Dear

Someone leaned against my desk very familiarly. I tore my eyes away from my screen with a frown. Who dared to take this liberty?

"Oye", he smiled down at me. 

"What are you doing here?", I asked him, turning my frown upside down.

"Attending the AI bootcamp. They gave us a few mins respite. I ran up here to surprise you, and gotta run back in a minute. Can we catch up over dinner tonight?" 

"Of course" 

"Text me your favorite restaurant and the time, I'll see you there"

"Yea sure", I nodded and waved as he jogged away. 

-

An hour or so later, my phone pinged with his reply, 'Thank you dear'

'The hell?' I thought to myself and responded with an angry emoji. As expected, there was nothing more from him.

-

I entered the restaurant and found him waiting with a smile. His hug was warm but I was still smarting from his message. It didn't look like he noticed my coldness. 

To be honest, however hard I try, seeing him in the flesh, I couldn't stay mad too long. That smile he reserves for me will always melt me quick and today was no exception.

But I still had a few unmelted icicles left whenever I was reminded of-

"So... It's been a while since we met. How's it going?", he asked me as we took our seats. 

"Yup, two whole years", I was getting salty, "is that why you've forgotten what to call me?" 

"What? What did I forget?", he looked confused but was there a twinkle in the corner of his eye?

"Thank you DEAR? What the hell was that?", I was steaming now. 

He chortled. "Oh that was just me making sure you hadn't changed" 

I stared at him, incensed, "You-" 

"I...", he cut in smoothly, "will never forget". His special smile was back. 

I huffed and looked away to hide my blossoming smile. 

"Fine, I won't call you 'dear'. I know you hate it. But ... can I call you something else instead?", his voice was a caress.

"What?", I looked back at him. 

"Can I call you... mine?"

All the icicles melted in a heartbeat.

Normal People

 Hesitation. Doubts. Qualms. These three words always accompany every single interaction they have. Still, something kept them both in each other's thoughts. Constantly.

Even though it's been 5 years since they met. 

Until today. 

He was finally visiting her. 5 years later. Her little corner of the world. Where she has dreamed a million dreams. At least half of them had him in them. 

She has a hard time picking just few spots to visit in the 2 hours that he can spend here. Because she wants to retrace every step she has taken in the last 18 years, but this time with him. Show him all her favorite haunts and see him love them as she does.

She still remembers the shy and quiet pride with which he showed her his favorite place. Now she wanted to do that. Take him everywhere and make his mark so that after he leaves, she can live in those places with his shadow.

But. Just 2 hours. 

"I can't believe how fast 2 hours can go", he smiled ruefully. 

"I'm glad we made the most of it", she smiled back.

She didn't have enough time - she never will when the time is with him . But she achieved at least a bit of what she set out to do. She had taken him to her favorite beach - knowing beaches are his happy place too, the library where she lounges, the cafe where everyone knows her, the restaurant which serves the best chicken made just like she knew he would enjoy, the musical she knew he would be interested in, and now ending at her favorite rooftop bar.

Only a short time left before he has to leave. 

They lean over the parapet watching the city rushing by below them. 

The easy camaraderie of the day is coming now to a stilted rhythm. Though their conversations always felt like there were more words unsaid than uttered, the flow usually doesn't stop . But the farewells always have stumbles and stammers. Why is she hesitant? What doubts does he have? Neither can say. 

5 years have given her some courage though. She feels him looking at her and she turns to him. Leans in. He pulls back, doubtfully and slowly. She sighs. He is unsure and looks at her questioningly. Refusing to believe what she clearly shows. 

She looks away and says "am I getting this wrong?" 

"What?", he is still afraid to hope. 

She was quiet, trying to gather the words. "When I visited you, you asked your sister to come stay with us. Why?" 

He clearly didn't expect this. He was thrown. "Err... 5 years ago? Because... Because I thought you'll be more comfortable if another girl was there" 

She is holding the railing tight, trying to get the words out without breaking, "who else but you can make me comfortable?" 

He heard what he wanted to hear. 

He pulls her close in one sweep and lets his mouth hover over hers. 

"Really?" 

"Really" 

Kisses her resolutely. She melts. Without breaking the kiss, she runs her hand through his hair, the thick locks hugging her back. Exploring every single strand, especially the tiny ones above his ear. 

"Oh I've always wanted to do that", she sighs when they're done. Not moving her hand. Looking longingly at his hair. 

He looks amused, " THAT'S what you wanted to do?", he chuckles. 

"Among other things", she sparkles mischievously. 

Doubts - gone!

Hesitation - none!

Qualms - nil!

Conundrum

 "hello" blinks the text from him. Out of the blue. I double check to make sure of the sender's name. 

Did I manifest this? Though it's been radio silence between us, no one else occupies my thoughts as thoroughly as him. All those imagined conversations, all those telepathic questions - had they finally crossed the seas to him? Never had I intently stared at one single word for so long. 

