Unfinished Tale

I had been meaning to write for a while...and this was all that came out...suddenly I screeched to a halt....I could think of multiple versions this could take…I didn’t want to continue…seemed like one of those mushy Tamil movies….why was I writing this? I simply have no clue. I do need to keep at it, though…before words forget me…

Anyhow if anybody straying here has enough time to kill might as well read on……



They sat across each other not uttering a word. Life had seemed such a pleasure and possible just a few moments back.

Sumit had been waiting for Reena at the wayside café they always met in. The last two years had been difficult with both not finding much time to meet or talk. She had enrolled for a Masters degree and now suddenly when things seemed to be slowly falling into place he had just received the acceptance letter. He had always wanted an MBA to slap behind his engineering degree. And now finally he was so close to it…. but he was confused. There were so many things to consider…. Reena’s family for one….

Suddenly interrupting his thoughts the sound of anklets filled the room…. she was climbing down the stairs…. he swiveled back with a huge grin on his face. And there she was. Her hair swinging in rhythm to the bells at her ankles…. she was smiling and had something hidden behind her back…

The anklets had made him look at her the first time. He had been waiting outside the college library, patiently whiling away time as his sister made a scene sorting out her friends, books and what not. An innocent face, completely wrapped by a head full of jet-black hair, tied neatly into two plaits…she seemed to be hopping in tune to some unknown rhythm. He had smiled at her childlike demeanor. And then dismissed her till a week later. When she bumped into him as he climbed the steps to the cafeteria in search of his sister. Their eyes met, muttered sorry and they turned back at the end of the climb to smile at each other.

The next two years were the easiest of his life….they had talked into the night….sipped coffee at inane hours while his accomplice sister had woven her own love story. He dropped by after classes and only exams kept them at bay. He finished his engineering amongst the top five of his class, she graduated with top honours from her college. He had been picked up by an MNC. She decided to take a year out to figure out her priorities and give him time to decide on their future.

Now four years after they almost walked into each other, they had to take a tough call. They had never been away from each other. The casual glance had satiated them and they didn’t ask for much more. But knowing that the other was somewhere close by, to run across when required had always kept them happy and content. But that was about to change.

Reena had wanted them to tie the knot at the end of the year. She was finishing in two months and had already found herself a job. They were planning to stay with Sumit’s parents since his sister had moved to the US. Once her exams were over, they would fix on a date. After today she would meet Sumit only after two weeks. He was going to his village to meet his grandmother and seek her blessings for the wedding. The first time they would not be meeting each other for so long. She had bought his grandmother a small gift and couldn’t wait to show him the grand Afghani shawl she had bought. As she raced down the stairs she kept imagining his face when he saw it. His smile made her go weak in the knees even after four years. The world was a happy place, she thought as she saw his back slowly grow in size as she reached the last step.

His back was arched and the minute Reena saw his face she knew something was terribly wrong. Usually he yelled out for tea and stood up with his arms open. Today he sat still, looking at her with forlorn eyes. Her mind was racing; his grandmother had been unwell for a few weeks now. Had something untoward happened? She ran up to him and stood quietly. He took hold of her hand. She froze. It was ice cold and there was an envelope lying on the table. He nodded to her and as she tore open the cover to look at the contents, her heart kept chanting please let not anything go wrong.

At first she smiled, and hugged him. Wondered out aloud why he was being morose when his dream was about to come true. And then suddenly realization dawned........