Lonely September

He stood beside the French Windows nursing a cup of strong hot coffee that his secretary had brought in; with a reminder of the video conference he was supposed to be attending in another… he checked the dial on his wrist and sighed- half an hour. His eyes focused on the crashing waves of the sea just outside his office once again. The once soothing rhythm was now like a torture to him. 

His eyes closed, his sigh fogging the window in front of him. The almost silent pitter patter of the rain drops taking him down memory lane, as it was wont to do. September, he thought, looking around himself. His charcoal grey suit, black tie, polished Italian shoes, suave and sophisticated offices… He couldn’t have cared less about all of that. There had been a time, when he would be one of those people- itching to go out to the beach, enjoy the rain and the sea, live – really live- life... with her.

How was it, that even the thought of her tripped his heart up… still? He smiled, but she had always had that effect on him, hadn’t she? Right from the time he’d first seen her, she had captivated him, his angel. With those beautiful sparkling eyes, that mischievous smile, that tinkling giggle… He looked out again, the couple walking hand in hand on the beach in the rain plunging him back into bittersweet memories. Of Her.

“Come on NK, you’re being such a bore!” His brows quirked up at the pout he could clearly hear in her voice. Oh, now he was a bore? The following almost whined “Please?” managed to extract a sigh out of him, of defeat- and of course she heard that! How a smile could light up anyone’s voce was beyond him, but that was his angel as she laughed an exuberant “Thank you!”  through the phone. 

She had been waiting outside his building when he left work- and her excitement as always brought a smile to his face even as he teased her, “You do realize it’s raining, don’t you?” and had to suppress another smile as she rolled those expressive eyes at him. 

“Yes, Grandpa.” She huffed as he laughed, but then she was tugging him across the road towards the beach. Bemused, he had followed her- captivated by the swaying curtain of black silk that hung down her back, as she walked ahead of him. Her small soft hands wound around his arm as they reached their destination. Her contented sigh as she rested her head against his shoulder, prompting him to look down at her- her simple glowing beauty in that white button down shirt and blue jeans paired with a pair of blue and white peep toe sandals still managing to knock him on his ass somehow.

And they walked on the sand, their steps falling into an easy rhythm that matched the one of the pitter-pattering rain drops and that of the waves. “Have you tried Mumbai’s World Best Pakode here?” she asked him and he looked at her again in unhidden amusement, “Mumbai’s World best Pakode?” he asked, a brow quirking as he tried to stop his lips from twitching and she smacked his arm furthering his amusement. “That’s what the shop is called, smartass.” And as he laughed some more, she turned to him, that small pixie, her hands fisted at her hips- “Come on, macho guy, we’ll see who’s laughing at whom at the end of this.” And she had almost towed him to the small shop at the almost end of the beach that was indeed named Mumbai’s World Best Pakode. 

“Kaka, don plates. Ani ek Mirchi karal ha!”** She had instructed the bent old man behind the wok in rapid Marathi, smiling back at him mischievously. And then she’d brought back two plates of steaming pakode- and watched as he ate one, and almost blew fire it was that spicy. And then she had been the one laughing, bent double, tears of mirth streaming down her cheeks, even as he gulped down glass after glass of water to try and put out the fire on his tongue. And as their eyes had met- hers still sparkling with laughter- he’d known there was no going back. He’d realized that he would happily eat spicy pakode for the rest of his life if it meant she would keep laughing like that. 

And he knew that she knew it.

He was roused from his trip down memory lane, when his secretary came calling again. It was time to go back to the boring working Singhania. But something stopped him and as he looked back at the sea, he could have sworn he heard her sigh, “I’ll always love you, NK.”

Clearing his suddenly thick throat he called to his departing secretary. “Uhm, Mrs. D’souza, have you ever had Mumbai’s World Best Pakode?”

I'm sittin' here all by myself
just tryin' to think of something to do
Tryin' to think of something, anything
just to keep me from thinking of you
But you know it's not working out
'cause you're all that's on my mind
One thought of you is all it takes
to leave the rest of the world behind

Well I didn't mean for this to go as far as it did
And I didn't mean to get so close and share what we did
And I didn't mean to fall in love, but I did
And you didn't mean to love me back, but I know you did.

And as he sat back in his chair, enjoying spicy Pakode with his old secretary; he looked out at the waves too, sighing as he gave in to her- like he had always done, “I’ll always love you, Payal.”   