Keeping the questions to myself I cautiously only say hello back. 

He continues with a "How are you?" 

What's he up to? I continue to wonder. For someone who had said he 'doesn't do texting' this sure seems to be an adventure. 

Also, the formality is making me spin my wheels at mile a minute. Why, why, why is he initiating contact?

Instead of screaming out the multitude of questions my overactive brain comes up with, 

"I'm ok", say I cautiously. "Yourself?"

Yup, formal is at least safe. 

"Fabulous"

Ummm .. what?! 

He follows that with a "where are you"

Ok now I need some answers, "I'm at work. Why?"

"Oh no reason"

He always has the perfect hook and I'm always the stupidest fish in his sea. 

I consider cooling off, letting it stew, maybe focus on my task at hand instead, maybe ignoring him, mayb- I call him. 

Now I'm the one who doesn't text. I can't pretend to be aloof anymore.

"What's up", I try being casual but can't. "Why did you ask me where I am?", I blurt out. 

'is the world ending and he's actually traveled over here for the first time ever and he's checking to see if I'm still living here so that he can look me up and I can finally get to show him all my favorite haunts and we can...' my brain is a hot air balloon inflating with the possibilities.

"I'm back home and was going by your neighborhood and thought of meeting up. I was wondering if you were visiting your family for Easter"

Way to deflate that balloon, buddy! 

Still... he's back in our hometown and wants to know if I am. Why? So that we can meet as 'friends'? So that I can be reminded anew of everything about him that I dearly miss? So that I can yearn after something I can never have?

Still... him making the first move and asking if I'm there makes the edges of my heart melt. 

'Stop that shit you absolute idiot' - no one scolds me better than myself. 

"Uh.. no. I can't take off from work now. So I'm staying back here"

"Ah, busy bee! How's work?'

And it's back to the same old story - all he needs to do is give me one word, one glance and I drop every single thing. Involuntarily. Unashamedly. My entire universe comes to a sole focal point. Him.

For the next forty minutes - natural, easy, interesting conversation. It's back to being 'us'. As if the last four years never happened. 

Wait - last four years! 

Four years of 'what ifs' and 'if onlys'. 

Four years after deciding 'I don't think this is going work. We should just be friends'. 

Four incredibly tough years of trying to get over him. 

Alarm bells finally pierce through my thick skull. 

"I have to go", I mutter. Though it sounds like an abrupt and rude end to me, as always he bids me a cheerful adieu. And never does he say 'don't go'. Never does he ask me to stay on. How is letting go so easy? And when will I gain that skill? 

I know that the second the End Call button was pressed, his world will go back to the one without me in it. Smoothly. Effortlessly.

But mine will take a long, long time to stop spinning on his axis and find stability on my own. 

Is this what living in parallel worlds feels like? 

Friends (are) forever

Nila stepped out on to the balcony. The party was still in full swing. But she needed to take a tiny break from the overwhelming love. This party was in her honor and she could hold the spotlight only for so long. Her colleagues who've become her thickest friends had gathered to bid her goodbye.

'Friends like these happen but once in a lifetime', she mused. Her new workplace is going to be just that - completely new in every sense. In a new city, speaking a new language, among new people. She was under no delusion that she'll ever get another group of such wonderful people. She would have to build a life from scratch. Though she looked forward to the challenge, her sense of adventure had to compete against her profound sadness in leaving her friends behind. She knew adventure will win in the end but it'll be a tough struggle indeed. Only the thrill of the unknown kept her going.

