Her Flawed Love

Chapter 9

Arni's POV

"So how did it go?" Riya asks me as soon as I step inside.

I just smile and nod. I then talk about the food. The place. The ambience and service. Except I leave out the details of Nishil and Vishal's encounter. That is not something I would talk behind them I guess.

Especially after knowing how uncomfortably Nishil appeared to be, once Vishal left. Everything felt artificial. The whole date.. well, now I even don't know if that's a date. But it all felt like before Vishal's arrival and after Vishal's departure. Which stirred up a lot in Nishil. Let it be his mood or his past.

"I'll just go to bed. I'm full and tired" I whisper.

Riya doesn't push me to giving her more details, for which I am glad. She stands up, hugs me and kisses me on my cheek.

"I just want to say this Arni. Be careful. I probably know that man better than you do. Everytime he would come for Dhruv, I was there too. At the cafe. And I know he is pretty magnetic so I wouldn't judge you. But just be careful. I don't want you getting hurt" Riya whispers.

"That's ok. There are no feelings involved Riya. He just wanted to make it up for being rude to me the other day" I shrug.

"That is exactly why I am concerned babe!!" Riya whisper yells.

Ummm... Huh?

"He is someone who wouldn't do that. Making it up for his shitty behaviour is the last thing on his list. I have seen him treating Dhruv like trash sometimes and doesn't even feel guilty or no remorse. So this is throwing me off" she says.

Wow! So this man is becoming more and more tougher as a puzzle. At this point, I am not sure if I can solve it anymore.

I don't have any words remaining. So I just nod and walk from there. I reach my room with great difficulty with my head full of thoughts about everything.

I change into my pajamas real quick. Put my hair in a bun. Wash my face and grab a chocolate bar from the fridge before collapsing on my bed.

I switch my laptop on and search for him on Google. Well, I shouldn't probably be surprised at this point but I am. He is on Google!!!

Of course. Oh my gosh! He is young and dynamic leader of his constituency so that's an obvious thing!!

15th June 2019

Andhra Pradesh.

Mr. Nishil Reddy takes it to his own hands on spreading awareness to his people about how important one's life is. That once gone, is gone. He uses his voice, to preach people that safety measures are must for everyone.

He also says one must take care of themselves first, before having the thought to create a better life for everyone. What would a messy man do to the world when his own world is a wreck?

On the contrary, few people rule that out calling it rubbish.

Only one question left to ask him or his people now. Can one accident change a person to this extent or he needs goat votes so he can win the next election to be using people to climb his own ladder?

Wow. So the whole world knows about the accident and not me?

And this article is shitty somehow. No base no nothing. They just wanted to make their question clear so they wrote whatever context they wanted.

Then I couldn't sit well. The feeling in me kept on stirring and stirring that I had to google about his accident. I mean, what would have happened to him?

There there. Found it!

28th March 2013

Wow! Pretty long back. 7 years from now. He might be 18 or something? And he is already involved in an accident which is pretty amusing!

Nishil Reddy, the only son of Mr. Sanjeev Reddy a Member of Legislative Assembly is brought to limelight with an unpleasant incident happened today.

Nishil Reddy, who has been looking upto by the people of constituency as their next leader, broke their hopes up by driving ever so rash and hit an auto. A person lost his life in this accident, and three of them are severely injured.

The injured are taken to the hospital by Mr. Sanjeev Reddy himself. But his son is nowhere to be seen.

Is it alright for an eighteen year old boy who was born with power in his hand, to do whatever he wants to?

Are people's lives that easy to him? He killed a person because of his unskilled driving and yet he is feeling no remorse or what so ever. The people of the families are on rage wanting to seek justice for the lost life and the people who has slim chances of survival.

This might also be another black day in the career of Mr. Sanjeev Reddy, who is also known as the people's favourite leader. But it is also his own people that fathom the reckless son who is no good.

Mr. Sanjeev Reddy offers the best medical, financial and all the help needed in every single way but can it wipe the fact off that a person lost his life? Or that the others are not even sure if they injured ones will make it out? Are his actions justified?

My mind is a sea of thoughts now. I guess they went overboard using the words like he feels no remorse. But how will one understand it if they don't stand in the shoes of the other person?

What if the person isn't actually hiding but ran away because it was all too much? Or what if that person himself didn't know such disaster would happen when he was happily driving in his car one day?

