When The Heart Lies | ✓

[28]

The evening had started turning darker as the lights all around the shopping complex brightened for the welcome of cheerful families, groups of friends and couples.

But never had she thought that life would give her this beautiful moment again, this chance of walking freely and lazily by his side again, listening to him taking small breaths and nothing else.

Sakshi was satisfied that whatever assumptions she had made about him lusting for his best friend's wife were wrong. Though, she couldn't deny feeling heartbroken at seeing his eyes full of uncertainty and pain.

Gone was the time when she would react being all caring and loving towards him. But all those pledges and promises to herself, were weakening when his hard voice would be full of regret and hurt.

She couldn't speak a word since they had left the cafe. It was her idea to get out and have some walk and talk, avoiding being seated right in front of him and bawling her eyes out embarrassingly. When at the moment, she couldn't even call herself his friend or anything.

She was there for him, maybe as a human or a well wisher. A sigh escaped her mouth in defeat. Why was she even fooling herself? She perfectly was realizing that she was here because she still loved him.

The Shrey she had met today was different from the one she had been in love with years ago. The boy turned into man was now soft spoken and calm. She never knew he could be this expressive with the way he was so open to her in words and through those light brown eyes.

"You feel better, now?"

Her eyebrows raised in a subtle surprise. "Yeah. And you?"

She watched him shrugging his shoulders, giving her a tight-lipped smile. "I am okay."

"Is the lawyer trying his best? I mean all the proofs and. . ."

He shook his head, staring far at the people enjoying foods and each other's company. "All the proofs are against me."

Sakshi turned her head at him in shock. "What?"

"It's getting difficult to prove my innocence." He stared at her, his eyes showing honesty. Catching a public seat nearby, he gestured for her to sit and sat down beside her.

"It's hard. The woman told the police how the money was given to her husband so I can have cozy nights with her. I was keen on having that despite him being so protective as the husband he was. At last, my frustration broke down when even after sending money, I didn't get what I want. So, I attacked her at the flat that night," he explained, ended up chuckling humorlessly when Sakshi gave him a baffled look.

Her jaws clenched at seeing him so hopeless. "But there might be something else. . ."

Shrey scoffed, "Nothing, Sakshi. She is a woman and with great acting skills, words and proofs. I am nothing but a loser. A stupid guy who ruined his reputation, his family's image and his future. Everything."

He looked away from her, feeling too expressive all of a sudden. Gulping slightly, Shrey took a long breathe. "I am sorry. I kind of lost it. I have become a loser these days. I actually am one."

Her lips parted as she kept staring at him in shock. What happened to the confident, so-full-of-himself kind of guy? What happened to the guy who was so high-spirited all the time? Who had so many dreams, so many things to do further in life and never sit back?

Here he was now, behaving like a lost soul. Sakshi felt like she had done the most stupid mistake of her life by letting him enter her life again. While mapping her dreams, she had planned to have her head high all the time. Be with the people who would make her happy, not let down and always inspire her to move ahead.