She heard someone open the door to the balcony, whipped around and smiled at Kadhir.
He held out a cup, "thought you might need it".
"Way ahead of you", she clinked her cup against his.
He put his elbows on the parapet, mimicking her posture. They both sipped silently, comfortably, eyes focused on the night sky and the city lights.
"so... all set?"
"Mmmm", she nodded, "Almost. Just have to pack a few last minute things. Then I'll be done", she said with a little sigh.
He let that sigh float between them for a few minutes.
"Didn't think you'll really leave so soon. I knew you were looking for a better project but this is quick."
"I know right? I didn't expect it either. But when Ms. Menaka herself asked, I had to jump and take it you know?"
"It sounds great. But, won't you miss... everyone?"
She didn't acknowledge that she noticed his pause. She knew he had changed that last word at the last second. But she answered the spoken question.
"How can I not? All of you guys, your friendship is the best thing to have ever happened to me. Missing you all can be the only reason that can stop me from going!" she laughed ruefully, "but this job is perfect for me and opens many avenues"
"Glad to see you so invested! Wish I could be too. You know something? This job is not my first choice and-"
"Do you think I just met you?", she interrupted, "Of course I do. Your dream is to build your own business. Setting up that training academy. How can I not know that?"
"You know who instilled that dream in me?"
"Your dad?", she hazarded a guess.
He smiled. "The idea to be an entrepreneur may have come from him. But the training academy?", he paused, "that's you".
"What?"
"Months ago, you were talking about your passion for teaching. I always wanted to run my own business and didn't have a clear direction. What you said about teaching lit a spark in me. I've since been researching how to translate the idea into a viable business."
"Oh wow, that's awesome! Are you ready to set it up?"
"No. Not yet. I was hoping...", he hesitated, "that I could have your passion to guide me along."
"What do you mean?", she was confused.
"I was hoping you'll be with me, in my journey, as a partner - in everything"
She turned to him, startled. She had suspected his interest in her. But she knew it could never happen, because her plan for her future was so very different from his. And because she valued him more as a friend than a partner.
"That's not... I'm not...", she tried to find the right words, "You know that's not going to be my journey"
"Why couldn't it be? Why can't you stay and... and share your vision with me and... and be with me?"
It broke her heart to know that she has to break his. 
"Kadhir", she tried to be gentle, "I'm honored to know that my passion inspired you. But do you really think I should not pursue my goal?"
"No, no of course not. But... but if you're not here, who else can inspire me? Without you, I have no reason to dream."
"How can you say that? You cannot rest the responsibility of realizing your dream on me. It's your dream and yours alone. You must make it happen, irrespective of me or anyone"
He was silent because he knew she was right. He knew that what he was asking her was unfair. He also knew that he did not want her to leave him, and didn't know how else to make her stay.
"I'm sorry", she continued, "I can't stay here. This project is a step towards my dream and I want it with all my heart. Please know, wherever I am, I'll always be looking out for your success. I hope to see you achieve your dream on your own. I know you can", she lightly squeezed his shoulder and stepped back into the flat, into the party, back to savor the best friendships of her life in the time she has left with them.
Kadhir stood looking into the night, his eyes filled.

[Twenty two years later]

"Sir?", the young man popped his head in, "there's a lady here who insists on seeing you"
Kadhir looked up, annoyed. "I have a meeting in 5 minutes. Ask her to come back later or wait an hour"
"Oh really, Mr Kadhiravan? I have to wait a whole hour to see you?", she neatly stepped around the man and into the room.
His grimace then turned to a grin that almost split his face in half.

Ten minutes later, meeting forgotten, they settled in to enjoy the coffee.
"So... Blue Moon Academy huh?", asked Nila, with a twinkle in her eyes.
"Couldn't forget my inspiration now, could I?", he chuckled. "So how long are you in town for?"
"Only two more days, I'm just here for my daughter's tournament. How's the family?"
"Great! The twins are ready for high school. Do you know they teach here in the weekends?", he said proudly.
"Why am I not surprised?", she laughed and added fondly, "I'm so proud of you, Kadhir".
"Glad you came in-person this time to tell me that!", he grinned. "Bring the family over tonight for dinner. It's been ages since we all met".
She nodded her assent. "Alright, I'll let you get to your meeting. See you later!" she stood up and held out her hand.
He took it and looked at her, "Thank you Nila, for.. for being there".
"Always", she smiled.

First time

"The first time?"

He scrunches up his face in an effort to remember. He turns and looks at the waves. I can see him starting to blush as the memory comes to him.                                                       

It hits me then that I've always loved to see him blush. 

"You remember Sadhana, right? One day after class, I drove her home in my bike", he continues, "she got down and without any warning, quickly leaned in and kissed me and then ran inside her house. That was the first time. It was very sweet and completely unexpected." 

"I wouldn't say unexpected. You are very kissable", I don't realize I had said that out loud until his head snaps around at me.

With mischief and mirth in his eyes he asks, "oh yeah? Then how come, all these years, you never kissed me?" 

"Because I was an idiot", I say, ready to throw caution to the wind.

He smirks and looks back at waves again.

"You know what?" I continue, " I'm much smarter now."

And that is the first time I kiss him. 

