Love’s despair

He woke up in the middle of the night. The lamp was still on. The side of the bed was empty. He checked the time. It was 20 minutes past 1 am. He got a little worried knowing her mid-night walk habit that she hadn’t left even after her single years ended. He pulled his robe on & turned the latch. He checked the hall which was empty meaning that his parents were asleep. He carefully walked down the stairs & entered the dimly lit bar with only a single bulb lighted at the far end.

He saw her seated on the stool & sprawled across the counter. Her wrists were hanging off the edge. He got really anxious but made no hurried effort so not to wake her. He touched her sweaty hand & gently stroked her bare arm up to her shoulder. The entire limb was full of perspiration as though she’d just showered. Riverlets of sweat trickled down the border of his palm & dropped to the floor, as he halted.

She gathered her arms & straightened her head staring him right in the eye with her own blood-shot ones. He really wanted to reprimand her yet just hold her close. He understood that love hurt & he was weak as far as she was concerned. He’d suffered in love so could relate to what she was feeling then. He was jealous of the man she loved because she belonged to him, yet he was powerless. He thought that it’d taken a lot of misery for her to come down for a drink since it was against her nature to drink. Still not accustomed to it, drinking was torture for her. Despite her hatred for whisky she had gotten herself drunk.

She quietly studied his face, waiting for him to scold her & lecture her on her foolishness for loving someone who could never belong to her.

He didn’t.Instead he stepped closer & from behind cupped her face tenderly in his palm & stroke it with his thumbs.

She looked up with her innocent eyes then extended her arms around his neck. He bent down & he kissed her on the nape as she called his name in desperation. She ran her fingers through his hair & he picked her up. Partly drunk & partly broken he seemed to be a raft in a stormy weather; she was sure she had him for now & didn’t hesitate to lean on him in her misery. Throughout it’d been a story never meant to change.