Could This Be Love

chapter 33❤

It's been a disquieting month. For Aarav, it was filled with regrets and redemption while for Hritika it was melancholy.

Aarav sat in his bed with his head in his palms. A strange headache was tearing him apart. He's been drinking alcohol a lot this days for he thinks it helps him escape the reality, the thoughts of Hritika, about how he could have prevented this disastrous decision of hers.

Aarav walked towards the cupboard to fetch the medicine-kit.

"Ah..this headache is gonna kill me.." he mumbled.

He grabbed the box and looked for medicines for headache.

"This one..." He held a small box of blue tablets. He opened to take out a medicine but then he remembered..

"Do you even know how much these tablets affect your health?? These are hazardous!!!" Hritika would say everytime he'd choose these tablets.

"How would I know, mrs. Malhotra??" He'd wiggle his eyebrows making Hritika laugh a bit.

"You must know Mr. Malhotra because I might not be always with you.." she'd say coming closer to Aarav.

"Don't ever say that.. I'd never let you leave me.." Aarav would say possesively holding her by her waist tightly.

She'd lay her head on his chest "I don't know... We never know what fate has for us..." She too would tightly hold on Aarav.

Aarav would kiss her forehead and say "Don't worry too much.."

Aarav's eyes watered at the memory which was quickly replaced by frustration as he threw the box to the corner causing a loud noise.

He slowly walked to the bathroom hoping a cold bath might calm his thoughts.

He stepped into the bathtub as it started to fill up.

A familiar memory whispered into his head.

"Cold baths makes you look like a red monkey you know?" Hritika laughed.

"So does your hot baths to you! Your nose and cheeks become red!" Aarav laughed back.

"What a great pair no? Mr and Mrs. Red?" Hritika would laugh louder holding her stomach.

"Great pair? Nahh, best pair!!" Aarav would smirk and say.

"Huh! That's because of me.. isn't it??" Hritika would dramatically blow air to a hair strand.

"Come on! It's because of mee!! The great Aarav!" Aarav would say ruffling her hair to which she'd pout and say "Then okay! I'll leave you! I'll leave for a distant land!! Then figure out how to be the so called best pair!"

Aarav would chuckle and softly peck her pout and say "No babe, I would never let you leave me for your distant land! But yes, we can go there together for our honeymoon part 2...what say?"

As the memories gushed into his mind, he felt helpless.

The bathtub was fully filled by now. He slowly adjusted his body so that his head was now underwater.

Tears appeared from his eyes as they quickly disappeared into the water. His expressions changed and was now complex. He was crying loudly.

"I am sorry.. I am so sorry.." he said between the cries.

"I can't live without you..I can't.."

He quickly got out of the shower and dried himself and got dressed as he grabbed the car keys and left.

After a quick drive he arrived his parents' house.

He restlessly pressed the door bell. A househelper opened the door.

He quickly walked past him and ran to his father's room.

His father was sitting quietly on the recliner by the window and looking outside. His face showed grief. His wrinkled face showed only signs of loss. Extreme loss and trauma.

"Papa..." Aarav called.

His father's eyes quickly diverted to Aarav's way and then back to the window.

"Papa.. please.."

His father spoke slowly "why are you here?"

"Papa.. I'm sorry.."

"I don't want your sorry!" His father yelled.

"But I am sorry, papa! I know I'm at fault!"

There was no response from his father.

"Papa, talk to me!" Aarav said sitting down on his knees infront of his father.

"Papa, I'm sorry.. I know I did wrong to Hritika."

"Papa you know I love her! I love her too much.. I-.. I don't know how could I say those words to her..I really regret them papa!!" He said looking up at his father's eyes.

"Get away from my sight before I slap you." His father said in a warning voice.

Aarav took his father's palm and pressed them into his cheek with great force "Papa, you know if you'll kill me, it'd be better than this torturous life." He said as he continued slapping himself.

"Stop it..stop it.." his father protested.

"I want to die...papa..I wish for death..how could I have said those??" he said as tears started rolling down his cheeks involuntarily.

His father tried to stay angry but how could he? When his own flesh and blood was crying this way..the same son whom he has never witnessed to cry..

How could he not feel worried about Aarav? So he finally gave in and caressed his head as Aarav cried harder with his face buried into his father's lap.

His father wanted to comfort him but how? How could he forget the way his own flesh and blood treated an innocent soul.

Hearing the loud cries, his mother rushed into the room "What's going o-" her eyes stuck on the figure crying before her.

"Aarav...?" She mumbled and her expressions hardened "what is he doing here? Crying? Showing off? After what he did to my lovely daughter?? Get out!! I'm done with your 'i love her' drama."

"Ah Smita!!" His father pleaded.

Aarav soon stopped crying and turned to his mother "Maa, this is too much okay? Yes I wronged her! Very much! But the way she left me.. without thinking of the amount of pain I'll go through.." his features softened as he continued "then didn't she wrong me the same way? Aren't we equal now? Don't I deserve her now? Please ask her to come back, maa! I'll do anything..okay? Anything!"

After a few minutes his mother's hands involuntarily caressed his cheeks. She couldn't help but be worried about Aarav's condition the same way she was about Hritika's. She had tried a thousand times to reach out to Hritika but alas, all in vain.

"I don't know if anything is gonna get normal... Aarav..you have messed up.. and I guess you'll have to live with it.. get up..be strong.." his mother said.

"I can't.." Aarav mumbled.

"You must. Come have dinner with me." Aarav's mother softly dragged him to the dining area.

If this how atonement is done, I'll do it.. my redemption is anyway killing me..I hope we meet again.. somewhere where only love prevails.. then I'll ask for answer to my question 'was your love enough to let me go?'

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I'm feeling bad for this bitch now. Lol. He's turned into masochist. But I like his agathokakological personality. Hritika, for the pure soul that she is, definitely is suffering too.

Ugh.

I'm suffering too.

From a headache.

Still I updated but you guys won't vote, will you?!?

-_-

Bye bye.

Not seeing you any soon.

I am sad af.