After yet another rash turn, he finally stopped the car in front of her house.
They were all smiles when they left a couple of hours ago. It was the last day of college and they were so eager for their farewell party. Little did they know that a handful of minutes at the party would really change it all.
"Get out," he ordered, anger evident in his voice.
She was angry too. Probably more than him. But she knew how to keep her emotions in check. Teenage life had taught her that much.
Without saying a word, she got off the car. Before leaving, she leaned over the open car window and stared at his face. His eyes were fixed on the road ahead, not even sparing her a glance. It took all her strength to withhold her tears. He was her best friend after all. They may have spent just four years of their life together, yet, she wanted to believe that it was the best time of her life.
"Talk to me Ram," she pleaded.
"What's left to talk Riya? Huh?" He red eyes started right back at her.
The heat from car's engine was adding to the already hot day. Still, she could feel the volcano melting burning him. She knew his moods all too well to know how much angry he was. Though the reason for it was still beyond her beliefs.
"I just asked you for a dance Riya. That's it. And you embarrassed me in front of everyone for such a small thing."
"You know I don't dance," she whispered with a hope that her words would lose themselves in the silence, "You know how it irritates me when someone asks me to do something that I don't like."
"Am I just a someone then?"
His eyes demanded an answer she didn't have. She remembered how they had bumped into each other at the fresher's party. He was her first real friend in college. And for a girl who had just arrived in town a week back, that was a really special moment. Over the four years in college, their friendship had grown from better to best and before she could realize, he wished for them to go beyond friendship. That was the last thing she wanted. She just wasn't ready.
"You've always been special Ram. You know that."
"Then why all the fuss?" he was literally shouting by now, "Did I ask for a kiss or anything atrocious? No. All I wished to share the floor with you. And you had to embarrass me for a small little thing like dance."
He may never admit, but more than his wishes, it was his ego that was hurt. All his friends were there. Everyone who had already been gossiping about their relationship. Everyone knew that what they had was more than just a friendship. But no, she denied to admit. She always wanted to keep it simple. But no, he demanded more.
"It may be a small little thing for you guys. For us girls though, it's not as easy as it seems. We have our reservations. We have our barriers."
Traffic was steady, honks were constant, even his car contributed a decibel to that noise; yet, silence surrounded them. They just stared in each other's eyes for a number of minutes. No one knew what to say and any words that they thought of were chasing an unknown end.
That was the moment of truth. Their relationship was on the brink of extinction. And his actions sealed it's fate.
"Be happy within your barriers then. I have a life to live."
And just like that, he wheezed away from the scene leaving a shattered Riya behind.
If a lover would've dumped her, maybe her heart would've broken into half. But a stab from her best friend ripped her heart into pieces, never to be joined again.
It wasn't easy for him too. After her, he had girlfriends, he had love, but never did he found a friend as pure as her. No other person was capable to match the levels of friendship that they shared.
A little glitch in emotion left both the souls empty.
***
T
his shorty is based on a ten word tale written by nevereternity
"He blamed her for breaking him. His expectations smirked discreetly."
