Broken Wings

No, no....... Just stay away! The air around was getting foggier and freezing cold dew drops were falling on her face. Let me give you a warm hug, he sincerely whispered laconically.

She was standing at the corner of the parking lane on a very chilly evening of December. Observing keenly, a group of five youngsters who were laughing out their lungs. The fog and the unending gusty wind wrapped her tightly and mysteriously. She turned around but nobody was there. Her overcoat and long boots were not in sync and her heart was skipping beats in fear. And she tried to run away from the sight but her boots were glued to damp ground. While the group was enjoying the cold weather, she was trembling in fear. But why? A panic attack.

A few years back, on a similar chilly evening, she lost something that was very precious to her. The mere thought of the incident makes her go numb! She was so shocked that for few months she locked herself in her home, deactivated all her accounts. Above all, she gave her phone also. She was vanquished. She a kind off, broke the bonds with the outer world. She lost her belief in worldly relationships.

Good souls are favoured by fortune. Fortunately, she met a guy fortuitously in a fundraiser. He was way too talkative. In milliseconds, he made every third person his friend in a crowd of thousands. Apparently, she happened to be the third person. Hey, I am an engineer by profession. She questioningly looked at him, people tell their name when giving an introduction. What I have to do with your profession? He managed to start a conversation with her in a very clever manner. Oh, so you are interested in knowing my name, he smiled. I am ....... leave, you'll get to know if you will be really interested. Strange, she said. So you are in managing team or just a volunteer? He enquired. I am the manager of this volunteering organisation. Wonderful, I am impressed, can I join your organisation, please, he enquired. My teammates will contact you when we need volunteers. He shared his contact details at the front desk.

That night, the girl was on his mind. He found something indifferent with her on their first encounter. A sense of curiosity developed in his mind. She is beautiful but anti-social, she has a heart of a baby, she was playing with orphans with a glitter in her eyes but shows she is stone-hearted. Why? She is in her mid-twenties but is far more thoughtful than her age-mates. She was managing a team of 50. I feel she had confined herself to four walls. Maybe I am wrong, he twisted onto his left side on his bed and turned off the lights.

Mam, we need more volunteers for our upcoming event, should we recruit few? Yes, go for it, the list is in the drawer. For the first round, you guys scrutinize them. On the 3rd of October, I will call them all for the final selection.

Next, please. Hello, Mam. She recognized the voice. As she was going through the form, she repeated, caring? How you are a caring person? What have you done for the society that explains your caring nature? She looked straight up and was blank. Her heart smiled to witness that same engineer after two long months. Thank you for this question, I raised fund by playing a cricket tournament for old age homeless people. She grabbed the opportunity to know him more and the interview went for 20 minutes. What you are afraid of? He, replied, of love. The last question, how you will be an asset for this organisation? I am not well aware about your functioning but I can assure you that I'll share your burden, I'll be with you all through the project, from planning, to permissions, to its execution, and to the throwing successful party. Our team will contact you if you get selected. The warm handshake and the smile said it all.

She rarely talks to anybody, her only world is her family, the wallpaper of the mobile was too adorable.

"Yes, She had lost interest in everything". The engineer noticed few qualities that she possessed, she is very helping, sympathetic and cheerful but had some fears which stopped her from coming out of her shell. The questions that she was asking pointed one thing, she has lost her trust and faith. But how? To whom? Why?

He was selected. He was the favourite team member of all. The cheerful, optimistic, man of his words. He kept his words, he was with her, at all the stages of the process. While working together both of them got to know each other better and more.

One fine day, he asked her for an outing - he had few questions that he wanted to clarify. He always found her eyes oceanic. But she refused. She was stubborn but he was two steps ahead. We will be going to an orphanage the next week, he said. As he knew she likes visiting an orphanage. She had no choice but to agree.

He acknowledged that with kids at an orphanage she was completely a novel soul; cheerful, caring, charming, interactive and extremely happy.

He wanted to know about her past but then he did not want to bring a halt in her happiness so he kept quiet. They went to the orphanage. Kids came shouting, didi, didi. Thank you so much, for bringing me here; she said with tears in her eyes. They both played old traditional games like kho-kho with the kids. Made them eat the food they brought with them and captured moments in the cell phone with various funny poses.

Nobody ever cared for my happiness except my family - Everybody said time will heal but none put efforts. He smiled and said you deserve happiness. Do you want to share your story? Ahmm, yes she finally agreed. I distinctly remember every little incident from starting to the end, she exclaimed. We must stroll on the road as it's a long one, her voice cracked.

"I was in my graduation, I was very talkative and had a pleasing personality. I was a person that will walk and chew gum. I had a huge friend circle. I participated in all the fests and debates. In brief, I was a very lively person. You are! he insisted.

