Forgive... But Never Forget

My grip on the steering wheel was stronger as I drove that night. I even lost focus a couple of times and felt my wife’s hand shoot up to grab mine, pulling me back to the road. But it was hard to concentrate. Where I was going to that night – my destination – it was some place I had left 15 years back.

I still don’t remember how it started, but within 2 months of 12^th standard, Laya and I were deeply in love with each other. Not one night passed without hearing the other person’s voice. Not one recess passed without us walking in the corridor hand in hand. Her presence was true ecstasy. It was beautiful!

We were welcomed by Arun’s father at the door. Arun - my 4 year old daughter’s best friend had borrowed my child for the weekend and I was there that evening to pick her up. The children were still playing inside as we made conversation with our host and Arun’s mother entered the hall to serve tea. I saw her face – the ever beautiful Laya – and was pulled back to the last day of school.

“We have to end this.” Her words literally stabbed me; the pain was tangible. Before I could object she poured out her stories of a practical life and the impossibilities of being together, of how school was not life and why people had to move on… why it was imminent that I forget her.

My daughter ran up to me and jumped on to my lap. She rested her face on my chest and I patted her head. They asked us to stay for dinner but I had to refuse. “We have already booked a table at Taj”, I informed them. My wife thanked them for their hospitality and we got up. As we walked out, I turned around to look at our hostess – Laya.

When all your hopes and dreams are shattered, there is absolute darkness around. The mystery of future begins to choke you, suffocate you. Everything I thought that would happen had died, my love, my life… what lay ahead was absolute darkness. The pain of losing Laya made me drown deeper into the darkness; the darkness aggravated my pain. Those days – it seemed as if everything was finished!

After fifteen years I looked back. I put my arm around my wife and held her close to me, kissed my daughter’s cheek, got into my car and looked back at Laya – and smiled. I did not hate her, I didn’t care what she made in life, but as the CEO of an MNC, the husband of a wonderful, loving woman - I had made something big in life. And that smile – Bloody Blundaleomite, it was totally worth the pain.

An angel once told me, “If you want the pain to go away, you have to forgive her.” I protested, “I can’t forgive her. I hate her. I want to avenge her.” The angel consoled me, “Yes, you must have you vengeance. I only asked u to forgive her. Forgive… But Never Forget! The pain you had, it must sting you every day… and force you to make it big in life. And one day, you will ride the most expensive car, wear the most expensive dress, hold on to the most loving family and that life will be your revenge to every ounce of pain you ever had. Never forget!”