-42-Heart talks
"The issue that she tried to downplay in her entire story.
That's the one he has found completely unacceptable."[Riley]
(She mentioned here says about Riley
While He mentioned here is Stuart.)
.......
"Oh, Stuty Pooh." Saying the words she walked up to him and took him in her arms.
"I am sorry. It was all my fault. Only if I would have not decided to help a stranger. We would have still been together."
He said smiling through tears "No jelly bug, don't say that. Whatever happens, happens for a reason. What if they aren't t my real family but they love me more than the real ones. You know, Now I have an elder brother too. And Everyone loves me to death."
Riley looked at him and said smiling "I am happy that you are happy Stuty pooh."
"My happiness can't be completed without you Jelly bug. I have been trying to find you since I landed in New York City. But you know the funny part is when I was trying to find you, I didn't get any luck. But now that I was here with a free mind, to forget about my issues today. I got so lucky that I finally found you. But I want to know what happened to you after I left?"
His question made Riley remember About Mindy. Immediately she stood up from his side maintaining some distance between them. And as if on cue, her mind wandered to the kiss they shared earlier. A wave of guilt engulfed her as she comprehended she had practically cheated on her husband. Her body crawled in shame. Even if it wasn't a real marriage. She was still married at the end of the day and she couldn't do that. 'What will she tell him? That hey I met my best friend today; the person I owe my life to! Yeah, the one I told you about. And we kissed. I didn't mean to. It just happened. And I am sorry about it.' Even in her head, it felt unreasonable.
She could feel his pain How difficult it would have been for her to accept it if she was in his place. Yet she knew there was no redemption, only a regret. A regret that weighed too heavy on her soul.
Seeing her sitting there in a daze, Stuart frowned waiting for her to answer him but when she didn't he cleared his throat loudly.
'No response.'
"Riley? What happened? What are you thinking?"
Filled with guilt, she didn't make eye contact with him. For she knew, he could see her emotions through her eyes and it wasn't the time to tell him about it yet she needed to be the first to tell him about it even if it meant hurting him. "Oh, it's Nothing. I am just too happy to see you."
"Till your funeral, I wasn't able to accept the truth of your death. I tried every procedure that was in my hands to find you. But nobody could locate you and I too had to accept in the end when the police department declared to drop your case. The truth of your death fell upon me like an old rusty book that falls from the bookshelf of a bookcase. I was miserable but then your dreams fueled me to work on them. So I shredded my pain and worked on it."
Smiling through tears she continued.
"I fought with Dada to work in the company you have acquired now. You remember how he is! He wanted me to work in his company. But Mom supported me and I was able to land myself in my recent job after six months of internship."
Stuart smiled feeling proud of her. For she was the bravest woman of her time. Who tried to save his traces by living his dreams. He also realized it was a mistake on his part to hold back from proposing to her in the past. He should have crossed the bridge when it was time. But he knew they would heal with time. He just had to make sure she hadn't moved on.
"You shouldn't have done that Jelly bug. I would never want you to fight with the uncle for me."
"I didn't do it for you, Stuty Pooh. I did it because of my emotions. Because I wanted to keep you with me. Even if it was in completing your dreams."
She completed her words in her mind. 'I did it out of My love for you, the love I absorbed from you. The love I ended up stumbling around in childhood. The love that kept me moving till now'
"The man we saved together, proposed me for marriage. I refused. Yet he is as crazy as hell, even after my insults He had proposed to me 111 times in the last two years."
Bitterness filled his insides as he anticipated her next words. The man was the sole reason for their separation and his life-death experience. Yet he never hated him. However, now listening to Riley's words. He felt a surge of hatred rose within him. Clenching his fists tightly he tried to suppress his anger by drinking a few mouthfuls of water. Not wanting to scare Riley.
Anyway, as much as he knew her, he knew she would have never agreed to marry him. Clearly what he anticipated was true. But the next words that will come out of her mouth will break his heart. He never really saw it coming.
"He didn't stop until I married a man."
Just when she announced, the water that he just drank flew out of his mouth. Spluttering over the carpet wetting it. He coughed hard, wishing he misheard. 'Did she just said that She is married? No. I must have misheard it right! '
Riley tried to hit his back to help him with the cough, but he stood up from the couch.
"What did you just say, Riley? I think I heard it wrong. Did you just said that you are married?"
Riley avoided making eye contact with him. She knew it was too sudden. But it was necessary.
"You didn't hear it wrong Stuart. I did say that I am married."
"What the fuck!" Stuart roared his voice filled with a great amount of anger.