Agape & Eros

A Sorrowful Heart

Ram- Here you are. And I was searching for you everywhere in the house. 

Ram talked while walking towards Priya. She was standing on the balcony. Her hands were on the balcony grill. Her luscious hair was dancing with the breeze. Ram stood beside her. He called her by her name getting no response on the previous statement. This time Priya looked at him with a smile. She looked relaxed. She hardly looks relaxed. Ram smiled back at her. 

Ram- What happened? 

Priya smiled once again. 

Ram- What are you thinking?

Priya kept smiling. Ram held her hand and shook her a bit. 

Ram- Priya, what happened to you?

Priya- Knock knock.

Ram- Another knock-knock joke? 

Priya- [frowning] Knock Knock. 

Ram- Who? 

Priya- Lego

Ram- Lego who?

Priya- Lego of me and I'll tell you.

Priya burst out laughing. Ram left her hand and started laughing too. 

Ram- My jokes seem legendary in front of your bad jokes. Achha, I lego of you. Now tell me what were you thinking? Don't tell me you were cooking up this joke. 

Priya- I was thinking how rude I am. 

Ram- Rude?

Priya- Hmm. I mean, look how people perceive me to be. Some are scared of me and some despise me. I have become the villain in everyone's life. I am the villain of my own life too. 

Ram- I don't understand. What is the point, Priya? 

Priya- Everyone blames me for my misfortune. I have a biological father. He calls me ugly. He tells me that I have a sharp tongue, that I bring misfortune to everyone around me. My ex calls me khadoos. Even today he can't believe the fact that I hate him. He perceives me to be a cheap person who'll still have feelings for her ex who ditched her and married her little sister. Even today he didn't back off from insulting me. 

Ram- Your father said so? And Neeraj insulted you? Today? At today's party?  

Priya was talking looking at the sky. She turned to Ram while nodding her head in a yes. Suddenly she stumbled. Ram caught her. 

Ram- Priya, are you okay? 

Priya- No, I am not okay. My head is aching and everything's spinning around me. How can I be okay?

Ram- Are you drunk, Priya? 

Priya- Can anyone be drunk because of water? Though the water tasted really bad.

Ram- Oh man, you are drunk. You have drunk alcohol instead of water. You need rest. Come with me. 

Ram held her hand and took her to the bed. 

Ram- Sit here. This must be your first time. What should I do now? Let me call Tarun. I'll tell him to bring coffee. It'll help you sober up. 

Priya- Mr. Kapoor, sit here. Let's talk. 

Ram- Let's call Tarun first. 

Ram called Tarun and told him to bring an espresso. Then he sat near Priya. 

Priya- You know, Mr. Kapoor. Actually, I am rude. I am rude because everyone else in my house is really simple. And there should be one person in the house who is strong and can take tough decisions, right? Otherwise, how would we survive? The world is always there to get you, you know? One mistake and thousands of wolves will arrive to feast upon your corpse. That's how the world works. I wanted to protect my family from that. I had to be strong and rude to do so. Did I do badly?

Ram- No, Priya. You've done a great job. 

Priya- And everyone criticizes my dressing sense. It's not that I don't like beautiful clothes. But I don't have that much money. So, don't buy much for me. Clothes, makeup, jewelry, perfume, and all the other luxurious things- I don't buy them. Instead, I save money. So that Sandy can buy them. She's the youngest in the family. She should have them all. Even if I have some money, I can't buy those things. Not when there are thousands of children starving in front of my eyes. Thousands of children are being deprived of basic rights. Now tell me is it my rudeness? 

Ram murmurs a no. He was about to say something when Tarun knocked on the door. Ram took the coffee from him and locked the door. He sat beside Priya and made her drink the coffee. Priya gulped that down. She made face like a kid who was forcefully fed a bitter concoction. Ram made her drink some water. 

Priya- This is so bitter. 

Ram- It will sober you up. 

Ram made her lie down on the bed. 

Priya- This feels just like a film. 

Ram- Sorry? 

Priya- Those 90's films that you love to watch. Do you know what will happen next? My nuptial chain would get stuck with your button. And then... then...

Ram chuckled listening to her.

Ram- By the way, Drunk Priya is quite frank and fun, huh!

Priya- Frank and fun? Mr. Kapoor, go and say it to the world. Everyone will laugh at you. No one will believe you. For everyone else, I am vile and vicious. But, Mr. Kapoor, we don't get to choose our life, right? We become what life teaches us to be, right? Life taught me to be strong and protective. Does that make me rude too? 

Ram- No.

Priya- I am not rude. 

Priya spoke with her eyes closed. Her words started to become incoherent. Ram made her lie down and pulled the duvet to cover her. 

Priya- Mr. Kapoor, you are different from the others. 

Ram- Sorry, what did you say? 

Priya- You are...

Priya drifted off to sleep before completing her sentence. Ram caressed her hair. 

"I can't imagine how much pain you have tolerated in this life. The taunt you give is nothing in front of the taunts you've heard. You pretend to be rude. But you are so soft inside. How sorrowful is your heart Priya?"