A Promise Forever

Chapter 6

Mini

"Will you be okay?" Navira peered at me, sighing with affection as Sunday evening approached. The last two days I stayed with her, she did her best to take my mind off Ela. Every time she noticed me drowning in my pessimistic thoughts, she'd jump in to pull me out. Even if I was hurting very badly inside she made me laugh with her silly jokes. We watched back-to-back comedy movies, went shopping, and on late-night long drives with her brother Navil.

I was so drunk in my sorrows that I wasn't thinking straight when I ended up getting a tattoo on my left wrist. Superficially it resembled a heart but if you took a keener look, the heart was twisted artistically to create a cursive 'E'. And since it wasn't very subtle, I requested the tattoo artist to make the E look more like an M from the viewer's angle so that even if someone figured it out, they would think it's my initial that I have got tattooed. Navira tried to stop me from doing the absurdity but I was very persistent about getting it done and I didn't regret it a bit. At least I would have something as simple as Ela's initial with me, if not his heart.

Overall I could keep my mind from wandering off to darker places in Navira's presence but I don't know if I would be able to do that once I go back home.

I nodded curtly, "I should be..fine"

Fine?

I don't know what that means anymore. A life without Ela in it was not how I imagined it exactly.

"I am always there for you, you know that right?" She gave me a strange look, her chocolate brown eyes glimmering under the morning sunrays.

I chuckled, "Don't worry, Navi. I won't kill myself if that's what you are worried about.."

She sucked in a loud gasp and swatted my arm. "I didn't mean that but don't you dare do something like that or I will hunt down your ghost and kill you again.."

"I won't.." I admitted promisingly. "I might be heartbroken but I am definitely not a coward.." With a rush of force, I wrapped my arms around her shoulder relaxing in each other's warmth before going down to the living room where her parents were waiting for us.

As we made our way down, I was surprised to see Ela busy in a conversation with my aunt and uncle, and Navil. I wasn't expecting him to come to pick me up. He hadn't noticed us and I took the time to appreciate how good-looking he was in the dark blue jeans and white button-up shirt he was wearing. I know it's not appropriate to desire him any longer but he was standing right there in front of me yet I was missing him terribly.

"So, when is the big day, Ela?" My aunt asked handing him the cup of filter coffee.

He shrugged, "I haven't thought about it yet. It's definitely not anytime soon."

"Ela, you are thirty.."

"Thirty-one next month.." He corrected flashing her one of his sideways smirks that made up my hopeless heart flip upside down.

"Whatever.." She sat close to him on the two-seater couch, "What I am saying is why delay something that you have already made up your mind about.."

"I don't know.." His shoulder balls jumped up, "I guess I am not ready for marriage and family life.."

"What do you mean, Ela? You are at the right age to get married and you have got a girl waiting for you then what is it stopping you from doing it?" Before Ela can answer her question, his gaze fell on me eavesdropping on their conversation and all the calmness residing in his facial expression vanished in a swoosh.

"I promise, I will get married by the end of this year.."

My spine rolled, letting his words whip me. I breathed hard, completely drained and ready to leave this place, leave behind these harsh realities but I didn't like to show it out and kept my head straight. "I thought appa was coming to pick me up.." I spoke condescendingly.

"He had to go to the bank. So, he asked me to pick you up.."

"Ohh.." I nodded, then turned to my aunt. This was going to be the last of my visits before going to college and it saddened me greatly.

"I will miss you, athai.." I hugged her with tears blinding my vision.

"I will miss you too, sweety.." She said sniffing and kissing my temple. "Be good. Make us all proud like you have always done, okay?"

I nodded into her chest feeling my throat blocked for any words.

"And don't forget to video call us every weekend.."

"I will.." I said with a trembling voice. Saying goodbye to uncle Kavin and Navil was the easiest, I would say but Navira made it twice as difficult. We cried, hugged, and stayed like that for the longest time I knew.

"Stay strong, Mini. Fighting!" She said when we freed ourselves from the hug. Her eyes were red and her face blotchy just like mine. I chuckled through watery eyes and bumped her fist in agreement.

