Short Story Love – A Bittersweet Love
Photo credit: Ladyheart from morguefile.com
It’s almost Post- noon. Life at Bell View society is moving at its usual pace & desirability. Evening is donning masks of fresh plans at each house perhaps.
A BMW gushed suddenly at the Society entrance with loud thud.
Bell-view society Security Guard saw a speeding car driving into the lavish porch — he knew instinctively it was Eve behind the wheels—
He murmured ruefully—” As soon as the car would hit its allotted parking space —engine can breathe a sigh of relief.” Feeling amused with his monologues & glancing across the reception glass door—-He greeted Eve—- as she crossed reception area & heads deliberately towards lift
Eve has just entered into her posh penthouse when she hears loud screeching noises—- seems like a wailing cries coming from office space — she rushed towards the room only to find — Adam screeching, scathing & swearing on the phone with his clients again !!
She murmured to herself–”He is home early, yet on never ending calls”!!
She just bolted the door and with a heavy sigh moved towards Living-room. She kept all the medical reports & grocery bags on the velvet couch & sat there motionless like a doll. Soon, Jenny would come & save her from this never ending misery. Jenny is their House-keeper but now more like a Family Member as she is the only Mortal Link left for Eve to talk with.
Sometimes, Walls of Silence can be deafening & Eve understood this very well. She can sense the tensions & betrayal feelings making her more nervous & restless.
Eve heart was numb— pulse was heavier now — her heart numbness reeled her mind to pace back and forth into the past years—- a past which was for Adam —a past which was for Eve —& past which is not evident in Present anymore for them!!
A bittersweet gush of blood flew in her numb heart with the thought itself — when Eve has met Adam 14 years back —Time has wings but wings of desires needs a sky to fly fearlessly —which, Eve knew, both of them, have forgotten.
Eve can sense the heaviness gripping her body again — as she was perturbed & disheartened so often in all these years of marriage—– despite surrounded by luxury & comforts—-
she knows it was the silence & void inside her which keeps on clouding her mind thoughts now & then .
The clock cuckoo-ed 7pm & Eve told herself to get up & ask Jenny to start Dinner preparations —instead she choose to sit there emotionless & staring at the beautiful lively Aquarium which was Eve only escapade from life monotony—-A beautiful past, again, jolted Eve to relish, that missing something, which was interwoven with so many moments & memories —- she thought why all of it not seems to be same anymore ?? Again —She has no answers & no choice too—to shoo off ghosts of pasts crowding her happiness as always.
It all started like a movie screenplay when Eve stumbled into Adam at the Cafeteria. There he was Adam, bumped into Eve, just like a gush of soothing breeze & Eve felt her face was flushed with affectionate gaze & her heart seems to have skipped a beat!!That was their first destined meeting!!!!
From there, the love bytes, Bites, bugs & Cupid Arrow & all lovely mushy catchphrases, seems to have smitten them, as they both were cocooned to the one thing now-Quest for the love!!
Their Love story, soon, become talk of the neighborhood, as they can easily be spotted at city’s Bakery joints, Pizza huts & Cafeteria. They were madly, hopelessly & passionately in Love.
They got married fleeing from their home as their families wanted them to wait & pursue their career aspirations first, but, they didn’t wanted to wait then— Eve has compromised on her education & career aspirations, at that time, just to be with Adam, at such a tender age of 18 years. They started life with so much zeal, zest, love, care, support & harvesting fun times & building their love nest.
Adam soon got good opportunity with the renowned retailing enterprise of the city & soon with his dedication, hard-work & business intellect, he rose to success ladder & was entrusted with the greater responsibilities & career objectives. Now, Adam was absorbed in never ending assignments to keep Bosses Expectations met & company profits were soaring high.
All was gaining momentum except their personal space which was now invaded with the bug of ambition. Eve was never against Adam dedicated career aspirations, but all she hoped was Adam respect & time towards her wishes & individuality which seems to be lost & humiliated often on pretexts of her lack of understanding, maturity & support.
Eve felt trapped & suffocated in these myriads of confused allegations & accusations which for some initial years have filled her heart with deep anguish & low self-esteem.
She thought to start off the family, after few years of their marriage, Adam agreed to this decision willingly. But it seems that the God has different plans for them here too. After few setbacks, Doctor has advised for their medical check-up, the results were less comforting for Eve.
Eve has been diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Failure problem; chances were grim. All was pinned down on therapies, medication & patience & of course support of spouse which in case of Eve was non-existent. Yet Eve wanted to try for herself. She counseled & battled hard alone patiently waiting to hear that any hope is being survived. Adam has been asking Eve to stop making rounds to hospitals & get on with life, but Eve has not found the purpose & that ambition yet. Though she left her education in between to get married & never pursued it , but she is a great painter & started painting again to keep herself away from the disturbing thoughts now & then.
