And He Proposed!

“Why are you here, after everything has changed, when I’m no longer the same me, when I’ve just turned into this cruel joke. Don’t stay stuck here, Shiyansh. Go away, and live you life. You need not hold the burden of being my best friend anymore.” Rishita looked away from him. It has been fifteen days since she has been stuck to that hospital bed while he had been there day in and day out.

He was the only best friend she had. But what he was different for her that day, he wondered. She didn’t know, he held a terrible fear, in fact both of them did, none of the two could hold the fear, to lose the other. But today, it was different, he had experienced how it would ever feel, losing her.

He walked out of the room, with every inch of this event playing back in his head. How he didn’t intervene when a few hooligans was irritating her in the college fest. How a little argument, turned into an ego clash for the group of boys, how could he not read the hatred in their eyes for her, the hatred induced by one slap which she gave out of intolerance and for their misbehaviour. 

Shiyansh’s chain of thoughts was hampered by the intervention of the doctor’s conversation with her parents. 

“She’s out of danger, sir. But, take care of her, the growing mental trauma might lead her into depression.” The doctor said and left.

Shiyansh was growing deep into his fear. He couldn’t afford to lose her, she wasn’t just his best friend, he knew. But, she was yet to know. 

He wondered how a man could be this cruel, he blamed himself for not being there for her when she was surrounded by those horrendous people, for not being there to save her and her life, for not being there to save her from the burns which tormented her beauty and her life, the burns of the acid thrown at her, burning her lower neck, the face on her left side, and her hand left arm partially.

Rishita had decided to lose her battle to this horrendous event in her life, but he wasn’t ready to lose her. Even though, her outer beauty had faded away, what mattered to him was her inner beauty, the one which mattered to him.

The clock in the hallway struck 12AM. Almost a month back, he had decided to give words to his feelings today. 8th February. The second day of the Valentine’s week, holding the importance of expressing oneself. 

He decided to do exactly that. He found himself a pen and a paper instantly and penned down every word her heart beated at that moment.

_________________________________________________________

Rish,

I know you won’t really believe it, not in this situation, but you need to know this, because I decided to tell this to you today. 

I had placed your favourite thing by the side of your bed yesterday, the red rose, the beauty of which you always admired, even though it holds thorns but as you always said, ‘Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.’ Hence, I’d say the same to you.

You’re and will always be my beauty, for that’s what I behold in my eyes for you. 

A mere event won’t lessen down on my spirits, nor will it change you for me. For me, nothing has changed, nor will it ever, my definition of beauty isn’t about the skin, or the looks, for me, it’s you, it always have been, and it will always remain to be. 

Hence, as it’s 8th of February, the day marked to express one’s love, I’d extend my heart full of feelings for you to read and hold close, I’d extend my forever to you, all it’d take is a yes, which isn’t forcible, but like an authoritative best friend, I’d expect you to, hence in simple words I’d ask, will you wish to hear your heart beat next to mine, forever, as you say a yes by calling me inside and I get a hug?

Your Secret Keeper,

Shiyansh.

_________________________________________________________

He neatly folded the letter and handed it over to the nurse who was about to go inside for the dressing. Her wounds were to fresh to be touched, the bandages had opened up on the perfect day for him, he knew love would heal her, if not her wounds but truly her soul.

And within the next few minutes as the nurse walked in, the impeccable moment took place, he heard his name from the inside of the room. This is how Love wasn’t bounded to beauty, this is how it couldn’t be moved by colours of skin, but stayed for the growing colours of the heart.

As he walked closer, and hugged her carefully, he whispered, “I love you Rish, your forever dream came true, Happy Propose Day.”