Two Birds One Arrow (Completed)

Chapter 11

I wave at Gautham who smiled back and me and revs his bike. I remove the bag from my shoulders, sit on the bike and then place it back again in my lap. I, then, lift my right palm to place it on his shoulder.

"Shall we start?" He asked me, glancing at me through the mirror.

I nod my head in response.

He begins driving. I smile at him behind his back, happy that he brought his bike instead of his car and also due to the embarassment on my behalf on asking him to bring his bike instead of his car.

"Hey, I am going to drive you to your home but before that, I need to take you somewhere. Can you give me five minutes?" He asked me, his eyes fixed on the road but his attention elsewhere.

Knowing that he is not the one who would cross his boundaries, I mumbled a sure in response.

After travelling for roughly another fifteen minutes, we came to an abrupt stop in front of a park. He parked the bike and guided me inside. I walked beside him, confused as to why he would want to spend time in a park out of all the places he could have chosen.

We found an empty park bench and sat beside each other. Gautham remained silent for some time. I did not know whether to ask him if anything was wrong or give him some time. So, I just stared in distance at the kids playing on the swings.

"This is where I first met her." Gautham suddenly starts.

"Huh?"

"My first love. This is where I first met her. " He tells me, not looking into my eyes.

"Oh." I tell him, not knowing what response to give.

"She was beautiful, kind and everything that I had ever wanted in a girl." He continued his story.

I have no idea why I decided to ask Gautham about her the other day. Clearly, I am not prepared for what I am hearing from him right now.

"She was so perfect. I thought she was 'the one' but it took me long to realise that I was not her 'only one'. She cheated on me." His voice cracks and I notice a single tear escaping from his eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. She is not worth your tears. You are better than that, Gautham." I tell him, as I hug him and rub his back. I am not against him crying. I am actually happy that he trusts me enough to cry to me but the fact that it is about his ex is what doesn't sit with me.

I had made this terrible mistake of asking him about his ex. Maybe, I was better off without knowing the truth. Atleast I could have lived in denial. I could have convinced myself that there has been no one else in his life just like how it was in my life. That is the problem with truth, once it is out in the open, you can never change it.

By now almost half the people in the park, stop to have a look at the scene going on. I shoot them all a dirty look and most of them turn away.

"I am sorry, Neha. It is just that with her everything was so perfect and it all felt real. Maybe, I never should have let anyone into my life at all. Now I will forever live with the regret of being her boyfriend." He tells me, wiping his cheeks.

"Listen here, Gautham. I am not a great fan of the fact that there was someone else in your life before me. But things happen, they may or may not be in our control and no matter how much we blame ourselves, we cannot change the past. Just be glad that it was over before it even began. Yes, maybe your heart is broken. But at least you got to see her true colours before you decided to marry her or something. Look at the bright side here." I tell him.

"I do not deserve you, Neha. You are so perfect and pure and it makes me feel like I am just a hand-me-down. Why would you need someone in your life like me?" He asks me.

"Actually, now that I think about it, you are right. Maybe you do not deserve me. Let us call of the wedding." I tell him, keeping a straight face. The priceless look in his face has me cracking up. I laugh at his expressions, giving away the fact that I was just joking.

"I thought you were serious." He told me.

"Come on, Gautham. Let us leave. There are a lot of people here who like poking their noses into other people's business way too much." I tell him, waving my hand at all the people who are still looking at us.

He gets up but before we start walking, he turns to face me. "Thank you so much for understanding, Neha. I am really sorry." He tells me genuinely.

"Oh, you don't have to thank me, Gautham. However you have to be sorry. I may hold this against you forever." I tell him and again he has a serious expression in his face.

"I am kidding." I add, "or not."