A Cool Autumn Evening...

It was the onset of a cool autumn evening...the dry cooler air from the north had started flowing gently since the last few days...it felt nice on her cheek the other day when she was travelling back from work...and she had started welcoming it now...

Suddenly he said...there is a scope to go for a movie today...they had not been to any theater since August...

Maya checked her mobile app for any upcoming movie at the nearest theater and soon they rushed to the auditorium where the show was just about to begin...

The movie was nice... quite a engrossing one for a regional movie in that genre...soon out of the theater and they still had time for a quick bite somewhere close by but Maya preferred to return bk home... something inside her was pulling her back to the comfort and warmth of her own room...she had started feeling the cold of the weather seeping into the relationship...and it was growing faster every passing moment... she craved for warmth...

She wanted to speak to her best friend... to someone where she felt warmer... secured.. cared for...

She realized that the equation between them had changed ...more than 3 hours of the movie without even a finger touching each other...in the flash of a second she realized its more than 3 months that...she knew the warmth between them was gone...

She wanted to rush back home to the tightest hug ever...she knew if there was anyone who cud put her back to one single piece again...it was him.. someone she depended on...a lot..

On her way back...she spoke a bit to her best friend...Maya was slightly settled now after speaking to him...and slightly better equipped to handle the colder days ahead...

26th Oct 2016

He is Here to Stay...

Maya was dancing her heart out on the Dance Floor...Little did she know she had already floored him by then...Loud Music, dimmed lights and lot of friends defined the evening ... She saw him looking at her from a distance...with a grin...and then as their eyes met...a huge smile...a friendly warm happy smile...he was sitting with his drink quiet and quite far... She could hardly see him through the crowd and her eyes searched for him from time to time... Looking into his eyes made her feel peaceful and happy...Relaxed..

Maya was dancing to a latest Bollywood number.. their taste of songs were completely different... he liked old Bollywood numbers , classics and knew his music too well... though he equally enjoyed the latest numbers on the vibrant dance floor from time to time ...Their eyes met quite a number of times after that throughout the evening..

In the last few days Maya's eyes has searched for him again and again...she just wanted to see him...a single sight of him was making her a happier person..everytime she saw him...something between them sent warm vibes from the time she has met him...

Party got over soon..but not for Maya...she was enjoying with few close friends..and soon at the wee hours passing midnight her phone vibrated..Not expecting a text at that moment she took little time to check her phone...A text from him..Her eyes sparkled and smile reached the corner of her eyes...He had invited her over for a chat over drink..A few quick texts exchanged between them...He waited for her for a while too before going off to sleep that evening...but she couldn't manage to suddenly leave her friends and go...

Though her entire soul wanted to rush to him, wanted to speak to him ones.. something within her whispered.. "don hurry" ..Something within her wanted her to take time with him...to know why that sensation passed through her spine when he extended support for the first time... She wanted to know fast but the voice within her wanted her to go slow...Something told her...He is here to Stay...

It was time to part the day after...The time approached sooner and their eyes did all the talking...with a promise to meet soon...Life emerged and continued...

22nd June 2017

Unsent !

On a winter afternoon, Maya was standing in her Balcony with her favorite drink...a notification on her phone...a hangout message..one of her very close friends had sent her his location...he was in her city for a day ...they were not talking for almost 3 years...may be even more than that..and she had repented it more than ones...

She was elated but dint know how to respond...next day while thinking of replying to his text...by mistake Maya makes a hangout call..she disconnected immediately and wrote him back ..."sorry by mistake" ...

Silence again...for quite some time...few days and then few months again...

Until one night when Maya was breaking down to a crisis around her..it must have been 1 am or so and the only voice which she knew could gather her up and motivate her again at that moment was him... "can i speak to you for 5 mins" she texted with a lot of courage...Ever courteous as he was, he immediately called back...They spoke for more than 2 hours and saw the dawn together at 2 different parts of the world...she calmed down a bit by then... life felt in control once again...though as always she would hardly take his suggestions on anything...only to realize with time everytime that he was probably right...

In a few months he shifted to Mumbai...her city...but they avoided meeting each other...

On his birthday Maya wrote him a letter but somehow dint send it...couldn't send it...

"Yes a lot could have happened probably...i can feel that now...had i responded 3 years back...i still remember few words you had written and which had impacted me quite a lot...to leave the scar even today... "Taken" ...soon after my marriage was fixed...oh how could i even miss...its 4 years not 3...strange we are...i dint speak to u for more than 3 1/2 yrs and you dint bother to ask me even once...never ever...as if it was normal..as if nothing had changed...and then one day when i was too too upset with life..was feeling cheated...depressed...was getting choked...i just wanted to hear one voice...i knew you will be able to calm me down if not anything else and there you were with all the warmth...your warmth made me break down...my voice choked soon on the other side of the receiver...and we spoke as if we never stopped talking...

This is rare...precious i suppose..it happens only with best of friends i guess...

Incidentally now we stay in the same city...though i knew i never wanted it...even told you this but its me who selected the final house and somehow this arrangement felt perfect...i don know..which force is acting where...which is acting for us and which is against...i don know..i m totally and utterly confused about us...we are amazingly funny...we are trying our best to keep away and every force is putting us back together...atleast that's what it seems till now...

