The Regret

There is a lull spread throughout the town, even the sky is gloomy and could burst
out any moment. The wind is howling and shaking everyone in its grief.
I am standing under a tree in a cemetery which has been recently emptied. I see a
man who is dressed in a funeral attire. He is full of grief and is sitting in front of the
new grave whose epitaph reads, Her works were kindness, and her deeds were
love. His chapeau could not hide grief. I sympathise with him and somewhere I am
responsible for the curse of separation inflicted upon him. If I had not shot
yesterday, he would not have been in the cemetery.
The man in the cemetery is Jan, a petty thief with a kind heart. Last night I was
patrolling through the cobbled streets of Bruges. The wet road was glistening under
the moon light. There was no one outside. I suddenly saw Jan running across the
street. He was standing next to a mansion and trying to hide under the wall.
While Jan was trying to make his way into the house, I took an aim at him. Jan
wobbled as the arrow grazed past him and bruised his leg. He hurryingly slid into
the house through the window.
He landed on a carpeted corridor. The candle lights made the wooden panels visible.
His eyes fell on the shining swords hanging majestically on the wall. Jan went to the
top floor and found a chest in a dark room. The chest was full of jewels. He dropped
a bracelet, gold chains and diamond rings into his pockets.
All of a sudden, he heard a noise as if somebody had a fall. He tried to hide behind
the curtain and hope that nobody brings light into the room. He realised that the
person was crying for help. She was having difficulty to rise.
Jan peeped into the corridor through the door. He saw a pale figure lying on the
corridor with water spilled around. She was weak and struggled to sit. He
approached the delicate figure and held her silken head and tried to raise her.
Her pale skin seems to be moonlit, her eyes reminded him of the sapphire rings in
his pocket. She was not at the pink of her health but her mere touch turned him
pink. Her name was Claire, a name so appropriate for her appearance. I always
wondered about the strange ways in which people fell in love but, Jan `s love was
strangest of them all.
He lifted Claire to her chamber and laid her on her bed. There was her family
sleeping in the mansion but it was a thief who came to her at the hour of distress.
Claire`s health was deteriorating and Jan enquired about her medicines.
On her directions, he gave her medicines but she knew in her heart that it was a
long night. Claire gave him an apple, realizing that he might be hungry. Jan ate it
greedily while she applied ointment on her bruised leg.
Jan was perplexed that her ailing health was deteriorating to worse. He was holding
her close to his chest. In all these years he had never felt such belongingness for
anyone. The strong emotions were rising from their slumber, he was experiencing it

after a very long time. He wanted everything to stop, come to a standstill so that he
and Claire could stay like this till eternity.
Claire realized that her time was coming to close with the approaching dawn. She
wanted him to leave and take away all her jewels. Perhaps, it could help him in
leading a normal life and he wouldn`t have to steal any longer. But Jan was not
willing to leave. How can he leave Claire at her death bed?
Claire herself wanted to die in his arms, wanted to feel his warmth one last time
before she leaves the world. But knew, it could land him in trouble.
The last wish of the dying was to be fulfilled and Jan had no option but to leave with
the jewels. In his heart, he did not want to take away the jewels of Claire. Soon, he
vanished into the darkness.
The loss of Claire had left him damaged for his life. He is now scared to fall in love.
Sudden love with a sudden loss came as a shock for him.
All I wanted was to make him experience love which he was denied for so many
years. Everyone is entitled to love and so were Claire and Jan. My only work in this
world is to spread love. Perhaps I should have exercised some caution before
shooting an arrow last night. Some have experienced tragic love but it was making
his life toxic. It unwillingly became a curse inflicted upon him,
This is the first time Cupid is having a regret. The regret of making people fall in
love which is a very noble task. But the life continues and so now I am ready to flap
my wings and spread some love. I will try to exercise some caution from now on and
ensure that my timing is correct.