Invisible String

the string is baffled

Chapter 17

20th May 2023

(Arjun)

"Naina, wait!" I ran after her.
Why is she doing this?
"Please, let me go." She said while getting inside her car.
"This is not fair. Please, let's talk. Don't do this!" I exclaimed at her, "Let me know if I've done something to make you push me away. I'm so sorry. But please let's talk. Let's sit and talk." I said and held her hand.
She stopped and looked behind with tears pooling in her eyes.
Shit, what did I do? Fuck, I can't make her cry.
"Naina, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for making you cry. I'll make up for whatever I've done to make you so sad." I said wiping her tears.
"Arjun, I just don't want to. I can't. I can't get tied up with you and then when I finally let my guards down, I won't be able to bear it all over again. I've went through it once. Not again. So, just leave me alone." She said and stepped away from me.
"Wait, what? Bear what all over again? And going through what? Please, explain. Don't leave it like this."
"I won't be able to explain. And you probably won't understand. I have to leave." She started sobbing.
No, no. I CAN'T MAKE HER CRY.
"Why are you doing this, Naina?" I asked her in a lowered voice.
"BECAUSE I'M FUCKED UP IN MY HEAD! OKAY? I'M FUCKED UP IN MY HEAD AND I CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER PERSON LEADING ME ON AND THEN LEAVING ME FOR SOME SHITTY REASON. I'm not going to let you hurt me. Just know, that I'm wiser now. So I suggest, you leave me alone and stop leading me on." She looked at me with storms raging in her reddened eyes.
"I'm not leading you on. I'm not. I really, really like you. Hear me out, please." I ran after her, but she drove away without looking back.
I grasped the roses in my hand tightly. She said she loved pink roses. I had got them for her today for the confession. The confession of love. I had written a letter too. She mentioned on our first date that she loved handwritten notes.
Yeah, I was in love with her.
The only catch...
She most probably wasn't.

(Naina)

Alexa, play peace by Taylor Swift.

I hated the fact that I let myself cry in front of him. I had a feeling that he was genuinely a good guy, from day one.
But I didn't want to risk it. My life was a mess. A mess someone soft and delicate like him couldn't handle. I had more to my past than what I had told everyone. No one knew me fully. Not a single soul. It scared me. The way people could turn around overnight and block you away even after knowing how much they meant to you. Commitment wasn't me. I did it once. Never again.
I went to my bathroom to wash my face and then after changing my clothes, lied on my bed and called my Mom.
"Hello, momma. Can you please come home? I feel lonely." My voice broke while talking to her.
I couldn't tell her what was happening. But I found comfort in her presence. She healed me even though she didn't know half the things that were happening in my life. Including the current events.

The doorbell rang after an hour and I rushed to open the door. I really needed a hug from my mom. I opened the door excitedly and...it was Arjun.
"Please go away!" I said and tried to shut the door.
His one hand was enough to stop the slam and he entered the house.
He quietly put a letter and a bouquet of pink roses on the coffee table, looked at me briefly with a numb expression and left.
I stood there and stared at the letter and the flowers. He'd always bring me flowers whenever we met. So many, that in the course of one month, I had three full vases of three different kinds of flowers. Tulips, red roses, carnations. And now...pink roses.
I picked up the letter and the flowers, walked to my room, and placed them in my drawer. I didn't have the mental capacity to pour in more emotions in my heart. The cup was already overflowing with grief, past trauma and hysteria. I couldn't take in anything anymore for a while.

(Arjun)

I was dying to call Aabha since the moment Naina left. Only she'd know how to help my situation.
I walked to my house and went straight under the shower.
I was sure Naina would come back after reading the note.
What if she doesn't?
I'd move on. I was not going to hate on her just because she rejected me.
I was sure she had her own reasons and I had decided to respect those.