"Always have, always will"

He is married. Married. She told herself once more hoping that it would stop her from doing what she was about to do. It din't feel wrong, in fact nothing had felt more right to her. She knew he felt the same way, which was why they had decided to meet today. She waited in her car, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel while glancing at her watch for the nth time. Late as always. She smiled to herself inspite of her annoyance at him. Her phone beeped. "Be right there love. Can't wait to see those beautiful eyes once again". Her face broke into a spontaneous smile like it always did when she thought of him. She settled back into her seat and let her mind wander to those magical moments…

12 years back..

Her eyes. Big, round, black, beautiful and absolutely mesmerizing. That was the first thing that drew him to her, that made him drown in those black beauties. It was love at first sight. The moment he looked into her eyes on that fateful day he was irrevocably in love. "You are my life", her eyes seemed to tell him and he was more than willing to be anything for her. There were meant to be together, and it was almost like they both had been waiting for each other. All those shy glances from her side, and bright smiles from him had resulted in something extraordinary. 

They were the hottest pair in school and throughout college. The ideal pair, the pair that was meant to be. You couldn't think of one of them without the other popping into your head. They were together for five perfect years when all of it suddenly ended. Nobody knew the reason why. They went their separate ways, chose their respective paths, built their lives around it. Even after all these years, their common friends sometimes spoke about them - as a couple. Of how it would have been had they not broken up. The mused over the whole situation, guessing as to what could have happened. They couldn't imagine something going wrong, they were such a perfect fit.

She sighed. 12 years and he still made her blush like a school girl. 12 years and the thought of him still sent shivers down her spine. 12 years and she had never gotten over him. 

He was the practical one, the one with a clear head, the one who was capable of making tough decisions and sticking to them. He had all those qualities which she prided herself in having but somehow when it came to him, she became a hopelessly romantic fool. Her tough exterior, her cold rational approach towards life, her quick decision making - it was all for others. With him, walls came down and she was back to being the young innocent girl that she was 12 years back. She had cursed him, cried to him, begged him, ignored him, worshipped him - but he had remained the same, loving as ever. Of course he'd been a jerk, no doubt about it, but he had made up for it. More than made up for it.

She snapped out of her day dream when she saw the familiar car turning into the lonely road. Her body tensed and her eyes smiled as he parked the car right in front of hers, almost touching it. She took a deep breath, steadied herself and got out of the car a few seconds after he did. Her heart thudded and spluttered as she took a step forward. The moment their eyes locked it was as if nothing bad had ever happened between them. All that pain, the guilt, the heart-ache, all those months she had spent crying, all those nights he had held his head in despair not knowing how to make things right - none of it mattered. They were in a bubble, in a world of their own. 

"Shall we take a walk?" he said, with that heart melting smile of his. 

She nodded silently and walked with him.

He loved that about her. They way she hardly spoke around him, but her eyes said it all. He looked at her delicate frame, her long straight hair, her graceful walk and the way she was clutching her phone tightly it her hand. She was tensed and nervous and shy. It gave her away. He took her hand into his and they kept on walking. His mind flashed back to that time 7 years back when he had held the very same hand and place a ring on her finger. She had refused to accept such an expensive gift but he had shoved the box into her hand. She had looked at the ring, smiled and asked him to place it on her finger. 

He noticed now, that she had a ring on almost every other finger except that one. His eyes kept going back to her face, to her eyes. Oh what he wouldn't do to see those eyes happy, to see them dance with joy! He had done everything he could to make sure she had a perfect life. He had made the ultimate sacrifice for her seven years back - he broke up with her, a sacrifice that almost shattered her delicate heart, a sacrifice that made him seem like the villain, the bad guy, the betrayer, the heartless one. It had cost him a lot but still, it was a small price to pay. Specially when it was to make her happy.

They had reached the park, their favorite spot. "I have an early flight tomorrow, at 5:30", he said. Her eyes saddened "You're leaving? Already?" she asked him. 

"Told you, seven out of twelve months I am on the road". 

"I have no idea why your wife puts up with you"

He laughed. "I am pretty sure she is having an affair" he said. 

"Convenient. For you. For both of you actually" she said

"You wouldn't understand. Its not that simple. I still love her" 

"Yeah I get it" she said softly "It took me twelve years but I finally get it. It wouldn't have worked out if we had gotten married"

"You know what i believe right.. Just because two people love each other doesn't mean they have to get married"

"I know. I believe that NOW. Specially us. Lord! That would have been a disaster" she laughed.

He smiled and kissed her forehead lightly "I have to get going"

They walked back to the car. "Be in touch?" she asked

"Always have, always will" he smiled.

She got into her car and sent him a text message "Just had an epiphany. Just because some one doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have"

He looked through his window and gave her his bright mischievous smile and mouthed 'I love you'. She laughed, shook her head and waved to him.

She drove back to her boyfriend, he drove back to his wife.

p.s - Inspired from  true incident.

p.p.s - I SWORE to myself that I wouldn't write ANY love stories (I have many reasons and its a long story.. don't ask!). But I couldn't ignore something that was happening right in front of my eyes.