Intro

Intro~

It was dark; the only source of light was the dim light by the poolside that barely made its way into his room. She could not see him right away, but knew he was in there somewhere, in this darkness of his own making.

Just as she turned around to switch on the lights, Arnav spoke, "I know you are scared of  the darkness Khushi but I like it like this…please"

It was then she noticed his silhouette in the darkness, sprawled on the cold hard stone floor by the pool, his head resting on the sharp edge of the deck as if it was the most comfortable pillow that his wealth could acquire.

She ran to him in worry, "What are you doing Arnavji?"

"I can see the stars from here you know" he ignored her pleas to get up and just carried on, " Do you think she would be proud of me?"

"Who?" frantically trying to budge him off the cold floor.

"Mom?"

She cut him off, "Are you crazy, its freezing out here, get up and sleep in your room. I can't understand why you are doing this to yourself" she couldn't stop her streaming tears, she couldn't stop him and this madness that had taken him hostage; she felt helpless. And she couldn't see him fall apart and yet it was all disintegrating in front of her eyes, and all because of her, she had been the crux around which the evil had spun his lies around and cursed others.

 "I can't see you like this. Why are you doing this to yourself?" she asked in a frail voice so low that it barely came out as a whisper.

"I want to know how this feels like…" he didn't elaborate instead took out a notebook from his pocket and turned to a bookmarked page, "Today he made me sleep outside… I have never felt so much hurt from within and this pain not because of where I am as I write this but because it's him who has inflicted this upon me. This from a man who I thought… I was wrong my mind tells me. I should hate him and I do with all my heart and still it hurts that it was him. Why? Hate is all I want to feel but hurt is all I feel"

Those were her words, but this time she felt no pain.

When he didn't get a response he put the notebook away and looked up, only to stare at emptiness.