"Can I meet him one last time?"
"Don't do that to yourself darling, just let go..."
"Maybe this is the only chance. I wouldn't be able to see him ever again..."she pleads, her eyes watery.
"Ok. But promise me honey, this last time would be the last."
"Hmmm..." she says, her face lit with hope, the same hope that had been shattered to pieces a hundred times before.
She puts the perfume bottle on the counter.
"Anything else Ma'am?"
Very reluctantly she places the bright blue velvet box next to the bottle.
"The total amount is 3500 "
She takes out her card, not sure if there are sufficient funds to clear the payment.
"Thank you Ma'am. Have a nice day."
"Can I have one of those..." she asks, pointing to a pile of glossy papers.
"Sure Ma'am...We'll gift pack for you."
"No, it's ok. Put it in the bag. I'll do it myself."
It's cloudy, it's windy. There is a deafening roar and in no time the skies break loose.
Desperately, she pulls the tattered sheets at the side of the auto, to cover the tit bits that lay around. But the Gods show no mercy. A gusting wind thrashes her hard.
"Madam, seat k beech mein baith jaiye," cries the autowala.
Before she can comprehend the words, her lean body is already completely drenched.
"Hi, can you call him once?"
"He is not there,” replies the man.
"Did he ask you to say this? I won’t be surprised if he did."
"Trust me. He left in the morning."
"When will he return?"
"No idea."
Broken, she turns around to leave.
"You are all soaked in the rain. Come inside. I'll make you some hot coffee."
She doesn't respond. She walks towards the lift and presses the button.
The lift comes to a halt. Fingers crossed, she closes her eyes and makes a quick wish.
Stupid girl. If her wishes came true she wouldn’t be yearning for him ! But her ever-so-optimist heart is never tired of hoping against hope.
The metallic door opens.
Once again, disappointment !
She gets in.
Another hope....
Disappointment, yet again!
Head bowed, eyes swollen, tears lost amidst rain drops and the paper bag held tightly to her breasts, she walks towards the huge grid of drawers.
Silently, she slips the bag into the drawer and turns to have a last glimpse of the small empty space in the parking area. A faint smile crosses her withered face. Hurriedly she gets back into the auto.
"Chalein madam?" And the auto disappears into the rain.
She checks the message in anticipation.
"Your outgoing has been barred as your mobile bill for the month of August is due. Kindly make the payment to continue the services."
She just doesn't care.
The train is about to leave the platform. She looks around.
Click! Her eyes capture the bustle of the platform. The train leaves the station. She would never return to that city again. The city of joy...the city of sorrow...the city of fulfilled dreams...the city of shattered hopes.
Disinterested, she looks at her mobile screen.
She reads on.
"Saw your gift. And I promise, I would tell her, it's from you to us. "
The "her", "you" and "us" echo in her ears. Her heart shrieks in agony. The pain is excruciating. She had loved him and she had loved him with all her heart, body and soul.
"Perhaps, it wasn't destined." she says to herself.
A gentle smile runs through her face. This time she knows for sure. She presses the ‘read’ button.
"Nobody can love me the way you have loved me. Perhaps, it wasn't destined."
"Don't do that to yourself darling, just let go..."
"Maybe this is the only chance. I wouldn't be able to see him ever again..."she pleads, her eyes watery.
"Ok. But promise me honey, this last time would be the last."
"Hmmm..." she says, her face lit with hope, the same hope that had been shattered to pieces a hundred times before.
***********************************
She puts the perfume bottle on the counter.
"Anything else Ma'am?"
Very reluctantly she places the bright blue velvet box next to the bottle.
"The total amount is 3500 "
She takes out her card, not sure if there are sufficient funds to clear the payment.
"Thank you Ma'am. Have a nice day."
"Can I have one of those..." she asks, pointing to a pile of glossy papers.
"Sure Ma'am...We'll gift pack for you."
"No, it's ok. Put it in the bag. I'll do it myself."
***********************************
It's cloudy, it's windy. There is a deafening roar and in no time the skies break loose.
Desperately, she pulls the tattered sheets at the side of the auto, to cover the tit bits that lay around. But the Gods show no mercy. A gusting wind thrashes her hard.
"Madam, seat k beech mein baith jaiye," cries the autowala.
Before she can comprehend the words, her lean body is already completely drenched.
***********************************
"Hi, can you call him once?"
"He is not there,” replies the man.
"Did he ask you to say this? I won’t be surprised if he did."
"Trust me. He left in the morning."
"When will he return?"
"No idea."
Broken, she turns around to leave.
"You are all soaked in the rain. Come inside. I'll make you some hot coffee."
She doesn't respond. She walks towards the lift and presses the button.
G...1....2...............6......8......9....10
The lift comes to a halt. Fingers crossed, she closes her eyes and makes a quick wish.
Stupid girl. If her wishes came true she wouldn’t be yearning for him ! But her ever-so-optimist heart is never tired of hoping against hope.
The metallic door opens.
Once again, disappointment !
She gets in.
10...9....7.....6.........3.....2......1.....G
Another hope....
Disappointment, yet again!
Head bowed, eyes swollen, tears lost amidst rain drops and the paper bag held tightly to her breasts, she walks towards the huge grid of drawers.
FLAT NO. 10-01
Silently, she slips the bag into the drawer and turns to have a last glimpse of the small empty space in the parking area. A faint smile crosses her withered face. Hurriedly she gets back into the auto.
"Chalein madam?" And the auto disappears into the rain.
***********************************
Twi twi,,, twi twi,,, SMS !
She checks the message in anticipation.
"Your outgoing has been barred as your mobile bill for the month of August is due. Kindly make the payment to continue the services."
Twi twi,,, twi twi,,, SMS !
She just doesn't care.
***********************************
The train is about to leave the platform. She looks around.
Click! Her eyes capture the bustle of the platform. The train leaves the station. She would never return to that city again. The city of joy...the city of sorrow...the city of fulfilled dreams...the city of shattered hopes.
Disinterested, she looks at her mobile screen.
1 new message
She reads on.
"Saw your gift. And I promise, I would tell her, it's from you to us. "
The "her", "you" and "us" echo in her ears. Her heart shrieks in agony. The pain is excruciating. She had loved him and she had loved him with all her heart, body and soul.
"Perhaps, it wasn't destined." she says to herself.
Twi twi,,, twi twi,,, SMS !
A gentle smile runs through her face. This time she knows for sure. She presses the ‘read’ button.
"Nobody can love me the way you have loved me. Perhaps, it wasn't destined."
***********************************