     

NB: Lonely September by Plain White T’s

**”Uncle, two plates. And make one Spicy okay?”   

Endless Love

Alrighty loves! Think of this as a comeback for G- and also SoG! So I was thinking, how about some alternate universes? Review Please!

Endless Love

The numbness that had engulfed her in its folds was slowly but steadily giving way. Funny how the calm that had helped her make the worst decision of her life, almost breaking her in the process, now fled her as the time to act on that decision came nearer. But had it been her decision? No. Her heart told her, it hadn’t been hers. It had been her Father’s expectant smile and gleeful shining eyes, her Mother’s gushing praise of the life she would have, the life she would enable them to have as she followed their wishes, like the dutiful daughter that she was, that had made it for her. 

It had only been two days before that she had made her way to her Father’s office. Hesitantly, she had asked of him, her voice trembling- Could she have some more time before she got married? She was afraid she was making a mistake… And then she had come to an abrupt halt as her eyes had found his. She shuddered as she remembered the cold hazel that had scrutinized her. He was confident he’d chosen the best way of life for her. Would she dare cross him? Would she dare insinuate that he had been wrong? No. She was to follow through on their decision. The Rathores always kept their word after all. 

Even if it meant ruining her damn life, she thought bitterly, as gentle hands coaxed her to descend the winding stairs that would lead her to the Mandap. Her hands scrunched up the beautiful Cream and Crimson Lehenga that had captivated her so- ten months ago.  Now, it felt like a prisoner’s uniform. An almost hysterical laugh bubbled up her throat as she descended one step at a time. A black and white striped uniform would have been more appropriate right now, she thought, they were leading her into her cell, after all. With Ceremony!

The gold and diamonds adorning her wrists and fingers suddenly felt heavy… like cuffs. Her hands shook as she curled them tighter into her lehenga. The gold and crystal beads sprinkled all over it tinkling ominously, even as her cousin murmured at her to stop ruining her jora. What would Jijaji think? She almost snorted at that. What would he think indeed? That brute would be glaring over at her right now, annoyed that his wife to be was not behaving exactly like the lamb he expected her to be. The lamb that was being led to its slaughter.

The ruby encrusted Maang-tika on her forehead slipped aside as her head suddenly came up. Delicate lines curving above her brow as she felt like she had just been plunged into ice cold water. Her eyes found those curiously shallow black eyes that she had come to detest over the past so many months. His lips were curled into an expectant smug smile, as he watched her walk slowly towards him. A slight frown passing over his good looking but cold face, before he hastily shut it down. Her lips parted in a silent gasp as her as yet numbed heart suddenly jumped to life. Her nose stung, as her eyes slid from his and searched the elegantly decorated hall for those Mocha and Gold ones that had become her refuge for the past ten months. The ones which had beseeched her to come away with them even as they watched her walk away. She had broken his heart, mercilessly, and now- now she realized her folly. Oh! What had she done?

And then she found him. Standing still as marble, face pale, the golden depth of his eyes hollowed with pain. She had done that to him. That realization stunned the breath out of her, and in no time her brute of a Husband-to-be was whispering her name harshly, bringing her attention back to her predicament. She watched, her pulse quickening rapidly as he raised the garland of flowers, ready to claim her as his and again her eyes searched those Mocha depths.  

Would you take me if I came to you, still? Would you still love me? 

His head tilted slightly to the side, and a small dimple appeared just below his left cheekbone. 

Yes, My love. 

And that was when she knew. No one else would ever do. 

And in a flurry of Cream and Red, her jewelry tinkling, her arms shaking, hair flying- Payal Rathore ran to him. Leaving behind her, a surprised and annoyed ex-Husband to be and a stunned family. NK opened his arms as she threw herself into them, burrowing into his chest- diamonds, rubies and all. Neither of them paying any attention to the spectacle they were creating in the hall. Eyes blurry with tears, she leaned up and touched her nose to his, a tender smile lighting up her face. And he smiled down at her, his eyes sparkling a burnished gold, shining with equal amounts of tears and happiness. 

“What made you change your mind?” He whispered as he swept her in his arms and walked away from their still stunned audience. She wound her arm around his neck, one hand lovingly cupping his beloved face as she honesty confessed-

“Because I suddenly realized… No one else would ever do.”

And NK Singhania laughed out loud, the sound mixed with her tinkling giggle- as they stepped into a new life together- armed with their Endless Love.    

And I,

I want to share

All my love with you,

No one else will do…

And your eyes, they tell me how much you care,

Oh yes, you will always be,

My Endless Love.

NB: Endless Love by Lionel Ritchie