The Thing We Call First Love

Chapter 19 - The Truth

'WHAT MADE YOU TALK TO ARJUN AND NOT TALK TO ME?' was her first question. I had no words. I asked myself the same question but I didn't have the answer. The only one thing that kept me from talking to her was fear.

After a long pause, I told her that I was scared. I told her that I would be shattered to pieces if you go without responding to me. I told her that I waited for her anger to subside. And I finally I told her that I was a moron which I was.

'YOU'LL NEVER KNOW HOW IT HURTS WHEN YOU BACK A PERSON AND THAT PERSON INSTEAD OF THANKING THE PERSON WHO BACKED HIM THANKS THE PERSON WHO BACKSTABBED HIM.' was her reply.

I couldn't make head or tail of this reply. While I was decrypting her reply, she started walking, leaving me like she always did. But I instead of letting her go ran behind her for the first time.

‘PLEASE DON'T GO. I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE TELLING ME. I JUST WANT YOU TO TALK TO ME. FUCK ARJUN. I TALKED TO HIM ONLY TO TALK TO YOU. I DON'T CARE IF HE TALKS TO ME OR NOT. THE ONLY PERSON I CARE ABOUT IS YOU.' Without me realizing, I blurted out all the truth.

I began shaking. It's true that you can't keep secrets when you are full of emotions. Right now, I was scared of what she would reply. But she apologized to me ' I'M SORRY SANJAY. I ALSO REALLY WANTED TO TALK TO YOU BUT MY EGO WOULDN'T LET ME. IF WE HAD JUST TALKED, EVERYTHING WOULDN'T HAVE GOT OUT OF OUR HANDS.'

I told her to stop thinking about the past. I insisted that I only wanted us to be fine. She told me that if we were to be fine she had only one request for me.

Without hesitating, without control, I shouted that I'd do anything. ‘STOP TALKING TO ARJUN' she said. I was like confused and a little happy too. Okay, I was pretty happy. I slowly nodded my head. I wanted to ask her why but because I had told her I'd do anything to talk to her, I didn't ask her.

She after a pause, 'DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW THE REASON?' I was confused of what to answer because I really wanted to know the reason.

After a period of awkward silence, I rephrased my sentence to be on the safer side and asked her 'WHY AND HOW DID HE HURT YOU?'

Knowing my naive strategy, she smiled for a split second for the first time in the conversation. Like always, it made my heart skip a beat. 'HE DIDN'T HURT ME. HE HURT YOU' She said.

I was like 'WHAT? NO NO. I WAS THE ONE WHO HIT HIM. HE DIDN'T HIT ME. IF ANYBODY TOLD YOU THAT HE HIT ME, IT IS A LIE. HOW WOULD I LET HIM HIT ME' She started laughing. I was going into a heart attack now because my heart had completely stopped.

'YOU ARE ALWAYS LIKE THIS. ARJUN SPOKE BAD ABOUT YOU AND ALSO ABUSED YOU. I GOT ANGRY AND SHOUTED AT HIM. THIS IS THE REASON WHY I STOPPED TALKING TO HIM AND I'M NOT GONNA TALK TO HIM EVER.'

I couldn't believe myself. Though I was furious at Arjun for betraying me, I was ecstatic to know that I really meant more than something to Ramya. I was ecstatic to know that she really didn't hate me.

‘I’LL TEXT YOU. IT'S GETTING LATE' was her words before she left. I rushed to my house, picked up the phone, called Rohan and told him everything that happened. He was also furious at Arjun.

Well, right after every betrayal and backstab it always comes down to whether we forgive or avenge the person. Well, we decided to make him pay for what he did.