The Twain Confessed

It all started out as a joke. When Nisha's name was linked up with Arush nobody gave a second thought as to how this innocent teasing would lead to something much more serious and beyond their comprehension.

Who were Nisha and Arush?

Nisha was a college going student. She was doing her post-graduation to be precise and Arush was her lecturer.

Arush was a newbie and he didn't have much experience of teaching. He was in his late 20s, he was charming yet gullible.

There was nothing extraordinary about his looks. He wasn't the kind of guy that would make women go weak on their knees just at first sight. There was however an aura of mystery around him. 

Nisha found herself drawn towards Arush as and when their interactions continued.

Arush used to feel free and happy around Nisha. 

He found sharing his personal life with Nisha more liberating than actual teaching.

However, there was something about him that gave Nisha a strange vibe. Aura of mystery and a forbidden affair. 

Nisha began observing Arush more closely. His body language, tone of expression and empty spaces he left in between his personal stories. 

Her logic dictated her to back off and not interfere in things but her curiosity got the best of her.

She gradually found out about his family. Call it her intelligence or stalking abilities borderline creepiness. LOL. She found out his house address, office address (he was a part-time lecturer, life outside college is far more interesting anyway!), details of other family members.

Call it coincidence or fate Rony was Nisha's younger cousin sister's classmate who also turned out to be Arush's nephew.

She got to know about this connection when she and Rony met one day and the address which Rony had shared with Nisha turned out to be Arush's house.

Rony casually spoke about his Uncle and revealed to Nisha some details about Arush which came as a shock to her. Her whole perspective on Arush changed. There she sat wondering when Arush would man up and ever take some bold decisions but after listening to Rony's tale she realized that Arush turned out to be a wolf in a sheep's disguise.

She spent many sleepless nights digesting the new information. A part of her didn't want to believe it and a part of her wanted to confront Arush.

She decided the latter. Finally, she built up the courage to go confess to Arush everything that she did and everything she found out because of her attraction towards him.

She went to his office after taking a prior appointment overall. She had mentally prepared an organized script of what all she would communicate to him but as soon their eyes met her mind became blank.

Instead of talking about the intended topic she shifted the focus to other professional topics. Arush coaxed her to tell him the actual matter and the purpose of her visit.

Stammering, hyperventilating and making a total joke of herself she confessed everything. The way Arush never left eye contact with her she felt like being under a radar thoroughly scanned.

She could sense him seeing clearly through her soul.

Through the emotions, she tried to hide but failed to hide. 

With every emotion out there in the open, she felt free. The claustrophobic feelings of guilt, fear, and pain left her. 

After the initial inhibition left Nisha, she opened up more to Arush and somewhere mentioned the tale which Rony had shared with her.

Arush was upset, shocked and annoyed to hear Rony's version of the story. 

Arush revealed to Nisha the true facts of the story. 

Arush and Anjali were in a relationship for five years. Anjali lived and was brought up outside India. When things turned bad at Anjali's end she left her home and came to India to be with Arush. 

Her leap of faith was responded well by Arush who took her under his protective arms and married her with the help of his father and other well-wishers. 

Nisha was happy for him and felt good to know that there is a man who didn't flee from the responsibility of marrying a girl he was in love with, the same girl to whom he had requested some time so that he can be stable in life, but owing to such and such situation that led the girl to elope from her house, leaving behind her family and roots for the madness called 'love'.

Arush held her hand and never let go.

As Nisha and Arush said wrapped up their conversation they both thanked each other and parted on a happy note.

But what seemed so easy and simple was not so.

Often in life, we admire the rose so much that we forget that it has thorns too.

As Nisha went on her way one such thorn pricked her leaving her again in swollen pain and a bleeding heart.

To be continued.......