REMEMBRANCE

            I lazily walked up to the balcony after dinner. It was a beautiful night. The moon looked liked a perfect circle and not even the tiniest cluster of cloud was visible.

            I sat down on the easy chair lighting a cigarette. I gazed up at the depths of the space; and the sky looked like a bride to me, ornamented with millions to diamonds and silvers. The moon to me looked like a groom, as handsome as ever sitting on a divine steed and tendering its lunar love to its bride. I could hear the the terrestrial music being played at this auspicious wedding night.


            The gentle breeze had almost glued my eyelids when a soft feather touch had on my forehead woke me with a startle. "How many times have I told you to give this up!". It was more like a statement than a question. She plucked the cigarette from between my fingers and threw it over the parapet. Her voice was soft and kind. There was no indignation but a timber of implore. She turned around and walked slowly to the stair case and sat down. I too followed her by her side. She looked grim and sullen. Tugging her hands to her knees she bent forward to place her chin on her knees. She gazed endlessly at the stairs below, sulkily.

                I placed my hands on her shoulder and said, "sorry". She turned her face towards me, replacing her chin with her cheek on her knees. Her eyes looked like a shallow lagoon. There were droplets of water of water on her eyelashes like stringed pearls. Her eyes were the most striking feature of her body. They were lovely but powerful. They were deeper than the sky. They were the eyes that could speak."What difference would it make, if she were dumb", I often thought.

                But that day it seemed to say a different story. There was pain, fear, sorrow and pity in her eyes. I couldn't really make out what she wanted to convey.
"Are you OK ?", I asked.
Silence was her answer.
She kept gazing at me endlessly, as if it was the last opportunity she had with her to see me. Her looks were piercing. They were sharp enough to plunge through my soul.
                  I let her hair fall, that was made into a bun. They were long and dark. Soon the locks came dangling across her face and seem to perform 'salsa' to the tune of the breeze.
"Would you like to drink some water ?", I asked.
Ignoring my question completely she said," Promise me, to be with me forever".
I was completely shocked by her statement. I some how recomposed myself and said,"Of-course !, I will always be by you, as I am now. We are destined to be together and even death cannot part us".
She smiled with a sigh of relief and dropped her eyelids causing a water drop to fall and disappear into her 'saree'.
Running my hand through her long silky hair, I asked, "Now, would you like to drink something ?"
She nodded with a smile and said. "water".
I stood up and went into the room and when I returned with the tumbler, she wasn't there.
         
                  I looked around calling her by her name, but she was no where to be found. Suddenly, I spotted her on the road from the balcony being dragged away by some one.
               
                    I rushed down the stairs and ran after her. She was screaming and yelling, trying hard to break free; but she was too tiny before that black and huge man. I couldn't see his face, but he was enormous. I hit him as hard as I could, but only to hurt myself. He swung his hand towards me, which sent me flying. I could feel the ground missing from under my feet and not knowing where to land, I closed my eyes in fear, until I landed with a thud. As I opened my eyes I could see my easy chair still rocking, or be chuckling in its own strange way.

                    The sun was peeping through the horizon. A bugle for a new day was about to be blown but my dreams seemed never to go asleep since my wife's death two years back. 
 


 
                                                                                                              Saint.