FAKE DATING

Epilogue

The wind so soft, so light, no regrets, no lies, caressing every visage it comes across. Nature is so pure. Only humans aren't.
Been six years since that incident in high school, after confessing to the police about the crime that I had committed, I was left on probation. It felt like yesterday, I was so small,only six and all that had happened but presently I want to believe it was just a bad dream.
A year passed and papa left me. I became a fully fledged orphan. I had never known my relatives. Never met them neither did anybody claim. So Ro's parents adopted me as I wasn't eighteen yet. Amma had always nurtured me like her own flesh. It had always felt homely with Ro's parents the difference being I was a part of their family legally now.
The scene still hasn't left me, when Ro had come to know her bestfriend was a killer on the loose. I wasn't sure of how she would have reacted to it. Watching over the clouds, they shaped into like two people hugging each other or was it my imagination again, standing in the verandah gave me the most blissful feeling ever. Gazing at the sky, the birds flying and the cloud's evanescence.
Ro was in tears after reading the journal, I on the other hand was just staring at her anxiously standing at the open door. She didn't utter a single word just shifted her eyes from the journal to me. I had no expectations of any sort at that time but she got up and rushed to me holding me tight in her arms so I couldn't breathe. She has asked me then still clinging to me,"why didn't you talk about this earlier?"
I couldn't answer that, the question was out of syllabus. I hadn't prepared anything to say or explain. I was short of words. I had no justification for the things my six year old self had done years back as to why I was always quiet about this. Why there were secrets between me and her?
My eyes were wet again, ever since that day I start breaking down every now and then. I hear some good music my eyes get watery, I hear people appreciating me the tears of joy won't stop and ofcourse when I miss papa I would hug my pillow tight and cry myself to sleep. I don't know how I became this bold to let out my emotions flow out so easily in public. They didn't harm me anymore, I wasn't overthinking anymore and certainly didn't always wanted somebody to sush me up when I wouldn't be able to. Emerging as a fighter from being the martyr always surely did take in a lot of efforts. Honest confessions and no filter revelations of my feelings weren't so difficult anymore now. I openly chortled whenever I wanted and I would openly cry whenever I wanted. I may have lost a few people in coming this way but I learnt a lot of things in return. There are a few voids in my heart though. The voids that my father's demise has left and they cannot be ever be filled, not even with air.
"We will be late for the graduation ceremony princess?" I was startled by his voice but felt warm again between his arms. It was Rivaan. Back hugs from your favorite person is a blessing, the most romantic and comforting. Finally he was my boyfriend for real, no pretension anymore, no lies, no hurt. With him it felt like the fairytales I had always read about in books had come alive.
Wearing formal trousers and a peach shirt I was all ready.
"Gimme a sec I'll just get my formal shoes."

Life is a tough break, a battle you got to fight everyday. Pain doesn't bias. The intensity never varies. Everyday everyone is struggling. It's on us how we make it to the top, by playing the victim or the victor.
After so many years I wasn't seconding anyone, I was going to be awarded the topper of the year for the first time in the past five years and not Ro. Acing the finals wasn't a piece of cake but somehow I had did it.
Smiling at me Ro was more happy for me topping this year than for the fact that we were finally graduating. I wore my shoes and smiled back, she blinked her eyes at me with a wider smile replacing the former one. The red floral top and those white pants were really complimenting her well. She was delirious no we both were proud of each other and were on cloud nine. There is no competition between bestfriends only rivals compete.
This law college had taught me a lot from the clat entrances to this date that one goal I always wanted to achieve I had achieved today. The zenith was reached.