Epilogue

Have you ever read something, so familiar as if it is your own life story? Did you feel the growing sense of recognition in your stomach? Or have you felt the sympathy that you wished someone felt when you were suffering? Well, Liza did. As she read each word of the manuscript in her hand, she felt the growing sense of familiarity. She wanted to reach out and console the female protagonist of the novel, she wanted to wipe her tears and tell her that it will be better, when that girl found out that her husband as cheating on her. It felt as if she was living it all again and though it had been nearly three years those memories still brought tears to her eyes.

Liza sat there in her office all night reading through the manuscript, as the female protagonist confronted her husband, kicked him in the balls (something that Liza wished she had done). The lead of the novel was much more independent than Liza ever was, she was one of those characters with whom you wouldn't want to mess with but still Liza identified with her so much that it felt as if she and the lead were the same person. Liza read as the husband realized his folly, as he apologized to the lead, groveled for the forgiveness, it reminded Liza so much of Jonathan. However in the end unlike Liza the lead forgave her husband, gave him another chance to prove himself and they had their happily ever after.

The night lamp was casting soft golden light on Liza’s table. Liza could tell that it was nearly morning as she saw the sky take a pinkish orange tint. She kept the manuscript which was now full of red and blue marks, its papers turned and creased due to Liza reading it over and over again. She wondered if she will ever be able to let it go. If she will ever be able to look past it. If she will be at peace. She still loved Jonathan, not as much as she did before but there was a small corner in her heart which kept their happy memories safe. She may never be able to fully move on Liza guessed, something will be always missing, but that tends to happen when you love a guy with your heart and soul for more than half a decade.

Liza hate being stuck on something that happened nearly three years ago. She wanted to be free from all the grudges and accusations she held. Maybe, sh thought, it was finally time to forgive him. To forgive Jonathan and move on once and for all. She hurriedly picked out a pen and a neat white paper she used for office correspondence and began writing. She could have called him but hearing his voice would have been too much to handle so she reverted back to the old ways and she wrote him one last letter.

'To Jonathan,

Hey, Jonathan it has been a long time. Nearly three years to be exact. How are you? I hope you are well. It feels so weird to be writing to you after 3 years. It's like I am doing something that I shouldn't do, it feels as if I am defying my own nature. I am sure you are wondering that why I have written to you.

I am sorry for the way I left you. I felt like a coward for leaving behind your back, but I know that if I had waited to tell you then you would have tried to stop me and I may have stopped. I loved you so much back then, even after your betrayal that it was physically painful to stay away from you. But I needed to do leave, for myself. I read a book today and it made me realize something important. It made me realize that I will have to forgive you to move on. So Jonathan I am forgiving you.
I am not saying that if we ever run into each other I will even acknowledge you or our past relationship because I won't. I will probably walk away as soon as I see you but I no longer hold a grudge against you. We had our good times and we had our bad times and I thought that that we could get over anything together. Love does that you. It makes you believe that nothing can go wrong when you have your other half by your side, it makes you feel invincible but then Life happens and sometimes you don't remain so invincible, you come across a wall that you cannot cross together. I guess that's what happened to us.

Nothing lasts forever and I am happy that I got to share some wonderful memories with you, but that's what we had will ever be, a memory. You will find someone someday who you will love more than you ever loved me or you may even have already found her. Please promise me that you will never throw her away like you did to me, that you will cherish her. Don't make the same mistakes Jonathan.

I am happy with my life and finally contended. Your betrayal, left its scar on me but slowly with time it has stopped aching and maybe one day I will find someone who will love me too. Someone who will treat me like I should be treated. The mark you have left on my life will always be there and even though I wish I never had to suffer the pain, I do not want to forget it because it made me who I am today and I love the person I am right now.

This is the last time I am writing to you. With this letter I finally forgive you and hope that you can forgive yourself. I have realized that you are not a bad person but just a human. A human who is prone to make mistakes, I hope you realize that too.

