Chapter 10: Learning about the past

"Marie, do you believe in love?"

"Sorry...?"

"I know this is a stupid question since you are also going through this state.... but now I just feel disgusted with the word ' love'...'I will love you forever,' You will be the only one in my heart...." 

Ray continued to speak. Marie found no reason to stop her. She saw Ron and Rim playing a bit far with each other, though there were so many kids of their age they never bothered to talk to them. 

"Me and John met each other when we were at middle school. I barely talked to him then, only I knew he was the son of some celebrity. He is the son of actor James Miller."

'James Miller!!! He was one of the leading heroes of the film industry. His 'loving u' became a major hit film in the late '70s, and he was also one of my favourite actors. ' Marie just can't believe that Ray is no one other than the daughter-in-law of actor James Miller. his son John Miller also acted in a few films, but mostly in action films which I don't enjoy much. 

" He was good at sports, and studies and always had a friendlier aura. Soon he became a star at our school. Many girls started to have a crush on him and I was one among them. I used to admire him from afar. This was not love at that time, I swear. It was more like a crush on him."

"..."

" He and I were teamed up on a project work. Thinking about working with him used to make my heart race. We were placed third in our class. Things changed as soon as we entered high school. I was transferred to a different school than him. Then I graduated and joined as a staff in 'Louis Hotel'. One day I saw him talking with my fellow worker at the hotel lobby. Honestly, I couldn't recognise him at all. He saw me and smiled at me. Since then every day I saw him sitting in the lobby, waiting for me. When I asked, he answered that I was his friend. "

"Ray, are you okay?" Marie found that Ray was trembling. She was cold too. 

"No Marie I am okay,I am fine. I promised myself that I wouldn't run away from my past. Please listen to my story, though it's a bit boring "

"Okay"

"Everybody gossiped about my relationship with him. Practically, it didn't affect me in any way until I came to know that his father owned the hotel. The manager scolded me for this rumour. I declared that everything was baseless rumours, and though the fire subsided it didn't stop. I started to avoid him even though he kept on waiting. It was an evening raining heavily. there were not many employees that day.

I was alone in the lobby sitting in the reception. He came but reeked of alcohol. He hugged me tightly and then kissed me suddenly. I was so shocked that I even couldn't stop him.

'Say that you love? he told. I always had a crush on him but it never can be called love. 

'I don't love you. I see you as a friend 

He smirked and said' But I love you, really I love you '

This confession continued. Every time I met him, he used to pour sweet, loving talks in between his sentences. Time passed, and slowly I thought it was all true. At that time there was no going back.I found myself 2months pregnant. I told him and he proposed me suddenly one day. Everything was a dream to me until I came to knew about his true intentions."