"No Armelle, I did mean more than that!!"
"Zaike, can you be more specific? I couldn't get what you mean..." With the last dread of hope, she spoke out, with her body burning, heart drumming loud out of her chest. She has guessed it right.
"Can I keep you and never let you go?" He opened up his heart with the yearning eyes contemplating Armelle's emerald peeper.
"Will you be mine for the rest of your life??" He paused. "Let us grow old together spending all the happiness and sadness in each other's arms. Will you let me be your man??" He divulged his thoughts at last with a question at the end.
Silence prevailed for a while, deafening Zaike with all sorts of negative thoughts before she spoke. "I want to be with you in all your pain and happiness but not as your woman but as your friend." She spoke in a deep, broken voice with eyes filled in with the tears of disappointment.
"Row!?" he called her unable to keep up his mind straight.
This is the reason; he chose to remain silent and not to speak out his feelings. She was the treasure he valued more than anything or anyone in his life. He feared losing her. He feared losing her. And that's the last ever thing he wanted to happen.
"Sorry Zak, I believed that we will be the same as before until our last breath. I want to be by your side and take care of you as my friend." She stopped with a tear escaping down her cheek.
"Armelle…can you take a moment to think?! Please!!" he voiced in a longing tone gripping her hand, his eyes were weary, glistening with tears.
His hand subconsciously reached her cheeks to wipe the falling tears from her eyes. But he snapped back when her eyes turned from sadness to anger. Her eyes were burning with rage which he had never seen before.
"Zaike there is nothing for me to think about it. I've made up my mind long back Zak! I want to spend the rest of my life with you as your friend just like before." She said outraged.
Before giving him any chance to speak, she continued, "Let us not talk about it again Zaike".
"Let's put an end to every such thought about this from your mind and bury it deep under the ocean..."
It sounded more like a threat from her. He had never explored this side of her which made him rooted to the spot.
He wondered what possessed her all of a sudden. He was not angry towards her behavior. However, this wasn't the outcome he expected.
His pooled-up eyes sparkled with tears. He never knew he could be this weak in front of her. The fact is that it was his first love. He tried to hold back his tears from falling. But his rational mind couldn't help as the tears escaped from his eyes running down the way through his cheek. He was embarrassed, he didn't want to show Armelle his vulnerable side. He tried to keep up his cool despite his tears falling with an innocent charming smile.
A pair of hands encircled him to embrace him. He felt the usual soft touch from them. He didn't want to brush them off. Instead, he wants to lean on her shoulder to let go of all the burden that he stored, embracing her back to let out all his emotions.
She patted his shoulder, comforting and reassuring her presence to make him feel better.
He pulled himself to take a look at her face. He cupped her face gently, Armelle still holding him.
She could see his feelings transparently. She felt guilty but couldn't make out the reason for her guilt. His hands were cold, and she felt hot flashes as he placed his hands over her cheek to cup her.
He handled her like a delicate piece of flower-like she is the most fragile creature amidst the flower garden. With his feather touch, he planted a kiss on her forehead. He tried to maintain eye contact throughout to keep up his emotional state.
He could see her expressions clearly, just like her. He understood her feelings but he doesn't want to hurt her anymore. He broke up the silence. "I'm sorry Rowan. I never meant to bring a thing that would hurt you. But still, I could not continue to suppress the feelings I have towards you. I don't want to feel guilty for hiding the fact of loving you just for the sake of continuing our friendship".
***
(Present)
All her long thoughts were interrupted when Armelle's phone buzzed... Looking at the caller ID, she felt relieved. It was her friend Krith.
She picked up the call, "Hello" she started first.
But to her wonder, that wasn't her friend's voice. It was the voice that she has longed to hear for months. She understood that someone else is using her friend's phone.
"Is this Ms. Krith Hedge's friend Ms. Armelle Rowan?? I'm calling from the reception desk. This call is to inform you that your friend has been admitted to our hospital for an emergency. Could you please…"
Before he could finish the sentence, Armelle started, "I'm her friend!! What happened to her?? Which hospital you are calling from??"...
****
What do you think about first love? I felt more than the first love, the last love is what makes us happy at the end of our journey for life. Feelings tend to change when time moves on. Let's hope that Zaike's pain will fade with time. I regret, making this tragedy happen in Zaike's life.
Comment your opinion on Armelle's reaction.