Topic started by Jaya (@ acbcc57a.ipt.aol.com) on Sat Jul 10 15:18:55 EDT 2004.
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The storm raged and screeched outside the dim, dusty cafe. In the far right corner, one could discern a young man, sitting alone. He was reasonably good looking, dark hair, hazel eyes, medium brown in complexion. Yet even the light intensity of his eyes could not hide the state of his soul. He had the air of a man who had suffered many hardships in life.
I knew it was him. Slowly I made my way towards the place where he was seated. He looked up, " I knew you would come" and that was all as he returned to his brooding. The minutes passed and I waited for him to speak again. He was in one of his wild,unpredictable moods. His eyes stared up at the ceiling they rebelled at the sight of me but I was not hurt. The pain had long since been replaced by the feeling of inevitability.
"How many years has it been?" he asked abruptly. " Four," I replied. "And you are happy?" he asked looking at me intently. "Yes," I said softly, " I never regretted my decision."
He sighed and looked up at the ceiling again. "Why Raju?" I asked. "What do you mean?" he asked. "You know what I mean," and we both stared at each other, sizing up the other. " Maya Vinay," I knew the name hurt him. "It could have been different," he spoke wistfully. "But it wasn't, I'm married now, a wife," I said with an air of resignation, " and what's more," I steeled myself, "I'm a mother too."
"You sure didn't waste your time," he spoke bitterly. I refuse to retaliate, instead I ordered two coffees. "Why still the bitterness Raju?" I wanted to ask, " You should be married now, have kids, why live and suffer in the past?" But I couldn't. Four years had not erased old memories.
He reached into his bag as the coffees arrived and pulled out a little, blue, velvet box. "Do you remember this?" he asked, holding out the box to me. I tentatively opened it. Inside a gold ring with a single diamond sparkled. Old memories were awoken and my mind travelled back.
"You still have it," I asked, my voice was hoarse with shock. He took the ring from the box and slipped it onto one of my fingers. "It still fits," he observed sardonically and then slipped it off. "There was a time when you wanted to marry me," he said softly. "But I didn't in the end did I," I mused. "No you didn't," was his sad reply.
To be continued...
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