We don't talk anymore

Don't wanna text you

Then I won't want to stop

Don't wanna call you

Then I won't want to hang up 

Don't wanna see you

Then I won't want to leave 

Don't wanna think about you 

Then I'll remember 

how much I miss you 

The Reunion

'Batch of 2009 - 10th reunion' the banner proclaimed gaudily. Sara was thankful to enter the hall with Vini by her side. Being not particularly fond of the majority of her classmates, she felt confident facing them with her best friend by her side.
“There! I see Mina. Come on”, Vini pulled her through the sparsely crowded hall. Sara's eyes were arrested by a familiar face near Mina. She automatically felt her tread slowing down. No, she wasn't as confident as she thought she will be.
Before they could reach her, Mina screeched across the room, “Sara! Vini! Oh my god, how long has it been?”
'So much for a subtle approach', Sara sighed to herself. His head had whipped around at the sound of Mina's welcome. He came forward hesitantly though eagerly, "Hey.... Sara, how you been?”
"Hey Nikil", she managed.
He turned to Vini with an easy smile, "Hey Vini, how's the family?"
The hellos were all done and they had all found seats around the circular tables scattered across the room. Sara was thankful that no formal seat allocation had been done. She found that she still couldn't stand many of her classmates. And also she might not have ended up next to Nikil, as she did now.
"So, what have you been up to?” he asked casually.
"Hacking away at life, one day at a time", she said with a straight face. Seeing his startled face, she smiled her trademark curved smile. “I’m sorry, I knew you wanted to know about job, family etc., but I was feeling particularly philosophical then".
"Wow, you haven't changed at all, have you?” he smiled at her.
"I have, Nikil. I very much have", said she looking intently at him.
The hall had started filling up and the reunion events were starting. This was no place was intent conversations. Nikil knew that until he had had that conversation with her, he cannot leave the town. He was able to turn to his other neighbor only after he had made sure that Sara will meet him, at the cafe that had been a favorite haunt, the next day.
---
“It's a Latte isn't it?” he asked her, desperate to be right.
“Latte would be good”.
He heaved an internal sigh of relief, not knowing that she wanted him to be right and that she gave up coffee ages ago.
“Find us some seats. I’ll get the coffees”, he walked off. Waiting in line, he couldn’t resist sneaking surreptitious glances at her. She was lounging by the window, looking lost in thought. ‘What was she thinking? What will she say now? Is it too soon to talk about…? No’, he decided vehemently. He did not have the luxury of time. This was not college where he had thought, foolishly he added in mental parentheses, there was always going to be next day or next year. It had to happen in the now.

