The Story Of A Broken Doll...

“And the Author of the Year award goes to…the best-selling author since last three years…”

And with a slight smile on her beautiful but emotionless face, she advances towards the stage to receive the award.

Ma’am, would you like to say something regarding this achievement?

“People told me:

Time changes;

Time taught me:

People change;

But my experiences proved:

Time and People change *YOU*.”

Anamika Mehrotra, a famous name in the genre of “Revenge.” Looking at the brimming innocence on her face, no one would ever think that she could be a thrill writer!! “Never Judge A Book By Its Cover…” is a sentence that perfectly described her.

Entering the vast mansion, she offered the award to the person who inspired her, the only person she had any kind of feelings for; her idol: Maya JaiSingh!

Her entire house was filled with paintings and portraits of Maya, which was the reason why she never felt lonely despite living alone in such a huge mansion.

“Look, Maya, I did this again! Thank you so much for being with me always. I love you!”

Talking to the portraits was nothing new for Anamika. In fact, that was the way she used to live. Her day started and ended with Maya.

Maya was her morning glory, and Maya was her bedtime story. Maya was her hand when she fell; Maya was the one to whom all the secrets she wanted to tell. The soul to her writes and the person behind her heights…Maya was the one Anamika lived for because the pain inside her never let her live, but her love for Maya never let her die…

What pain was killing her? Why did she hate everyone? Why did she hate feelings? Why did she hate “Love”?

Many such questions remained unanswered in Rudra’s mind. Rudra, the publisher of Anamika’s books. The often situations between Anamika and Rudra were never normal as Anamika’s impassive nature and Rudra’s unending passion were always a mystery! There had been many situations, and incidents wherein Rudra had found Anamika totally opposite to what she seemed.

Rudra had seen the fear inside her, the child behind that mature face, the love in her eyes, and the fire in her heart! And these were enough to make him fall for her. Due to business meetings, Anamika and Rudra often spent time together. He tried to build friendly relations with her, but she never allowed anyone to manipulate her heart…They often talked on various topics, wherein she mostly answered in a poetic language, which made him even more eager to ask new things.

“How do you judge people, Anamika?”

“Life has a great rule; if you think you’re smart, you are the biggest fool. The one, who thinks he can solve any mystery, is the one whose failure is studied in history!”

“What is success to you?”

“We get birth with the certainty of death; coz everything has an end, chemistry or math! Learn to rise whenever you fall; There are times when you need to go against all…”

How could anyone not fall in love with such a pure soul! He often thought this. Time kept on passing, and a relation of trust was built between them though she never opened up much, but she was not that uncomfortable too!

One day, at Anamika’s place, where they used to have most of the meetings,

“Would you like to have a coffee?”

“Sure”

She went to the kitchen to get coffee. Rudra was waiting at the table when he asked:

“Why don’t you give a try to love? It has the power to heal after all!”

“A new medicine cannot heal an old injury.”

Anamika heard a glass break. She rushed to the hall and put the mug of coffee on the table. She asked:

“Are you ok, Rudra?”

Pouring hot coffee over his bleeding hand, he answered:

“Sometimes, a new injury can help reduce the pain of the older one…”

“What do you want to prove, Rudra?”

“Yesterday is trapped in us, and we are trapped in our tomorrow. So we must improve our tomorrow by improving our today!”

“Present is the past of the future. So ultimately, our today is going to get trapped in us!”

“My bad, I tried to compete with a writer! I’m sorry, Anamika…”

“Leave all this, Rudra. Show me your hand. I’ll bandage it.”

She bandaged his hand, and then he left. On his way home, he could think of nothing but the softness of her hands that was just opposite to the bitterness of her words. He could feel her touching his soul. He just wanted to add colors to her dark life…

“We have a flight to Norway in 3 hours. The investors have fixed a meeting tomorrow itself!”

“I have a personal meeting today. I’m sorry.”

“As far as I know, your personal life has only you in it!”

“Today is Maya’s birthday. So I’m on leave.”

“Anamika, please try and understand. This meeting is crucial.”

“See you at the airport. Bye”

The flight takes off.

“I’m sorry, Anamika. It is a big day, I know. Maya’s birthday. But…”

“No need of explanations. You’ve already spoiled it.”

“Can I ask you something if you don’t mind?”

“Unless it’s not related to my personal life.”

“I’m sorry. It is. But I really wanted to know about your relationship with Maya.”

Anamika gives an angry look.

“Only if you want to answer.”

After two and a half minutes of awkward silence,

“Maya is the answer to all my questions;

The reason of all my obsessions;

The one who gave me a reason to live;

The life to my soul;

I can’t express in words!!”

