The Real World

He loved her and loved her very much. He had made promises to marry her and make her his forever and those were like unbreakable vow to both of them. But he had never thought that suddenly everything would change so fast that everything would go opposite in his life. People say cigarettes kill but it seemed like only cigarettes were making him alive. He would empty the cigarette pack and fill up the ashtray and not a second he’d stop that as not a second he would stop thinking about her.

She was always brilliant in studies unlike him. He never had good academics and he never cared. He gave a thought about it only twice, first when he liked her and made his poor academics reason to meet her after classes and now when he has to fight the world and prove himself and make his love survive. Every time when he would lose his energy, she would hold his hand and look into his eyes which meant that no matter what, she believes in him. And now, also for her, to prove that she was not wrong to trust him, her hero is not a loser. But everything seemed so without a solution because with his certificates no one would hire him. His dad always storms at him and his mom kindly gives him money enough to buy him cigarettes and fuel his bike. He was always around the shore and now when he has to get into the sea, he realized that he should have thought of learning swimming.

It all started when he received a phone call from her at midnight a month ago. She was crying on the phone,
“What happened?”
“Please take me away. I don’t want to do this.”
“Do what?”
“I don’t want to marry.”
“What?”
“My parents are making me marry some other guy. I love you. I can’t do this.”
“Tell them you won’t marry him, you don’t like him.”
“They won’t listen. They say that this is the best for me but I know its all wrong. I don’t love him. Please take me away. I love you.”

He couldn’t sleep any night from that night on. He loves her very much and she loves him too. He knew he had to do something. He looked around him, at himself, conscious of his life, the place where he lives, the food he eats, the clothes he wears and most importantly a job he does not own. He had a hard time to look into himself, to realize that his dad was right. His life was a mess and he is good for nothing.

Again the other night she called,
“My family agreed to them even when I said no. Now there is no other way. But first tell me do you love me?”
“What sort of question is that?”
“Please, answer me.”
“Yes I do. I love you.”
“Then that’s it. If they are doing what they want they want then we are doing what we need to.”
“Do you mean……..”
“Yes. I love you and I will marry you, only you, no matter what. Please take me away. I am always ready when you are.”

After that phone call his mind was numb and his senses, senseless. He would be only thinking about her, the phone call and his life. And today was the day when she planned that they would run away and marry. But he hasn’t packed his things yet, no money in the wallet and nothing at all. When I entered the room he was staring at nothing, sitting in his messed up room in his messed up clothes and smoking. I hurriedly snatched the cigarette from his hand and threw it outside the window.
“What were you thinking ha?? Smoking inside your room?” I gasped.
“I don’t know”, he said.
I knew something was wrong,
“What happened? Did you call her?”
“Yes”
“What did you say?”
“I said I love her”
“And?” I knew that wasn’t it.
“I said that I love her but I’ve also realized that love does not keep us alive and plus there are also other people who love her, like her parents. Actually her parents are right; they know what is right for her. I can’t let her enter my trash life.”
He took a deep breath as if some heavier objects were coming out from his mouth and said in a low and sore voice,
“I told her to marry the guy her parents have chosen for her.”
I didn’t know what I should have said or may be he just wanted me to listen; we were silent for rest of the hours. I could see him in pain, carrying the guilt and then slowly accepting. I had been thinking if she was doing the same.

Like him, I had no the courage to see her so instead of going at her place I took a long way to my home. On my way, thousands of thought were streaming through my head; how can everything finish with all these everything, how will they move on with their life, where will they throw their memories? I thought of their love and this situation. Being their common friend, my place was where they always used to meet and go for their date and I was left to make reasons when her parents called at my place. I was someone who has lived through their love story. I had thought I had never seen such lovers and never ever thought they would part this way. It was a sad and silent death of their love and I was the single witness. Lovers may keep promises to be together afterlife but it’s hard to get it applied in this world. It was easy to love but hard to keep it; they were indeed real lovers parted by this real world.

When I got home, it was already dark. I went directly to my room, on the table were two envelops. I reached for them; those were for me and for him. I opened the one with my name; they were the invitations card for her marriage. I sat there numb, not having a single idea what would I say when I’ll meet him to give the invitation card or meet her on her marriage.