Broken but beloved

Discharged!

Rishab's POV:

I woke up around 7 pm, groggy and disoriented, struggling to piece together the events that led me here. The room was dim, the faint hum of hospital machinery in the background. As I tried to make sense of my surroundings, memories surged back like a tidal wave, bringing to mind those intense, innocent amber eyes that had captivated me.

Wait! Did I fall in love at first sight with her? I wasn't sure. My ego is too inflated to admit it easily. After all, I’m known as a womanizer.

While I was lost in my thoughts, there was a knock on the door. My mother and father entered, their expressions a mix of relief and concern. They asked me to change out of the hospital gown, their voices gentle yet firm. I obliged, slipping into my regular clothes, the fabric feeling strange against my skin after the sterile hospital garb. We headed to the car, where they were already waiting for me.

Our mansion was a 30-minute drive from the hospital. As we drove, I gazed out the window, watching the city lights blur into streaks of color. My mind fixated on one person: Puja. She was the cherished daughter of my father's best friend, Mr. Yash Agrawal, and my mother's best friend, Mrs. Shruti Jha Agrawal. More importantly, she was my best friend and the love of my life. Puja was only six when she was kidn*pped and killed; I was seven. Despite our age, I adored her more than anything. She was pure, kind, and innocent, and she has held my heart ever since. You might think we were just kids, but love doesn’t see age, height, color, race, or any other superficial factors. What matters are the feelings that bloom when you’re with someone.

Even after all these years, I can’t accept that she’s gone. I constantly wonder what she would be like if she were alive today. How would she look? What kind of person would she have become? The memories of Puja haunt me every day. I’ve never been able to love anyone else the way I loved her. Despite numerous one-night stands, I’ve never genuinely considered a lasting relationship, and I doubt I ever will.

Flashback: 13 years ago

"Puja, stop running! Please! You might get hurt," I shouted, my voice echoing in the playground.

BAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!

"Ouch! It hurts! I hit my head and my knee. It hurts," Puja cried, her voice quivering.

"I told you not to run, Puja. Now you’re hurt. Let me see," I said, rushing over to her, concern etched on my face.

"Hahahahahahaha! NaNaNaNaNaNaNa! I fooled you, Rishab!" she laughed, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"You lied to me? How could you? I was so scared. Just wait, I won’t leave you. Puja, stop running!" I chased after her, my heart pounding.

"No! I won’t," she giggled, her laughter ringing in the air.

"Okay, then I won’t marry you. I’ll marry Veronica," I teased, trying to sound serious.

"What did you say? (Fuming in anger) I won’t talk to you. Bye!" she retorted, her tiny fists clenched.

"Hey, hey! I was just teasing you, Puja. Don’t get mad. I’m sorry, please!" I pleaded, hoping to calm her down.

Puja pulled my nose and ran away, giggling, her laughter a melody that stayed with me.

End of Flashback

These memories still haunt me. I can’t believe my Puja is gone. She was the light in my dark world, her smile illuminating everything. She was always cheerful, bubbly, and kind. I loved her deeply. I miss her terribly. I wish I could go back to the time when she was still with me. I wish I could change the moment she was kidn*pped on our way back from school. I wish we could have saved her before she was brutally killed. I wish I had been strong enough to protect her.

The thought of who she might have become if she were alive today torments me daily. The guilt of not being able to save her eats at me constantly. If she were here, her love would have healed all my pains. I wish she were alive.

A lone tear fell from my eye. My mother, sitting beside me, noticed and gently said, "Rishab, my child, it’s been 13 years. She’s gone. You need to accept this and move on. She isn’t coming back."

I didn’t respond, letting the pain of losing my love wash over me. No matter how many times people tell me that Puja is gone, my heart can’t accept it. I love her with all my being, even though she is no longer here. I love her and will never be able to replace her.

The car pulled into the driveway of our mansion, the familiar surroundings doing little to comfort me. As I stepped out, I glanced at the garden where Puja and I used to play. The memories were vivid, each corner holding a fragment of our shared past. I walked into the house, my heart heavy with the weight of what could have been.

Every room, every object seemed to whisper her name. As I lay in my bed that night, the silence was deafening. I closed my eyes, hoping to dream of her, to see her smile once more, even if only in my mind. My love for Puja was eternal, a flame that would never extinguish, no matter how many years passed.