Sara was smart enough to understand the reason behind this meet. Though she came hoping that it might happen, she still found herself pleasantly surprised that it happened. Being of the group of people who always secretly wish for a thing to happen but convince themselves that such a thing cannot happen to save themselves the disappointment, she was cautiously happy to finally be sitting here, looking forward to coffee and conversation – the latter more than the former. Cautious, since she was not sure how they were going to talk about it; And if he knew everything that had happened. This train has to make a lot of stops before it reaches destination.
 He came back with the coffees. “So”, he said settling in. “So”, she smiled. Deep conversations have a tough time taking off. You can’t just dive directly into the deep end. Questions that will change his life were foremost in his mind. So obviously he asked her anything other than them. “How's work?” he started.
“Good, how about yours?” Yes, she was doing it too.
“Pretty good”
She smiled her knowing smile. They both understood they didn't really care about each other’s work.
He gathered up his courage. 10 years of separation and age gives that courage. “Are you ok now?”
“Of cour.... Oh”, she understood him and bit off her conventional reply. “Yes, I really am”.
“When I heard about it, much time had passed. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how to talk about it. I wasn’t comfortable calling you up out of the blue. Still I wanted to reach out to you many times, but -”
“But didn’t know how I’ll take it?”
“I’m sorry about it, you know. I really am. ”
“Nikil, it’s fine.”
“Are you really fine Sara? It’s not that I’m prying but I need to know. What actually happened?” He needed to understand and it had to come from her.
She looked at him, startled. The Nikil she knew was never this direct. He had usually been a little diffident around her, never really understanding that she always had given him more rights than he had taken. This directness made him more attractive.
“You know about the accident, I suppose”, she said with a slight question. He nodded.
She went on with her calm, measured voice. “It shattered me. It claimed my unborn and kept my husband and me in the hospital for weeks. After a while, we got better. Better in health, though not in mind. We were ridden with guilt. We blamed ourselves for something that had been beyond our control. It was natural to have a lot of ‘what ifs’. We had our fair share. Counseling helped a little.”
She took a sip from her cup. Nikil didn’t move a muscle.
“Well“, she continued, “it had been a little more than a year since our wedding. It was supposed to be the time for a newly married couple to get to know one another. Not to go through a life-shattering experience. This changed us. Completely. He had gotten married during a rebound phase. I had gotten married because it seemed like the right thing to do. But after that, we both realized that we could not find a reason to stay together. Every day, we kept finding reasons to stay away from each other. Divorce was the sane option. A quick wedding, quick death and quick divorce”, she gave a self-deprecating smile. Less because she enjoyed her wit, more to let him know that she really was fine.
“It’s easy to talk about it now. But I kinda withdrew into myself then. If it hadn’t been for Vini, I might still be there. I got a transfer to be near her family and have been there ever since”, she ended with the same smile.
--
There had been silence for about five minutes now – which really is a long time. She had compressed 10 years of her life in just a few minutes. It took Nikil more time than that to process it all. His mind was racing in a million different directions. Above the racing, one thing stood clear – his resolution of asking her to share his life just got infinitely stronger. The experience had emotionally scarred her but she was still the resilient, confident girl he had known. The scar had only increased his respect towards her.
He had always found it a little hard to collect his thoughts and put them into words when he needed to. And he found himself in the same unenviable position now. While he was struggling with his thoughts, she had moved on with hers.
“So, tell me. What have you been doing with yourself?” she asked. Five minutes were all she could give him to respond. When he didn’t, she didn’t get upset. She had been used to not hearing what she wanted to hear from him, that it had stopped bothering her long ago. With a mild shrug, she naturally shifted the focus.
It had always been like this between them. She had usually decided the direction their conversations shall take. ‘But today’, Nikil decided, ‘will be different’. He ignored her question.
“I’m glad you told me about… well… everything. Sara, will you give us a chance?”
This was a very direct and confident and yes, vocal Nikil that Sara was seeing and for a moment she was disconcerted. Though the question was a wonderfully welcome one, there were still many stops the train needed to make.
“What about… what about Nitya?” she asked a little hesitantly.
“Nitya?” he was surprised, “Didn’t you know that we broke up after a few months?”
“No…” she gave a sudden smile, “all I knew was ‘Nikil – Nitya’. It was our college’s version of ‘Ross and Rachel’”.
“She moved out of the city for her work and long distance wasn’t working. We realized that the only reason we got together was because everyone around us expected us to be together. It was a different kind of peer pressure” he sighed.
“If only…” he stopped.
“What?”
“If only things had worked out between us, there wouldn’t have been any ‘Nikil – Nitya’” he looked at her with something like a reproach.
She raised her eyebrows in an ‘are you kidding me’ look. “How could it have worked with us when you were already with her? From the time I knew you, you guys were talked of together”.
“That was all just talk. They took something I said, added their own meaning to it and started talking of it as if it’s a sure thing. I believe all I said was she was hot or something. College kids – what can you expect?” he said ruefully.
“But you never denied it!”
“Didn’t I? I tried really hard to convince you that there was nothing going on between us. But you were not interested. Whenever I tried to talk about her, you changed the topic”
“Nikil,” she was half amused and half frustrated, “didn’t you realize I was jealous?”
Now it was his turn for the look. ”Jealous?” he said unbelievingly, “You?”
“God! Don’t we know anything about each other? Yes. I was jealous. Madly so. I hated hearing of her. When you started talking of her, I was afraid that you might make me your confidant. It was hard enough to see my guy falling for another girl. I couldn’t imagine being a confidant for them too. That’s why I always changed the topic”
“I’m sorry. Did you just say ‘my guy’?” he asked, smiling from ear to ear.
She flushed and bent her head.
“Why didn’t you tell me this Sara? At least shown me that you were interested?”
“Misplaced pride I suppose”, she said shrugging. “I couldn’t show you my interest unless I knew you were free. But that didn’t happen. There was always this girl or that girl...”
“Sara!! You’re making me out to be a Casanova! Which other girl was there?”
“Oh please! How about Varsha?”
“Who..?”
“Varsha, from first year?”
 “Oh… her. Why would you assume there was something going on? I don’t even remember her”
“It was something that you let slip back in the day. Never mind”, she stopped for fear of appearing whiny.
“No. Tell me please” he was insistent.
“Well,” she started half-ashamed, "I had called you at midnight on your birthday. I heard call waiting. When I asked you the next day, you said you had been speaking to her.” She was fully ashamed now. “I got mad that you ignored my call to speak to her. My over-active imagination came into play then – I had you guys married by the end of that semester. Forget it, it doesn’t matter”.
This was a new Sara that he was seeing.
“Doesn’t matter? Doesn’t matter? If only I had known this, I would’ve come and told you point-blank that you were only girl who mattered. I always found you unwilling to talk about this. I didn’t understand why until now”
“That’s the problem with being a version of the 'strong, independent girl'” she sighed. “I wanted you to make me feel special, feel pampered but my pride always stood in the way. There was no way I was gonna show myself as a jealous girl who needed assurances that she was the most important person in someone’s life.”
She gave herself a little shake and continued. “Now that we have begun the full disclosure I might as well tell you all, I guess. Then there was Neela. I heard her in cafeteria one day, going on about how much in love with you she was, and that she had spoken to you about it and was waiting to hear from you. But I didn’t hear a peep from you about her. I assumed that you didn’t think me close enough to talk to me about her.”
“Wait a minute,” he interrupted, “you got mad I tried to talk to you about Nitya. Then you got mad I didn’t talk to you about Neela? What is a guy to do?”
“Oh they are two different things. You don’t get it”, she said impatiently.
“I have a feeling I never will”, Nikil smiled.
“Anyway, all these things contributed to my thinking that you only just thought me as a good friend and nothing more. That you found me easy to talk to and that’s it.”
“Well, the talking part is right. Out of all the girls in our class, you and Vini were the ones I found easy to talk to”
“There! That exactly is what I mean. See what you just did? When you want to make someone feel special you don’t group them with another person! Vini is my bestie, but when you say things like this, it appears that you put me in the same position as her. Any wonder that I thought I was in your friend zone?”
He sighed, exasperated.
She gave a sudden laugh. “You know what? Forget my stupid complaints. Water under the bridge. Good that we finally cleared it all up”
“Yes,” he said “10 years later!”
“10 or 20, I’m glad it happened Nikil.”
 “I have to agree. I'm really glad we cleared the air today”. He took a deep breath, "You do realize that you really are special to me? That there is a reason I came to this reunion? All through our college life, you were the only one in my mind. Even though we never got together, even after we went our own ways, I just couldn't shake you off my mind. No one else felt right. Not even Nitya", he smilingly answered the question in her eyes.

