"She is a proof that you can walk through hell and still be an angel."

~R.H Sin

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"I PROMISE I'll not leave you."

"We'll get through this, together."

"I promise I won't do it again."

"I'm sorry, Meera."

"Forgive me."

"I'M SORRY."

She gasped, sitting up with her eyes wide open. Darkness surrounded her as the moonlight peeked through the net curtains. The stars were brighter today than had ever been.

Why wouldn't they?

On this date, the stars had gained a companion while she had lost her life and was left stranded on this earth which no longer held any meaning for her.

Once upon a time she had adored those twinkling jewels adorning the night sky. But now they had lost their meaning and all she felt towards them was envy.

She leaned back against the pile of fluffy pillows, dressed in a silk nightgown, and sat on the bedspread made of the finest Egyptian cotton, but none of these luxuries gave her the peace her heart craved for.

She'd give them all up for a small, cosy cottage, with a beautiful flower garden, which had once been her home, her safe haven, and happy place.

Her surroundings were calm while a storm brewed inside her heart. This night had always been difficult for her. The onslaught of memories had her gasping for air while they swirled around her head like a whirlpool.

She looked at the window sill where a small plant of Chrysanthemum was kept in an earthen pot. White flowers bloomed out from behind the luscious green leaves, hanging out from their stem, facing the rising sun.

It was nearing dawn and while her partner was in a deep slumber with his hand sprawled across her midriff, she remained wide awake.

He looked more innocent while asleep, unlike when he was awake. How could he sleep peacefully after what he had done? She looked at him with envy but knew that he had been in the same position as her. The darker side of hers rejoiced. She had more in common with him than he realised.

She had loved him and he had loved her but neither of their stories got the chance to finish. And while she continued to try, he only spun a fantastical tale with his promises, none of which were fulfilled.

Promise. How easily people made promises, often forgetting the consequences when they broke them, giving hope where there was none.

Why make promises when you couldn't keep them?

Why give hope when you know you were going to break them anyway?

But they did it anyway and she clung to them until she learned, they were just an illusion, a word without any significance.

'I'm Sorry'. A two-worded sentence, probably the shortest sentence ever, but with a meaning that was deeper than the ocean. An acknowledgment of doing wrong and a promise to never do it again. When used together, they gave you hope. However, people often used it so callously and got away with it.

How many times had she heard this phrase uttered by the people close to her? But they never meant it. It was nothing more than a tool to help them get over their guilt, with no regard for her.

Did they believe that saying a mere meaningless sorry would right all wrongs or that it would compensate for all those broken promises she had held onto with her entire being?

Or would it recompense for her broken heart? Did they expect her to forgive them for everything that they had done or did they expect her to forget everything and go on living as if nothing had happened?

Did they expect her to welcome them with open arms and give them a chance when they never did?

She scoffed.

No.

It was simply a means for them to assuage their guilty consciences and absolve themselves of the burden, in turn burdening her. It was a way for them to subdue her enough to do their bidding. And like a fool she fell for it every time.

Didn't they feel she was over-burdened already? But people, however, were self-centered. They never thought of anyone else but themselves.

She had gotten immuned to these words after hearing them a countless number of times. They did not affect her. The world had taught her well. Now, when she heard them, she didn't feel hopeful. She felt nothing but emptiness and blankness.

They had taken away her naivety, which was the only thing she was grateful for. Gone was the girl who thought the world was full of rainbows and roses.

It was full of thorns hidden beneath those rose petals, deceiving her into walking barefoot on them. They had repeatedly made her feet bleed and pricked her heart before she finally understood her mistake and thickened her skin to make it impenetrable.

Lost in her thoughts, she did not realise that the sun had risen, until the rays fell on her, illuminating one side of her face. She walked towards the glass door and drew the thick satin blinds closed, reveling in the darkness. She had started to detest mornings.

Another morning had come by, but like every other day since years, the prospect of a new day didn't excite her nor inspire her. Another day had begun and it would end, just the same, with no change. For, in her life, there were no fresh starts or new beginnings. It had come to a standstill.

She shook her head and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Her throat was parched and her mouth dry. She took out the cold water from the refrigerator and poured it into a glass. As she lifted it with her trembling hands, the glass slipped, crashing to the ground. A shattering sound resonated through the house.

Just like when her heart had broken.

She knelt down to pick up the broken glass pieces carefully as to not cut herself.

Just like she had done when collecting her broken self. But unlike the glass pieces, some of hers were too crushed to piece together.

Many people had betrayed her in her short life span, but none had been able to break her spirit.

Alas, it only took that one person to shatter her into unrecognizably minute pieces that couldn't ever be retrieved. And now all that remained was an empty vessel, for the body was just that, without a heart and a soul.

She had tried to remember the exact moment when her life had changed dramatically, but couldn't. It had been a series of small events leading up to the big finale, and what a climax it had been.

But she knew exactly when their story had begun, for never had she felt so wanted, so passionate and so alive.

And It All Began With A Glance.

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