The Mafia's Collateral

Part 57

Avinash's P.O.V.

I turned from side to side on my bed. I wasn't able to sleep and got up restless. I looked at the time on my phone and it was already after midnight. I stood up and wore my slippers and decided to take a walk in the garden a bit. As I opened the door, I realised that outside was colder than I thought and with the sudden gush of coldness into the room, I trembled. I went and took a shawl and wrapped it around my body and stepped outside. I walked to the garden and looked around. Something caught my eye and I narrowed my eyes to see clearer. There was someone sitting on the swing in the garden. "Who can be here this late?" I asked myself and began to walk closer. As I got closer, I made it out be a girl and the first person that came to my mind was Arohi. I knew that she liked the swing. I went closer and stood behind her. "You're not sleepy as well?" I asked. She turned around but she wasn't who I expected it to be. Instead, it was Ananya. She was about to stand up but I stopped her saying, "Please. Remain seated. I thought you were Arohi." She looked at me silently. "Can I sit with you?" I asked. She looked at me silently for a while and then nodded. I went and sat on the swing with her. "I thought you went to bed," she said. "Yeah I did, but I couldn't sleep. And you?" I asked. "Me too. I guess it takes time to recover from a heartbreak," she said leaving me feel guilty again. "She is beautiful," she said to me. "Who?" I asked. "Your wife," she replied. I looked at her silently. She smiled and said, "I would have never guess that you are married. So unromantic!" I looked at her with a very small smile. "Why didn't you ever tell me Avinash?" She asked. I looked at some tears forming in her eyes. "I didn't thought it was necessary," I said. "I thought that I was your friend at least," she said. "Since when did you want to become my friend?" I asked smiling amused. "Since you saved me from those goons. I guess I realised your worth seeing you so close to death," she said.

I looked at her and said, "That was my...." But she completed saying, "Duty! I know." I nodded. She giggled in between her tears and said, "You know, I always thought that because of my beauty, I could get any guy. I had a lot of ego because of my beauty. I'm glad I fell for you. You convinced me that there is still true love in the world and outer looks is not everything." I stared at her frowning. "I'm sure that you will get someone better than me," I said. "But they won't be you right?" She said. "Ananya..." I started but she stopped me saying looking away, "I know. We can't be together. You don't love me. You know what I have been thinking? That I have been so foolish! I am crying over something that isn't meant for me." I could hear the pain in her voice. I held her hand and looked at her. A tear dropped from her eyes. "Will you be my friend?" I asked. She looked at me taken aback. "I can never give you the love that you want but I can give you something just as precious, my friendship," I said sincerely. "You don't understand don't you? We cannot be friends Avinash. Because I won't see you as a friend and you won't see me as a lover. I think that it's best we just stay away from each other. If we don't meet, or don't cross paths, we won't have any hopes or guilt. Maybe with time I will move on, and you will forget me," she said and pulled away her hand. "What do you mean?" I asked. "I mean that we will live as strangers from today on," she said, "Once we reach back, I won't bother you ever again. I will leave you forever." She got up leaving me worried. What did she mean by that? Was she planning anything stupid? She turned to walk away but I held her hand and stood up. Looking at her with narrowed eyes, I asked, "What do you mean by that? Are you going to...." I asked and my tongue started to tremble to complete.

She looked into my eyes and said, "I will never take my life Avinash. Because you gave it to me, risking your own. It's become too precious to end. You will know what I mean when we get back. But don't worry, I am not that ungrateful to take the life you risked yours for." She pulled her hand away from me calmly and walked away. I sighed in relief hearing that my thoughts were all wrong. I sat back down on the swing and looked at her pictures on my phone. "You left me, but what about the pain you left in my heart? When is that going end? I caused the same pain to someone else today because of you. Why did you do this to me?" I said. I turned off the phone and pushed it back into my pocket.