Cupid(Alwin Baiju) Long ago, there lived a young man. The villagers called him Eros. An immature man with childish behavior, choosing to be mature only in certain situations. He was a romantic poet, writing ballads and poems about the unique feeling of love. However, he had trouble finding one. According to him, there was the missing case of a spark, which he believed only ignited when he found “The One”. This is the story of how he met his spark.

His eyes were set on a beautiful woman by the edge of the River Louisious. Her name was Phoebe. Her glittering skin sparked in his eyes as the sun shone on her. The cool breeze gratified her silky hair. He stood there in awe as she walked past. He had seen her before, but the way she stood by the river, with her hair moving freely and the river’s reflection bouncing off her pearly skin ignited the spark in him.

Eros followed the lovely maiden across the meadows, and through the plains, as she made her way to the market. Her smile was a sight to behold. Phoebe made notice of the man following her. Whenever she looked, she would throw a smirk at him. One which he eagerly waited for.

Phoebe did take notice of the man who liked her. She enjoyed the invisible company he gave. Eros wanted to tell her how he felt, but his heart stood in his way. His mind was occupied with the thoughts of whether she liked him back or not. His doubts were cleared one day…

He had gone to the market in search of her. She stood by the fabric trader and asked for a ribbon. She tied the ribbon into a knot and looked for the lovely man behind her. They made eye contact. Her eyes locked onto his as she signaled him to look over at the pole beside her. Once he understood what she meant, she left. He walked on over to the fabric trader curiously and looked over at the pole. It was a lover’s knot… She tied a lover’s knot on the pole for him. Her intentions were clear. The voices in his head sang with joy as his heart rested.

“Why do you like me?” Phoebe asked one day.
“You’re always on my mind like a ballad,” A smile bore as he spoke.
Her cheeks blushed and her eyes glowed with happiness on hearing his words. Knowing that there’s someone out there who likes you is a special kind of high. The two would sneak off during the night and sit under a maple tree by the lake.

“You were the best thing that happened to me that I never planned,” She would lie down in his lap, staring at the sky into the endless abyss of stars. He closed his eyes and lay back, holding on to the feeling of love Phoebe gave him. Whatever it was… it was wonderful.

Sadly all good things must come to an end. Phoebe was betrothed to a wealthy merchant’s son at a young age. Something she wasn’t aware of. When her father informed her of it, the young maiden was shattered. She told him about Eros. Her father had to put his foot down in this matter and within weeks, she was to marry the merchant’s son.

A heartbroken Phoebe ran into the arms of Eros. She told him everything. Eros was saddened by the news. She cuddled inside his arms seeking the warmth he gave, resting her head over his heart. Her trust in him kept her going.
“You’re always in my heart,” He hugged her tighter. They kissed. The feeling of a million stars shining their light as the moon bear witness, just the two of them.

The thought of the merchant instilled a sense of fear in him. He wasn’t known for his kind actions, silencing anyone who opposed him.

“I Love You,” Her tears masked her emotions.
Eros couldn’t get himself to confess his feelings for her back. His voice went numb.“Tell her you love her, you imbecile,” His mind yelled at him. But his mouth and voice failed to comply. What happened? Oh no… Oh no no no. This isn’t how this was supposed to go. The silence that followed her confession further made the scene unhappy. She looked at him, wondering why he didn’t speak. His eyes reflected his love for her, but deep inside them, she saw the hue of purple.
Her faith in him disappeared. He looked at her with regret. He deeply wanted to tell her how much he loved her, how she was special to him, how she held his feet on the ground yet make his head go over the clouds. But he didn’t. The hands that held him let go. She walked away stifling her sobs. Why wasn’t he able to tell her he loved her?
“Phoebe, wait,” He yelled. She couldn’t hear him over the thoughts in her mind.

After a month, the sight of Phoebe and the merchant together pierced his heart. Her face brought with it the guilt of not being able to confess. One that he has to endure till the end. She smiled on the outside while breaking apart on the inside. A life of false love, eating her from within. She doesn’t dare to tell him about Eros either. What did he do?

Phoebe taught him how to love, but not how to stop. He wished for a second chance. One day, he went to the maple tree by the lake and sat under its shade. He closed his eyes, tormenting himself with her memories, torturing himself with the guilt of never being able to confess. Tears formed rolling down his cheeks and into the ground. He sat there all night.

The next day, several villagers gathered around the lifeless husk of Eros. His body rested against the maple without the slightest sign of life. When the news reached Phoebe, she fainted. Those who knew Eros’ story believed he died of being heartbroken. They carried his body for burial.

However, before throwing in the sand, Phoebe rushed in to get one last look at the man she loved. She placed her hand on his cold cheeks, holding back all her tears. One last look. One final tear. It’s time to let go. Goodbye.

Up in the cosmos… Eros’ death was cut short. He was welcomed by the Arae, female spirits of curses.
Looking at the pathetic way he died, they asked him why he failed to confess. He couldn’t answer. He didn’t know the answer either. They gave him a second chance of sorts, cursing him with a long life forced to see any and every instance of love on Earth. A pariah forced to be the witness of what he could’ve had, what could’ve been.

Eros used this to his advantage, however. Upon seeing the various, blissful love stories around the Earth, he decided to help out those following his cursed footsteps. He would weave out scenarios and paths ultimately leading to the lovers uniting for he couldn’t bear to see anyone committing the same mistakes he did. He became the world’s own Cupid. Now and then, he would take a look at Phoebe to see how she was doing. His heart would melt upon watching her. Tis’ ironically sad to see that Cupid was born from broken love. What would’ve happened if he told her those three words that day he wondered.

Back on Earth, Phoebe’s life with the merchant’s son was not bad. She found it difficult to reciprocate the feelings he had for her. Every so often, she would look at the stars, reminiscing the past. Eros would look back at her, faulting himself over what happened. An irreversible act with a painful consequence, shadowing his emotions to torture him for eternity. Had the Arae cursed him because of this? Because of his chicken-hearted decision? Why Eros? Why weren’t you able to tell her? What stopped you?

“Why do you always look up at the stars?” Her husband pondered.
She kept staring. A barrage of memories rushed in. She felt his hands touching her skin. His heartbeat echoed in her ears. A single tear dropped. After a brief silence, she answered him with a smile masking her emotions. “Because someone I love is up there,”

Fin

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