Media can be so influencing but sometime, it can make an imaginary scenario seem as most realistic which I find a bit too much.

I am not saying Nishil is good or taking his side even after reading several articles, news videos and all.. but not even one took time in knowing how he felt about it.

Not until an year later, his news broke out. And this time.. it was that Nishil raised his voice for farmers who weren't getting enough wages for their hardwork.

And since then there are back to back news coverages where he has done good to his people. But not even one did I find about that accident again. Slowly people stopped talking about it.

I can't help but wonder what toll it took on him. I agree he is a cold hearted man but I think he wouldn't hit someone with his car and leave them that way without feeling guilty.

I don't know for how long I indulged myself in knowing more and more about Nishil, but the moment I yawned was the moment I knew it was already too late.!

I glance at the clock and it reads 2:29 am. Woah already late enough. I cleared my bed and plopped on it. Pulling the sheets up to my chin, I stare at the ceiling with only one question running in my mind "What if there is Nishil's side of the story that no one knows about?"

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Nishil's POV

The drive back to home is longer than I thought it would be. I wanted to make it up for her. For my behavior that came off rude. And to let her know that she means much more than it.

But it's like someone pressed that one switch I thought I hid the best. And that switched off my functional mode.

"Do you need some water, Sir?" My maid asks me.

I just shake my head. Is there a huge hole you can bring me? I want to go hide there for time being. This is all a bit too much for me already.

I get in the elevator and press the button to my floor. My mind still in daze.

I didn't want to ruin the date with Arni. So I did my best in hiding my vulnerability. I really did my best in not showing any emotions that were creating a storm inside. I refused to let it out.

Keep your s**t together!

Don't let it get you again.

It's all in the past.

It can get you no more.

Was what I repeatedly chanted to myself. That was what I kept telling myself all these years if I gotta be honest.

A call from my father startle me. I eye my phone till it rings, rings, rings and a notification of missed call falls on the screen. I wait for just two minutes more and he calls me again.

I fake a smile to myself and answer the call.

"Sorry father! I was in the shower earlier" I say.

"That's alright son! I have heard you cancelled your appointment at the last moment -"

There it is!!! As if my day was good till now!

"About dinner with Kyra?" He asks.

I feel silence would be the best option for a response right now. But it's my father on the other end.

"I have got some other issue to deal with" I say as my fake smile gets wider.

Just so he wouldn't understand my depressed tone. This is what I have done all these years. And this is what I will probably keep on doing later too.

"Issues more important than that?" He asks again.

"Yes. Or else I wouldn't cancel the appointment," I release a breathe , "you know"

Silence.

"That's ok son. There is an important meeting we have to attend tomorrow. So make sure you reach early. Hyderabad isn't our constituency you know" he says.

"I know" I answer.

But I feel like this is where I can be myself. Which is why I started my construction business over here. To constantly take a break and run to this place.

Because sometimes, I feel like I might drown if I didn't let my original self out. And I don't want to be at that stage where I pity my own self. That would the last thing in my bucket list.

"Well then, Good night"

"Good night dad"

I throw my phone on bed again and plop on it not really caring I still have my formal clothes on my body.

I want to know how it feels like to be normal. To do whatever I want without being watched constantly. In a way that is what drew me to Arni. Her simple lifestyle. The way she lives every moment of it. Smiling all the time. Not really caring if people didn't approve her opinion.

She is a free bird. One with beautiful wings. And I am one trapped in a cage. The world only looks at the luxury I have in my cage. But only if they knew, I am bounded by that invisible cage that they admire.

I sigh and stand up. Dragging myself to the wardrobe, bathroom and to the shower. A hot shower is all in my mind right now. I wait till the water turn piping hot and that is when I stand beneath, waiting for the droplets to let my skin burn.

The only sensation that makes me feel alive. That this is reality. And I can't run away. I place my hands on the warm walls before me and stand there, with my mind racing with thoughts.

Arni has been mature enough not to push me to the edge asking about it. It felt new. It felt new when someone comes to know something about you, and yet choose not to poke because you're uncomfortable! Everyone or more like... Most of the people I came across, were just waiting for a piece of information. To either drag me down.. or use it for their own sake.

And then, there's her. Giving me the space I didn't even ask for.

I wish I could tell her how I feel about it. I wish...

That the past still haunts me.

That I can do nothing but get knocked over by invisible weights on my shoulders.

That no matter what, I have to deal with recurring memories of it.