Perfect Strangers

Sitting across the coffee table to her, i wondered how long had it been since i had seen her last, how long since I had heard the melody of her voice, how long since I had felt the delicate embrace of her hand...it had been a long time...this moment of suspended nostalgia made my blood flow with the intensity of a ripe young river ripping through the brittle, dry earth to reach the ocean and fertilizing everything in its path.

We sat across each other...both wondering what to say...words had come so easy a long time ago but now there seemed to be a drought...just some affirmative smiles and reassuring glances...maybe to show that somewhere there were feelings resting inside and that they meant something even after all this time.

...had it been a few moments of silence or maybe a lifetime...it was finally broken...i had taken the initiative this time...just like before...the usual questions came around...the ones you ask someone when you don't really know what you should be talking about or if you need to be talking at all...

...How are you...
..............I am fine...how about you?...
..I am good...you tell me?...how is the family?....
...they are good...

Now that the formalities were over, i wondered why we had met at all, there was nothing that we needed to know about each other and there was nothing we needed to say to each other...but we had still met...in this uptown coffee house...just so that no one we knew could find us together...why spoil a good moment...especially when its gonna last only for a while...I agreed...

I missed you...she said...

...I did too...more than words will ever describe...I said

...so u wanted to study further, did you...I asked

...no, never could make up my mind, and then got lost in the complexities of daily life...she replied

...I heard that you were given an award this year, I was so happy, you kept all your promises, felt so proud of you...she said


...I said that I would, I kept my promises, but it would have been more fulfilling if you had stuck around for the journey...i said

...well i cant go into the past and rectify my mistakes, i know it may not make a difference now but I wish I had stuck around as well...she said

...its good to see you after such a long time...i said

...its always good to see you, there hasn't been a day since we parted that I haven't thought about you in one way or the other and missed you but then you learn to live...she said

...you learned quite early in your life, how to live!...I said

...life has taught me a lot, very soon, sometimes not in very pleasant ways...she said

Do you think we will be meeting again...i asked with hope

Do you think we should meet again??...would you want to meet me again??..she quizzed

i just looked at her...the coffee had arrived...it extinguished any chances of an engaging conversation...and I escaped answering the question...we sipped till the cups were empty and all that lay in their basin was the froth...

there was that silence again...what was left to be asked or answered...she didn't pursue her earlier question...maybe she realized i had anticipated a NO...

you have become even more handsome than you were before...she said

her response surprised me...like i wasn't prepared for it...you flatter me...I stammered

and you are even more beautiful than i remember you last...i said

...to you I am always beautiful, I know I always will be, you will always remain a fool...she replied

Have you finally decided to get married...you know its about time you should..she questioned

I will..soon...was my prompt reply

I will definitely come to your wedding..she said

I couldn't think of a wedding without you...was my cheeky reply

you are crazy...she said

I am...I agreed

the rest of the time...we just smiled at each other or asked some silly questions...but looking at each other must have given us the most amount of joy...it proved one thing...words may change in time..but feelings remain the same...fresh and beautiful...

...and then it was time to leave...like so many times before, we would take our separate paths...

before leaving she asks me...what gives you the strength to go on despite the fact that I am not with you and your love for me is still resilient after all this years..??

I am not alone...if you have an answer to the question...consider mine to be the same...but to put it simply...I don't expect, i simply love...piously...unconditionally...i reply

you are crazy, take care of yourself, i love you and I always will..she says

I love you too... i reply

I know...she smiles back...and disappears into the crowd...

...life has made us such perfect strangers...i think and smile to myself...