Kila, the Warrior

 

Kila, the Warrior

Chapter 1:

“How could you do this Rick?” Ashwini raised her voice as everyone in the restaurant stared at us.

“Ashwini, everyone is looking at us, calm down. I can explain. There is nothing wrong in this” I tried to pacify her.

“Nothing wrong? This is cheating Rick! I definitely cannot accept this. You are not being truthful to me. That’s it. This is the end, we need to break up” she said in a stern voice and kept staring at me.

“Ash, just calm down. Sit and eat…Why such an overreaction for a simple, silly thing”

“This is a silly thing? I can’t find a single chat of yours with a guy in your phone. It’s all girls. Late night chats, too personal chats, chatting while you were on call with me and even when you were chatting with me” She was furious.

“My darling, you know me. This is me. I am like this” I tried to explain.

“What ? Chatting with ten girls at the same time? Saying love you to everyone. Addressing everyone as baby, darling? Really? Would you be find if I do the same?” she was losing her cool.

“First, don’t raise your voice – everyone is staring at us. Second, finish eating this –it’s getting cold. Third, I can explain it all. Yes, I do chat with many woman. I do say love you to some of them and address them as baby and darling. What is the big deal in it? We are in 2020, it’s such a common thing these days. Besides, there is a difference in the ‘love you’ I tell you and the ‘love you’ I tell them. Can’t you see it? I am not hiding anything from you, Ash. You have to understand that I love only you. Ever since I fell in love with you, I am not flirting with anyone. They are just my friends”

“Just friends or friends with benefits ? Come on Rick. Go tell all these stories to a 14 year old nibbi. Not to me” she was in no mood to listen.

“See, you know my mobile password. I never stop you from checking my mobile or reading my messages anytime of the day. I haven’t saved any girl’s name as a boy’s name. I have never deleted any of my chats and its all there for you to see. I do address them so. It’s a form of expressing love. What is the big deal in it? You go through all my chats and see if even in one chat I have crossed limits” I said looking in her eyes.

“Saying ‘love you’ itself is crossing limits, Rick” she was adamant in her stand. I took a deep breath, looked around my surrounding and calmed my nerves. Everyone in that Adyar Anjappar restaurant was looking at us or so it seemed.

“See, who is this Isha? You both are exchanging hearts and saying love you!”

“I love her as a friend. I know her for 15 years and she is married, I tell her ‘love you’ in front of her husband. He has the maturity to understand us. I expect that maturity from you”

“This Apoorva, Shivdu, Bhagya.. to every one you have said love you!! Rick. I am not sure how Isha’s husband is taking it light.. but I cannot. For me, you have to tell ‘love you’ only to me. I want to be the only girl whom you love.”

“But Ash, you are the only girl whom I love. I want to spend my eternity with you. You are my wife, my life. Nothing will change that.”

“Well if you want me as your wife then something has to change, Rick”

“What?” I asked slowly.

“YOU! I need you to change. I want you to stop everything. Promise me you won’t chat with any other girl other than me”

“Are you even serious?” I gave a dry smile.

“I am damn serious. I am possessive on you. I need my man only for me, else I don’t want him.”

“Be careful of what you wish for, you might just get it” I shook my head.

“I am asking for you. I need you, just you”

“Again, I am completely yours. But I can’t stop myself from talking to other people. That is me. You fell in love because of that nature of mine. I mingle with people easily, can talk to any unknown person, stay in touch with so many people. That is what you liked in me”

“I don’t want you to stay in touch with anyone who says ‘love you’ to you. Choose now - them or me?”

“Any day, you. Always you. But don’t ask me to change. I want to be myself. You aren’t asking me to pick between you and the other girls. You are asking me to pick between you and… Me. Please understand that. Don’t ask me to change, Ash.”

“It is important to adjust and change a few things for your loved one for a lasting relationship, Rick”

“But I cannot change the basic me - who I am, right ? Do you want to love a different person, Ash?”

“What do you mean?” she was upset.

“Again, I want you all my life. But you have to understand that I am not cheating on you. If I were, I would have hidden all my mobile folders with passwords, deleted all the chats. But I haven’t. I am being transparent and I want you to accept me as I am. Please”

She stared at me, folded her hands and gave it a deep thought.

“May be I fell in love with that version of you. But now I want you to change. Change for me, please” she said in a mellowed down tone.

“I am sorry, Ash. I don’t want to lose my identity. This is me. May be I can try to change for you, because you mean so much to me. But I can’t guarantee it. Even now I don’t want to lie to you and give a fake promise that I will change. That’s not me. Please try to accept me as I am” I pleaded.

“Seriously? I can’t take it anymore. I am really sorry. I think we will have to end this right here, right now, just so I don’t go through a horrible heartbreak at a later point of time. I am not sure if you are a good guy, but you are truthful to what you are. I respect that, but it might not work between us. I am sorry.” She said slowly.

“So, we are breaking up?” I asked.

“I guess so. I am sure you wont be crying for me and will fall in love with the very next girl you meet.” She said sarcastically.

“I’m not sure if I will fall in love with the next girl I meet, but I surely won’t cry” I tried to control my emotions.

“Not even a drop of tear for me!?” she pierced me with her looks.

“I loved you truly, you are leaving me now. Who is at a loss – you or me ? Why should I cry?”

“You will know my worth one day” she said and got up to leave.

“So will you” I said and waited for the bill to arrive as she stormed off. I kept looking at that direction for a long time even after she left.

I paid the bill and waited for the Credit card to be returned when I noticed a girl sitting all alone in one of the corner tables. She had her headphones on and was listening to music as she was chewing her food. I got up from my table and walked towards her.

“I am going to give you company, because I have read somewhere that it’s a crime for good looking girls to eat alone in a restaurant” I said as I sat in front of her.

She almost spilled her bolus and chuckled.