Chapter 3 - Date with who?
---
"I want to break up with you," he said, standing against the hotel window.
He stared at the dark, cloud-filled sky, holding a glass of whiskey. The night was gloomy, but not more than his heart.
"Wh.. what do you mean, jagi?" She looked at him in utter shock. He wasn't one to joke about such matters, at least not from what she knew of him.
"Baby, what happened?" she asked again.
"I can't," was all he said.
"What do you mean, you can't? Can you answer me? Baby, if this is a joke, then quit it. I'm not in the mood. It's been a hectic day, and—"
"Do I sound like I'm joking?" He turned around, and his cold eyes met hers.
Her body shivered.
"I don't see us together. I've been thinking about my future lately, and none of those pictures included you. I've realized that my feelings for you were more akin to responsibility than love. It felt as if I needed to love you because you loved me. But not anymore. I don't have the time or strength to continue with this charade. Let's break up so I can be free." He uttered it in one go.
Even though tears streamed down her face, she wasn't ready to accept what he was saying.
"Free from what, exactly?" Her voice was wounded.
"Free from you, from us. I feel suffocated being around you in this relationship—"
"—Jagi..." Her voice broke.
She approached him and grasped his hand with a weak grip.
"You are joking, right? Baby, please stop... I'm not in the mood for jokes." She cried.
He slipped his hand free from her grasp.
"Aniya. I'm not." He stated, and she noted how hard he was trying to remain calm while saying it.
He does not mean it. I know he does not. He loves me.
She consoled herself.
"Am I being too much on you lately? Am I... being too clingy? Do you need some space? Let's talk about it. Please," she pleaded, placing her delicate palm on his face.
"No. I don't have time to discuss this. I've thought about it enough. All I know is that you are not someone I want to be with," he answered severely, gently but coldly moving her hand away.
"You can't mean what you're saying. I know it. Jaigya, I have known you enough, just like I've known us. You planned to introduce me as your girlfriend to your family next week, we planned out our future wedding, even the names of our future children, and the house we would live in when we grow old. We... we've basically planned our entire future together! What other future are you not seeing, huh?" She raised her in voice in fury. "What about us, huh? What about everything we planned?" She added, her voice was now faint.
Her mind raced with questions, each one more painful than the last
He hesitated before answering, his voice barely above a whisper. "Plans change."
As she stood there, reeling from his words, the reality of their relationship unraveled before her. The memories of their laughter, their plans, and their shared dreams now felt like illusions crumbling around her. She struggled to comprehend how everything they had built together could suddenly mean so little to him.
