Chapter 17: Tears

It was almost midnight but Juliet was still not home. While dining together Duke heard from Selena that Juliet called her and said she'd not come back today. Selena was quite used to it as she knew Juliet is a hard-working child so she does this sometimes when any big project is coming up. So all of them went to bed in scheduled time. But Duke couldn't because he knew the exact reason why she didn't come back home today. Duke was already repenting about what he said earlier to her, but now he couldn't stay in his room anymore. It was already midnight and Juliet still suffers from that accident trauma, she cannot drive, she becomes breathless...like this many negative thoughts were running wild on his mind. But what shivering him to death was 'What if she does something bad to herself!' Her smiling face flashed in front of him like a thunder light in that moment. Standing up from the chair he took his coat and closed the door behind.  

Duke called a cab to go back to the office.

In the morning it was a pretty cloudy the whole day but now it is becoming unbearably hot right now. Though the cab had it's air conditioner on but he still felt suffocated. He asked the driver to off the AC. He slided the window down and let the night breeze blow away his worries. In about half an hour he reached the office as there was not much traffic at midnight. The night security guard stood up as he entered while asking, "Sir,why are you here this late?"

Duke asked him instead of replying "Is ma'am in her office?" The guard on the duty nodded his head. Duke just thanked him and entered the building without further delay. He everyday takes the elevator, but today the way seemed too long to be reached. In some seconds with a 'ding' sound the elevator stopped and a voice was heard "the door is opening".

Reaching the 12th floor he went straight to Juliet's office. He knocked the door several times but there was no reply. He was restless so he apologized before pushing the door to open. After the door opened what he saw made him petrified on his spot. On the working desk Juliet was resting her head on her hands but the thing that making him panic was a bottle of red wine which was half empty and a glass in her one hand. He remembered the words she said, "I just hate drinks, in my whole life I'll never ever touch that sin with my hands again."

Though the reason for her hatred was unknown but Duke remembered her face when she said those words. She looked like she was in pain when she expressed her hatred about drinks. And here what was he looking at? She drank half a bottle of wine and passed out like that on her table.

Duke went near her. The computer was still on so he turn that off first. Then he looked at her face. Her face was red as she was drinking and the dry tears on the corner of her eyes were saying that she was crying this whole time. Duke extended his right palm and rubbed the dry tears from the corner of her eyes. Then he lifted her head with his two hands very gently and tilted her against the chair. She looked like she lost a lot of weight. She looked really pale. Duke's eyes glistened with tears. This time his words were not hurting her anymore; it was hurting Duke way more than Juliet had suffered. Duke sat on his knees on the floor. Holding her two small and soft hands in his big ones he said, "I'm sorry Juliet, I am really really sorry. Trust me I also don't want to hurt you like this  I  also  want to say you that I love you more than you can imagine...but...but

I cannot become the cause for which you leave this mortal world.... I cannot.... I cannot..." The last words sounds like a whisper and he broke into tears.

There is really no way to escape the love if you fall in it once. The more it deepens the more it hurts. He started to feel those pains which he once thought as the selfish wishes of humans. To see their loved ones leaving this world and knowing they will never meet again in this lifetime was now taking effect on Duke's life as well. Thinking these things he was crying while putting his head sidedly on her lap and holding her hands firmly. But suddenly a cold water like drop landed on his cheek. He looked up in that instance. He saw Juliet was crying silently looking at him. The terror was evident in his eyes right now. In his mind he questioned himself, "did she hear everything?"

Duke gulped in nervousness. But Juliet's eyes were fixated on him. She wasn't even blinking.

After some seconds Duke also understood why she was looking at him and crying silently.

The tears  were dripping down to her cheeks. But in her gaze there was only one question, "WHY?"  She didn't ask anything but the tears were flowing down in an endless stream. Her tears were more than enough to shake Duke's heart like a paper boat. He placed his hand on her left cheek. Her cheek was very hot. Duke startled. Then he checked her forehead temperature and she was burning up. Duke hugged her in his arms but that made Juliet cry in a louder voice. She cried like a child who just lost her favourite toy. Her tears were reflecting her inner self which was asking him to love her back. Juliet seemed helpless, Duke felt like his heart is breaking with every whimper of her. After some time Juliet became silent. He looked at her and saw that she fell asleep again.

Duke hold her up in his two arms like he was not holding a person but his whole world. Kissing on her forehead he left the office with holding her firmly in his arms.

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