Vishwaprit was looking into the sky! There wasn't a single cloud, it was all blue. And the Sun was going set soon. The blue sky was going to turn red soon. He kept looking at it, because he didn't want to think about her.
He knew he had to call her, but still, he didn't want to think about her. His heart used to sunk down too deep, every time he thought about her, Ketaki. His girlfriend, first and last. He never loved anyone else after that. His heart didn't dare to! And how could it? She was all he knew about love, his entire life. And what she did? She left him, like a pet in the house.
'Did she ever love me?', He asked himself the same question every time.
"Of course she didn't!" He replied to himself. Else she wouldn't have left him, he thought to himself.
He body was getting heavier by every minute. Ketaki's poison was slowing his brain and he was trying to resist. But the darkness had grabbed him already, because it was inside him, waiting for the right time to attack. He closed his eyes in surrender and Ketaki's pretty face laughed at him once again.
******
Around four years ago, Ketaki and Vishwaprit were a famous royal couple in entire 'Vijaypath'. They both were mesmerizingly charming and very much suitable to each other by their societal status.
Vishwaprit, the son of their Lord and Ketaki, the daughter of the most rich and successful businessman in their kingdom. The rich couple fell in love with each other in their college life, but for Vishwaprit, he loved her since childhood.
They used to hang out together all the time, along with their another royal but not so rich friend, Setupati.
Setupati never liked Ketaki very much. He always thought she was a bit of untrustworthy persona. He was sure she was going to hurt him. But he couldn't help much into Vishwaprit's love affair because of their families and friendship from childhood. He allowed them to date freely.
But his suspicions came true in their graduation party. The famous Vishwaprit got dumped that night. He remembered it very clearly.
It was almost midnight. The party was going to be over soon. They were discussing about their future plans regarding studies. Everyone was sharing their ideas and plans. Ketaki was also excited. Vishwaprit was also listening to them carefully but he wasn't into conversation much. Because the hot topic was studying abroad, and never had any plans of leaving his country. He didn't want to leave his people behind even for few years. He was listening to them. Suddenly his ears alarmed, it was Ketaki, excitingly talking about studying abroad. He thought he misheard. He focused on her words. Yes, she was absolutely talking about going abroad and studying business management. She even mentioned Vishwaprit's name as if she assumed he was going to accompany her.
At that moment, Vishwaprit realised that, they had never really discussed about such things. He thought she also wouldn't like to leave her people behind, after all she and her brother were only heirs to the Mathur family. And she was the eldest one. Hence, she had more responsibility. He wanted to take care of her people too, but she alongside him. But the glass of assumptions dreams shattered and he felt himself standing alone on the road of his life. His heart ached silently in pain. He didn't utter a word, just kept looking at her beautiful face. He didn't want to stay away from her. But if she really wanted to study abroad, he thought, why not? They could stay together for lifetime after that. He kept thinking about the ways to convince her. He couldn't even realise when the grand discussion ended and she grabbed his hand, and they stepped outside the pub.
When his mind came to the reality, they were in the parking lot, walking towards their car and she was still holding his hand. Setupati was along with them, replying to Ketaki's stupid comments about how their friend's future plans were immature and impractical.
Suddenly, Vishwaprit stopped walking, and his hand slipped through her hands. She stopped and turned back with surprise. She looked at Vishwaprit's pale face. Setupati also realised something was wrong. Vishwaprit didn't have words to express his feelings. He kept looking at her with watery eyes which were asking thousands of questions to her. He was angry about the fact that she decided their life decisions without discussing with him. He wanted to ask her why. He finally gathered all the courage he had left into his heart and asked,
"Are you planning to study abroad?"
She couldn't understand his sudden question for a moment, but catched up quickly and answered,
"Yes, I was thinking about it for a while."
"You never mentioned it to me." He replied carefully. He didn't want to ruin this.
"I might have forgotten. I thought you knew." She answered with cute smile.
"And you expect me to accompany you?" He asked.
"Yes, my sweetheart. Just imagine, exploring the new world together." Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"I would have loved to follow you anywhere into the world. But I can't, you know why." He was sad.
"You can't? Why?" She asked with surprise. She had thought he would do anything for her.
