... in suffering and pain


he was scared and alone
he lived in the dark so long
that he had become the darkness himself 
he carried with him,
the stench of hellish suffering wherever he went
he was always accompanied by the demon,
its claws dug deep in his back
no one saw the demon
no one understood why he was the way he was
why nothing mattered to him
why life was nothing but a burden. 

he wished this pain and suffering on no one
but he was glad to find someone 
who shared his pain
he saw her going through the same dark moments
that had started to define his existence 
but he was in awe -
of how she handled the demon
who latched itself to her just the way his did
she suffered, she cried and screamed 
but then, she wiped her tears and smiled.

while he sulked and despised everyone
she offered a helping hand - 
to those who needed it. 
he recognised the deep-seated pain 
because he was going through the same. 

she recognised it too
the moment she crossed path with him
just the way you smell a rotten fish 
even before you know where it is. 

she did not despise him
she did not pity him 
she simply smiled
and offered her hand
which he took without a moment’s delay
because he was mesmerised by her. 
yes, she was beautiful -
but her soul was something else. 

it brought light in his life
encouraged him to leave the dark
she gave him courage to fight the demon
taught him to find happiness -
scattered along the path,
the path he thought 
was the path to his destruction. 

she loved him
gave him a chance to fall in love
understood and tolerated him
when he had the bouts
she held his hand and kissed him
told him how much he meant to her. 

they suffered through the same pain
but differently. 
they were together,
... in suffering and pain.
 and they learned to laugh 
at the demon on each other’s back.




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