''You know what Ira, I just want the time to stop. I want to freeze this moment. I just want to lie like this with you, forever.''
''Forever?''. She giggled.
''Yes, forever. Why? You dont want to?''
''Paas aaeeye ke hum nahi aayenge baar baar...
bahe gale mein daal ke, hum ro le zaar zaar...''
''You know, you pass on your message so subtly. It hurts!''
''Do you have light?''
''I dont like when you smoke. Why can you smoke and I cannot?''
''Because I am elder to you and you've got to listen to me.''
''Fuck you!''
Smoking, looking at the dark sky with twinkling stars and lying with that one guy she loved. Ah! Life couldnt have been better. She too wanted to lie like this with him, FOREVER....
Ira met Vikram two years back, when Vikram's family moved into the city. Vikram needed a math tutor, and who better than Ira! She was the best math professor in the city. But she did not prefer giving tutions. But when Vikram approached her, she couldnt refuse. He was young, charming and charismatic. He had her at 'hello'.
They started with the math lessons, everyday, two hours.
He liked her company and so did she. Soon they started spending more time with each other, more than those two hours. Chatting, talking about things in general, politics, novels, philosophy, news, music, art et cetra. They grew fond of each other, came really close to each other. More importantly, understood each other.
''Ira, can I ask you a question?''
''Yea! Sure! Go on..!''
''Where is your husband? I mean I never saw him!''
''You sure didnt, because I dont have any husband.''
''What!! You never got married? Why?''
''Umm..because I never found my man. I had many men in my life, but none worth marrying'', she smiled.
''Yeah, I know. Ira, why do you smoke?''
''You ask too many questions!''
Thunder! Clouds clashed! It started raining. Raining heavily.
''Oh! How much I love rains!! Do you want to go up to the terrace?'' Ira asked Vikram.
''Yeah! I don’t mind. Infact I would love to!!''
Like kids they ran upstairs, opened the terrace door, and then…woohooo!
''I love! I love!! I absolutely love getting drenched in rain!!'' Ira exclaimed.
''And I love seeing you getting drenched in rain..'' Vikram told her, holding her around her waist.
Peals of laughter followed by moments that none could ever forget. Ever!
''Lag ja gale ke phir yeh haseen raat ho naa ho...shayad is janam mein phir mulakat ho na ho...''
Lying there, with a cigarette in hand, smoking, memories came rushing back to her. It has been 9 years now. She looked up at the dark sky, twinkling stars, slight breeze brushing through her face. Everything was just the same, except that she was lying there alone.
She had a card with her, a wedding invitation.
VIKRAM WEDS PRIYA.
WE HUMBLY SOLICIT YOUR GRACIOUS PRESENCE....
Crushing hopes, teardrop in her eye. She knew this would come, she always knew. But it hurt her this time, crushed her insides this time because she found her man and lost him. And what was the hardest was that she won’t find him again.
''Shayad phir is janam mein mulakat ho na ho...''
Stared back at the dark sky, smoked again.
PS: My first fictional story.
