A Sad Love Story, but a Happy Ending -

It is 5:30 am in the morning, it is still dark and the Winter solstice is approaching. The rustling of the nearby neem leaves, the chirping sound of the parakeets blends with the morning calmness. As far as the eyes can see there are trees and mountains, wet with the morning dew.

He just got done with his meditation and is sitting on the porch, with some old Hindi song playing in the background 'Chalo dildar chalo, chand ke paar chalo' - (Translated to something like - "Let's go, beloved, let's go beyond the moon "). He leans back on his chair with his eyes closed and listens to the surrounding sounds. A chill runs down his spine and a moment of ecstasy makes him smile. This has been a ritual for years now.

Suddenly a noise interrupts the moment, and says "Morning Love". These are the words he has been living for all his life, and it fills him with joy. Everyday he has been waking up just to listen her sweet voice. He gazes at her affectionately, trying hard not to blink lest he will miss a moment. He had spent hours just watching her work. For him, she is the prettiest woman in the world. She indeed looks beautiful in his blue shirt and prefers to wear his clothes all the time, and he loves them more on her. She comes and sits on the chair beside him with her feet on his lap. He puts his hands over caressing them, the most beautiful pair of legs he has ever seen though signs of aging cannot be overlooked. He has been a victim of her charm for 30 years now. Both stare at each other, their eyes gleaming with love. A thousand words pass through, without a single sound. They know each other so well that usually a look is enough to talk.

She says she is craving for a coffee, he gets up like daily and gets her a strong lightly sweet coffee and some water for himself. He asks about some book he gave her and then a discussion starts over the miserable life of the protagonist. She had never read any books before she met him, and now he selects them for her. She has always been a morning person and now he is too. Suddenly the radio start playing another Hindi Song,
"Jo tumko ho pasand, woh hi baat kahenge".

He used to sing it for her, and a tear rolls down his eyes. He opens his eyes and comes back to the reality. A mistake he has regretted all his life. She is no longer with him but still for 30 years he has closed his eyes every single day and remembered every single moment they ever spent together. He still remembers her graceful movements, her tactlessness, forthright nature and her big glittering eyes. But now age is taking it's toll and the image is not very vivid. After her, no one has ever cared for him more, perhaps because he has never given anyone a chance. All his life he has has loved her even with irrefutable evidence of her not coming back, though he is no longer waiting. It is just that he couldn't love anyone else and moving on was never an option; but the fact that she is happy with her life gives him immense pleasure because this was the only goal of his life. He smiles again with his eyes still wet, turns off the speakers and leaves for a walk into the woods.