Love Came After Memories Chapter 5 - Dilemma of Past and Present

 The day was Sunday, even though it was summer. The clouds were blocking the sunlight from reaching the ground. Amidst this scenario, we see Leena in her bedroom, engrossed in a video call with her best friend Agnes.

  As the screen radiated the soft glow of the phone light, Agnes appeared, her eyes reflecting a sense of solemnity. “Leena, is this your final decision?” she asked, her voice carrying a tone of concern. Leena nodded solemnly. “Yes, it is,” she confirmed, her expression tinged with uncertainty.

  Agnes posed a valid question, her voice gentle yet probing. “Do you think that leaving everything will solve your problems?” she inquired, her words laced with a sense of skepticism. Leena sighed, feeling the weight of Agnes's question. “Agnes, don't ask me that. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore,” she confessed, her voice filled with frustration and confusion.

  Agnes tried to make her understand, speaking in a gentle tone. “Leena, understand it was an accident. Taking such a decision wouldn’t match,” she responded. Leena, with her eyes filled with worries, countered, “Agnes, even my mom said this before. But I took this decision for Prabha and Vijay only. If I'm with them, there will be problems only, so understand.”

  Agnes realized the weight of her emotions, even as she tried to explain further to Leena. However, Leena was not in a state to understand. “Okay, do what your heart says,” Agnes said. After that, they both ended the call. Leena found herself in tears. On one side, she wanted to live her life with Vijay and Prabhakaran; on the other side, she didn’t want to cause them any trouble again. She was caught in the midst of the situation.

  During lunch, the family was enveloped in silence, the tension hanging heavy in the air, weighing down each moment with unspoken worries and uncertainties. After lunch, Vijay approached Leena with a solemn expression.

  Leena looked up at him with anticipation. He responded in a low pitch, “Leena, your flight ticket has been booked for tomorrow. The departure time is at night, 8:20 p.m., so be ready.” After saying that, Vijay started moving away from that place. Seeing his action, Leena's emotions stirred up.

  Her heart sank completely at this. She called out, “Vijay.” Vijay stopped and turned around towards her. With slight hesitation, Leena began, “Vijay, I know it is hard for you that…” But Vijay interrupted her. He spoke in a low tone, “Leena, I know what you are feeling inside. I don’t blame you. You do what you like, I will support you.”

  Leena was on the verge of tears, but she managed to control herself. With a hidden pain in her voice, she asked, “Prabha?” “Don’t worry, I will deal with him,” he responded with a warm smile. Vijay then added, “I am going to the nearby park with Prabha. Will you come with us?” Leena decided to stay home to avoid further confrontation and issues. She responded, “I will stay at home.” Vijay agreed and didn’t ask anything further.

  After a few moments, we see Leena in the upstairs bedroom. Leena sits on her bed, her mind swirling with conflicting emotions. She glances at their marriage album, each image evoking strong emotions within her. After an hour, she begins to place the marriage album in the blue box. In that moment, her eyes catch sight of the paper in the box.

  She took the paper in hand; the paper quality was quite old. Leena couldn't conclude what the paper could be holding. With slight hesitation, she unfolded the paper. Written on it was, ‘When you forget what has been your life. Just look at the personal folder on the marriage pen drive.’

  Leena's heart skipped a beat as she read the words on the old paper. It was as if a long-forgotten puzzle piece had suddenly resurfaced, igniting a glimmer of hope amidst the storm of emotions raging within her. Without wasting another moment, she took the laptop and plugged in the marriage pen drive.

  She noticed the Personal folder, and with trembling hands, she opened it. Quick as a flash, a series of videos popped up in front of her. She didn't know what should be done now. Leena's hands shook as she clicked on the first video. As the screen flickered, she saw herself in the video, and it started to play.

  As the video plays, it was a self-recorded video. Leena saw herself sitting in their living room. She began by saying, “Hmm, how to start this… Hmm, fine, we will go to see it one day. Hi, Leena, my future-self. If you are seeing this video, then there might be a problem in your life now. I don’t know what it could be, but these videos will come in handy. Okay, let’s get to the point. Yesterday, I got married to Vijay, the guy whom I had rejected before my memory loss. He may seem like a sound fanatic, but I married him out of love. Both of us love each other but still have some hesitation. Due to this memory loss, I don’t want to lose him in any way. I don’t want to let go of his hands. So, I decided to self-record some major events that will happen in my life or share some personal stories that happened in my life. But Leena, if you are trying to walk away from Vijay’s life, please go through all the videos and self question yourself. Will you able to remain happier after being separated from Vijay? After answering this question then decide.”

  As Leena listened to her past self's words, her heart clenched with a mixture of emotions. Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched herself speak with such vulnerability and determination. Despite the uncertainty that clouded her mind, her past self had found the strength to face her fears and embrace love once more.

  Leena's hands trembled as she reached for the next video, her heart pounding with anticipation. Each clip offered a glimpse into her past, a testament to the love and resilience that had carried her through the darkest of times.

  As the videos played one by one, Leena felt a sense of clarity wash over her. She saw the moments of joy, the laughter shared with Vijay, and the unwavering support of their family and friends. And through it all, she saw the depth of her love for Vijay shining brightly, a beacon of hope in the midst of her doubts. With each passing moment, Leena felt the weight of her decision lifting from her shoulders. She knew now that she couldn't walk away from Vijay, not when their love was worth fighting for.

  As the final video came to an end, Leena wiped away her tears, her heart overflowing with gratitude. She knew what she had to do. With newfound resolve, Leena closed the laptop and stood up, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. She would confront her fears, embrace her past, and fight for the future she believed in.

  As she stepped out of her comfort zone and decided to lead her life, her mind was struck by what had happened to Prabhakaran. She tried to calm herself by saying that it was just an accident, but her mind couldn't cope with what had happened.

  Even though it was an accident, she blamed herself, much like a rose flower blames itself for its thorns. So too does the heart sometimes fault itself for its defenses. With this regret weighing heavily on her, she continued with her decision to move away from Vijay and Prabhakaran's lives, hoping that they would at least lead a happy life.