Once bitten: The story of the shoulder

He was the shoulder. Not the doormat. He knew the difference. But sometimes, it’s easier to be the doormat.

Like this time.

When people around him very busy falling in and out of love, getting married, separated, raising kids, aborting them, he lived a life in thought bubbles.

The bubble was the home he built for his future with the most perfect girl he had brushed shoulders with. She was perfect, or at least, he thought so.

The right girl, in all the wrong situations.

Distance, for one. And, there was ex-boyfriend baggage.

He liked even the fact that she still liked the ex-boyfriend. Imagine how much love she had with her to give even after someone didn’t really need it badly enough.

So he remained the shoulder, feeling protective. Feeling like a warrior who can handle anything now that he had what he wanted to keep him going, right by his side. He felt stronger. The more the weight on his shoulder, the stronger he felt.

She became his armour.

There were of course the periodic spells when he would lose that armour and feel weak but he understood that she needed her space too.

She loved her ex-boyfriend. It was her true love. She couldn’t stop loving him, even if he wasn’t strong enough to love her for what she was. Even if the situations were all wrong. And every time reality hit her, she would retire back to the shoulder. She would return to be his
armour.

And one day, the ex-boyfriend got married, forced into it by the system. No fault of <!– D([“mb”,”weakness that required strength, a whole of strength enough to give up
on the love of his life.

Ashamed of himself, he pleaded to her, hopelessly: "Anybody, but the
warrior. He\’s a thief. He gave you his shoulder just to put his arm
around"

"It\’s none of your business," she told him.

And, she returned to the shoulder again.

But then, she told the warrior: "He didn\’t love me enough to fight for me. But
it is true that I love him. I realised how much I loved him only when
I lost him. I will love him forever."

The warrior was heart-broken, of course. But he said, "It\’s okay. You
can still have the shoulder." He wasn\’t being a saint, he was plain
selfish. He needed the
armour.

She was happy, as happy as possible, given the situation.

He was happy too, as happy as possible, given the situation.

The warrior\’s friend found this ridiculous. "You\’re selfish,"
he told her.

That shook her up, totally. He knew it wasn\’t true. He needed her as
much as she needed him.

"I must leave," she told the warrior.

"I\’ll wait," he said.

"Don\’t," she said, never to return ever again.

With the armour withdrawn, the warrior saw himself facing the brunt of
the battle he had called for, all upon himself.

Years passed, the warrior lived on. His wounds healed.

His hair turned a lil grey. He was wise now, or so he thought, often looking
at his scars, smiling to himself.

Over the years, he had lent his shoulder to more damsels-in-distress
too, knowing pretty well that they would all be gone, even before he knew
it. They always left.

He would make stories out of them, just to distance himself from the
episodes and laugh heartily recollecting the good old days.

"A shoulder for that many years?? Will you do it again," asked a little boy.
“,1] ); //–> his, except for his weakness. But this was a weakness that required strength, a whole of strength enough to give up on the love of his life.

Ashamed of himself, he pleaded to her, hopelessly: “Anybody, but the warrior. He’s a thief. He gave you his shoulder just to put his arm around.”

“It’s none of your business,” she told him.

And, she returned to the shoulder again.

But then, she told the warrior: “He didn’t love me enough to fight for me. But it is true that I love him. I realised how much I loved him only when I lost him. I will love him forever.”

The warrior was heart-broken, of course. But he said, “It’s okay. You can still have the shoulder.” He wasn’t being a saint, he was plain selfish. He needed the armour.

She was happy, as happy as possible, given the situation.

He was happy too, as happy as possible, given the situation.

The warrior’s friend found this ridiculous. “You’re selfish,” he told her.

That shook her up, totally. He knew it wasn’t true. He needed her as much as she needed him.

“I must leave,” she told the warrior.

“I’ll wait,” he said.

“Don’t,” she said, never to return ever again.

With the armour withdrawn, the warrior saw himself facing the brunt of the battle he had called for, all upon himself.

Years passed, the warrior lived on. His wounds healed.

His hair turned a lil grey. He was wise now, or so he thought, often looking at his scars, smiling to himself.

Over the years, he had lent his shoulder to more damsels-in-distress too, knowing pretty well that they would all be gone, even before he knew it. They always left.

He would make stories out of them, just to distance himself from the episodes and laugh heartily recollecting the good old days.

“A shoulder for that many years?? Will you do it again,” asked a little boy.
<!– D([“mb”,”
"No," he smiled. "I\’m too old for this. Besides, there are too many
people in this world who can use this shoulder. I cannot afford to
waste that much time on one person anymore," chuckled the warrior.

And one day as he straddled around the world, a princess who had heard
of him, came over to see him..

"May I have a word with you," she asked.

"I must be dreaming," he muttered to himself. "Get lost, you\’re an
illusion," he said.

She went away, knowing little that she had carelessly left her ear-ring behind.

He woke up to see the ear-ring. He realised what he had done. He
actually sent away someone who wanted to talk to him.

Months later, he saw her again. He gave her ear-ring back. They spoke.

They enjoyed each other\’s company.

Life was good.

The shoulder had a new occupant. The warrior had a new armour.

The ghosts came back. She had an ex-boyfriend too. She lived far away too.

What would he do?

He smiled, put his arm around her, willing to fight the world.

All over again.
“,0] ); //–>
“No,” he smiled. “I’m too old for this. Besides, there are too many people in this world who can use this shoulder. I cannot afford to waste that much time on one person anymore,” chuckled the warrior.

And one day as he straddled around the world, a princess who had heard of him, came over to see him..

“May I have a word with you,” she asked.

“I must be dreaming,” he muttered to himself. “Get lost, you’re an illusion,” he said.

She went away, knowing little that she had carelessly left her ear-ring behind.

He woke up to see the ear-ring. He realised what he had done. He actually sent away someone who wanted to talk to him.

Months later, he saw her again. He gave her ear-ring back. They spoke.

They enjoyed each other’s company.

Life was good.

The shoulder had a new occupant. The warrior had a new armour.

The ghosts came back. She had an ex-boyfriend too. She lived far away too.

What would he do?

He smiled, put his arm around her, willing to fight the world.

All over again.

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Once bitten: The story of the shoulder

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