Till she could complete her last word, her eyes were full of tears to hide which, she turned her face to the window.

“Are you…”

“You need to get trapped in me in order to understand me, and I never allow anyone in my life. So better stay away.”

The flight landed. The company car was already waiting for them. They reached the hotel at about 9.00 pm.

“Meeting is at 12.00 am.”

“Who schedules a midnight meeting?”

“Actually, the investor has to return by a flight scheduled tomorrow morning.”

“Ok. No issues.”

“See you at the dinner.”

“I won’t have dinner. See you while leaving.”

“Anamika, is everything ok? Like, are you feeling sick? Why do you not want to have dinner?”

Anamika leaves for her room without responding. That was a normal reaction by her. So Rudra also went for his room.

They meet at the reception at 11.00 pm. They reach to the car where Rudra opens the front door for her.

“Please”

“Are you going to drive? Why?”

“Actually, the driver is not well. But don’t worry, I drive safe.”

She just nods her head without a word. Rudra gets into the car, and they leave.

“Where’s the meeting?”

“You’ll get to know once we reach there.”

After almost half an hour of driving, they reach an open place.

“Where are we? I cannot see anyone around!”

Reaching to tie a black cloth around her eyes, he said,

“Don’t worry. I won’t put myself in trouble by trying to kidnap you.”

Opposing him by her hands, she said,

“What the hell are you doing? Why are you tying this black cloth? Answer me!”

“Please calm down. Trust me.”

She said nothing. He got out of the car, opened her door and helped her get out too. He held her hand and took her in front of the car, lifted her and made her sit on the bonnet of the car. He also sat there and played a song on his phone.

“What is going on, Rudra? Will you just tell me?!”

He gently removed the cloth from her eyes and was waiting for her next reaction…

She spoke nothing. She did not utter a single word. Neither did she scold him, nor did she look at him with anger. She was just unable to believe her eyes, which was evident from her constant stare at the scene in front of her. She didn’t blink even once. After a few moments, when she came in a condition to believe her eyes, she looked at Rudra and gave a smile!!

YES…Anamika smiled! And her smile was the only reason he had done all this!!

That spark of the smile in that dark night with shades of Aurora Borealis on one side and her hair covering the rest of her face was a scene more divine than the northern lights for Rudra.

They looked at each other for a while till she turned her face again to see the heavenly lights on earth, the dream that he fulfilled for her.

“Can I tell you something?”

“There’s no place for love in my life.”

“Anamika, I won’t take your caring nature as restrictions;

I won’t take your possessiveness as lack of trust;

I will understand you more than myself;

I will understand the reason behind all your actions;

I will never stop you from crying but will always value your tears;

I will make my life definitions match your life expectations;

I will trust your eyes more than your fake smile;

I will understand your silence more than anyone else’s words;

I will always try to adjust whenever needed;

I will never break your trust;

I just want to add colors of happiness to your life, and I wish to paint myself in your colors…

Anamika…”

“Why did you touch my personal diary?”

“You had left it at the reception. So…so I just…”

“So you just picked it up and read it. As if it was a book open for anyone!!”

“Anamika…”

After few moments of awkward silence…

“His name was Abhimanyu.”

“What?”

“The person who forced me to become what I am today. The person who made me understand the meaning of love and the same person who made me hate everyone! For the first time in my life, had I ever loved someone. He was mad after me. He tackled the kid in me and handled the madness in me…he made me change my perspective that relationships are a lie, and then he proved that I was right!! He loved me, and I liked him more than a friend but not the way he felt. Time passed, and he kept on doing small things for me every single day, which made it difficult for me to resist my feelings. Finally, I fell for him, but still, I used to tell him not to make me his addiction as we were unaware of the future. We were in a relationship for seven years when he left me for some other girl giving me a simple reason that “You are very possessive, and you doubt on me.” You know what? I trusted him more than myself. But probably he didn’t. He left me in a terrible condition, and after that, it just drove me to worse times. I cannot express that phase of life, and I cannot even share it with anyone because a person can listen to me but can never feel the way I have felt, and apart from that, no one really cares!! After knowing all this, do you still want me to be in your life?”

“If I would not have wanted, then why would I bring you here even after reading your diary? Whatever it was, it was your past, and I love you for the person you are at present. Anything else does not matter to me. So…will you?”

“I like the person in you since the day we started working together, but I always believed that I am not lovable. That was the reason I never told you and tried to maintain distance from you. I have nothing to give you. All I can give you is my trust and love till I live and after I die…”

“Shhhh…Just enjoy the lights and live the moment. You are our doll now, and we will never let you break…”

“Our??”

“Maya and me…”