Forever Won't Be Enough

The Pretty Boy (Part 2)

'I loved a guy once, you know. In fact, I still do.' She stared at the seat in front of her. 'I used to daydream of him and wish for a glance of his. But guess what? He never even noticed me. All I managed to do in four years is steal glances at him. That's how bold I am. Still, I can't forget him. And believe me, I have tried. I am tired of regretting but I don't think it'll go away.' Rose suddenly remembered where she was and noticed that she was blabbering. God, she had already summarised her life to him. There was no going back.

'But Rose, that wasn't even your fault. It is his problem if he didn't notice you. You don't have to carry anything with you. You're way too young for that.' He felt sad for her, and for himself, though he wasn't sure why.

She was confused. This kind of a situation was new to her. Why was this stranger interested in her sob story anyways? And why in the world was she telling something so personal to this guy? She just did some seriously stupid things. She mentally hit her head and scolded herself.

Without thinking twice, he knelt beside her and held her by the shoulders. There must be something he could do to ease her pain. He felt helpless, again not knowing why.

'Don't let yourself get hurt because of someone who doesn't even notice you. He didn't even deserve your love. Your heart is way too precious.' He shook his head. 'There's someone special for you. You just have to be patient.' The pain in Rosella's eyes was even more visible.

Rosella felt tired. She just stared at him blankly. It was only after some time that she became aware that he was touching her. She gently removed his hand from her shoulder and held it for a minute before saying, 'Thank you.'

Alan didn't want to let go of her but he had to. For some reason, her pain hurt him. If only there was a way to help her. He remembered that he had some incomplete work. 'I'll be right back,' he said and disappeared again.

For the first time Rose felt a little better. This guy definitely knew how to make someone feel good. She was still thinking about him while he came back with a bottle of coke which he offered and she took it gratefully.

Alan was feeling something strange. Why did he care so much about her anyway? He felt as if he knew her for a really long time.

Rose on the other hand realized that she hadn't actually paid attention to him. He definitely was a handsome boy. His wavy hair was long with layers starting near his eyes and reaching all the way till his chin. She noticed his eyes for the first time. He had the same honey brown eyes that reminded her of her first love. His round face and thin lips reminded her of her favorite character in a story. He had this strange atmosphere around him that soothed her like an elixir. But she doubted if he could make her completely forget her pain.

'Where do you live and what about your parents....?' Rose was almost about to say Pretty Boy before she stopped herself.

'I don't really remember them. I grew up in an orphanage so I am not really sure.' Despite his efforts to sound nonchalant, his voice sounded sad.

'I am sorry.' She shook her head sadly. At least she had parents who loved her so much. 'But when you find your true love you'll know what it feels like to have people you can consider your family.'

I haven't found true love, but there is a girl right in front of me. Her eyes that have sadness in them. I don't know why, but I want to make you forget your pain.

'You don't have to be scared to experience love. Just keep yourself open to it,' he told her. He bent, moving closer, his face just inches away from hers and inhaled deeply. She smelt of lovely orange blossoms. He felt a deep desire to hold her in his arms. Relax, he told himself. She has been trapped for a long time. It would take her a lot of time to feel comfortable. He gently backed off.

'So, which college are you going to?' He tried to steer the conversation towards a lighter topic.

'Have you heard about St. William's University of arts and sciences in Anchorage?'

'That seems pretty cool,' he agreed. 'Do you have any relatives there? And what subject are you taking?'

'No. But I think it is better that way. I can start afresh.' There was no way she was going to stay with any relatives. Even the thought of it made her cringe. 'I'm taking psychology.' Then she remembered, 'Hey, you didn't tell me about yourself.'

'Working is my passion. The airport is my home. I wish I could, you know, hold it and treasure it with me. And when I not here, I hang out with Armaan.' Thinking of Army always made him smile.

'Is he your best friend?'

'We basically grew up together and now we are roomies. He is like; in fact he is the only person who'd cry if I die.' He smiled again. 'We have so much fun together.'

'Where are you from?' She guessed Bangalore or Mumbai.

'Mumbai.'

'You know Marathi?'

'A little bit.'

A tall stewardess came and called Alan. He hated to leave her and go but he thought that he would definitely come back later. But a lot of work got piled one upon the other that he never got the time to come back. He decided to get her phone number before they landed.

Rose waited for a long time, hoping he'd come back. It wasn't like she needed to speak to him or something, but she really didn't know whether to wait or not. After a long time she gave up and returned to her seat. All old thoughts and emotions rushed to her mind. She sat simply, thinking about her past; a past that hadn't really occurred in the physical world. It was all in her head. Her heart had been broken by someone who didn't even know her. It was all so complicated that she couldn't label the worst part yet. There were many more things to come.

Her eyes were almost about to spill the tears before she bit her lower lip hard and suppressed it. Tears deserve to go back to where they belong. Inside. They were a symbol of weakness and she was not weak. You don't have the right to cry, she told herself and just like that, the tears automatically didn't come. So many years of controlling had some good effects according to the grapevine. She simply buried it all with the million other things.

After some time, there was the pre-landing announcement which she ignored because she could feel the descending pull of the flight which she always hated. After landing, she stood up feeling dizzy and clutched the seat for support. It was probably the lack of sleep, acting up. The luggage collecting process was boring and all the tiredness was finally starting to show.

At five in the morning, she hailed a cab and settled in the backseat. She thought to use a little rest while she could, since no other part of her brain seemed to be working. It would take some time to reach the house, so she let herself relax.

Suddenly she remembered one thing- she forgot to ask the Pretty Boy's name! She didn't have even a single piece of information about him. How greatly stupid of her! She always forgot to ask people's names and this time she'd done it again, that too after spending a couple of hours with a stranger and sharing her personal history with him. She asked him so many things only to forget the most basic and important question. Now she could spend the rest of her life wondering about his name.

In spite of all this, she had to admit that telling something she had kept a secret since three years definitely felt better. It made her feel like the matter wasn't that depressing. It was like a weight had been lifted off her chest. Now there was no use regretting not asking Pretty Boy's name. It was not like she would ever meet him again.

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A/N :Thank you for reading the chapter. I would absolutely love to hear anything and everything you have to say. Also, remember to like, follow and vote. I really need at least 10 comments to post the next chapter, so definitely do comment and feed the book !!