25th September 2014

Three months later

        
          
It has been three months, since he woke with the dream that held the memories of his future self , three months of confusion as he couldn't comprehend everything that changed . And because of that he had an  fight with his girlfriend. She voiced against  his new drinking habit,  she declared he was getting addicted to it. He knew she was right.

And yet he found drinking till he lost his sense helps with his confusion, he blamed his future self for marrying her. If he didn't then he wouldn't feel this guilt towards her and he wouldn't feel guilty of hiding it from Kavita as well .                 

His life had been simple and easy until that night and now it was chaos everywhere . His bade papa, the man who will kill his girlfriend had been disappointed with Sanskar since he had been slacking in work as well.  His cousin couldn't understand why he avoided him and his bade maa was hurt when he refuses to eat at home . And yet all he could think was about her .           

He hadn't seen her for over three months. And he should have been happy, but he can't help but linger longer in the college after dropping Kavita in hopes of seeing her.  He can't help but drive little slower when he reach her Street in hopes of having an glimpse of her.   

And he knew Kavita can't understand him,  because she didn't know why he is drinking. He is drinking because it kills him to act normal with his family while plotting their revenge. Because it kills him to pretend everything was fine when nothing was going okay. It feels like he is the one carrying the entire world burden when in reality it wasn't the truth.  And somehow they got into an fight over it today . And she broke it off with him, that hurt.

       
He loved her so much and she broke it off with him just like that , he knew she didn't mean those words. Yet it hurt. He wondered if that was how things would have been if she didn't die. Would she walked away at his first weakness; he can't help but wonder. He reached his favorite bar but couldn't drink one sip today, he can't lose her again. He was about to walk out to his parked car. When he heard her scream.

        
He knew it was her,  he ran towards the direction of the scream. Only to find her backed up in an corner , while two big guys were hovering over her. He didn't think about how he can take on two guys,  All he thought was protecting her. The luck was on his side as  the guys were too drunk to even land a solid punch. Within matter of minutes the two guys were on the floor, Bleeding. And if Sanskar could have his way , he would have killed them but her voice stopped him.         

She needed him and within second he was running towards her. He gently wrapped his coat over her,  He was relieved to find he reached right on time. And he knew she was too scared to speak up. He stayed with her for over ten minutes till she calmed down enough.

 "Let me take you home,  " he volunteered , when she calmed down .        

 She simply nodded and started walking only then he noticed. She was barefoot and her legs were bleeding,  She must took of her heels to run faster. He didn't care he was an stranger to her, It hurt him to see her like that, so he lifted her up in hands and walked towards his car. She didn't protest against it in her shocked state . That was an relief.         

He took her to an hospital to get the feet bandaged before taking her home.  She didn't spoke an word till they reached home. He didn't know what to say either, Yet he need to ask.    

" Are you okay now ? " he asked her .

" Yeah,  I am fine,  Thanks,  " she answered back .

" You really shouldn't date that guy anymore,  " Sanskar voiced out , and wondered why he cared who she dated .

   " I am thankful for you help. But you didn't need to judge my dating life style ,  " She answered back,  angry at him and he realized that he  over stepped his line. 

  " I am sorry,  but  he can't even drop you home in the middle of the night,  " he tried to explain, how wrong the guy was for her.   

" He doesn't like me, It was me who keeps clinging to him and so don't blame him. I went to the club alone,  I thought I could see him there. And he wasn't in the club today. I left soon but, " she spoke up . And  broke into sobs. It took her few more minutes before she  calmed down and walked inside.          

Sanskar wrestled with his memories for three months , he kept blaming his future self for marrying her, but all those memories made her so real . And he was worried about her wasting her life by running after a guy who didn't deserve her ,he felt like he knew the guy she danced with ,the guy she was infatuated with in truth 

      
Then he remembered where he saw him ,as the memories he held back from remembering made him realize how he knew him . He was her boyfriend when they first met back in the future . It was the year 2017 when he first met her in the same club with her boyfriend Vivek . No wonder he looked familiar on Kavita's birthday.

        
And he thought hard about what he knew of him.  He remembers Swara  telling him about the massive crush she had on him. He could see the extent of her crush now. But he also remember how she had recited the tale of Vivek saving her on the club one day by fighting with two big guys. She used to speak with such thankfulness over him about that day.

       
She had mentioned how he reached on time and saved her. And then they started dating , she had told him in the future ,  It was their life changing moment she declared. And Sanskar  realized he took that moment away from her by steeping in today. He never intended to change her past, But he did inadvertently. Will they still end up together , he  wondered. Will she still date Vivek for over three years. He remembered his future self  let her into his life because she was so in love with some other guy .         

She was his friend nothing more and he liked that way , Till she fell for him. And broke up with that guy. He just wanted to keep Kavita  from dying , he wanted to make sure his bade papa won't harm her and yet his memories of Swara haunted him.        

He didn't think he would be changing her future as well.  His thoughts were clouded with her. He forget to check on his mobile. He kept it in silent mode during the meeting. And was shocked to find over fifty missed calls from Kavita. She didn't pick up his calls when he tried , He was frantic with  worry over her safety .

       
He raced back to her hostel only for her friends to inform him  , She left in search of him ,he knew where she would be  if she was searching for him. He headed back to the bar once again. This time in fear for his girlfriend safety. He found her in the midst of of loud music trying to search  for him in the crowd. And her eyes finally relaxed when she saw him.

  
" Do you know how worried I was , I didn't mean any of it. You know my past and you should know why drinking makes me angry.  My mom died because of it Sanskar , And you are all I got. I don't want to lose you too , " Kavita spoke up,  as she held on to him .  

" I won't drink Kavita, I promise. If the what keeps me alive to protect those I love. I won't drink,  " he promised her ,if wrestling with his memories were a price he had to pay to keep her safe , he would do that and more for her  

   " I love you Sanskar, I didn't mean anything I told in anger, " she spoke up,  as he drove her back to the hostel .    

" I know, It is  okay, " he answered back , he should have said those three words back but he can't , he loved her, he knew that but when he had to say it , He couldn't, because he was still thinking about Swara.  And whether if she was okay.    

And somehow he felt like he was cheating on Kavita. Because she didn't know anything about his memories. He had spent five year without her. And he felt like he was cheating on her,  because she didn't know, she didn't know he had been married. Married for almost three years  and she didn't know it was with her friend.

       
Then his marriage popped up again in his memories. He hated his future self  right now for forcing Swara to marry him. Only because Laksh his cousin  fell in love with her. He wanted to hurt his cousin and in turn he destroyed her life.  From his memories he could hardly recognize him. He behaved like a monster hell bent on destroying everything in its wake . All because he lost the girl he loved .            

He didn't want to become like his future self ,he will protect those he loved and will destroy those who stood in his way of protecting them . But he won't become a monster like his future self ,he will do it his own way .
                
He wouldn't become  the one who could  destroyed so many lives. And he realized that  Kavita  will not  love his future self .  She loved him and though his memories made him question everything else , he was going to hold on to her and keep her safe from harm  . Life offered him an second chance not to make the same mistake again,  This time he won't become an Monster. Because he won't let her die.

P. S:" That it for now. Let me know your thoughts, Hit the votes if you liked it "

Juanita Reid