F - Forgiveness

He froze in fear, small beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He was directly facing the barrel of a 0.38 pistol and he wasn't sure why he was not dead yet. The gun-holder still seemed to make up his mind.
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He could recognize him from a distance. The minute he saw him, anger rose in this entire body. He didn't know from where he mustered the courage, but he found himself pointing the pistol he had never used in his life. He had killed the murderer over and over in his head so many times before, but something was stopping him now. The image of Claire in his arms, as she lay lifeless, played in his mind. And then he heard voices. Voices from a conversation they had a few months ago.
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"Bullshit! I can never forgive someone if they hurt me. I would give them back the same shit they gave me! I am no saint, I am human! "

"But wont you be carrying the burden of hurt with you ? Harboring such negative emotions is only detrimental to you, not that guy! Forgiveness is not something you are giving to somebody. Its something you give yourself..."

"And how would that person learn his lesson? Forgiveness is cowardice. When you don't have the strength to get back at them, you tend to let go. Its a sign of weakness. Would you forgive me if I beat you everyday ?" He had asked, a small grin appearing on his face.

"Hmm... Its quite the opposite. As a matter of fact, forgiving requires the last drop of your strength. Try forgiving someone sometime", she had sighed, resigning to the fact that her husband wouldn't change his mind. Not his fault, it sometimes takes a lifetime to realize that. 
Almost like an afterthought, she had added,"I wouldn't punish you for beating me. I would just leave you and move on. You wouldn't have an inch of space in my thoughts ever again". 

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It was as if Claire was trying to guide him. He had never agreed to her then. All these days, ever since he lost her, only he knew how he suffered. He couldn't accept the fact that she was no more in his life. He was a wreck. The image of the killer kept haunting him and he promised himself to avenge her death.

He clutched the gun tighter and muttered, "Forgive me Lord..."

The bullet left the barrel and found its mark.

"...but this man has to die". Ironic, isn't it.

PS : I read an article in TIME dated Nov 23rd 2015. The cover page read "What it takes to forgive a killer". It was about how the families of survivors and the dead in a mass shooting in Charleston chose to forgive the killer. I was shocked at the enormity of this gesture. It left me wondering, if one of them came face to face with the killer, would he let him go ?

What are your views about forgiving ? How easily can you forgive anyone ?