"Moving On In Life"

Chapter 7:- "Fires of Heartbreak"

Everyone says love brings happiness, but does it? Ask Pakhi, Sai, and Ishan, and the answer you will hear from them will be a clear no. What happened in their lives that made them hate love? There were some people whom they loved more than themselves, and they ended up hurting themselves.

Pakhi and Ishan, who were students, were having a bonfire at that time. As they looked at the bonfire, they remembered some happy moments with the ones they loved, but now they were nowhere to be found. It hurt them badly. Soon, the other students and teachers started to go to their respective rooms, and Pakhi and Ishan were the only ones sitting alone. While they looked at the bonfire, Pakhi glanced at Ishan and could see the pain in his eyes.

"You are also badly hurt in love. Who was it?" asked Pakhi, her voice breaking as she observed the bonfire while Ishan observed her. "Why are you also hurt in love?" asked Ishan, pressing her for an answer, while Pakhi just nodded positively.

"Badly hurt," spoke Pakhi gently, while Ishan looked on.

"Then why are you asking me questions?" Ishaan inquired.

"Sometimes sharing pain can bring happiness, but I never had someone to share my pain with. You and I are experiencing the same destiny," said Pakhi with a small smile. Ishaan found the answer to one of his questions; he had once asked Pakhi why people smile too much when they are badly hurt.

"What happened?" asked Ishaan while Pakhi glanced at the bonfire.

"It was my fault as well. I loved Virat from the bottom of my heart, but due to some problem, he lost my number. I somehow managed to get his number and called, but he failed to recognize me. While I was broken hearing this, I blocked him and soon got ready to marry Samrat Chavan, his elder brother. But I didn't know that they both were brothers.

Soon, Virat and I met again at my haldi, and then I got to know Virat had lost my number and I had blocked him, so he couldn't contact me. I asked him to tell the family the truth," but Pakhi was about to say more but stopped in the middle while Ishaan looked at her.

"Than what did he say?" asked Ishaan, getting interested in what she was saying.

"He asked me to marry Samrat and promised me that he would never love someone else except me. Soon, Samrat learned about me and Virat and left me. Virat's mother taunted me every day, thinking I was only at fault. A tear escaped from her eyes as she spoke, and she continued again. Soon, Virat married Sai and told me that he loves her, which broke me. Soon, Samrat returned, and everyone blamed me, but not once did anyone question Virat—not even a single question. Virat promised me multiple times, as he did to Sai, but he never fulfilled those promises," said Pakhi, her voice breaking, her pain lingering in the air. Ishaan's heart also ached hearing her; maybe his story was the same—someone made fun of his love too.

Ishaan looked at her and smiled. "My pain is also the same, and I know how it feels when the person you love makes your life miserable," said Ishaan in a breaking tone while Pakhi looked at him.

I also loved someone, Meera. She was the love of my life. I loved her more than myself. She proposed to me and was a kind of introvert who was just a one-woman person. I loved her, but she cheated on me. She just used me on my engagement day. I was waiting for her; all the guests were present in the hall," said Ishaan while Pakhi looked on.

She spoke, "But she didn't come," while Ishaan looked at her and nodded. "Yes, she didn't return, but something came that broke me. She was with my best friend. My best friend sent me his and her pictures while my family was badly humiliated that day, and I was completely broken." That day, spoke Ishaan while Pakhi smiled.

"Love just gives pain, and happiness is in living life alone," said Pakhi with a painful tone, while Ishaan spoke, "If we get a partner who loves us unconditionally, without anything in return..." His words just lingered in the air, and they both were lost in the bonfire, which was burning with their pains.

They both could understand each other's pain, as they had gone through it in their whole lives. They both didn't look at each other and just observed the bonfire.

"I am sorry for your loss, Pakhi, and I apologize for my cold behavior towards you since I broke up with Meera. I used to think every girl is the same," said Ishaan with a breaking voice, while guilt for clearing the air was visible in his tone. The silence between them grew heavier as Pakhi looked at him.

"Everyone isn't the same, but sometimes the stupidity of some people makes you believe that everyone is wrong," said Pakhi with a painful voice. Ishaan understood the hidden message in her words; they both knew the pain their hearts carried was something that couldn't be cured.

But did they know that after sharing their pain with each other, they found another level of peace in their hearts that they had longed for, not just now but for a long time?

Ishaan was just thinking about how much pain Pakhi had gone through while still happily living her life, while he was still stuck in his past and thought that he needed to move on from it.

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This chapter was soley on Pakhi and Ishaan.... Next will be on Sai and Ayaan...