35- Manipulations

"Erich! Are you inside?" The door knocked. Erich managed to swallow his lump to take a reprieve from his calamity- or he thought so. Kenny called again, "Erich, come out, we are not going to spend another five years here. Do you want to fail?" His voice came angry. Erich stood up, taking a few deep breaths to put his shaking form at serene as he washed his face, eyes puffy and red from crying. Erich exhaled deeply and opened the door, wanting to hide his depression. "Erich, We were waiting for you in the library. Come- Wait, What happened to you?" Kenny asked, worried about his friend. "Erich, what happened?" Erich forced out a impaired smile. "Nothing." He replied in a barely audible tone. "Look at me and tell me, what happened?" Kenney asked, holding his arms. His question had a very bad impact on Erich. It was like a point where you are damaged beyond repair, fragmented, isolated and someone asks about your condition. And you couldn't help but to be ruptured by the question and let out everything that has been building inside you. And that's what happened to Erich as he broke into sobs hugging his friend. Kenney panicked to see his friend like this, he took him inside and closed the door. "What happened, Erich?" He asked, forlorning him. "My love is my greatest embarrassment because it wasn't love at all, Kenny." Erich cried. Letting out the loudest wails of misery of his life, disrupted by the feared love which was nothing but ash. "It wasn't love!" He weeped with tears flowing down uncontrollably. His prayers were unanswered and he was suffocating. "It was nothing but an infatuation... " Erich whispered, wiping his tears, losing his breath and sobbing again. "If it wasn't love, my brother then why are you hurting so much? Why is it affecting you?" Kenney asked, trying to make him understand he loves her but Erich was past saving. Erich sniveled, "Whatever it was, I have understood, neither I am hers nor she is mine." He said and after a silence of two seconds, he cried again. "But I can't live without her!" Each tear he shed showed his miserableness and despondency where he was submerging and there was no hand to take him out from it, losing his own self, defeated. "Erich, calm down. Why are you denying your feelings?" "I am not denying! She said it herself!" Erich shouted. "Did she reject you?" "No! She... she.. Said, I hope I never see his face." "Erich-" Erich sniffled and wiped his eyes which poured over his overflowing anguish. "There's no such thing as love at first sight and I never loved her." "Erich, That's not-" "Please leave me alone, Kenny. Plese." Erich whispered desperately, gasping convulsively. "Dude, how can I-" "Please." Erich pleaded. Kenney gave him a sympathetic look and left his friend to deluge in darkness. ...The passion of love sometimes serves as a server to love but it would be delusion to consider it infatuation... ~ 1 Week Later ~ "April, I guess you were right. I have done the right thing by throwing those flowers." Red mused, walking beside April. "Of course, when one cannot express his feelings openly how can you let it happen?" April said. She did it all to make Erich miserable for not reconsidering her feelings, wanting to make his taste the ravage of unrequited love. She knew it was Erich who put rose in Red's bag everyday but never let her know and made Red disregard his emotions. "I am glad that the stalker stopped doing it." Red smiled. "He did?" "Yeah, for a week." Red went to the canteen, waved at Peter and Parker and sat down with April. Red opened her bag only to reveal a white rose with a note 'Sorry' on it. "What happened?" April asked. "I guess he heard what I said about him and apologized." Red said, showing April the card. "It's good he came to know he doesn't love you." Red nodded, "Yeah, you are right. Finally, no more roses." She sighed and put the rose and note back. "Aren't you going to throw it away?" "Nah, it's the last. I will throw it away later." 'Maybe this way, I could find this person and apologize for breaking his heart.' Red thought. And till present, she has this note and wilted rose. Erich smiled when he watched from afar, putting it back. I wished, your voice held any affection for me one day. The following month, everyone was busy with exams. Erich managed to pass his exams with extreme difficulty and got his degree. His friends went abroad and he decided to shift his office to New York City, because he knew, if he stayed here, his mind would be stuck on Red so it would be better if he leaves and starts his life there. But before going he wanted to talk to Red. His very core wanted to. He was a few steps away from her, wanting to get closer and tell her one thing, 'Your one sentence ruined my whole life.' But his feet froze to the ground and he couldn't reach out to her as he glanced at her for the final time, telling her from afar, "I hope I won't see your face again. Not because I will fall in love with you... but because I wouldn't be able to control myself." And he left for NYC while April watched him from afar. "How can I let you go so easily, Erich? You left me for her and I will make you leave the world for her." She snarled, determined to increase his fire. Time passed, Red was learning, starting her new internship and April and Red partied. Where April told Red that she is shifting to an apartment now she has received her degree and is working which upsetted Red. "Come on, April. We were together for years! Ever since your high school, how can you leave me like this?" Red pouted, making April giggled. "It's closer to my workplace. I have to go, Red. Besides, I am shifting my home, not the city. Come and visit me anytime." "But still." "I am still here." April smiled. "Okay. okay. Whatever. I will bother you every time." Red muttered. "On the condition you have to help me with the packing." April said as they both laughed a little. "And yeah, I am going to New York for some work, I will be back soon." "Okay, okay," Red frowned. Later, April went to New York City to meet Erich, who was astonished to see her after all this time. He couldn't apprehend her intentions of coming here but let her meet him, "April? What brings you here after all this time?" He asked. "Didn't you know? Yesterday was Red's birthday." And he didn't know. Erich raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "After almost two years that's the first thing you have to say?" "Yeah, because someone loves her endlessly." She smiled evilly, coming closer and taking a seat. "Who?" Erich asked, uninterested. "You, who else?" Erich scoffed, "What nonsense!" "I have a deal for you." April said seductively, putting her one leg over the other. "You surely have changed." Erich said, scanning her demeanor. "Thank you.." April smiled, "I know you are crazy about Red." She continued. "Don't be ridiculous. I don't have time for this." Erich sighed, making a sour face. "I can give you your lost tranquility." April said, finally taking his interest. "How?" He asked, amused. "We both know how you calm the fire inside you by using other women." "And why would I stick to you only?" He mocked. "Along with that," April smirked menacingly, pushing her hairs to her side. "I'll tell you about your love." Her words infuriated Erich because at the point where he was trying to forget Red, April tried to fuel his fire. "Are you out of your mind?" "Make me your shrink." April said seriously. "I don't need therapy." Erich reasoned. "My dear Erich, you do. You don't know, but you do. You can tell me everything you feel about Red." Erich smiled and lied fluently. "I feel nothing for her. It was a short-lived passion which ended." "And what would you do if I told Red that you are the one who gave her roses everyday? What will she think of you? She is going to become a fashion designer, how will she react to knowing her probable future partner stalked her?" April wanted. "Red was in the fashion designing department?" Erich asked in disbelief. April's smirk wiped off hearing that, "In six months, you wouldn't even know this?" "I used to watch her from afar, nothing else."