Fault In Our Stares #BarAThon

She stared at him with thousand questions in her eyes but he didn’t have the courage to look into her eyes. He had wronged her and he knew it.
“Were these seven months nothing to you?” her question finally found a voice.
“They were everything to me…”, his voice barely audible.
“Then??”
A long silence followed pinching both of them in the deepest corners of their hearts. His family had refused to accept her and after constant struggle he had given in to their choice. The engagement was due next week. He was as shattered as she was.

Even tears ditched her today. She was numb with pain, questions bombarding her head and memories pounding her heart. Every cell in her body revolting with a feeling she couldn’t explain. How could she think of words when her world was falling apart.

She held his hand, for one last time.

“I can’t let you go, you know that…”, she muttered, more to himself than to him.

He didn’t reply. The two mugs coffee awaited their share of attention but didn’t get any. The ice cream had already melted, more due to heartbreak than the heat in the air-conditioned cafe. Hot coffee with ice cream had been their weird combination whenever they met at this cafe since their very first date. Fire and Ice they had named it. But this fire was melting the ice now.

“I can’t see you with anyone else. I can’t see her having a coffee with you… I can’t see her walking that road with that we walked carved… I can’t let her hold your hand which was mine… I can’t see her hugging you… I just can’t… I just can’t see her with you…”, her voice stammered in denial. A sudden urge to hold on to everything that was slipping away gripped her as she tightened her hold of his hand.

His heart was heavy and his eyes said it too but not a word left his mouth. He continued to stare out of the window. He felt like a robot, unable say or express anything that was required. He gave a quick glance at his watch. Her cue to say goodbye now. It had always been his style when it was time for them to part. But this time it was to part and go different ways, never to see each other again.

“It’s time”, he finally said.

They both got up silently and walked out of the cafe. She had not left his hand since then. His eyes finally met hers, only to see love, hurt, questions, pain… and he couldn’t stop himself from hugging her as tightly as he could.

“Was it my fault?” she asked the final question.

“No, It’s the fault in our stares…  The beauty I can see in you is not something my family can and that’s only because you cannot see the world with your eyes. ”

PROMPT- Fault In Our Stars
THEME- Seven