I was a member of a social welfare community for three years. Oh, amazing, he was amazed. The dignitaries liked my working ethics and my soft skills, so were deciding to give me the privilege of being the leader of an international organisation. Wonderful, the news got flared. Few were very happy while to my surprise my best friend was not. She wanted to be the president of the same organisation. While I had an idea but was not aware that she was so passionate about the same. I decided to know her perspective about the president-ship but she started ignoring me. Ignorance is bliss but not always. We spent 7 long years together where we faced scariest of things, hardest exams of life, betrayal and what not. From bicycles to car rides, from school trips to unplanned night outs we lived moments and had high hopes this friendship is going to last forever. What went wrong? How and Where? The love turned shallow and ego came up. To my amuse, I got a cheap shot. I was still waiting that she will talk out her heart but all in vain. Instead, I got a text, hey I will be supporting her in elections! What? Which elections, I reciprocated? You need not to hide things from me, dear. I know everything and I thought, I must tell you that I will cast my vote for her. Although I believe in your capabilities too. You both are equally deserving. Good luck! Hey, what's going on I have no clue about elections. Really? He enquired. This was more hurting, much more than any breakup, much more than getting supplementary in the final semester.

Your best friend whom you have trusted for seven long years has shared all the dark secrets with, ran to in every difficult situation, cried on her shoulder, gossiped about others, shopped for her sister's wedding dress was weaving a net for you to fall back. This was unimaginable but yes it was happening. All the shit was rumored about me by my best friend. That day I went to fight a losing battle. I was welcomed with- allegations; she blocked my account from the club page, with most amazing adjectives; she is not experienced, she isn't capable, she is not deserving. The quality that she has been praising for all the life was now being used as a weapon - she is way too soft-spoken, way too soft-hearted. So, you gonna see the new version of me now, sweetheart - I introspected. Thanks for making me understand that nothing lasts forever, forever is never. The smoke of power can turn a person upside down in a millisecond. I promise myself, now my all decisions will be for myself and not for my fake friendship. I will showcase my work as people believe what you pretend to be and not what you actually are. The game of pretending things was well played by you my dear, now it's my time. Wait and Watch!

When she has forgotten my love, affection, care & love, its high time, I need to face and revert back to it with much more power. It's the time to make her feel what I have been feeling for no reason. People suck, they can change you forever, the change is inevitable but what kind off change you gonna make is always in your sight. I chose to be my Best version. I was chosen the President but still, she had that revenge kind of feeling, the bad and negative feelings are always too strong. What she was left with was a few of her good new friends. The plan was made that the board of directors will not be allowed to install. Now she wanted to be the General Secretary, all of a sudden, a mischievous move. Why? So that she can overpower me and my decisions in a vicious manner. But, as I had decided, now all the decisions will be for my own goodwill, I mentioned, your form had your application just for president-ship and so you are not eligible for the post of General Secretary. She heard a no from her soft-hearted friend for the first time-loud and clear which dissected her heart badly. The after-effects showed that the feeling of hatred grew more in her heart. People who always gave our friendship as the best example, were now, judging us.

She, along with her lawyer friend, which I suppose was experimenting with his tactics and practice on our case; had a brand new plan, to undertake a project which was discussed in the previous tenure to prove the authorities that they have chosen a wrong person. Isn't it cool? The twist that I never thought of. All those who were in her favour stated playing diplomatic. Calling me for taking permission so that they can execute the plan. While I was not able to make peace, I was getting frustrated. These people were getting on my nerves. Not, knowing what to do, I did not hear what my heart said, I used my brain, I used my moral values - being professional here the president. A move was made by me, come and meet me. We will discuss the project story line and if I feel it is worth the efforts, I will help you guys for sure. Nice one, yes! I knew her, she was my friend, I knew her ego will not let her do this, at any cost. Again they were mad because they lost the game. The shallow hatred came up to a next level. I happily installed the directors.

One fine day, my phone rang, the number flashed, it was quite familiar. What do you think of yourself? No, it wasn't her. You are an egoistic, self-centred girl who can never be good to anyone. Just see the consequences, you will have the worst year from now onward. The game of mind torturing started. She came up with a charter club and a war was announced by her teammates. Finally, my strength started shredding, no, not because a competitor was on the field but because with each step, I was losing her a bit more from where the comeback was just impossible. I kind of started ignoring things, people, relationships. This whole episode shook me hard and bad. I realized that no cake is worth the candle. I caged myself, I became clumsy, indecisive, rude, arrogant and finally silent".

He held her hand and said listen, the most beautiful souls are those who have known defeat, known to suffer, have been back stabbed but they have found their way out of the depths. You are one of them, sweetheart! Your understanding of life is un-matchable, you are a pure soul, full of compassion, gentleness and a deep loving concern for others. Trust me, give your trust and don't be afraid of being broken. If you get betrayal you gonna learn self-healing process. No..... no. Just stay away. I don't have the strength of falling and standing up again on my feet. His eyes flashed, he drew in a long breath and puffed out his chest. Let me give you a warm hug. She hugged him back and a new journey of friendship started.