The Boundaries of Love

● 31 ●

"Okay. Thank you. I'll be there tomorrow." I cut the call and lean back on the couch.

This is getting more and more complicated day by day. Shravan's problem seems easy to handle, but it is not when his psychologist says the opposite. Yes, I somehow managed to make him take me to his doctor. I wanted to help, but to do so I need to understand it. Relented first, but he agreed eventually.

His therapist Mr. Pattionson has a very charming personality or maybe it's what his profession wants him to be. Shravan introduced us, and when I said, I want to help he looked a bit surprised. Mr. Pattinson tilted his head and motioned me to stand up from where I was sitting with Shravan, holding his hand. Shravan's grip on my hand tightened a bit, when I patted on his hand, reluctantly he let it go. And I noticed Mr. Pattinson noticed this little exchange between us. That's when the doctor decided to talk to me . . . alone.

"Shravan seems very fond of you." He asked. Not knowing what to reply to this statement I smiled. "But he seems too dependent too."

"Sorry?"

He sighed, "The moment I asked you to stand up, he panicked. And Ms. Tiwari, it isn't a good thing."

"He is emotionally weak." Feebly I tried to defend Shravan.

"And we cannot want that, right?"

"What do you want me to do? Leave his side?"

He laughed, "Opposite. But yes," leaning forward he put his hands on the table, "Ms. Tiwari, a healthy relationship isn't those in which couples depend upon each other. But when the couple doesn't depend upon each other still they are on the same page in any given situation. Here, what I have heard from Shravan, you have left everything behind for him . . . to be with him. And trust me, this isn't good."

"But I want to stay with him. He is way too important to me . . ." I panicked thinking I have managed to damage the progress in Shravan's therapy by deciding to come here.

Mr. Pattinson smiled, "I understand, but till when?"

I didn't take time to reply, "As long as I am alive."

"Are you sure?" He chuckled, "How about slowly sacrificing every single thing you love, just because it would make him happy? Shravan is suffering from the fear of 'abandonment'. He is clutching onto you so that his fear doesn't engulf him." Suddenly his features turned serious, "Now let me tell you, what will happen next. He wouldn't want to leave you for a second, you would crave for a little 'me time' but there would be none. Slowly, it would solidify by his fear of losing you and he wouldn't be able to trust you with anyone. Then comes the jealousy. The moment he would see you with any other man, it would intensify. His jealously, overprotectiveness would go out of hand. And in the end, he would do something to hurt you or himself."

I gaped at him for a moment to process everything he said, "What . . . what am I supposed to do then?"

"Live your life." He smiled, "I am not saying to leave him, but don't let him depend upon you too much. He needs to move on, he needs to accept what his parents did to him. He needs to fight against his fear, with himself, for himself. I am here to guide him through this fight, but you will have to step aside by not bowing down to his lame wishes. You will be there as a companion, not as a shock absorber."

I hear the key jingle as Shravan opens the main door. His eyes are droopy, black circles beneath his eyes scream of his tiring day. "Hey," I smile from the couch. His eyes flash with delight the moment they land on me. His whole demeanour changes at once. How could I be so blind? I have been staying with him for the last five days, and how did I miss these little changes in him? Mr. Pattinson is right.