No…
He said no and his NO could not mean anything less…
The pain was just too much to bear and he was no longer sure if he can endure any more pain. Does he still love her? Undoubtedly he still does, but the complexity of the situation brought about by confusion, anguish, betrayal and lies among others have erased the question of love and its profundity. It is now fighting for self-respect. He has given more than enough yet he still has more to give but the consequence will be unthinkable, self-destruction and inevitable pain for both of them. Not only will he lose his self-respect but what really scares him is the possibility of no longer being able to give the slightest respect for her. He has put her on the pedestal of his heart for years and has had loved her in every possible way he can, beyond his knowledge of what love is and how loving must be shown. He has taken care of her for long, understood her, silently stood at the end of her tantrums and cried openly for her pain. He could never fathom why loving someone so much could tear a person apart, could never understand how he lost himself in the midst of giving everything he has. It breaks his heart to see her in tears even before he can turn his back. He wanted to hug her and stay and hope that everything will be fine. He wanted to convince his self that his love can do magic like erase her pain and is enough to un-complicate the situation and make what matters work. He waited for her to heal but she never did. And it was nearly late before he realized that his presence in her life was not helping her. He had pushed her farther down. For long, he fought for his love. With faith, he endured the pain. But loving her has taught him to be tough. Strangely, it was her who gave him the strength to let go. And with eyes closed, he walked away closing everything for them.