Her face lighted up. She couldn't believe she was finally hearing what she always wanted to hear. Her college crush, her closest friend was finally confessing his love to her! She had imagined versions of this scene many times in her mind. But never got the confidence to make it a reality because of her misconceptions. But today! Did the long-lost coffee break her reserve? She gave the coffee a sip of thanks.

"I'm sorry I kept these grudges. I should've asked you directly but couldn't quite overcome my ego.  I also must confess - you were the only one that was special to me. No one else mattered. If only I had the courage to tell you this then...", she sighed. 

It was his turn to light up! "Let the past die. What matters now is the future. Will you share yours with me, Sara?”

He held out his hand. She took it.

The Gift

It was their second wedding anniversary. Myra woke up to her husband's gentle nudging. "Happy Anniversary, Myra", he smiled down at her.

"Same to you, Lyan", she grinned sleepily.

"Come, get up. Come and see my anniversary gift", he pulled her to her feet.

He almost dragged her along the corridor to his lab at the other end of their house. "Lyan, slow down", she laughed breathlessly. But he ploughed on eagerly, not listening to her. They came to a stop at the door to his lab.

"Mrs.Lyan, I present to you", he threw open the door of the lab, "SWONIZON!!!".

Inside the lab, in the midst of all Lyan's strange appratuses stood a large obelisk. It was stragely shimmery and looked as if it was made of molten silver.

Myra caught her breath. "Oh its so beautiful. What is this?".

"This, My girl, is our dream come true!"

"Lyan, you don't say so! Have you done it? Really? Oh Lyan I'm so proud of you!".

Myra's husband was an enthusiastic scientist. Myra knew that he had been fascinated by the concept that many parallel universes exist at one point of time, and that he had been trying to achieve a way to travel through these universes.

"Myra I've done it! The Swonizon can travel through the universes!"

His feverish excitement had caught on to her as well. She pulled on his sleeve and tremblingly whispered, "Lets go for ride!"

"Wait a bit. I've got another gift for you!"

She turned to him in happy anticipation. He dragged her close and planted a resounding kiss on her lips. "Love you", he murmured. "mmmmm" was all she could mutter.

He then walked towards the machine holding her hand. He drew a pattern on the wall of the obelisk. It parted, revealing an opening wide enough to walk through. They walked in and the wall slid back smoothly. Lyan drew some patterns on the wall. Before she knew it, they were moving! Myra had the feeling that she was being pulled forward. She could feel each and every movement of every atom in her body.

After what seemed like two minutes, she felt back to normal. Lyan repeated his patterns and the wall started parting. Before they could fully open, Myra who was so eager to see the new world, stepped out pulling Lyan along. As they started to walk out of the obelisk, Lyan's hand scraped against the walls and at the next instant the walls had closed in on Lyan!

Myra turned in horror and yelled out "Lyan!". But it was of no use. The obelisk gave one final shimmer and zoomed out to a small dot. Absolute terror froze Myra to the spot.

After sometime she looked around, taking in her surroundings.
She was by a large tree which had some statues underneath. She did not know the country. She did not know the language. The only thing she knew was that it is the place she had last seen her Lyan and it is the place where she would wait for his return.

Years have passed. If you pass by that tree, you may see an ageless, dirty looking woman in torn clothes sitting under the tree, looking longingly at each passing vehicle, hoping that one of them will bring her Lyan back.

She sits there, with a torn cloth tied over her lips, holding in the one thing that her Lyan left her...the last kiss.




Author's Note: The incidents in the above story are of course a product of my imagination, but the woman is not. She's a real woman. She can be found in the area near the Nandambakkam bus stop. She will be either sitting inside the bus stop or under the big tree near the bus stop. The cloth tied over her lips is real too. That was the one thing that brought my attention to her. And the strangely haunting look in her eyes...ahh...that's real too.

