Maya

 "Let go", she said.

"You know I can't."

"But you have to." Her voice trying to hide the agony but failing miserably.

"What if I don't want to?"

"It's not your choice anymore. I am involved too. Remember?"

"And how is that so? You decide what you want to do. I have decided to hold on to this."

"And what is 'this' you are referring to? The pain?"

"Maybe. But this pain is what proves me what I had was real."

"So what I had wasn't?" Her agony is now dominated by humiliation.

"Listen. What you want to do with your life is upto you. What I want to do with my life and my feelings is not your business, atleast not anymore"

"You know why I am begging you to do so. YOU KNOW", her throat started choking up.

"Please do not waste anymore valuable tears of yours on me"

"And now you get to tell me what I should be doing?"

"I am sorry. I can't see you cry. You know you are my weakness."

"and strength. Remember? That's what you used to say, always."

"Yes. I remember. But do you remember what you used to reply to that?"

"I will be. I'll always be", a sad smirk appeared on her face.

She realized she can't convince the broken heart to heal overnight. She knew time would heal everything. With that thought, she took leave.

*********************************************************************************

"I thought you would never call", the excitement in her tone vibrated throughout the room.

"How couldn't I?"

"Coz you haven't for the last three", for a second she worried maybe her choice of words sounded too harsh.

"True. But this is a special birthday. You planned to be a mom by now, right?"

"How did you know?"

"I read it. You wrote it down in that tiny planner you used to carry everywhere."

"Didn't know you were sneaking behind my back", a chuckle was clearly on the way.

"You made it hard to figure out what you wanted as birthday gift. The guessing games were killing me. So now and then I had to.."

"Oh you poor soul". Her sarcasm is on point.

"Anyways, I gotto go. Have a happy birthday"

"Don't you wanna know if I checked it off on my list? My wish for this birthday?"

"Did you?"

"I'll email you her pictures"

"Oh. Wow. I mean... congrats. How old is she?"

"1 day"

"What?"

"Thought you knew how good a planner I am". She hoped her tone carried her wink too.

"Now I do. What's her name?"

"What do you think?"

"You are kidding"

"I only named her after what I love the most in this world"

Baby Maya was sound asleep in her mom's lap.

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