Liza.'

Liza put down her pen beside the letter and leaned back on her chair. She rested her head back and shut her eyes tightly. It was as if writing the letter had physically tired her. After a few deep breaths, she pulled out an envelope from her table, folded the letter and put it inside the envelope. She sealed the lovely mauve envelope and wrote down the address she knew, hoping that it Jonathan still lived there. She went to the washroom, splashed some water on her face, put her brown hair in a neat bun and left the office with the letter feeling heavy in her brown leather handbag.

It took her nearly half an hour to walk down to the post office. Liza had still not gotten used to heels and it took her longer too walk. She finally reached the post office. Taking one last deep breath she posted the letter, with her trembling hands. As she dropped the letter in the box, she took a deep breath in and suddenly her heart felt lighter. She had finally let go of what had happened she realized. She had finally gotten over Jonathan's betrayal and was now ready to move on from that phase of her life.

It was a bright morning in New York. Which was a rare event in the city. The clouds for once had been cleared away and the sun was shining. Jonathan had gotten up early for the meeting that day and hadn't been able to go through the letters, so he had someone bring it to the office and Dave was sorting them out.

"Sir, there are a few letters which I don't know where to put?" Dave said

"Show them to me" Jonathan ordered. One was from Krista Santiago, Krista Santiago was the only daughter of the Leslie Santiago, a ruthless business woman and the owner of 'The Book Worm Publishing Company'.

Krista was one of those girls who never took a hint and always requested his presence at one or another party, even when he repeatedly rejected all her invitations. This time she had invited him to some 'summer Ball' themed gala party hosted by the company. Jonathan knew that Leslie was interested in striking a partnership deal with his company 'The West industries' over the year the company had achieved a name for itself and it was considered one of the fastest if not the fastest , growing companies around the world. He had already invested in hotels and though he was interested in branching out into the field of publishing, he wasn't so sure about it.

He shredded that invitation in the shredding machine and that was what had happened to several other letters and invitations before he came across a mauve envelope. The curved writing on the envelope called out to him as he opened the letter.

"Dave leave me alone for some time, go take a break or something. I will call you when I need you" Jonathan said. Dave was surprised at his bosses’ reaction to the letter. When he had found the letter with no return address and no name he had been sure that it was from one of those girls who often trailed behind his boss hoping to get some attention but he hadn't expected his boss to go and tell him to take a break. That man was a workaholic and to hear him say to take a break was the weirdest thing Dave had ever experienced while working in 'West industries' for last 2 years.

"Are you sure sir?" he asked, still unsure of what he had heard.

"I am sure Dave now go take a break before I fire you" Jonathan said, in his usual emotionless tone. Dave didn't need to be told twice as he left the office. Jonathan pinched the bridge of his nose, a habit he had picked up over years and let out a sigh. He opened the letter, wondering what he would find in it.

Jonathan's eyes blurred as he read every word that had been written in the letter. It was from Liza. He hadn't expected to hear from Liza after 3 years and he certainly didn't expect Liza to forgive him. She had asked him to forgive himself and he wondered if it will ever be able to possible for him to do so. She had written that someday he will love someone more than he ever loved her, he wished to tell her that, he could never love someone again because his heart was still with her and when she wrote that she hoped to find someone who would love her, he had never wanted to reach out to her and hold her so badly as he did after reading it. She had asked him to move on and he wish he could but it was near to impossible for him to do so. For his eyes only shined for her, her heart only beat for her and his soul only longed for her.

So he put the letter inside the box with other letters knowing that if they ever cross paths again he would do his damn best to make sure that their paths never get separated. Liza wrote that sometimes Life makes us not so invincible, presents us with hurdles that we cannot cross together but she forgot that the same life is giver of second chances and he was sure that he will have his second chance. But for now, he was content knowing that Liza was happy and that she had forgiven him. Maybe now, he will be able to forgive himself too.