Thank you Note to my Friend

The wind swept the grass in a gentle undulating motion. It appeared like waves touching the shore. Softly. Eternally. I walked on a path which was leading to nowhere. For me to be exact. It was only a country road. With the grass reclaiming its own territory.

I was in search of a miracle. That would bring the smile back on my face. It was a deep felt longing for small things which started searing my senses. And my soul. My inner core. And my very being.?

The country road curved and I saw her in the distance walking towards me. Her face was a deep glow amidst the sheer granite. She was obviously on a walk unlike me - a man walking to an unknown destination. As we crossed each other, I looked into her eyes and saw the smile. I said hello and on a walk? She replied yes. And then we were on our ways. For a distance only. And then I turned around and walked the way I came.?

She saw me and stopped. I asked her, are you from these whereabouts? She simply said yes! And that’s how we met.?

I remember she would wait, and I too would when we wanted to go on those walks and we would not talk much. We would watch the sun rising. Chasing the blues away. Painting the sky orange. Watch the birds. Listen to the wind and the timber making sounds in the still of the mornings.

When I am with her the tug in my heart used to make me sing. She would laugh because I was a terrible singer. Not renowned for sure. Her voice had a deep cadence.

One day she said let us meet in a restaurant and have lunch together.

When she walked in on that day at the restaurant, it was a beautiful day, sunny and bright, and when she walked in, she actually took my breath away. She had a way of carrying herself. The way she dressed, all blues, like the shimmering waters under a moonlight sky, and the matured conversations, they always zapped me. And this time it was no news either.

Every topic would start “hey you know “and then goes on. She wants to do something for the society in her own way. Walked away from a cushy job in search of her dreams. Her eyes would light up every time the conversation veered towards her dreams. As the crowd in the restaurant thinned, I could see her more animatedly discussing what she wants to do and of being somebody in life. Bring in a change.

Suddenly she veers towards a different topic and brings on a mischievous smile on her face when she said she would have an adventure of a lifetime if she were to experience meeting her partner in a train, everything raw, not knowing what is going to happen next. And in real life.

She says thanks in a twang, every time I say you are doing good and keep it up.

I did not want the evening to come to an end. It was pretty late. The music had died down. No more music I thought. The hushed tones of the people walking down. We sat on the steps and were silent. I said why we did not meet earlier and where were you? She just smiled. I could feel the pain and saw her eyes flashed. In an unknown and unfathomable anger. And then said, yes, we should have met a long time ago and we did not. She was like the lady protagonist of a beautiful movie which I had watched a long time ago. Jab We Met. All vivacious. Devilry. Powerhouse. And a dynamite. Beyond mere mortals like me. Only we can wish to be with them for a time. And nature conspires and ensures that it goes away in a whiff of smoke. Of dying embers. Clouds scattered. That way.?

And then she left. I watched her sashaying away. I did not stop her because I knew I could not.

We would speak over phones; write messages and I would read about her successes. She went incommunicado.

I wait for her to call me again. I pine to listen to her laughter. And then walk again with her on those country roads where we all started. A big thanks to her for making me feel good deep inside. Making me a better person. Bringing a hope of seeing again. And walking again. The roads beckons now and the hills too seek my attention. Hope to be there with her. One day.

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