Close to Perfect

A Story by Shanu

Close To Perfect - One Shot

There was a certain sense of serenity and calmness all around her that evening. Be it the surrounding, the weather or the unusually quiet neighbourhood.
As she took a deep breath and started towards an empty bench at the corner of the park, an indefinable feeling clenched her heart. Memories.. Memories of the best and worst times of her life came flooding back. It all started and still revolves around that one person. The man who showed her the significance of life and the even more enthralling and magnificent meaning behind love.

He has been the most prominent reason behind her being. The reason for the highest and lowest phases of her life. It is astonishing as to how a person behind the immense moments of happiness in one's life can also be the same person behind their destruction and grief.

Love.. The one word which has an unmistakable power to make or break a person. It is more like a silent weapon who nobody knows of until it starts showing its true colours.

She had also been in love.. Still is. A love which many dream of. A close to perfect kind of love story was what she had. Where only his name was enough to make her blush and just a glimpse of him gave her butterflies. He was the epitome of perfection for her.
While his feelings were equally genuine and he was even more besotted by her.

Everything had been picture perfect for them. That was until a sudden turn of events changed everything leaving behind nothing but ruckus and broken hearts and promises.

* FLASHBACK *

8 Years Back-

She was a designer, taking the fashion industry by storm. He was a singer, known for his charm and ability to make the young and old swoon alike.

They were first introduced to each other at an award ceremony where they instantly clicked. What followed was a series of meetups and dates which resulted in them falling head over heels in love with each other.

Within a short span of one year.. they had met, got to know each other, fell in love and had also decided upon getting married.

Not only had they found their better halves in each other, but were also very certain about what they mean and feel for each other. Everything was rosy and picture perfect for them at the moment, and so without wasting more time both decided to tie the knot as early as possible.

They were the talk of town for quiet sometime and had set a different standard of relationship goals to achieve for the current generation. All were equally in awe of their match which looked no less than that made in the heavens.

Like any other celebrity couple, their wedding was a grand affair. From famous politicians to actors; all honoured the couple with their presence and blessings. And that was the day they united officially and claimed each other infront of the world.

Their married life was a bliss. They each had a spouse who understood and cherished the other unconditionally. Their days started by seeing each other and nights ended in each other's embrace. The love and respect they had for one another increased even more after the marriage.

Occasionally they did have to travel for their individual career needs and those days were the toughest to go by for them. The first time they had to stay away from each other came when they were just a few months into their marriage. Though it was bearable initially, by the end of the day they both were in tears while on a call. That was how attached they had grown to one another. Gradually they got used to such situations and learnt how to handle their personal and professional front respectively.

Their life was no less than a fairy tale and if it was even possible; their love just seemed to grow more with every passing day! It was one such day that she went to the doctor for a checkup upon feeling nauseous and learnt the happiest news of her life. She was expecting their first child! Her happiness knew no bounds that day and she was equally excited to share this news with him. Dropping the idea to call him, she thought to go visit him at his studio so as to witness his reaction herself.

And well.. that was the very day their relation took a frantic and unexpected turn. These are the times which makes us realize that even in the most perfect relationships, there are its own ups and downs. Nothing can be picture perfect always and it's the way we decide to deal with it that makes the difference.

That day was unmistakably the worst and soul shattering moment of her life.

She had happily barged in to his vanity when she heard noises from the attached bedroom which was slightly open. Upon going closer she saw him speak to a young lady clad in a saree. The words that next fell from his mouth broke her soul into a million pieces. The hurt and betrayal she felt in that moment was indefinable. 'I will take the responsibility of you and the baby' was all she heard before she turned and made an exit from his vanity.

She was drowned in a whirlpool of emotions and feelings that she herself couldn't explain. Hurt, broken and grief-stricken; she did what first came into her mind. She moved out of their home and sent him a divorce notice the following day.

Even upon being continuously questioned and pleaded by him, she didn't utter a word. She did not want to say or listen to anything. She had already made up her mind and the only thing on her mind was to get a divorce from him.

In the turn of events she had also suffered a miscarriage due to the huge amount of stress she was taking. Things were turning from worse to ugly for her and she was on the lines of falling into depression. Seeing the same her parents acted quickly and took her for counselling sessions which slowly started bringing her back to track.

His condition was no less. He was clueless as to what happened between them that changed the dimensions of their relationship overnight. Everyday without her felt like slow poison and he began getting more and more indulged into alcohol which seemed as his only escape.

It was after a couple of months that he came to know about her pregnancy and miscarriage. He felt as if life had failed him and did not know what to do with everything that was happening around him. He felt guilty but at the same time anger was taking the better of him. He was angry at her and started blaming her for all the mishaps taking place in their lives. He believed they could have communicated and come to a mutual decision instead of making the silent treatment that she had been giving him.

He decided to finally give in and grant her divorce since things had already got out of their hands. And he wasn't even sure if he would accept her into his life given what all had happened without any fault of his.

Gradually both of them started moving on in their lives. Though it was difficult for both of them to get used to the fact of living without the other, their anger and pride got the better out of them and they moved on with their respective lives.

One fine day while travelling to her office she saw the same lady from the vanity van, but now she was heavily pregnant and with another man who she recognized as the best friend of her now ex-husband. His words again echoed in her head and fearing the worst she quickly dialled her assistant and asked him to find details about the same lady.

What she came to know left her aghast. She had never thought that being such an educated woman she could act so naively! He.. he had never been wrong all this while! It was her.. who had acted spontaneously and made the worst decision of her life. She had ruined her life and then allowed the best thing that happened to her to slip away from her.

She felt beyond guilty. So much had surpassed just due to her meek judgement and now.. Now things were beyond repair. Though a part of her wanted to go back to him, her conscience told her otherwise. Even if he did accept her back into his life, would she ever be able to have a peaceful life with him. Inspite of knowing that she and her own analysis of things had made them face so much. She had hurt him.. broken him.. she had seen those eyes but was too obvious of all those details then. Those eyes are ought to haunt her for the remainder of her life. She had hurt him the most and as cliche as it may sound.. she loved him the most as well.

After days of thinking and cursing herself she finally decided to pen down her feelings and send it to him...

* PRESENT *

She sighed, as she revisited the past yet again. After having send that letter she had not recieved a reply from him until today. Not that she expected one, as she had made it pretty clear that she did not intend on returning and would not expect it from him either.

But that doesn't mean that she loves him any less. She still felt deeply about him and inspite of trying to date a few other men she had never come close to feeling the way she did for him.

Even after all these years her heart belonged only to him inspite of whatever transpired between them. She regretted her impulsive action of leaving him without even asking him for an explanation! But she knew, what was done could not be undone. Some things were destined to be, and all soulful love stories need not have a happy ending. There is a deep and hidden emotion in some love stories which are left incomplete. Or rather, it's beauty is in the way it dwells in the hearts without the physical presence and they may even be reminisced because of its not so happy ending. And who knows.. may be those love stories that end without a happily ever after are actually the one's to look out for, holding the purest of feelings which just could not reach its destination due to the play of fate..

She slowly got up and made her way out of the park which once used to be their favourite hangout spot. At the same time, in another corner of the park, he folded a letter hesitantly after re-reading it the umpteenth time. And wiped the last remnants of tears that escaped his eyes yet again.