36.
"Please, Reyansh, one last time, please listen to me," she pleaded.
He looked away and started walking from there. For two years, he wanted to talk to her and clear things up why she did what she did.
But now he has no interest. Whatever happened happened for the best. He is happy in his life with his wife, but again, she decides to come into his life and destroy everything.
She held his hand after looking at him walking away. "Please, one last time, listen to me." She was now crying, but Reyansh was in no mood to listen to her.
But he needs closure. He can't live with this burden anymore. Can't let her past destroy his present and future. So he decided to listen one last time.
"Okay," he went and sat on the chair. Ritika was in shock that he agreed, but soon she also joined him.
"Speak," he said, more like ordered.
"First of all, I am sorry I know what I did is not forgivable but still I am sorry"
"Is sorry can fix everything?"
"No I know it will not but it can lessen my guilt"
"You know you are so selfish"
"I know I am selfish, I used you for my selfishness," she sniffed.
"Why did you do this, Ritika? Why?" there was a plea in his voice.
She decided to tell him and ask for forgiveness. She knew she would not get any, but she decided to ask once again, being selfish because guilt had been eating her alive from the day she left.
She wiped her tears with the back of his hand and looked at him who was already looking at her for answers.
"I joined your company because I was in urgent need of money because my Father’s health was not well. He was admitted to the hospital.
When I came for an interview and was selected, I was very happy I joined and started working. Sometimes, I do overtime also so I can pay for my father's hospital bill.
I noticed that you were showing interest in me. Initially, I didn't care, but my father's health was deteriorating day by day, and when you came to me telling you like me I thought if I rejected you you would fire me from my job"
"You thought that low of me," he said in disbelief, shaking his head. She started looking down, guilty of thinking like that.
After some time she started.
"You were so sweet toward me, cared for me, and always tried to uplift my mood by giving me gifts. Pampering me with love, you even increased my salary. You were everything a girl needed. But for me, I was not ready for all this. My life was already so complicated I didn't want another thing.
I was thankful to you for all the things you did for me. It was really helpful with money. My father's treatment was going well.
I didn't want to give you false hopes, but I didn't have any other option. I needed money, which I was getting from you. So I decided to let it be. I am sorry I betrayed your trust."
"You didn't just betray my trust. You destroyed my heart." He snorted.
She hesitated before speaking further.
"I thought you were rich. You would find another better than me. I am temporary in your life; I thought it was just your obsession you would get over with, and one day, you would forget about me."
"How can you think about me like this?"Reyansh said in disbelief. She knew she was wrong, so wrong for thinking like that. She continued.
"I am sorry I know I was wrong. When I started getting to know you, I was proven wrong for every statement I have made for you in my mind. I was feeling guilty knowing that I was using you but I didn't have any option"
"So you decided to play with my feelings," Reyansh said in a mocking tone.
"All I can say is I am sorry." She looked down and continued.
"One day, I got to know that you were going to propose to me, and I can't let that happen. I didn't want this, nor was I ready for this. Guilt was eating me alive, and my father hadn't any more time left, so I decided to leave your life permanently and spend time with my father.
That day, I messaged you from another number and said hurtful things to you so you could move on from me without looking back. I am sorry." She looked at him, who was silent all the time.
"Reyansh," She called him.
"If you have asked me for money I have given to you without a second thought but you decided to play with my feelings and now you are asking me for forgiveness after all you did"
"You know, whenever my family told me you were not right for me, I fought with them for the first time in my life. I fought with my best friends and stopped talking to them. I fought with my parents for you but now when I think about that time I feel how wrong was to fight for you with my family"
"I am sorry," She was crying silently. She knew she was at fault. If she was not selfish, this would not have happened.
"Your sorry can't fix anything, Ritika. Your sorry can't give me my two years back which I wasted.
I can never forgive you for what you did.
Because of you I wasted my two years away from my family.
The time I would have spent with my family I wasted thinking about you and why you did what you did.
" She looked down, feeling as guilty as ever. She can't do anything now.
"But now I have moved on, and I am very happy with my family and my wife. So please don't come back into my life ever again. And I will try, but I don't think I can ever forgive you" She nodded. He got up and started walking but halted after listening to her.
"I am happy for you." He hummed and started walking again, leaving his past behind and looking for a new beginning. He was not feeling bad about her. He knew she deserved this.
The anger, the feelings, the emotion he had hidden in his heart after letting it all out, he was now lighthearted. All the burden was lifted off his shoulder. He knew all he needed was a closure which he now got.