He
stood there with his cycle, don't know for how long and don't know till when,
but he stood there. Just for her. Just for the glimpse of her which would not
last more than a minute. A school bus will cross him aggressively. In window
seat she will be there. He can see her, she can see him. Don't know how much it
mean to her, but for him, it's the greatest gift of his life. If he is lucky,
her stare will sometime extend to a formal smile.
Well,
of course she knew him. Not just as a school mate, but as a distant relative.
He don't know how but in some way she is his cousin. But terms were not good
between both families.
He
saw the bus which was coming towards him. He can identify it even from a very
long distance. The green color bus. He loved it. Only because it carried her.
He held the handle bar of his cycle more tightly. His heart beat is faster than
the bus. It crossed him, she crossed him. She noticed him. He knew it. Even
though she pretended that she didn't, he knew she did. She turned her head the
other side, but a smile emerged from her face automatically. It may be a funny
and teasing smile, saying "you're an everyday idiot". But he liked it
madly.
He
picked up his cycle and chased the bus till the nearby turning. He couldn't
match up with the speed of the bus. But he was happy more than any other day.
He thought it's love!
----------
She woke up that
day very early but all she has to notice is that, he is missing in the bed. Last
night, he was there when she covered her head with the blanket. She stood up as
fed up and started the search for him. Every morning she loves to wake up next
to him so that the first face she sees in the morning will belong to him. She
doesn't want to name it as a sentiment but wants to call it as love. The
morning hugs are always special and it gives lot of energy when we get it from
someone whom we love a lot and from someone who loves us a lot!
She found him. He
is sitting on the study table deeply immersed on the papers which are scattered
everywhere on the desk. The lamp is still doing its duty even after the room is
filled with sunlight. He is writing, his hand is moving slowly with the pen hinting
that he has been writing for a very long time. His glasses were little below
his eyes as his head is looking down.
She went near and
turned the light off. Startled by the movement, he looked up. She smiled. He is
expressionless in reply and continued his war with the pen. Blood rushed
towards her skull. Eyes furious.
"Can't you
say a good morning?" she yelled.
"Good
morning!" he replied softly. His tone no match to hers' in terms of audibility.
"Were you
working all night?"
"Yes. I
guess so!"
"What's the
need? You are a novelist I accept but there is no stressful deadlines and you
can do it whenever you want!"
"It's not
about deadlines. It's the respect for my work. I got a spark, when you closed
your face with the blanket and now it resulted in almost 47 pages of words!
See..." he showed the papers he wrote the whole night.
"Ok!
Mr.Writer. Is that over? For your information we have planned to go out
today!" She fired back.
"Oh Sorry! I
forgot that. By the way can we postpone it to tomorrow? I need to type this in
my system and have to mail it! And then I'm very tired." His face still on
the papers.
"Shall I
type it out for you? So that you can get some time to sleep and we can go out
by evening?"
"No I have
to type it out. So that I can correct the mistakes and improvise it on the same
time!"
"So that's
it? What am I supposed to do now? Watch TV all the day and have to see you
happily sleeping and snoring in your bed huh?" She fired the last round of
bullets.
He didn't say a
word. She left the room. Back to the bed, covered her face with blanket and
cried with no sound. She wondered whether he is the same guy who was chasing
her bus with a cycle in childhood!
----------
They both started
walking on that lazy morning sun which has two minds on coming out to start the
day. She held him close with her hand gripping around his hand. The pavement is
still wet because of the last night's rain and the pleasant smell of soil is
still in the air. He sniffed and one must say his nose still has power even
though he is very old. Her legs were steady even in that age and she supported
his comparatively weak legs.
A group of school
kids with sweaters and jackets tightened around their uniform crossed them.
They all waved their hands to the old couple and said "Good morning" in
chorus.
"Good
morning" repeated the couple timorously. They knew their time is near. They have to
leave the earth one day very soon. But they had seen it all. He, a successful
writer who won many awards, she, a perfect partner, a teacher by profession. The
sweet old couple has three kids and all of them well settled. What else they
need?
They had walked
quite a long distance for their age so they settled themselves on the stone
bench nearby. Both of their hands still touching each other. She laid her head
on his shoulder and smiled. He took his hands and tickled on her neck. She
giggled.
"You will
never change!" He murmured with smile on his face.
"Why I have
to? I still remember the mad boy who
chased my bus crazily with his cycle!" She laughed.
"And also a writer
who ruined your happiness on some occasions by spoiling your plans." He
said in a mild tone.
"Yes I do,
but I still love that guy, his writing, his skills, his love for me...."
"Well, that
proves you are mad too!" He cut short her.
Both of them
laughed loudly. Meanwhile, the sun came out very well for another big day!