Both have been fairly distanced with their families owing to the decisions they have made without them. But slowly as the years passed, a little reunion was sighted but it was meant occasionally.
Eve was happy to be at home with Adam, but with the void filling in the life with discord with Adam & absence of kids, seems to be messy. Jenny & lot other friends have told them that -Adoption was the only bail out option still Adam always shows discernment on adoption issue.
Slowly they both tread into their own comfort zone & separate world & become distinct entity & two strangers living in the same house.
Can Goodness of Love always suffice other human needs to win over Bittersweet Love?
Who will win—- cacophony in Love Nest versus willingness to change & to survive ordeals together?
Eve face flushed with anguish, with the realization, that she has a different present now & background voice of Jenny calling her name has blocked her mind to tread back into the past again.
Jenny wasn’t surprised to see Eve in such a state — she was a woman too & knew Eve needs to find herself once again & carry forward with life. Still she chose not to start this topic again & make it heavy for both of them — as she was just the House-keeper of the home not Eve’s mother.
Eve followed Jenny to kitchen & gave her instructions on dinner preparations & then forced herself to bedroom to have a quick shower & she was now thinking about Future.
After shower she sat on the bed to think ways to convince Adam once again for her decision. As Eve has dressed herself up & raced back to Adams office space, though ruefully again. Still she stood there staring at the closed door & listening to voices coming from inside.
She stood there & then chooses not to disturb Adam & rippled the silence of their lives again by expecting Adam to understand her.
But she needed to take decision now; she needed to talk once again, maybe for the last time….
She convinced herself. An idea comes up to her mind like a lightning bolt. She smiled & rushed towards Jenny, to make her plan work.
She asked Jenny to go to grocery shop & buy best of the food items needed to cook sumptuous dinner menu & wine. She instructed Jenny & asked her to leave as soon as possible.
After Jenny left Eve put 2 envelopes & her regular diary to a chosen place & rushed towards her bed room to grab few things.
She stood at aquarium & watched her Pretty Friends treading in there peacefully. She bid adieu gracefully & happily.
She rushed towards the lift with her handbag & she was smiling all the way down to taxi stand leaving security Guard & onlookers mesmerized with her enchanting smile of freedom.
She called a Taxi & instructed him to take her to city bus stand —-He does so obliged —-
There back at Bell view Penthouse—-Jenny returned back stuffed with best food & wine as instructed & at kitchen counter top she saw an envelope marked with her name— surprised she opened it & then her face was flushed with mixed feelings—- she was happy for Eve but sad as this house needed her presence & she too will miss Eve —-
As instructed she prepared a table for Adam & intercom him about food being served —& waited —-
Adam came from his work temple & make himself comfortable in the dining lounge & asked Jenny coyly -” Are we having any guests for dinner today ?” pleasantly astonished by the sight of appetizing dinner & fine wine !
Jenny as instructed by Eve in her farewell letter , passed one sealed envelope marked with Adam name—
Adam looked up surprised holding frozen & brazen look in his eyes—
He put his wine glass down on the beautiful table mat & looked up to face parched eyes for some consolation —- the sudden envelope was a surprise—- a bittersweet one—–
His frozen eyes searched for Eve across the dining room but all he can hear loud was deafening silence between Jenny & him—–
Perplexed & scared Adam opened the envelope & started reading it’s words penned by her Eve—
After reading for few minutes , he put the letter down & pick up the wine glass & sat there motionless for long time—giving a damn about his buzzing mobile phone —-first time in many years—–but the call was missed this time forever—-Eve wasn’t coming back to him again —-he was lost in myriads of webbed decisions & selfish lifestyle— now he has lost Eve—-for creating the mess he can’t clean up now—
The masked words in farewell letter were echoed vehemently & Adam was frustratingly surprised with Eve decision— ” Adam , you take care of yourself now as Eve is fleeing again for her happiness——this time alone—-enough said & enough endured- good bye!! “
At bus stand, she bought ticket to a small nearby town, where she has once gone to meet orphans children from the annual fund raising exercise of Bell view richest nobility seekers.
She knew that she has done the right thing for herself— she wanted to adopt a child but Adam was never supportive of her needs & wishes all these years — she wanted to be a mother but somehow could not owing to medical complications —yet Adam never tried to lend a willing support.
When she reached “Home for all” orphanage she told warden happily about her decision to stay, a decision to dedicate her life for the orphanage welfare—-A decision to make her hobby ,Painting, as her means of survival now.
Warden seems to be puzzled & hesitant at first, as she knew Eve from many years — Eve used to come so often here to spend time with these kids — It seems that even kids too needs Eve. They both hugged & welcomed each other & warden took her to dormitory where all kids were sleeping —
Back at “Home for all” orphanage Eve was happy & felt blessed at last….. Relieved too—–,
She’s eagerly waiting for the new morning(s) to bring sunshine again to her life—- cheers —-
Take care!!
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