Fiction: Only if...

The mind drifted to the past. A city in ruins. Lives shattered. A palace adorned with gold, curvature forming semi-circles that once stood magnificently crumbled into ashes.

A lehenga flew like curtains draped on this beautiful woman and as she sashayed inside the palace, the gold-plated and embroidered silk dress became limitless to protect her flawless skin and dignity.

If only I could muster the courage to tell her how beautiful and divine she looked! But, then I was the poor son of a poor peasant belonging to the backward class who couldn’t dare to dream of love and kissing her flawless lip. A sin I would have committed. She smiled sheepishly and walked gracefully inside, waving bye to me. The princess sat like a Goddess disappeared inside the kingdom. I became mad that day. After all, love is not for paupers like me.

The night thunder blazed through the sky, the clouds wore a tint of dark and rain lashed everywhere, droplet fell on my skin and palm. The heavy rain wiped my tears as I saw the princess serenaded by the King’s son. It was a grand alliance. The princess couldn’t recognize my tears coalesced into the water. The fury of the rains like the angst and bruise of a broken heart refused to be cowed by the stream of tears, I sought refuge in the cheap liquor sitting all drenched, cursing my life, destiny and tragedy of being alive. Death would have been my liberation. I would avenge from destiny and destroy wealth accumulated at our cost, caste and poverty. They shall not mock the poor anymore. 

Love shall wield the power of a devil. Love shall wreck havoc on them against us. Oppose love and you shall burn in hell. Love will be the new religion, of closure and hell.

The decision was taken. The storm shall never pass! A man hurt in love has just lost his sanity and the liquor turned me into a one-man bruised mob, zigzagging in the dark night, gyrated in the dance of anger and stood in front of the mighty palace. The rain has stopped. I promised that no single tear would be shed and the finger flicked the matchstick to light the fire. All the riches in the world were brought down, erased and turn into ashes. If only I could tell the princess! The intense and passionate love that ravaged a heart to death. Only if!