When you Say Goodbye

Happy Ending

"Give me another one," Dhruv said, and the girl, who was wearing a white blouse with a low neckline and elbowed sleeves revealing her multiple tattoos. She was cleaning glasses just like every bartender you ever see, gave him a worried look.

At the bar Dhruv sat feeling dishearten, staring blankly into his mug of beer. It felt like an invisible knife had been stuck in his heart. No one could see it but he felt its presence. There was a dull ache in his heart every moment remembered her walking away. It wouldn't let him go so he had spent the evening wandering the dark, empty streets but then he decided to drown it with alcohol. He had six mugs of beer already, and he motioned to the bartender for another.

The alcoholic drink was numbing some of the hurt.

The bartender poured more beer over a fresh glass of ice for Dhruv.

"Maybe you should go home, Man," the girl suggested, setting the drink down

Looking up at her with teary eyes Dhruv said smiling. "What for, Miss?" Dhruv mumbled loudly. "We fought and she left me. My life is ruined once again."

As bartender wiped a spill off the highly polished bar, she smiled, "Perhaps things will work out later and you two will get back together. Anything's possible, right?"

Dhruv laughed, gulped down more beer. "I had crossed my limit of being awful, Miss, she hates me, I have seen it in her eyes." Dhruv swallowed as if he hated the taste of beer.

"God, I'm such a selfish bitch. One day, she had to tired of me."

The bartender girl shook her head. "Everything's going to be okay. You'll be back together before you know it."

"I deserve it anyway," Dhruv half-mumbled into his drink. "I doubted her love for me. She gently tried to remind me of the truth but I kept on doubting."

"You get what you deserve, friend. It's karma," The girl said philosophically.

She left to serve on another customer

Dhruv gulped at the half-empty glass. He slammed it down on the counter, spilling it. He stumbled off the barstool and staggered a crooked line out of the bar.

......

Dhruv opened the door and went inside. The house was empty and dark. It should have been a great day for the two of them, and it was ruined. He blamed him for ruining it. Dhruv stumbled down the hallway to their bedroom and flopped out on the bed and passed out.

......

Dhruv awakened to the scent of aloo paratha, freshly brewed coffee and sound of clattering of utensils coming from the kitchen. He pulled himself out of bed and he glanced over his shoulder, he momentarily froze. The far side of the bed was empty; the covers hadn't even been pulled back, then he remembered the last night. Rain softly pitter-pattered on the roof. The scent of aloo paratha wafted through the air. It would have been a perfect morning it aloo paratha and Ditiya was in his house.

Dhruv walked into the kitchen, his mouth gaping in stunned amazement. God, he was losing his mind, Dhruv thought, he had been convinced that he was dreaming. Ditiya looked absolutely beautiful with that pink apron on, along with a little flour on the side of her face.

"Ditiya, you are back," It didn't sound like a question; neither did it sound like a statement; it sounded more like a combination of both. They both blinked at each other, taking a moment before Ditiya spoke, "I thought you'd be getting ready for school."

"Two days off," He shrugged, trying to appear casual.

"Oh." Ditiya looked at the piece of aloo paratha dough between her fingers and then back at Dhruv, "I was going to surprise you with a breakfast."