The WhatsApp Femme Fatale

Recently, I heard a voice from the near past. A not so pleasant voice. 

Then came a tingle. It was my WhatsApp inbox, calling out to me, drawing my attention to a seemingly harmless message. It was from her. It simply said, how are you, how is life? 

Well, life is as it can be, should be, how does it matter, as she would oft say. I stared at the message for a long time. My head filled with the images of the past, of her betrayals, of my reactions to her. My heart sank. Will I never get to move on? Will she pursue me even in my new life? I replied. A nonchalant, typical polite response. Then silence. She had been like that. Blow hot, blow cold. You could never emotionally attach to her, she would clam up. I knew this from before, didn't expect anything beyond. I just wished she would stop messaging. How much can a person avoid? I had unfriended her, un-Linked her, but she refused to get the message. 'How are you'? Why are you bothered? I thought. 

Choicest expletives rose to my mind. I swallowed every word, put on a smile and entered an appropriate smiley. Day over. 

Couple of days later. Again the inbox tingled. There she was. Another message. 
This time, there was a new trick. She threw a baseless allegation against me, saying I had tried to defame her and that she would not tolerate such things etc. I read her message and fumed. She had this uncanny ability to get under my skin. I was still reacting to her. I wanted to say many things. A primary thought being she does not exist for me, why should I waste my time writing a silly (in very bad English that too) post on Glassdoor and use her name! Moron. Thinks she is the Queen or something, always on her high horse, looking down on others. I kicked myself. I switched off my data and tried to focus on work.    

After a couple of hours, I re-read her message. Full of hatred, vice, and cunning. As always. Attempting to play the victim, trying to act smart, fluttering her eye lashes, acting coy. I always thought anybody with half a brain could see through her act. But, men being men, and some women can never see through all these facades. Anyway.  

I replied. A harsh reply. I told her what I thought of her and her act. I did not bother to defend myself. I do not actually care, I want her to vanish. In fact, If I could,  I would just wish that whole bunch away. I can't. So, the next best thing would be to erase the memories from the virtual world. 

She said, she thought I was a good human being if not anything else. Well, I had been a close friend, she back stabbed me so many times, I stopped bleeding. Good human being, indeed! 

I struggled for a day to let go of the hatred. I slowly let it all go. I imagined her fading away, forced her voice to fade away. I want her to remain that way. Not even a memory. Nothing.