Govind stared at the note in his hand. Just one line, "Yes, I do." No signaure to tell him who had sent it. But he didn't need one. He knew just who could have sent it. And that's why he stared at it in disbelief.
23 years! 23 years gone in waiting for a reply. Hope, such a funny thing. Even in the face of evidence to the contrary, it had wafted around him at unexpected moments. A song here, a flower there, a phrase somewhere, a laugh... Anything could trigger a memory, a longing, and with it, hope. That their paths would cross, that their eyes would meet, that their hearts will unite, that their bodies will become one.
With each passing year, such memories receded bit by bit, but never completely vanished. They remained in a deep, secluded, cherished corner of his heart. He knew that by now, she must have married, must have children, must definitely be older... He calculated... 48, roughly... She was 4 years younger than him.
He sighed. "Yes, I do." The words that stared at him puzzled him now. Had she remained single? Why had she responded after so many years? He flipped the envelope in which the letter had arrived. The address seemed faded, but still clear enough for him to read. The date stamp read 23 July 2017.
She was in Delhi, about 1400 kilometers from him, in Mumbai. He would go. He would fly. He wished love had lent him wings, but he would have to make do with what was available. It took him a day to set aside his work and book a seat for a flight a day after he received the letter. Only onward, not return. That he would do after he saw how things shaped up, what they intended to do...
He was impatient and restless. Time slows when you want it to speed up and goes fast when you wish it to linger! He wished she had given him her phone number too. But the romantic in her would have wanted to play with him!
Finally he stood in front of the door. Her door. It seemed like hallowed ground. It took him a few minutes to realise that the haze was not in his imagination but smoke from incense and lamps. He noticed the hustle and the bustle, of a general gloom in the air. Not knowing what to do, he glanced around when suddenly she stood in front of him. Her eyes misty, her lips quivering, she looked just as stunned to see him.
"Govind!" she exclaimed.
"Maya!" he whispered, wanting to clasp her in his arms. The obviously inappropriateness of such an action at this moment and their own awkwardness stood in the way and he looked away shyly.
"I got your letter."
"When?" she demanded.
"Two days ago," he replied. "Did it get lost? Or did you send it only now?" he turned to her.
Her eyes were red from crying and anger added spark. "I have waited, and waited."
He was distressed. "So have I, Maya... I thought you didn't care for me when I got no reply!"
She turned away from him. "How could you? Why did you send a letter like a coward? You could have come straight and asked me!"
"I am sorry," he said, his head lowered, regretting the misery he had caused. "Were you waiting all this time? Didn't you marry?"
She raised her head proudly. "I married. But union of bodies does not make it marriage. The hearts have to unite, and that never happened for me."
He was silent. "I seem to have come at a wrong time," he murmured. "There seems to be a bereavement."
"I have felt bereft all these years, Govind," Maya's voice broke.
He stepped towards her when a girl approached. Without doubt, she was Maya's daughter. The resemblance was unmistakable. She must have been about 15 or so. "Have you come to see ma?" she asked.
He turned to Maya, expecting her to reply, but she just stood looking with love at the girl.
"Yes... I am an old friend of hers," he said.
The girl bowed her head. "Did you come looking for her? I am afraid, it is too late..." And she cried. He frowned, puzzled. Maya glanced at him and smiled.
"I am late, not you!" she laughed.
His heart trembled. She neared him and put her arms around him. His heart stopped. A beat, two beats... Forever.
He floated with her, locked in a kiss, his spirit soaring with hers as they united for eterniy, leaving this world behind.
"Poor soul. Why did he come here to die?" Maya's family wondered.
23 years! 23 years gone in waiting for a reply. Hope, such a funny thing. Even in the face of evidence to the contrary, it had wafted around him at unexpected moments. A song here, a flower there, a phrase somewhere, a laugh... Anything could trigger a memory, a longing, and with it, hope. That their paths would cross, that their eyes would meet, that their hearts will unite, that their bodies will become one.
With each passing year, such memories receded bit by bit, but never completely vanished. They remained in a deep, secluded, cherished corner of his heart. He knew that by now, she must have married, must have children, must definitely be older... He calculated... 48, roughly... She was 4 years younger than him.
He sighed. "Yes, I do." The words that stared at him puzzled him now. Had she remained single? Why had she responded after so many years? He flipped the envelope in which the letter had arrived. The address seemed faded, but still clear enough for him to read. The date stamp read 23 July 2017.
She was in Delhi, about 1400 kilometers from him, in Mumbai. He would go. He would fly. He wished love had lent him wings, but he would have to make do with what was available. It took him a day to set aside his work and book a seat for a flight a day after he received the letter. Only onward, not return. That he would do after he saw how things shaped up, what they intended to do...
He was impatient and restless. Time slows when you want it to speed up and goes fast when you wish it to linger! He wished she had given him her phone number too. But the romantic in her would have wanted to play with him!
Finally he stood in front of the door. Her door. It seemed like hallowed ground. It took him a few minutes to realise that the haze was not in his imagination but smoke from incense and lamps. He noticed the hustle and the bustle, of a general gloom in the air. Not knowing what to do, he glanced around when suddenly she stood in front of him. Her eyes misty, her lips quivering, she looked just as stunned to see him.
"Govind!" she exclaimed.
"Maya!" he whispered, wanting to clasp her in his arms. The obviously inappropriateness of such an action at this moment and their own awkwardness stood in the way and he looked away shyly.
"I got your letter."
"When?" she demanded.
"Two days ago," he replied. "Did it get lost? Or did you send it only now?" he turned to her.
Her eyes were red from crying and anger added spark. "I have waited, and waited."
He was distressed. "So have I, Maya... I thought you didn't care for me when I got no reply!"
She turned away from him. "How could you? Why did you send a letter like a coward? You could have come straight and asked me!"
"I am sorry," he said, his head lowered, regretting the misery he had caused. "Were you waiting all this time? Didn't you marry?"
She raised her head proudly. "I married. But union of bodies does not make it marriage. The hearts have to unite, and that never happened for me."
He was silent. "I seem to have come at a wrong time," he murmured. "There seems to be a bereavement."
"I have felt bereft all these years, Govind," Maya's voice broke.
He stepped towards her when a girl approached. Without doubt, she was Maya's daughter. The resemblance was unmistakable. She must have been about 15 or so. "Have you come to see ma?" she asked.
He turned to Maya, expecting her to reply, but she just stood looking with love at the girl.
"Yes... I am an old friend of hers," he said.
The girl bowed her head. "Did you come looking for her? I am afraid, it is too late..." And she cried. He frowned, puzzled. Maya glanced at him and smiled.
"I am late, not you!" she laughed.
His heart trembled. She neared him and put her arms around him. His heart stopped. A beat, two beats... Forever.
He floated with her, locked in a kiss, his spirit soaring with hers as they united for eterniy, leaving this world behind.
"Poor soul. Why did he come here to die?" Maya's family wondered.
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