she said. I had never prepared myself for this. I never realised I may lose Nandini like this. I always thought our love story would die with us.

"Please Nandini, don't do this. We were supposed to be a forever", I weakly pointed to the promises we made.

She tried to stop her continuous flow of tears but failed. "I wanted us to be a forever too Rahul...but you didn't let it happen. Tell me how am I supposed to live my life in fear, in darkness in evil. Every time I will be in your arms, those will be the arms of a murderer. Everything I kiss you my lips would touch the lips of a killer. Every time you caress my cheeks, it will be the fingers of a criminal. I know it will hurt to stay away from you.... But I can't let your poison burn me too."

"Please don't do this to us.", I pleaded.

"There is no us Rahul.", her voice was shaky and I pulled her back to my chest. I hugged her fiercely, as I kept chanting her name as a prayer, asking her to stay. I was blindly searching for ways to show my love to her.

"Nandini please don't leave"

"I have to", and she pulled away from me. She raised her hands to touch my cheek. I leaned to her touch savouring the soft warm feeling. She tiptoed and placed a kiss at the corner of my lips.

"I love you", she whispered. Her tears mixing with my own as our cheeks touched. I couldn't respond. I realised it was over. Noting I do or say would make her change the decision. I was lost in the storm, alone, with no one to pull me back, no one to help me survive. Slowly she let go of our entwined hands. Her figure was shaking with her sobs. Her face reflecting the same pain as mine.

I froze as she turned her back towards me and walked away. I lost the one person who loved me desperately passionately madly. I lost the single pillar which supported me and I broke. My knees could no longer bear my weight as I collapsed on the ground.

I could neither stop her nor the gripping heartache. My body trembled as I saw the last piece of light exit my life leaving me in darkness.

She was gone.

I lost my Nandini.

A/n
So here is the breakup. I don't know how is it. It is the eight-th time I rewrote it. Hope it explains something.
Manik Nandini- coming soon.

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