The Unnamable Bond (On Hold)

Farewell

An awkward silence hung between them. Neither of them spoke anything, though they were seated beside each other. Tears were flowing from Adhitya's eyes. Aishwarya was having a hard time in controlling her emotions. She would break down and cry even more than him. But she didn't want to make the situation worse. It was the last day of their internship. They had to break away after that. They wouldn't meet each other anymore. They cannot share the sweet moments which they had shared. She would get married to Manohar on March 15th and he would move to Bombay for work. Though they hadn't named their relationship, moving away from each other was painful. They would never forget the time that they had spent with each other. Theirs was a special bond. A relationship that was so sacred to be named. They were in their happiest during those days. They provided radiance to each other's life in those six months. Yet they had to face the harsh reality. They had to move on with their lives, forgetting about their feelings for each other. They can never express their true feelings. At least, not in this birth.

Finally, Adhitya broke the silence. "Yesterday dad spoke with me regarding my marriage," he stated.

"Marriage? Are you going to get married so soon? You're just 21, Adhi." Aishwarya was flabbergasted.

"I am not going to get married now. Actually, as expected, Suganya proposed to me. But I plainly rejected her. I didn't even tell her that I need time to think about it. I just told that I cannot love her."

"Why is that so? Isn't she a good girl?"

"It's not like that. But my heart cannot accept her."

'And also I can never love anyone else as much as I love you,' he thought.

"Doesn't she fall under your expectations?"

"Kind of. I want a girl who is jovial, fulfills my dreams, shares her snacks with me, makes me laugh, cares for me, sings for me and would mean everything to me."

Aishwarya felt a mild sting in her heart. She understood that he was referring to her. 'I cannot do anything about it, Adhi. I am engaged and I am meant for Mano. Even if you drop hints about loving me, I just can't do anything about it. I cannot tell that I love you. Till now, I am confused about my feelings for you.'

"You will surely find a girl who would completely meet your expectations." She assured him.

'No, I have already found her. But I lost her on the day she confessed that she was in love with someone else. And I lost her yet again when she had got engaged to him on January 6th. I am going to lose her now too. And in future, I will completely lose her after March 15th. It's my fate, 'thought Adhitya.

He felt a lump in his throat as he looked at her eyes. She was also devastated.

"My dad talked about Suganya's advantages and tried to cajole me into falling in love with her. But I was too hard to please. Then he asked me whether I was in love with someone else, to which I replied that I wouldn't break our tradition by loving a girl outside our caste. He was convinced after that. He told me to think about Suganya and make an informed decision."

"Okay. I have bought some chocolates for you, Adhi. They are my parting gift. Sorry, I was busy with my wedding preparations. So I couldn't buy any real gift for you." She handed over a box of chocolates to him, while cleverly changing the topic.

"The time which you spent with me itself is a gift. They would be etched in my memory. What else precious gift I would wish for!"

Tears flew continuously from his eyes. She reached out to wipe them with her hands.

"Do not cry like a baby, Adhi. I am also feeling the need to cry. But am I not controlling my emotions? You are matured enough to understand that some things don't last forever. Especially, good things."