Au Revoir!

Anant's desperation was palpable today when he finally reached the station; he didn't care where he parked as long as he got a spot. Who cared if his car got towed away in the process? That was the least of his worries at the moment.

His only aim now was to find that one person who was dearer to him than his life and who was incredibly leaving without giving him a chance to say goodbye, without giving him a chance to look into those beautiful big eyes one more time, those same beautiful eyes that had gazed so lovingly at him moments ago. He was looking for that one face in the milling crowd at the station from whom he could not bear to stay away from for even a minute, was now leaving him to go to a place so far away that his heart was being wrenched from his body. What was she thinking? How could his beautiful, idiot Navya put him through this torture?

Anant hurried through the platform, his eyes anxiously searching for his love, he wanted to know exactly where she would be at that very minute. He didn't want to waste precious moments looking everywhere. His prayers were answered finally; an angel came to his rescue… He spotted her name on the right bogie and was about to board, when fate seemed to intervene yet again. She came and stood just inches away, yet he could not reach for her, nor could he call her name, when even a whisper would have been heard. Was there no ounce of compassion in fate? Was love always destined to be doomed? Why oh why, he despairingly asked, as his feet dragged him further and further away. Was he destined to watch her from only afar, and not be able to hear her sweet voice and drown in those loving eyes yet again, he asked?

He was not content just seeing her from a distance, he wanted to say goodbye to her and indelibly store her smiling face in his memory, to get him through the next few weeks. As he wondered how fate was teasing him by bringing them so close yet so far, the two angels who had helped him before appeared again. He sought their help frantically, and seeing his hapless condition the two angels could not refuse. Desperate situations seemed to call for desperate measures. Almost incredibly, he gained strength to walk back towards the train where his love was, and seeing his determination; even fate was not brave enough to intervene this time. She let him pass through.

When finally they saw each other, time seemed to stop… Two souls stood beseechingly staring at one another, trying to drink in every minute detail of the other. Words weren't necessary to convey their messages at this point; their eyes said them all. Her eyes conveyed her apology for not letting him know and in reply his eyes said, "How could you do this to me? " He was very hurt, his eyes said, and her eyes said, "I am sorry", she sought desperately to placate him, but his shock & anger were plainly visible in his eyes. She tried hard to make him understand her reason, but his eyes still conveyed his grief. She was in tears when he finally relented & typed these beautiful words, "Tum mera muskurata hua chehera dekhna chah rahi thi na… Kya yeh haq mujhe nahin?"

The haunting sound of his deep voice gave her incredible guilt for not being brave enough to tell him before. She pleaded for forgiveness and begged him to go, before someone spotted him, but he was adamant to see her as long as he could. When the train finally started moving, he waited to alight, until he could wait no longer. Standing there on the platform, he saw her disappearing from his sight just like the air was being sucked out from his lungs. He could not breathe; just stare at where she had been moments ago. He stood staring at the train long after it had left the platform, only to realize eons later, that she had gone.

He tried to focus on the present, but his mind was not cooperating with him. Nothing mattered to him anymore, not even trying to get his car released… He stood stunned at the sudden turn of events, finding it still hard to believe his Navya, whom he had held so lovingly in his arms not so long ago, had left him and gone away… He tried failingly to divert his mind away by suggesting coffee with friends, only to end up thinking and talking about her…

Hopefully, fate will soon take mercy on these two loving souls and arrange for them to meet again soon.