Breaking His Callous Heart (Part 1 of 3)

18: Truth

Aisha laid in bed for hours before she drowse to sleep.

Naalimpungatan siya nang may kumatok sa pintuan niya. Nang tingnan niya ang oras ay maghahating gabi na pala. May naghahanap daw sa kapatid niya at ayaw umalis sa harapan ng bahay nila.

Tinanong niya kung sino ito pero hindi raw nila kilala, sinabi lang daw nitong kailangang-kailangan nitong makausap ang kapatid niya. Agad siyang pumunta sa CCTV room para tingnan kung sino iyon.

Bumilis ang tibok ng puso niya nang maaninag kung sino ang nasa labas. She saw Ayder's drunken aura continuously ringing the door bell. What does he need from her sister? Pinanood niya lang ito hanggang sa mapagod at bumalik sa kotse nito.

She wasn't able to sleep that night. Iniisip niya kung bakit hinahanap ni Ayder ang kapatid niya. Ano ba talaga ang nangyari sa pagitan nila ng kapatid niya? Baka may mga bagay na hindi pa nasasabi ni Aira sa kanya. That thought made her sleepless the next hours.

Kinabukasan, una niyang tinawagan si Desiry. She asked if they can meet in the afternoon. Ayaw pa nga sana nito pero nagpumilit siya.

Sinadya niya itong puntahan sa pentsuite ng isa pa nilang hotel. Nadatnan niya ito kasama ang pinsang si Gel.

There was an eerie silence as she sat on a couch opposite them.

"Sino si Aira Nares sa buhay ni Ayder?" diretso niyang tanong bago pa mawalan ng lakas ng loob. Desiry's eyes became distant while Gel faked a cough. Tumingin ito sa kanya at nailing. Nakita niya ang pagtiim-bagang nito.

"Sino siya?" ulit niya. Desiry shook her head. Siniko ito ni Gel.

"Tell her," matiim na sabi ni Gel dito. Tumitig naman si Desiry sa kanya nang diretso pero hindi nagsalita. She doesn't understand why there is a trace of anger in her stare.

Gel inhaled deeply when Desiry didn't speak.

"Hindi ba kami ang dapat magtanong niyan?" singit ni Gel nang hindi magsalita si Desiry. Her tone was sarcastic.

"Ano'ng ibig mong sabihin?" balik-tanong niya. Gel shook her head and smiled wryly. Tumayo ito.

"Stop playing with my brother," Desiry finally uttered. Her jaw clenched.

"W-what do you mean?" tanong niya. Alam na siguro ng mga ito kung sino siya. Her heartbeats raced.

"We already knew you," Gel interjected. "Aisha Nares," she added with a smirk. Doon na siya tuluyang tinakasan ng kulay. Ilang beses siyang huminga nang malalim para pakalmahin ang sarili.

"Mayroon kaming hindi sinabi sa 'yo," Gel said inhaling deeply. Napatitig siya rito.

"Were you Aira's revenge against him?" Desiry asked. Her expression changed from an angry stare to anguish. Mas lalo siyang hindi nakapagsalita. She didn't expect her wrong decision would backfire to Aira.

"Hindi ko kasi maintindihan. Aira is such a nice girl," pahayag ni Desiry. Her eyes glistened at the last sentence.

"Our family loves her so much. In fact, she was Deshima and Dirran's favorite," she added with a sad smile.

She didn't know why her heart ached knowing that her sister was close to their family.

"Gusto ko siyang balaan noon tungkol sa mga ginawa ni Ayder sa mga nagdaang girlfriend nito. That was my way of scaring women away from him," kuwento nito.

"Ayaw ko kasing mangyari ulit ang mga ginawa niya sa iba pero nakiusap ang kapatid ko. He asked me to spare Aira. Kahit 'yong sa kanila lang daw ang palagpasin ko," Desiry narrated. She inhaled deeply and gathered some air before she continued.

"Of all the women Ayder dated, siya lang ang pinakang inalagaan niya. That's why agreed."

She listened carefully even if it hurts her to know how special Aira was to Ayder. Taliwas sa dapat niyang maramdaman para sa kapatid. She must be happy for Aira because Ayder truly loved her.

She forced a smile.

"We didn't know what happened to them. Aira just disappeared from our lives one day." Muli itong huminga ito nang malalim.

"Duda namin sinaktan din siya ni Ayder kagaya ng iba." Malungkot itong tumitig sa kanya. She wallowed hard at the thought. She momentarily closed her eyes to gather her sanity.

"After what Ayder did to you, pinaamin ko siya sa totoong nangyari sa kanila ni Aira. He said he could never do that to her. He'll die first before he could hurt her."

Aisha swallowed hard at Desiry's revelation.

"She was his real antidote," Desiry smiled in between tears.

The room became silent that she could even hear her own heartbeat.

That hurts. So bad. It pierced through her soul.

"We went looking for Aira pero iba ang nahanap namin." Gel broke the silence. The two stared at her.

"Ako?" nahihiya niyang pag-amin. Napayuko siya.

"Kahapon ko lang nalaman ang dahilan kung bakit biglang nawala sa ang kapatid mo sa buhay namin," Desiry said wiping a tear.

"Ayder shuned her away." Muli itong napaluha.

"He shunned her away because he got scared. He loved her too much. He thought they were both too young. Ayaw niyang mangyari sa kanila ang nangyari sa parents namin," paliwanag nito. She felt like her world crashed. Mas lalong bumigat ang dibdib niya.

"Please tell Aira to stop this all. I'm begging you. Mahal na mahal siya ng kapatid ko," Desiry pleaded.

"Siya lang ang bukod-tanging ayaw niyang saktan ng pisikal sa lahat ng naging girlfriend niya."

Her heart ached. Hindi niya maamin na walang alam ang kapatid niya tungkol sa pagpapanggap niya. She doesn't even know how her sister would react once she finds out what she did. Pero hindi naman iyon ang mas nakapagpapasakit sa loob niya, iyon yung katotohanang minahal ni Ayder si Aira at sigurado siyang mahal na mahal pa rin ito ng kapatid niya.

Her eyes watered at the thought.

"Excuse me," she said before earning the courage to stand up. Tuloy-tuloy siyang lumabas at tuluyan nang umalis. Ni hindi niya alam kung paanong nakauwi sa bahay nila at kung gaano katagal.

She cried her heart out upon reaching her room. Ayder loves her sister. She must be happy because she knew how much her sister loves him, too. Pero siya naman ang nasasaktan.

It was all her fault. Kung hindi siya nagpanggap-panggap. Hindi ito mangyayari.