Story : "A Date"
"You have 10 minutes to get ready. Am coming."
"Huh? 10 minutes. It's 2 AM. Don't be a psycho."
"Shut up Rashu! 10 minutes. And you will climb the wall. Now go and get ready!"
I looked at the mirror, eyeliner smudged all over the face and lipstick was faded. I washed my face and changed my clothes.
The car beeped. I looked at the clock. It was 2:28 AM. I locked the door.
"You have to climb the wall but! "
"You are a dumpster but", I screamed.
"Do it now", he ordered.
I climbed the wall and jumped.
There was him. Gym clothes and a sexy smile. Suddenly standing there, I realized I haven't seen him since 6 weeks and this guy, for whom I climbed the wall and did everything, we broke up 2 months ago. I was quiet and numb for a moment. And I stood there remembering that he isn't mine anymore. But we talked on phone for 3 hours; just like we did in old times. Maybe that made me forget the truth.
He hugged me tightly and we sat inside his car.
"Cold coffee or ice cream? ", he asked.
"Uhm... Both? "
He laughed and kissed my forehead.
"You are still my panda.", he said.
We drove to New Raipur and he bought chips and cold coffee. We sat inside the car playing 'Perfect' by Ed Sheeran.
"You remember this song Arsh? "
"Perfect? What about this song? "
" Once we get off the car and it was a perfect full moon evening and we danced slowly to this song."
"Hm. I do.". He kissed my hands and held it for sometime, looking at me constantly.
"Why don't you forget anything? How do you remember every single conversation of us? How do you manage to remember all my shirt colors and my schedule and my habits and every single thing that I ever told you? ", he asks.
"And how do you manage to forget everything? It's nice that you can forget things easily. It's a curse to remember everything, you know." I fake a smile.
"Don't you hate me? I broke your heart. And even a 1000 apologies won't be enough."
I slowly put my head on his shoulder and intertwine my fingers with his.
"I do. But in the process of hating you, I realized that I started hating myself more. I realized that I can't get over you. So I accepted my failure and continued with my life. I can't do anything about it. "
"Hm". He sighed.
I hug him tightly and put my head on his chest.
"Even the heavens knew we weren't made for each other.
But the way your lips enchant my poems,
And the way those hazel brown eyes hold my gaze,
The way my words interlock between your jaws,
makes me feel, sometimes, it's enough.
I like the idea of loving you unconditionally. "
He wiped my eyes and kissed me. We slept silently holding each other. Suddenly it felt like morning after an eternity.
-Courtesy (©Rae Pathak, The Storytellers. )