Destiny... Foul or Fair?

Today she saw him again after nine long years.

She tried to reach the payment counter at the grocery store without being seen by him. She could hear him speaking on his phone, to his wife. All she wanted was to get away as quickly as possible. She didn’t want to meet him and have to be nice. This was the same man who had broken her heart. In fact, ripped it to shreds! She felt a piercing pain in her chest. A hint of tears stung her eyelids.

“Bhaiyya! Total kitna hua?” she asked hurriedly.

“Lavanya? Is it you?”

She heard him say close behind her. She took her time to pay the man at counter and turned around to face him with a smile pasted on her lips. She knew it was killing her but she wouldn’t let him have the satisfaction of knowing that.

“Oh Hello! It’s you!” she said politely. “How nice! How are you?”

“I’m good! How are you?” he enquired his eyes searching her face.

“How do I look?” she said and kicked herself mentally. She knew he would let his eyes roam over her boldly and that, he did.

“You look fine. You’ve put on some more weight. Do you still have that same fiery temper?” he asked. She knew he was laughing at her.

Lavanya gritted her teeth and smiled sweetly. “You haven’t changed much. Except that you have a paunch!”

“O yes! Ha ha ha... So, what are you doing these days? Wait... let me collect my bag from the store. I had given them a list earlier. They must have packed the bag. Don’t run away. Let’s talk for awhile!” he said turning to the counter to pay.

“Listen Karan... I’m getting late. Maybe next time!” she said looking at her wristwatch hoping to get away.

“O come on! How can you be getting late? Who’s waiting for you? I know you’re not married. Didn’t quite get over me even after all these years! Eh?” he said and laughed.

Lavanya drew in her breath sharply. He hadn’t changed...still pompous and cruel. Well, with her at least.

“Come, sit in the car. I’ll leave you!” he said carrying his bags and walking ahead.

“Karan... You’ve already done that. I don’t want to give you another chance to do it again,” she said.

“Sorry?” he said, looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing...thanks for asking but no, thanks!” she said turning away.

“Get in the car, Lavanya,” he said. When she didn’t move he walked back to her took her bags from her and caressed her arm. “Lavanya... are you afraid you won’t be able to resist my charms, sitting so close to me in my car?”

“What? Don’t talk nonsense!” She looked at him angrily.

“Very well...Then get into the car!” he said chuckling and placing her bags on the back seat.

Once they moved out of the crowded market he looked at her sideways and said, “So, you’ve become an author I heard. Great!”

“Thank you!” Lavanya replied.

“Do you write love stories too?” he enquired.

“I haven’t as yet. But I plan to in the future,” she said looking straight ahead.

“Really? A sad love story?” he asked giving her a look.

“And, why would I do that Karan?” she turned to face him. “Just because I didn’t get married? You think that I never found love after you left? Well, I did! He has filled my life with everything that you couldn’t give me. He doesn’t body shame me or make me feel inferior. He knows just by hearing my voice what I’m thinking or how I’m feeling. Even if I’m angry with him he doesn’t leave me alone to deal with it and get over it. Thank you for cheating on me so that I could find someone better than you!”

“Wow! That was quite a speech! So, when are you going to marry this ‘someone’ who loves you so much? And by the way, does he kiss you the way I used to?” he asked.

“That... I don’t think I need to answer,” she said coldly as he stopped the car. They had reached her street.

“Won’t you offer me a glass of water, at least?” he enquired smiling.

“No Karan! You don’t live very far from here. And, he will definitely not like the idea of my poisonous past seeping into my happy present. He’ll find out from my voice that I’m upset and I won’t be able to lie to him. Goodbye and thanks for the lift!” Lavanya said smiling. She collected her bags and shut the door firmly.

She walked away with tears in her eyes.

As she walked the few steps to her house she thought, ‘Is this what Destiny is about? This was the first man I had ever fallen in love with... cruel, selfish and self centred! And, the one I spoke to Karan about belongs to someone else. What even if he’s so good to me and I love him, I can’t live a respectable life with him. O God...Why me?’

At home as soon as she placed her purchases on the kitchen counter she hurried to her desk and let her heart bleed through the ink which spilled out in a poem for the man she had fallen in love with now... forbidden but tempting. She decided she would recite it to him tonight over the phone call. She knew he loved to hear her voice reciting poems written for him. She smiled as she wrote on.