Love Bites

The Agreement: He said he loved her. She needed him the most. She did love him, but not in the most conventional way. They agreed on being this way, until they felt that they are now ready to give a name to their relationship.

He wooed her for years, about 5 to be precise. He showered her with all that he could, but to no avail. She was still in the process of eliminating someone from her heart and she couldn't or rather didn't want to care two hoots about him. To her, he was an obnoxious narcissistic. Someone who couldn't look beyond himself and someone who wanted her just for a sense of accomplishment.

It all changed after 3 years, she now began to look at him in a totally different light. She now saw the vulnerable loner inside the Casanova, the insecure painful soul inside the beautiful veneer. They came close for various reasons, need being the pivotal one. He completed her in ways she couldn't think of. She supported him when he was collapsing. It was a beautiful relationship, called uncertainty.

The first time they made love was magical. It was fire and air all around, blending into hot smoke enveloping them and bringing them more closer as if to embed them together forever. It was the most beautiful night of their lives and this was just the beginning. She gave him more pleasures than one and she felt his love with every touch of his. Even if she did not love him before, now she was beginning too. The feeling was special. Good.

The arrangement worked fine for a long time with both of them discovering new areas of life, love and passion. There were expectations but they were always fulfilled or spoken about. They belonged to each other and both felt that they were heading towards a common path in the future. Some place both wanted to be, some place that was bound to happen.

One day in February she opened her eyes to find herself tightly clutched in his arms. Waking up next to him always gave her a sense of contentment and happiness. It was all that she wanted from life and she had it. As she freed herself from him she felt a sense of burning all around her. It was unexplainable. As though a million bees had covered her from head to toe slowly stinging, one at a time. She writhed in agony and rushed to the mirror. Her naked body was now covered with a dozen bruises that looked like ripe strawberries. It stung her and dressing up would hardly cover them. The night was passionate yes, but it sure was not worth this pain.

She spoke to him about it, he apologised saying that it was an enormous rush of love he felt last night. For once, she believed him and let it be forgotten. She ignored the weird looks from people around and brushed away the questions raised by her friends. She let it be, knowing that he's not the one to hurt her again. But, she was wrong. It happened again. And again. And again. He was gentle and passionate, but for some reason best known to him he always, always wanted to leave his imprint as if to mark her as his territory.

When she could not take it anymore, she confronted him. She could have stayed away from him and not let him touch her. But she loved him, she wanted to be there for him at every step. When the bruises became the talk of her small crowd she knew it was time to clip those teeth. His reply was "So what if people ask? Atleast now people would know that you belong to me. Me. And noone else. Everything of you is mine. They need to know that."

The thought hit her then! 5 years ago, she had stayed away from him fearing that all she could be to him was an accomplishment. Talk about inviting fear in your life. He loved her she knew that, but he just needed to believe that she belonged to him now. There was absolute no need to stamp her with his identity. She walked away from him the next day and till date he has not found her. She loved him yes, but abuse in love can hurt more than domestic violence.

He gave her pleasures yes, but left marks on her heart. He touched her body, but her soul ached.

If only he believed that she was his. She still is his.

Like I always say, love is a real funny thing.

~ Soumya