Roses

A Story by Tasha Anand

A love story

Some unfelt sadness, an unspoken pain, a lot of unforgettable memories, an unearthly silence, and a bouquet of dying roses, was all that was left of the room. She came in and looked at the flowers in a vain hope that they’d bloom again. But she knew deep down, in the darkest corner of her heart, that they’d not.

Day by day, she saw the roses wither. And with every petal that fell down, a part of her did too. She tried to save whatever was left of the once beautiful bouquet, but all her efforts were futile. Pity that she couldn’t throw them away either. She couldn’t throw them away, because it was the only thing that was left of him.

They started like a reverse fairytale, with a happily ever after. He was her prince; and she, his princess. It’s all cupcakes and rainbows until someone loses their mind, huh? No messages, no call, no trysts, and one day, there’s no love. All of a sudden, her sweetheart was a complete stranger to her. He was no more her prince, but a stranger. All that was left of their entrancing romance was the corsage of roses.

These funny things we call memories. They never let anyone live in peace. Do they? She didn’t feel the butterflies in her stomach or the throbbing in her chest, like she did before, but she did not stop loving him either. The memories of the times they spent together, kept agonizing her. Their love story was plastered all over the room. Each and every corner reminded him; each and every wall narrated their story; each and every rose in the bouquet screamed his name, then how could she forget him. She never stopped loving him, she just ran out of fuel.

Every day, she used to stand in front of his house, like a phantom, with tears in her eyes, roses in her hand and confusion in her mind. A part of her urged her to knock while another told her she’d not like what she’ll see. But she was not brave enough to knock, scared of disappointment. Every time she hears a bicycle bell or sees the phone buzzing, her eyes glistened in a vain hope that it’s him. She longed for his embrace, but the only thing that embraced her was heart break. Poor thing, she couldn’t accept her reality even after so many days of heartache.

She watered the roses daily with the immaculate pearls that slithered down her cheeks from the black holes below her eyebrows. She nourished it daily with the prayers that escaped from the sweet curves below her nose. But even after so many efforts, the roses only continued to wither. She gave everything she could for them to bloom again, but she forgot that the roses needed sunshine to grow. The roses needed him.