wooing Meera Rai

II | aftermath

II | aftermath

Meera hesitated before ringing the bell. 

She withdrew her hand. She took a step back. She bit the insides of her cheeks to stop herself from crying. 

She had cried enough for a lifetime in that one hour.

She needed to be strong, she needed to be brave, she needed to be tough.

How long did she have to pretend again? 

If there was anything Meera Rai could do better than anyone it was pretending like she was fine. She had mastered the art of being fine because she knew no one cared enough to ask her if she was. Ever since her childhood, Meera was fine, mostly because there was nothing else to be other than being fine.

Meera was fine.

She took a deep breath and readied herself. If she had a place for herself, she would have taken her sorry self there. But she had recklessly sold her apartment because she did not need a place to hide anymore.

Vihaan had elaborately convinced her that he would never leave her.

He had convinced the most cynical woman that she could be loved.

How did he do that with such sincerity? How could she fail to see his true face? How did she believe another man?

No. This was not the time. Meera shook her head, and held onto her belongings that were hastily packed in the suitcases. She had taken everything from that house, every last bit of her memory, everything that was hers. She took them all. 

Even that wooden bamboo ring he made her. The one that lay on her finger, miserably striving to be on it for another minute.

Meera sighed. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to slap Vihaan. Demand an answer. Demand a reason. 

But she did not do anything. 

He wanted her gone. And she did not have a reason to stay there anymore.

It was commendable how he stayed with her for six months pretending to be a different person when he hated her so much. She knew she could never do such a thing. To live and love a person you absolutely loathe?

He truly must have hated her.

Was it easy to stay with her, to look at her every morning, sleep with his arms around her, kiss her goodnight and love her when he hated her so much? 

Or was it easy for him to walk all over her? Break her heart and soul into zillion pieces? Sleep with her because she broke his fragile male ego?

They say that if everywhere you go is a problem, then you are the problem. 

Surely, Meera would not do the same mistake twice, right? Surely, she learnt her lesson the first time and would not ever think of risking her heart for the second time.

Surely.

Meera stepped back from the worn out door and choked on her heavy feelings. She could feel his presence around, his strong cologne and his stubble rubbing against her cheeks. She could feel his arms wrapped around her, his lips leaving warm traces on her skin and his piercingly beautiful eyes and his happy smile.

Meera hated how much she missed him. 

Meera hated how she needed him right now to tell him how much it hurts. 

The only one she wanted to speak to was Vihaan Chauhan. The man who was her best friend, her better half. 

The man who was hers.