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He was near her, barely an arm’s length away. If she could have, she would have slapped him. But recently blinded, her remaining senses weren’t yet sharp enough, and she would have surely missed her mark. His breathing annoyed her, heavy and then light, the smell of peppermint invaded her private space.

It was all dark now. And it was all his fault.

He had been driving too fast. That’s how she remembered it. Though everyone including the police had told her it had just been an accident. She thought differently. Maybe blindness inhibited the mind’s ability to process logic, it corrupted memory and rationality.

Whatever. She was the one who had lost her sight.

Her favorite sunglasses were the supposed culprit. The impact had made them shatter, sending shards of glass into both her eyes. But she knew better. It was his careless behavior, his daredevil attitude that landed her in a world of darkness. And here she would remain, alone, bitter, lost.

He deserved to suffer. Her silence would be his punishment.

They were to be married on the fifteenth. It was now the nineteenth of the next month. She refused to reconsider her decision. There was no love or bright future in the days to come. The view from where she stood was completely black, a color she had detested, but now it was her constant companion.

She hated him. He would have to live with that.

The chair creaked as he shifted, the toe of his shoe tapped the wooden floor, an irregular, half-hearted beat. Not only his voice, but his entire being was out of rhythm. Why did he come to see her every morning and evening? It was doing neither any good. There was nothing to salvage. Was he more blind than she was?

The tears were coming. Sightless eyes felt the need to cry too.

Her bandages soaked most of the moistness, but some still wet her cheeks. She felt him reaching towards her. And that’s when she slapped him. It was satisfying, so liberating. She was getting better at finding her way. A smile brimmed inside her but never reached her face. It was only grimness from now onwards.

He mumbled that he was leaving. Would return in the evening.

As he walked away, his familiar scent lingered in the air. She breathed deeply, taking him in, but the hostility in her pushed him back out. Sobs caught her throat. Her heart was drowning in a pool of perpetual gloom, and there was nothing she could do.

Her eyes were only a sad excuse. She had forever lost the light inside her.


She called him and screamed – It’s An Emergency! But he went back to sleep. He paid the price the next morning.

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42 Comments on “Sightless Eyes Cry Too – Flash Fiction Story

    • Thank you so much, Stephen. 🙂
      Loss of any kind is so difficult to accept. The anger and bitterness stays with a person, becoming a part of their learning. Hopefully turning into strength and resilience somewhere in the future.

  1. you’ve painted a powerful portrait of what it is like to be suddenly rendered blind and by someone you loved —

    • It is a tragic situation, John. Nothing can prepare anyone for this. Torn between two very strong emotions. Love and hate.
      Thank you so much. 🙂

  2. love then darkness, then love+darkness
    hard to swallow,
    even smile fades and never shows. Nice piece Terveen

    • It’s the battle of heart and mind where both have their strong reasons. Hurt like this can linger on forever.
      Thank you so much. 🙂

  3. You have portrayed such deep emotions here, Terveen. Even through her blindness, she wanted to avenge her hurt. Only brought to mind how deeply she loved.

    • Thank you so much, Shobana.
      Hurt often takes from us the most precious thoughts and feelings, leaving us hollow for the pain to resonate even louder.
      Sometimes, second chances are next to impossible.

  4. You are a brilliant writer and bring about many emotions and passion. Bravo, my dear friend!

    • This story is a mixture of love and hate with bitterness and guilt as the backdrop.
      Thank you so much! Really appreciate it. 🙂

  5. The loss of one of the senses, especially sight, would be a hard pill for anyone to swallow, and whether or not her fiance was truly to blame isn’t relevant at this point because it’s early days and the loss is still new and everyone needs to blame someone and since we rarely accept our part of the responsibility, the scapegoat pays the toll.

    He doesn’t really say much but I’m sure he feels responsible and visits her twice a day so i suspects he really loves her as well. Given time, although her sight might not ever return, perhaps the emotional wounds will mend.

    Outstanding job, Terveen.

    • Such shattering dilemmas often take their own sweet time. I agree with your perspective, Rhyan, there’s always someone else to blame but oneself. Maybe hurt makes a person vulnerable and vicious.
      Or maybe we just need to detach from the supposed reasons and hard-hitting consequences.
      Whatever happens, hope both will finally find some sort of peace and closure. It’s necessary to heal and move on.
      Your wise words of wisdom and rationality are highly appreciated. 🙂

  6. That’s so true. I love your writing and love the ending too. Blindness is not so bad if she still has light inside of her. However she still has the energy to slap him–that’s a good thing. I actually know a person whose teenage daughter died in a car accident when her teenage boyfriend recklessly drove the car. She’s the only one died out of all four people in the car, all teens. She’s sitting on the passenger seat at the front, which is the most dangerous place to be in a car–so I heard.

    • One careless decision or step can mean the end of a precious life. Having to live with that and suffer is Hell here on earth. I had a cousin who died in a car accident along with three of his friends. All teenagers. He was the only child of his parents. They had been drinking and driving rashly. Such tragedies should set an example for others.

  7. Pingback: Dad Came Back as Pancho - Flash Fiction Story | It Ain't Right Till I Write

    • It’s so tough to be standing on the threshold of loss, pain, and love. Making sense of what lies ahead but not wanting to give up on the past that could have been.
      Thank you so much! I appreciate the encouragement. 🙂

  8. Beautiful written. Truly the way you put the emotions into words is amazing.

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