I kept on muttering to myself as I became conscious of his presence beside the main door.

My heart was breaking for him just by taking note of his condition. His face was filled with nothing but sorrow and agony and it took everything in my to shoot off in his direction and console him.

But I knew I shouldn’t be doing that. I was completely aware of my decision to avoid him and I was gonna abide by that no matter whatever might happen.

I knew his eyes were fixed on me and I didn’t dare look back into his eyes lest I lose control of myself.

He was about ten feet away as I started walking towards the door with Arjun following me.

Eight feet…..My heart beat inched up a bit.

Six feet…..Sweat beads formed on my forehead.

Four feet……A shiver passed down my spine.

Two feat…..My heart started to beat furiously against my chest.

It was just when I was about to pass by his side that he called out, “Priya.”

I was just stunned for a moment or two as the intensity behind the smoothness of his voice sent a heap of serenity through me but I just couldn’t stop myself from moving as I brushed past him.

I couldn’t even imagine the look on his face as I tried to strode off in the direction of my room as quickly as my short legs were capable of.

Just a moment! Don’t lose your emotions! Control! I kept muttering to myself till the point I reached my door.

It wasn’t even a moment after I banged the door against its hinges that a sob erupted through my throat and I threw the shopping bags at the wall before I threw myself onto my mattress and held my face against the pillow to muffle the cries.

My body shook with the agony that seemed to engulf me and not a single cell in my body was under my control.

Please forgive me Rahul! Please!

With each passing second only paved way for my anguish. But whatever may happen, I just couldn’t get the thought of him breaking my trust. I just couldn’t believe that he stepped away.

I cried until my throat felt raw and even taking a breath felt like an Herculean task. My chest hurt a lot from all the sobbing and I didn’t know for how much time I cried but slowly the sobbing subsided which only made the situation worse.

Because what followed it was the horrible silence that felt more menacing as all the events began to swim through my mind.

I looked over to the wall and noticed all those shopping bags sprawled against the wall in an irregular heap. I could feel nothing but guilt on what was happening. I just went to shopping for the engagement with Arjun and that just made the things seem a lot more real.

I’m gonna marry Arjun. The man I loathed so much and I’m going to spend the rest of my life with him.

But was it worth it? To marry Arjun over Rahul, my soulmate and the love of my life? Why did I have to make that decision? Did him backing away from just that one situation broke my trust enough to make this hasty decision? Did just this single moment overpowered all these years of our life?

My mind and my heart were having a battle on their own contemplating these thoughts.

My heart literally begged me to give him another chance as it tried to remind me all those years we’ve spent together as one. It tried to contemplate on the fact that what we had was friendship just for the namesake, but the bond we shared was far more greater than that. We had the bond that’d be unbreakable for uncountable years.

But my mind tried to feed sense into me as it contemplated on the fact that he backed away at the moment I needed him the most. It was because I’ve trusted him more than myself and he did break it that hurt me the most.

I was lost in my thoughts as for who knows how many hours when I’ve suddenly heard a knock at my door followed by someone calling out, “Priya?”

It was my mother and when i didn’t reply, she again called out, “Priya? Are you there?”

I wasn’t in a condition to reply and I didn’t even wanted to as I didn’t trust my voice in concealing the agony that I was facing at the moment. I didn’t want anyone to know about the position I’m in and I let them believe it that I’m positive in marrying Arjun.

For all I know, my parents just believed that they found a right match for their daughter with their soon to be son in law being a successful young man who looks stylish, decent and money. But what about love? Wasn’t it love that’s supposed to be the epicentre of all this madness? Of this so called engagement that pays way for the marriage?

Did it become so commercial that money controls everything including marriage? Although I don’t blame them because they probably might be thinking that Arjun might love me once we get married because of the fact that they wanted to see their happily settled with him.

But only if they knew the inner intentions behind the wicked, Arjun. They didn’t know that he was marrying me only because he could inherit my parents wealth and he just wanted me on an offer as a buy one get one sale and because he could rise high in his status because he landed himself a pretty girl who does everything he asks for and stays faithful to him.

“Priya! Priya!” my father’s voice joined the worried shrieks of my mother.

“Oh God! What happened to her!” my mother was almost on the verge of crying.

I tried my best to clear my throat as I managed to blurt out, “I’m fine ma. Was just tired due to all the shopping. I’m sleeping.”

Although the voice sounded a bit harsh due to my sore throat, I hoped my parents wouldn’t find the difference.

“Oh! We were worried. Will you open the door?” my father said.

As I got up to open it, I took a notice of myself in the mirror which looked like everything but myself.

My hair was sprawled over, my dress was wrinkled. My eyes were puffy due to all the crying and my cheeks were stained with tears.

I couldn’t let them see me like this, so I shouted back, “not now dad. I’m tired, I just want to sleep.”

“If you say so,” I heard him say as the footsteps grew faint.

I quickly rushed over to the washroom and had a short shower, trying my best to look presentable. After drying my hair and wiping my face, I walked over to the door to get back to the civilisation as my mobile beeped with a text message.

I got to the dressing table where my mobile was and picked it up to read the message and my heart fluttered for a second on taking the notice of the sender, Rahul.

Wondering what he might have sent me at this moment, I opened the text and my jaw dropped for a moment as I could feel the anger bubbling through me.

But this time, it was due to Rahul.