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The lush greens had always attracted me since I was a child. It made me feel closer. . . Closer to the nature, closer to my own self. I walked slowly with my hands clasped around my clutch. Even after all these years the woden white bench in front of the cherry trees seemed so familiar. Standing on the spot felt like going back in time. . . The time when life was perfect. It wasn't like I had spent my life weeping in a corner expecting the impossible to turn its nature. With two beautiful kids and a husband, I have spent my life quiet happily with my own share of happy and sad moments. Life has been pretty kind to me. Pratham had been a very caring, loving and understanding husband. He had given me everything from a shoulder to cry to diamond rings. My children Ashish and Amaira had been world's best kids to me. But yet today I was here waiting for him. Thinking about him my heart flutterd in the way it used to when I was twenty. A rush of excitement surged through my veins. . . I wasn't sure if he will come but he has said it twenty years ago and from what I knew Swayam Shekhawat was a man of his words. I carefully sat on the rugged wooden bench. With every passing moment patience was running out of me bit by bit. I looked around the surroundings as thoughts hovered around my mind.
The misty fog blurred the sight in front of me just like time has blurred my memories. No matter how hard I tried I failed to recognize all the details which had been once precious back then. His some of the words which had felt beautiful when he had said it doesn't come back to me now. Sometimes I feel like this shouldn't have had happen. Does it mean I don't love him anymore now? Have I replaced him with Pratham and Ashish and Amaira? My lips twitched upward thinking how even after fifty years of life I still was unable to unfold the mystery of love.
I suddenly heard some movements on my right side and turned to have a look, a lean figure seemed to be coming into the view, the fog clouded my sight but my heart seemed to recognize the person.
Just as he came into the view clearly my heart pounded and I felt for a nanosecond I was close to a heart attack but in a wave everything went still and calm though my legs trembled. He was here in front of me finally. . . It felt like a dream, like every day I will move to touch and he would just vanish into thin air.
"Swayam" His name came out of my mouth, nothing more than whisper but I guess it was audible enough for him because he gasped. But then he never really needed to hear my thoughts, he had always read them like an open book. It looked like time has just passed through without touching him. He looked almost the same expect for the fact that his hairs had turned a bit grey and his eyes adorned a spectecacle.
"You look beautiful as ever" Swayam said and I felt myself turning pink. Swayam smiled and held out his hand for me. It trembled a little. Age was getting better out of him in terms of health. I gave my hand in his and holding it protectively moved towards the bench where I had been sitting moments ago. We sat there like that for a while letting the feeling of togetherness sink in. It was surprising how this man can give rest to all my doubts just by letting me to have a look at him even after all this time. I looked at him to find him smiling to himself. His smile made him look like ten years younger.
"How has been life Swayam?" I asked him keeping my head on his shoulder. For some reason it didn't feel awkward.
"Right now it feels like a long worth of wait!" Swayam said and chuckled softly.
"Frankly, it's been good with two ladies in my house."
"Home?" I corrected him.
"Errr. . . Yeah home! My daughter is studying abroad and Shriti works for an NGO."
Swayam didn't ask me about my family. I knew he wouldn't though he wanted to know. So I myself stated "Pratham has been nice."
"He didn't really have a choice but to be nice to you" Swayam said warily and I stifled a laugh as I was reminded of how Swayam had threatened him to keep me happy and he too like a gentleman had promised him.
"You still like Dance? Don't you?" Swayam asked me.
"Yeah. . . It's just my knees hurt now!"
Swayam laughed and I joined him.
"Something bothering you?" Swayam asked as I looked at him surprised.
"How do you know?"
He looked at me as if I have asked a question that was completely irrelevant. I looked into his eyes for a few moments as my lips broke into smile and I said
"Twenty years had been long. A bit too long as I look back now" Swayam arranged a freckle falling on my face and I kept my head back on his shoulders intertwining my hands with his.
Not every person in your life can see you through your twinkling eyes and loud laughs and maybe that was the reason we both were here. . .we both sat as I saw the misty fog scattering bringing the beautiful view in front of us. It made me realize that I didn't miss this view; I missed this feeling which surged inside me after seeing it. Memories may have faded a little but the feelings which Swayam's presence had given me stays within me. I haven't missed this feeling ever. It had stayed with me as long as I have known them, giving me the strength to survive to watch this day. Pratham was a nice husband but somehow I had never felt these feelings which I did with Swayam, which I felt right now. I had never sat with him like this intertwining my fingers with him. I realized even after the faded memories Swayam had managed to live and breathe within me. Swayam grasped my hand around my shoulder possessively and I became conscious of the urgency and somehow understood that the word 'House' wasn't meant to be corrected for him.
They had parted twenty years ago and they still were not one but both of them knew an eternity was still there waiting for them to be lived together. . .
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