Hindsight

It was her favorite pastime. Reading. She always found it so exciting. It felt like people from the days of yore were conversing with her through those printed pages.
One such book was holding her enthralled. Her eyes flew over the lines, taking in every word, '...on hindsight, I realise that...'

"Hindsight? What can that mean?", while she was looking it up in her trusty dictionary, her agile mind was busy offering its own meanings. "Maybe it's looking at what's behind. Or maybe it's looking through the behind. Oh what nonsense am I talking? Here it is. Dictionary says 'Hindsight n. - recognition of the realities, possibilities, or requirements of a situation, event, decision etc., after its occurrence.' So that's hindsight huh? Well."

Back to reading it was. But there was a quitely nagging thought at the back of her mind - 'Looking through the behind? Why on earth would I get such an idea?'

It was while she was lying awake at night after switching off the lights, that the old story she had read came to her mind. "If that man can look through closed eyes, why can't I look through the back of my head?". The idea took her fancy strongly. She got up, rummaged her bookshelf for that book. "Aha, there you are", she read the story again giving special importance to the measures the hero of the story takes to see through his closed eyes. He had spent years in the effort.
"Can I make the story come true?", she wondered. "Oh, go sleep you idiot", she chided herself, "This is a not a story book. It's your real life. Stuff like these don't happen in real life"

The idea persisted. She could not make it go away. She started practising the same methods. She put a candle behind her and tried to see the flame while closing her eyes. Though she could easily imagine it she could not see it. Everyday, she used to sit for a couple of hours and try.
"Oh I give up", she was exasperated. "It's been three whole months and I see not a thing".

But she was vaguely familiar of an impression of the flame when she closed her eyes. "Am I seeing it or imagining it as usual? Well it won't hurt me to try a li'l longer".

Stronger and stronger became the image, until one day when she screwed up her eyes tight, she saw an orangish oval. "Is that the flame?", She was excited. And lost her concentration. The image vanished.

Months sped by. She had used up more candles than a church. "Last day today. I give up if I don't see", she decided. She shut her eyes tight and started concentrating. The orangish blur slowly began to take shape. In a few minutes, it was the flame!!! She could even discern the blue part of the flame.

From that it was but a step to see other less brighter things. Slowly but steadily she practiced until one day her tremulous idea became real. She could see through the back of her head! She had developed a 'hindsight' - true to its literal meaning! But she revealed the secret to none but a trusted few of her cronies. Her extraordinary ability helped her become what she is today - an ultra successful undercover agent.

Even now, as she walks away from me after reading the above, what I have written about her, she knows that I'm smiling at her. I wave at her and she waves back....without turning.

Estranged

--A Sequel to Sunny Boy--

A gentle romance had bloomed between our hero and heroine. The relationship had progressed so far as to calling each other by their own private pet names. Soumya was 'Jenny' to Vinay, after his on-screen sweetheart. Vinay was lovingly called 'Vinu' by his girlfriend.

Vinay was in a good mood. The next day was his birthday. His girl had promised him a surprise gift. He had tried to find out from her what it may be. Try as he might, she was pretty adamant about not giving him the least hint. "It's gonna be something that nobody else has given you before" was all she would say. He spent the whole day day dreaming what she might have in store for him.

"Happy Birthday Vinu!", of course it was her voice that wished him at the stroke of midnight. "Thanks baby", he was happy that her wish came first. What continued was another of those talks-that-last-through-the-night! It had become a habit to Vinay to discuss everything under the sun with his Jenny.

The next day dawned bright and clear. She met him with a parcel. "Here's your gift".
Vinay eagerly tore the wrapping. Inside was a talking clock!
"A clock??", he was surprised.
"To remind you of me with each tick", she smiled. "Also, I want you to wake up with my wish in your ears".
"What do you mean?", enquired Vinay.
"Check out what it plays for the alarm tone", said Soumya.
He pressed the button to play the alarm. "Good morning Vinu. Have a happy day!" trilled Soumya's digitized voice.
"You're right. No one else has given such a thing to me", said Vinay trying not to show his disappointment at such a tiring wake up call!

As the days went by, Vinay began to get the feeling that he was having too much of his girlfriend. Not only was she constantly in his mind, she was physically present by his side at every available opportunity. Though their workplaces were different, they met for lunch, coffee and evening walk. If they did not meet, they conversed over phone. Or it was text messaging. Vinay felt that they each need a bit of personal space. The danger of them becoming much too dependent on each other was imminent. Such a thinking led him to accept a project at Delhi.

Though it almost physically hurt him to think about leaving his Jenny, he convinced himself saying that a separation might actually do them good. When Soumya heard this, she was devastated. "You're gonna be gone for a month?"
"It's an official assignment Jenny. I can't say no", he tried to persuade her to let him go.
"I can't be away from you that long", she wailed.
Heightened of his earlier impression about their increasing dependency, he told her with a hard and firm voice, "It just has to be done".