As Ela and I walked to his car after the tearful goodbye, silence slithered between us. He kept his eyes trained on the road, not taking them off for anything, not even to my silent sobs. In those few minutes, I realized how much I have managed to ruin what we had before I kissed him.

Let me tell you, he was never like this before. He could never see me in tears and not do anything about them. He would hug me, kiss my forehead, and whisper soothing words to make me stop crying but now all that was left between us was coldness and detachment. That thought made me cry even more but I tried to swallow them down for later when I was alone.

When he killed the engine in front of our house, he turned on his seat to look at me for the first time in so long. "If it's making you so sad to leave behind your loved ones, I suggest you shouldn't go to Srinagar at all.."

I snapped my eyes at him angrily, "Oh yeah? But you left. Does that mean you don't care about the people who love you?" I raised my eyebrows then chuckled at him coldly, "Oh, wait. Why am I even asking you that question? The way you left amma and appa and never really kept the promise to be in touch with them tells the tale.."

His eyes flickered with remorse beneath the surprise but before he could open his mouth to say something, I opened the car door and got out but not before saying, "I am going to Srinagar, Ela, and believe me or not, I am not going there for you.."

Liar

Turning off the voice of my conscience, I marched inside our home, only stopping when I reached the dining hall where I saw my mom and Veena bent over something and laughing. "She's so cute as a baby.." Veena spoke, pulling me over to where they sat.

"What are guys doing?"

"Mini, you are back.." My mom waved a hand asking me to join them. "I was just showing Veena some old family photos.."

"Oh, that's nice.." When my eyes fell on the picture that was on display, my heart melted like butter. All the previous anger I carried for Ela faded away like a dying star. In the photograph, a three-year-old me was seen climbing the gate of our house, and a fifteen-year-old Ela had his protective hands around me to catch me in case I decided to leave my hold on the iron. His eyes twinkled with eminent love for me, not the kind of love I expected from him.

Dear life, why are you making it so difficult for me? Why can't I simply hate him and move on?

"Hey Mini, how was your weekend?" Veena asked as I took the seat next to hers without taking my eyes from the picture.

"It was nice.." I didn't want to go into details so I tossed the question back to her but I shouldn't have, "How about yours?"

Her lips split into the widest grin I have ever witnessed, "It was amazing! Ela took me to the beach, mall, and a night show movie.."

For a second I hated her to my bones. I wished she never met Ela, she never proposed to him and he never agree to marry her. But then, they did and here I was burning alive in jealousy. It stung my heart but that was my life now and I had to learn to live with it, with them being together.

"Is that a.." It didn't register that she had stopped talking and her eyes were glued to my wrist. "..tattoo?"

"A What?" My mom exclaimed as if she has lost her mind.

Oh s**t! I needed it to go unnoticed but it was too late now.

Right on cue, Ela walked in. My mom's high-pitched shriek must have caught his attention because the next second he was hovering right behind me, staring down at my tattooed wrist. I felt like a baby kitten ready to be devoured by a bunch of angry canines.

"Uhmm.. I got a tattoo.." I rubbed the spot that was still a bit red and a lot sore.

"We can see that but why did you get it?" My mom narrowed her eyes at me.

"Amma, you are overreacting. It's just a tattoo.." I said avoiding her vicious eyes that, believe me, scared me actually.

"You are too young for a tattoo, Mini.." She chided.

"I am eighteen ma.." Rolling my eyes, I tried to get out of there before she can interrogate me anymore but before I could do so she shoved me back on the chair.

"Sit down, let me see what you have got.." Pulling my hand closer, she studied it carefully. "A heart and is that an.."

"It's an M, my initial.." I quickly completed for her, my gaze automatically trailing to Ela to desperately see his reaction. I schooled myself not to move, not to run away as my body heated under his stare but the blank shield on his sunkissed face stopped me from reading what he was actually thinking.

"It looks great on you, Mini.." Veena was the only one who appreciated it and if I didn't hate her so much, I would have kissed her for the much-needed support from her.

"Your appa is not going to like what you have done.." Mom groaned.

"Appa will be cool about it, ma.." Getting up, I excused myself, "I will be in my room.."

