Broken Wings

Scattered Shards

CHAPTER SIX

Sharon stood at the threshold of the door of her home as Swayam opened it. Everything inside was just as she left. The vase which had fell down in the urgency of finding car keys after seeing the photos was still lying on the floor, now broken though like her own self. The coffee cup in which she had planned to drink a latt after doing the laundry was lying at the edge of the table, empty of course. She could never make it that far, the doorbell had rung before. She was about to fall as she thumped her foot on to the stairs abruptly when Swayam saved her holding both her hands in his. Her eyes gazed at their hands. He never let her fall. Never. And yet he was the one who had pushed her into this darkness. She looked at his face. The face that she had loved all these years, the face which broke into a smile till yesterday with a glimpse of her, she scanned his eyes, they were holding concern, hurt and helplessness. She could see herself in those eyes but it scared her for so many reasons which she didn't want to name just right now. The pain in her heart or in his eyes grew more, she couldn't point but she broke the eye lock and stood firmly on her feet. A tear escaped her eye and she made it to her room with slow steps.

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Swayam was sitting on the couch since they came back home. Sharon was upstairs. He didn't remember how long he had been sitting there but It had been hours though that he could tell because the sky outside had gone dark. Standing up from the couch he made his way to the kitchen, he wasn't familiar with anything there., he didn't even know how to cook but it was time for Sharon's medicines and she needed to have something for it. He opened the fridge and scratched his head in frustration. It was full and yet he didn't know the use of any of it.

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Sharon could hear the voices coming from outside but her mind was full with her own thoughts to bother about anything else. She was standing at the edge of her window, the cold winds hitting her face. She turned around to have a look at her bedroom. Her dad's words came back to her.

Why had she come back? Because your dad wanted you to! Her mind answered loud. But her heart? Why wasn't it saying anything?  She was feeling frustrated and tired. Her eyes fell on the picture sitting on her bedside table. Two laughing faces. Their laughing faces. She walked over and picked the picture up in her hands. They both were supposed to look into the camera but Swayam had cracked a joke just before the shot and she had burst into laughter. His face near her ears smiling and her head a bit upwards owing to her laugh. A faint smile settled on her lips as she revisited the moment in her head.

The sound of latched door brought her out of her reverie, turning around she found Swayam standing on the door with a tray. He looked at her and she stared at him for a moment. His eyes travelled to the photo frame in her hand and realizing it she kept it back in place letting the frame kiss the table this time. She turned around and sat on the bed facing her back at him. 

He sighed and locked the door and stood in front of her. She let her eyes travel at him.

"I have brought you some food! Actually its time for medicines. You better. . .I mean you should eat!" He said and kept the tray on the bed in front of her.

"I am not. . ."

"I know! I know you will say you are not hungry! But Sharon please please don't let yourself suffer like this. It's not good for both of you." Swayam said softly.

"You don't need to worry about neither for me nor for my baby."

Swayam stayed quiet. He has never been a situation like this where he has to justify his feelings for her. They have had their share of bad times but this. . . He didn't know how to deal with it. He looked at Sharon who was looking everywhere except at him. The silence around started to suffocate him and unable to take anymore he left the room.