Mirrors loved him & Aditya too loved them back. Every time he saw the mirror, he admired himself, his perfect looks, his charming demeanor! His whole personality was as if sight to behold. But today he did not like what he saw. It was as if the mirror was asking him many uncomfortable questions. Slowly it felt like a déjà vu moment. He saw something in the mirror.  First, it was all blurred then it all became clear.

Rashmi’s face suddenly came in front of his eyes! But that has been ages!

 Everything unfolded in front of him in those few moments.

Aditya was a junior manager then in a Sales & Marketing Firm. Rashmi had joined the customer relationship department. True to her name, she felt like a beam of light. Every time she entered the office building. With a radiant smile, a carefree attitude, and always dressed in gorgeous outfits, she would cheer up the whole environment, mingle with everyone easily, and keep everyone guessing as to what is it that made her smile every day! Aditya had fallen for her looks and the whole attitude that she brought along.  A few glances, some moments of laughter, and a few conversations were what it all took Aditya to woo Rashmi. It was easy for Aditya and he could never believe that Rashmi was so gullible.  He posed himself as a gentleman, praised her looks, gained her faith, and made intimate advances and Rashmi surrendered her heart to him. She loved him dearly. Aditya had felt like a winner then. After all, like most men who see women as objects, to be used and discarded when needs are fulfilled, young Aditya was no different back then. And soon he lost interest in her. Just like that. And had drifted apart. Rashmi had begged him to stay, asked him questions only to be treated like trash! Within a few months, she had vanished from the scene and had resigned from work. No one exactly knew what had happened to her after this incident! Aditya did not even bother! He had felt rather relieved!

 But that was eleven years ago!  It seemed like a different lifetime altogether! Why now?

A breeze of hollowness engulfed Aditya.  He came back to his senses. The present moment had no meaning !! Like a blow, it hit hard and he was unable to understand what was happening. His life suddenly felt like a joke.  

Pritee, his current fiance was busy overseeing the packing of her belongings. She seemed sure of her decision and had called in the movers & packers to the flat.  Without responding to any questions that Aditya asked, she was pretty casual in her attitude and was glued to her phone talking to someone else. And just like that within a few moments, she moved out! Just like that!!

“What? She wants to leave me!! End all of what we had created with so much care? But I do not think we even fought?  Is it a joke?  But I do not understand anything. I have done it all given it all. And marriage was on the cards!! How can she do that to me?”  Aditya just could not process anything and stood like a wall.

“I am done, Aditya. I have no complaints but I just can’t take it anymore. It is all over. I am moving out & yes; I will be changing my number soon. So…”, Pritee had declared nonchalantly.

The night came crawling like a monster and his heart skipped a beat.  He stood there, numb and unable to process what he had just heard.

He had been able to achieve whatever he had wanted in his life but at this moment everything seemed meaningless. He had a perfect job and a good reputation in society. Yet, he felt drained today. “Does it hurt this much to get betrayed by the one whom you loved to the core, believed wholeheartedly?”, he thought to himself.

Without a word, Pritee left shattering him into his pieces.

Aditya looked into the mirror again.  What is this now? Why is it Rashmi, the girl from the past eleven years in the mirror laughing at him? He closed his eyes in disgust.

“Would it have hurt Rashmi, this much then?  What have I done in my life? “, Aditya thought to himself.  He knelt on the floor in the dark house and looked at the door out of which Pritee had just walked out.

Love,

Chinmayee