I could feel Ela's angry gaze drilling holes at the back of my head and I didn't dare to turn around. Did he by chance suspect that it's an E and not an M? But was there anything to prove it? I would deny it until the day I am buried in my grave.

I stayed inside my room for the rest of the day, not even the mouth-watering aroma of mutton biryani could lure me out. There were two reasons why I didn't want to go out. One, I didn't want to face my dad yet. I know he wouldn't say anything to my face but he wouldn't be pleased with me getting a tattoo.

And the second and the foremost reason, I didn't want to be anywhere around Veena. You see, I liked her for being so kind and friendly to me but at the same time, my hate for her grew wings, and wanted to break free. She took something of mine, claimed the only thing I ever wanted, for stealing the only man I love more than life itself. I didn't want to be that b***h to her so it was better for me to stay far away from her.

I was aware that mom had come to check on me thrice but I pretended to be asleep. To my relief, no one bothered me till late evening hours. It must have been around seven-thirty when I finally took a shower and decided to get out of my self-made cage.

The TV was on and everyone in the house was perched in front of it but no one's attention was anywhere close to it.

"Appa.." I called him, taking baby steps near him.

"Mini, I was thinking you wouldn't show up at all.." He joked. "So, I heard you got a tattoo.."

At least he didn't look frightening to me. That was a good sign!!

"Yeah, I got one.." I stretched out my arm for him to have a look. "I'm sorry, appa but I really wanted to get one for a very long time.."

"Don't be.." He smiled warmly, "What worries me is it must have been painful.." He frowned as if it was paining him instead.

My eyes for no reason went to Ela before I quickly averted them. I touched the angry red skin on my wrist that was still sore, "It did but it's okay. I wanted it.." As soon as I did, I noticed a vein popping on his neck but I disregarded it.

"Fine but promise me this will be the last one.." Dad grumbled.

"I can't promise that.." I giggled and slumped next to him to curl into his arm.

"God Nilay, you are going to spoil this girl. Who will want to marry a girl with a body full of tattoos?" My mom as usual over-exaggerated it.

As soon as she uttered those words, Ela's fist tightened to the point I thought his fingernails would draw blood from his palms.

By the way, why does he look so furious to me right now?

And what was he so angry about? Me getting a tattoo or me marrying a guy?

I couldn't understand it but enjoying the look on his face, I raised my chin high "Don't worry amma. There will be some guy born for me who will be fond of my tattoos.."

"Is it wrong that I already want to kill that guy?" My brother, I mean my real brother, Aadhi snarled with a deep frown, making me laugh.

Maybe Ela too was just being protective of me like a good elder brother and I was taking it in a different sense. Maybe I should stop taking things the way I want, then I would not suffer as much as I do now.

"I will go with Mini to Srinagar, appa. She can't go there alone.." Aadhi spoke when we all fell silent.

"You are right, Aadhi.." Dad agreed without an argument, "We cannot let Mini go there alone. Earlier I thought Ela would be there to receive her from the airport but now that he's here with us, you should go drop her at the hostel.."

"Appa, if you don't mind. I think I should take her there myself.." Ela interjected, drawing everyone's attention to him, especially the whole of Veena's attention. And through it all, she never took her eyes off him, "Aadhi doesn't know the place as I do and Srinagar is not exactly safe for everyone.."

"No, Ela. You are on your vacation after three damn years. I can't let you go back so soon.." Dad shook his head in denial, "Moreover, you should be here with Veena.."

"She will understand, appa." He turned to her, "Isn't it Veena?

It was crystal clear that she didn't want to agree with him yet she nodded. "I-I don't mind.."

"But Veena, you wanted to visit your old friends from the home where you grew up.." Throwing her a worried look, mom added. "You wanted them to meet Ela.."

"I can go alone.." She shrugged and smiled kindly at me, "But Mini might need Ela. Srinagar can be dangerous at times.."

I wanted to say so many things but my mouth felt glued together.

A/N:

Hey dear readers!!

Want to see Mini's Tattoo? Follow my author page (SwaRam) to know what it looks like.

Also please leave your comments to let me know if you like the story or not.

Love,

SwaRam