Is this the parting of ways? Or will distance teach Vinay the preciousness of their time together?
Or will the same distance help Soumya understand that she can be happy in her own space?
Only Old Father Time has the answers.

Sunny Boy

--This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living is purely intentional--

-- Dedicated to RNVK--

Vinay was your average kinda guy. Although if you go upto him and say this, he won't accept so (like the other average guys).

He had an average life - he studied engineering with a hundred thousand others. He signed up for work at a software company like a million of his fellow engineers. He had the average dreams of a young Indian. He had crushes on movie actresses. He was crazy about Jennifer Aniston. He was in love with Andrea Jeremiah. He dreamt about the perfect girlfriend. He had the average gang of friends.

In the average life of our hero, the next average thing to happen was an interest to pursue higher studies. Marketing was his forte. A distance-learning course of MBA was his choice.

The students taking the course planned on meeting each other and sharing notes. Little did Vinay knew that he will be sharing more than notes at the proposed meet!

They all met over coffee. Vinay glanced across the table. The world stopped. Time froze. Eternity became nothing. Never became forever. He had seen his Andrea. All his universe was concentrated on a single point. SHE was there. He did not know her name. He did not need to. She was his Jennifer. She was his dream. He felt like he was falling through a black hole. He was not scared. Because her hands were there, to hold him up, to cradle him, to soothe him,
to love him. He knew that all the 24 years of his life, he had travelled many paths just to reach this destination. She was his destiny.

He woke from his daze to realise that someone was talking to him. He shook his head and saw. It was HER!

"Hey Vinay ", she smiled.

"How do you know my name??", he was surprised.

"Oh I asked. Listen, I heard that you need some help with accounts. Maybe I can help you with that?", she offered.

Can you feel hot and cold at the same time? Vinay did. Like many average guys, he does not read Shakespeare. But if he had, he would've identified with the bard who said
"There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;"

Vinay knew this was such a tide."Thanks. I'd love that.", he grinned.

"Sure, anytime", she turned and walked away.

He realised he hadn't asked for her name. Though his mind said 'Andrea' and 'Jennifer' over and over again, he was sane enough to realise that he couldn't very well call her by either.

"Um..Hey..your name?", he called out.

His vision turned and threw over her shoulder the two syllables that were to be his mantra,
"Soumya".

So bloomed a gentle story of love and friendship. What happens thereafter? Ah well, that's another story. Yet to be written, by the Hand that writes all.

A Trip to the Surface

It was the day that Shiko the fish has been eagerly waiting for. After a long time he and his wife Rayno are expecting a baby fish. Shiko was waiting nervously outside the anemone cluster. Inside the cluster was Rayno and the baby will hatch any moment!
After what seemed like ages, Shiko heard the soft voice of Rayno calling her husband in. Shiko rushed in and saw the most beautiful little baby fish ever.
"Shiko, darling, it's a girl" said Rayno.
Shiko didn't say anything. He couldn't.
He gently nudged the baby with his fin.
Rayno said "Shiko, our baby was born on Full moon day. I'd like her to be called Luna".
Shiko nodded his head and said "That's a lovely name, baby. Luna it is. Our Luna. Our Little Princess".
Days passed by. Luna was almost 2 weeks old and she was learning to go out of her anemone cluster. But her doting parents never let her go out of their sight even for a moment.
Luna had heard about the wonders of the big ocean from the Old Crab who lived in retirement in the next cluster. She wanted to see for herself the many treasures of the sea and something they called the 'sky'.
But Shiko and Rayno kept telling her it wasn't time yet for her to venture out so far.
But after continuous requests, they agreed to take her out near the surface.
Luna was so excited to be going! Atlast she was going to see the 'sky'!
Shiko, Rayno and Luna swam all the way up and reached the surface.
Luna could not look enough! Shiko showed her the great big bright blue thing up there and told her that was the 'sky'.
"And look Luna, those white fluffy things are called Clouds" said Shiko.
"What is that daddy", asked Luna.
"Which one?", enquired Shiko.
"That long white thing moving among the clouds", pointed Luna.
"Oh that looks like a shooting star. You can see the trail it's leaving behind" said Shiko.
"Shiko dear, I don't think that's a shooting star...", said Rayno.
At that very moment the long white thing burst into many pieces.
"Hey I know, that's fireworks!" exclaimed Shiko.
"Oh daddy, it's so scary" said Luna.
The pieces were coming very fast towards them. And when they fell in the water they created such a big splash that for a moment all three lost sight of each other. Luna felt the water turning hot where the pieces had fallen. She could not see her mother or father. She called out to her parents but no answering voice came back to her.
It was a lone little lost voice calling out to the parents who will never answer back.
An announcer's voice from a radio in a passing fisherman's boat spewed out the news "GSLV crashes into the sea", which made no sense at all to the forlorn little Luna.