WITHERING ROSES

The rose that survived

I could feel my dress getting wet at the chest, the corner of her specs poking my skin. My heart beat against her face. I felt it, quick and rapid, I was lost in the moment not caring who saw us or what was going on, because that's how it felt. To be with her again... to know that she loved me back...

            A tear rolled down my cheek, that's what I got for waiting for her to come back to me. At first, the day after she left, I didn't take it seriously. But as the days went by, all I did was think about her and cry. All those sleepless nights, all those hopeless days, the exact few ten days that I felt like killing myself. It felt like more than just a year. Every single time my parents scolded me uselessly for something I didn't do, I felt like killing myself finding no reason to live. But some part of my mind would remind of Ankita. Something told me that she only left my life and not the world. That was the only thing keeping me alive. The thought that she wasn't dead and that she was only brainwashed. I wanted her back in my life and I was willing to endeavor whatever I had to, to get back to her. All those days of self doubt, all those days of negativity suddenly didn't matter. All those days ended at that moment when she hugged me and cried so bad, listening to my heartbeat.

I hugged her back tight.
"I love you"
I whispered because a whisper was all I could manage as I started crying too, happy that she was back in my life.
"I love you Kalyan, I'm so-so sorry that I left you*cries more*......." She whispered back hugging me tighter with every word. That's when I noticed something poking me near my neck. I looked down briefly and saw a red rose sticking out from Ankita's shirt pocket. It was fresh and real, it was from the bed of roses that I watered everyday. The withering rose was now bright, no longer dull, facing the sun with mocking beauty as I smiled.