Strings of the Heart.
Nidhi was sitting in the hospital chairs, the strong smell of the phenyl looming like an omnipresent sprit, clutching the last few remains of Ashu's presence in his life.
The police handed over the artefacts recovered from the scene of accident. There was wallet, a bag with a few books and his Diary and the watch she had gifted him; the hands struck at 7:55 pm. It marked the time of his last moments. She slowly opened his wallet, a few hundreds, some old tickets a card and a Photograph. It was their last picture together; those tinkling eyes seemed to be mocking at her now. Nidhi opened the bag he used to carry. The diary, it was so special for him. He would always carry it with him, on tours, to the hospital, to any place he went.
"Thank God not the bathrooms", she would scold. He would laugh at this.
"I can smell something is burning" he would joke.
But never had he let her even hold the diary let alone read it. But today, there it was in her hands like a closed treasure chest. But it was with trembling hand she opened it. There on the first page was a beautiful line.
"Love is like the ocean, it is deep, vast and omnipresent."
He had written in his beautiful slant cursives. She smiled, despite herself, at the depth of his thoughts. She flipped through the pages; there were poems and later an entry. Like, he was actually talking to the diary. It was about their first date. He was all alone in his life...until she came...and may be this diary was his first companion with whom he shared his feelings!!!
They had been to the long Drive. Beside a river. They sat there gazing at the vast blanket of blue, lost deep in thought.
They were lost in the tranquillity for a long time. She looked at him and smiled. His eyes gazing at her. It was a beautiful moment. He slowly took her hands in his.
"I love you", he said still looking at her with that twinkling eyes. She smiled. And it spoke more than any word would have. That was the beginning of their beautiful relationship.
It was always the little thing that they enjoyed. It was not the expensive restraints, the fancy cars. But, teas at the little stall, chat night dinner, chocolate treats which they cherished the most. They never messaged the night away.
"Raat ka deewana" he would call himself. She would only smile and realise the depth of his definition of love.
Once, it was a very long and busy day they both had. They never even got to call each other. And so she decided to call him to her place as no one was at home.They had dinner and caught up with each other. It was way past the usual "good night" time but still there they were with a cup of ice cream and loads to talk. She led him to the terrace of her apartment. She lay there in his arms under the starry skies.
"It has been such a long time they have grazed at the stars" she remarked.
"No", he said after a small pause. Nidhi wondered what he meant. He replied almost as if he had read her mind.
"I see them everyday' twinkling in your eyes."
She shall never forget those moments.
She flipped through the pages and read on. She almost felt him speaking through the pages. Without even realising she had reached the last page of his entry. It had today's date. He wrote it probably just after her good-bye.
He called her evening just she as she was leaving.
"Hey. Where are you?" he asked.
"hospital. Just leaving." she replied.
"Meet me at the caf Corner, I have a news for you."
She knew she couldn't argue. There was something about his tone that she go weak in the knees. Despite having a report to finish she agreed.
"oh! Alright then I'll see you in an hour." she replied wondering what news he wanted to give her. She probably thought he was promoted; it had been due since a while. . She kept wondering all the way long. She reached there and saw he was already there. Sitting on his car, grinning his mischievous smile.
They went in and chose a table in the far corner of the caf. She sat in front of him and waited. The matron came by and they ordered coffee and a sandwich. She was still looking at him, and there he was, taking his own sweet time and left her to keep guessing. Ndhi finally lost her patience.
"Are you waiting for any auspicious time to tell me what you had to" she snapped. He laughed. Only he could laugh at a situation like this.
"Well, it's time we did search for one" he winked. She had already lost her patience and he was talking in riddles.
"What!?" she was angry now.
"dadi bua and col. Verma agreed to our marriage." he said. She was for a moment stunned. There was no bound to her joy.
"That's such great news" she so wanted to jump up and down.
"So let's get on with the preparations. They want to meet me this Sunday."
"Of course. They spent the rest of the time discussing like two little school children planning for a trip. They finally got up and left paying the bill. She decided to go home by a rickshaw though he insisted on dropping her home but it would mean going in an entirely opposite direction for him. As he prepared to leave, nidhi kissed him and turned to leave. He hesitate but enjoyed at the same time...
He called her back and got down from his car. He came forward and gave her a tight hug so much filled with warmth and love. He kissed her on the forehead and look at her. He smiled at her.
"Madam. Madam" it was the hospital nurse.
"Papers are ready and the body can be released" she informed nidhi. She was still hazed and at a distance she heard foot-steps echoing. She looked and saw baba walking in . She couldn't meet them. She decide she would leave their lives forever. As she got up, the nurse asked her to sign the papers. She refused.
"You are not his wife?" it sounded more like a statement rather than a question.
She was not married to him, at least not by the Thread of proof. Nidhi was bound to him by the strings of the Heart. She was sure she wouldn't understand. Nobody would. She left the hospital without ashu or his remains. With just a heavy heart, a numbed mind she walked back filled grief but yet flooded with memories of a life-time...!!!!
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