"Everything I do... I do it for...", music played in the background as I was sitting in the cafe cola on NH-24. While my friend and I were finishing our coffee in utter silence, my eyes goes across to the couple on the far end of the cafe. They were in love...at least the baby-pink love where two people swear to live & die together not knowing what happens the day next. On any other day, I would have ignored that and moved on with my life, storing some part of that picture in my consciousness. But not today; today we were heading to Lucknow for a friends wedding. Not an orthodox wedding with invitation, music and all the Indian fanfare, but to make sure nothing goes wrong. We were making sure two friends, two member of our gang, against the will of girl's parent, get married. Not many people knew about the whole situation. Only Raj and I right knew the silence was deafening. The call a week back from Andy, the days that followed up convincing him it may not be right and then the joining of force to actually make it happened has created a chaos in our gang. Friends were coming from far-far places and they all knew, if things go bad we are bound to end up in lockup.
Coming back to the young couple, I asked Raj, Andy and Cube (what we used to call the couple who were getting married to each other) were always like that. They hit off right from the time group came together. Raj, just nodded; he still pondering over the discussion. I had asked him to let it go and join whole heartedly. But for me it was recalling memories of the old. When the guy, slide down and rested his head in the girls lap, I shifted in discomfort as an old wound has just started to hurt. There are somethings of love that can never be forgotten, like the first kiss; the first fight; the first breakup. For me this brought the memories and the times we have stayed in the same pose...
Flashback...."In a water park, for the first time I had kept my head in her lap. We have been friends and now we are lovers. There are people watching but we don't care; we are the only couple by far but we don't care. All we can do is look into each other eyes while we talk (mostly I talk; she just listens). And as I ran my hand gently through her hair, I remove the clip holding them all together. Locks of hair fell like flakes of snow, smelling of flower... I pushed her towards me first time and say something in her ear. Not that there was something secretive to be said, but to see whether she is scared to kiss me. Of course I could feel her trembling and then next moment, I felt her moist lips...."
Flashback... "Not really sure where we were sitting, it was kind of a tree-house but made of stone and it was the only hideout kind-of place in the park we were. I went to meet her and she had arranged bike from a friend, so that we can drive far off...there we were, in a strange kind of tree-house and I was in her lap again, this time playing much freely with her hair. She didn't mind it either; she knew it excited me a lot. Then I took out a piece of paper from my pocket. One of my close friend, who knew about my girl-friend, wrote lyrics of song...my friend asked me to sing it to my girl-friend next time I meet her. And here I was, singing, while lying in her lap..."
Recent Flashback..."I just knew where she lives; didn't know whether she was happy with the new life, the people around, but I had to see her. I wanted that closure, I wanted to move on. And not knowing, I boarded the same train as she had to her town. She didn't see me through out the trip, but I did as and when I pass by her compartment. There he was, in her lap, her ten months old child, hugging on to her breast tightly.... I took the first train back"
The coffee had gone cold, the sun has broken out of the misty fog of early January, the couple had left. Raj tapped on my shoulder, that we should leave only to realize, the tear on my cheek. My eyes said I didn't want to discuss. Raj turned around and walked toward the car. I whipped my tear, gulped my coffee in one shot, with a smile coming on my lips, I walked on, thinking only that she is happy now!!!
P.S - What happened with Andy & Cube...they lived happily ever after!!!
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