"You know why." He was surprised too by her surprised face. As if she never knew him.
"I don't, will you please explain?." Expressions of her eyes gradually changed into disappointment.
"Ketaki, our people are here. We can't leave them behind. I can't leave them behind. They need me here." He explained and looked at her with hopeful eyes.
She stopped looking at him and started looking here and there. Her eyes were filled with tears.
"People!! Are they more important than us?"
"No. They're not. But it's not about importance. It's about responsibilities and principles. They look up to me as if I'm their god or their saviour. I know I can't be either of them, but I can be their hope and I don't want to rob them from their hope too." He said.
"We can come back." She tried to convince him with different approach.
"Are you sure we will?" He asked.
She didn't answer.
He didn't say anything either. Both had gone speechless.
"I thought I am more important for you than those people." She said with disappointment.
"Ketaki, they're your people too. Don't you feel any responsibility towards them?" Setupati asked.
She didn't answer.
Vishwaprit couldn't see her so hopeless and sad, hence he said,
"Why can't we both do what we want and still be together?"
She looked at him with confusion.
He explained, "You complete all of your education there, then come back to me. I will be always here, waiting for you." And he smiled.
She nodded and smiled a little.
"Then, let's do that." She said and walked towards the car.
They all sat into the car and left.
The car was silent on the way back home.
Few months later, she left for Australia. He gave her his warm and heartfelt goodbye and asked her to study well.
Months went by, her calls reduced by every coming month. He started missing her deadly hence he planned to visit her for few days.
He made his passport and visa with excitement and reached to Australia. He never thought he would, but for her he did. He reached her residence and rang the bell to surprise her. He had brought a lot of her favourites from India. He knew she would love them.
Her brother opened the door, and got surprised. He called Ketaki. She was shocked and surprised, both at the same time. She never knew he would come to another country, just to meet her.
"How are you here?" She asked.
"To meet you, what else." He answered with warm smile.
"I thought you can't leave your people. Or have you changed your decision?" She asked.
"There is nothing to change. I missed you so much that I bought a ticket and reached here. Sorry if I'm late. I thought you would visit in vacations. But, you didn't, so I had to." He said.
She smiled and hugged him. Her touch didn't feel familiar to him. As if she was a whole another person. He ignored his doubts and decided to enjoy their moments until they're together. Their relationship needed some conversation to stay alive.
She showed him the popular places around the city. He loved the country and enjoyed it with full heart. His return was scheduled after a week. He didn't want to leave her but he had to. She bought him nice wrist watch as a gift, her goodbye.
He came back to India. Deep down, his heart was feeling sad. He didn't want to admit the fact, but he had felt that. Ketaki was no longer the girl he loved. She had moved on. He had realised the moment she hugged on his first day of his visit. But he was hoping it to be wrong. Unfortunately, it wasn't.
He couldn't even unpack his stuff. He lied down on his bed and didn't leave his room for a week. Setupati tried to contact him meanwhile. He didn't meet him either. He was just waiting for her call. He still hoped that she would miss him and call him. But she didn't.
After a year, he lost all of his hopes. He decided to never call her again. He wanted a closure from her, but he never got one. He wanted to ask her the reason why she left him alone on their journey. They were supposed to walk together, and if they got separated for any reason, they had to return. But she didn't, why? This question kept eating his mind again and again. He kept ignoring that voice and tried to move on, tried to live. For his people, for his family!!
He had made himself stronger after all these years. He had packed all of their memories and locked them inside his heart somewhere, so they would never bother him again. His young innocent heart was not going to flutter again, at least not for a girl like Ketaki.
It had been four years, and he still hadn't forgiven her. And Setupati wanted him to call her to come back to India for few days. He knew he couldn't. He wasn't sure if he could survive her exposure, after all that happened. He closed his eyes and let himself sink into the darkness of his love.
******
He opened his eyes at midnight and grabbed his phone, searched for Ketaki's number which was undialled for years and dialled. The phone rang, someone answered the phone and he heard Ketaki's voice once again. His heart ached in pain but he managed to explain her his emergency and requested her to visit India briefly, as soon as possible.
He wasn't sure she would come if he asks. But she she agreed. And now he got more depressed to face her in person. He closed his eyes again and slept.
********