I remember we wished about sitting on your window pane and drinking till sunrise...but that i wanted to do in your city...which never happened and which i still want to do..yes in your city still now...you mentioned that i m looking for "companionship" in a friend...but we parted..willingly or unwillingly...

Yes i always wanted to stay away from u...you know why...its difficult...yes like lot of our contested discussions , you were right in this too...'either we should stay together or stay like strangers'..something u told almost 4 years bk..."

The letter still rested in peace in Maya's drafts...

Kolkata , 25 April 2016

My Stranger...

This was the second time Maya was meeting him in life...the first being almost a decade back...she had met him for work then...

It was their first informal meeting...She reached their scheduled place around 7 pm to see him seated in a corner table...a cozy corner..a place for two...the place was dimly lit with loud music...a pool table at the ground floor and a huge led screen featuring a live football match...the only brightness amongst all this was his smile...she was happy to see him...

They have been speaking since one and a half months now or may be little bit more...They spoke about their lives...their ongoing turmoils...about themselves...about their inhibitions...strengths ...weaknesses and then they met...it was long due it seemed...

They started off with their own share of wine...Maya started feeling relaxed in a while, from the skeptical self that she was when she first entered...she was too stressed with her ongoing divorce...a break-up of another very close to heart relationship...life seemed haywire for her when she met him...The dimmed lights helped her to open up...to be upfront about her feelings..about things which she has never shared with anyone...she opened up about her relationship...about the break-up...and he dint miss the tears that sparkled in her eyes from time to time...

The warm hand caressed her head...he mentioned with the bright smile.."God Bless u"...it felt like heaven..she has been missing this..she knew it was making her weak...It was all very intimate...a very very intimate discussion...they spoke for almost 2 hours over food and a few glasses of wine by then...and soon it was time for confessions... It was time to tell "truths" as he says...Maya was happy to hear how within the very short span of about a month...he has found a very good friend in her...Its after almost a year that someone made her feel happy..worthy..needed..she had a friend to depend on...yes they had shared with each other things and experiences of their lives...he has been a very active support during the most traumatic situation of her life...when she is going through a divorce...

Suddenly holding her hand he said "where were you all these while? Why dint u meet me earlier? Why dint you ask me?" ...Maya with a little pause, replied "was fighting with life" ...somehow silence was growing stronger between them...and she could understand she was herself avoiding looking into his eyes...soon he mentioned that he likes her...they shared their similar difficulties...difficult times of life...how both of them dreaded weekends...they spoke...She was feeling blessed and relaxed after so many months...And soon the warm soft hand touched her again...no not her head anymore..this time its her cheek...she could feel his entire wide soft and warm palm on her face...wiping her tears...smile struggled through her tears...it was the 1st time she was experiencing something so beautiful... A touch which dint feel unknown for her to move away...as if she was waiting for this..as if it was so close to her and yet she was searching it...it felt eternal...a spark went down her spine...a fire within wanted to frame the moment...she was slightly touching his other hand by then...this was the first time she was touched so beautifully deep inside..the first time in a public place by any man ever as if they were bound to meet...as if he was the man...

He drove her back home... their fingers never left each other the entire time...parting seemed so very difficult...only with the hope to meet again...Maya wanted to meet him again, may be next day itself but she was silent...it was too much of happiness for her on a single day...she was scared that she wont be able to handle it...he left...he vanished...After much trial when she could finally reach him next day evening...he mentioned..what do you expect out of me..."we were acquaintances,we met...we had a nice time"...it echoed in her heart more than in her ears...yesterday seemed a dream to her now and she silently mentioned "My Stranger..."

It was someone who touched her scar to feel it..rather than just seeing it...

Kolkata , 7th Feb 2016

Stalk Exchange !

"Where is Aakash?" Maya asked...'it's his off day today ma'am'...someone across the counte

​​

r replied...Maya ordered her LIIT and 2 large JD for her man...

They met at BSE midweek on a Tuesday...and though he offered to collect her , "collect", ya thats what he preferred calling it...she wanted to come on her own...much like the fiercely independent woman that she was...

It was about 9.30 pm...Her all black dress showed her cleavage slightly as she waited for him downstairs... It was exactly after 4 mins when he arrived in his black car...tall fair handsome man in his jeans and orange tees...he looked much younger than what he does in his office attire...he seemed strong enough too..enough to hold Maya up if she faltered...

Loud music dint allow them to sit across the table so they decided to shift to the bar stools instead...they started talking...Maya was amazed to see how this man knew small details about her...even things which she had conveniently kept away from the eyes of the social self that she was...

They were almost finishing their first order.. When Maya looked into his eyes and asked..."Can I get drunk?"...not knowing probably What it would mean...he replied "ya sure!" She probably wanted to let loose...knowing she ll b taken care of...

Party soon got over around 12 with her second LIIT...a dinner so late at night was only possible at very few places... A Uber soon took them to The Park...the best memory she ever had after that was her man feeding her all through...she felt like a kid...pampered.. cared for..loved...angelic...

The second time when Maya looked into his eyes...it was almost 2 am..there still was a sparkle in his eyes...he was standing very close to her...Maya could almost smell the wild intoxicating aroma that he had...one specific to him...wild enough for her to hold him close to her for a few more moments..wanting to be there...

Maya was dropped back that night after a quick sleep on his lap in the car...his fingers ran down her open hair...hands caressed her putting her off to a peaceful sleep...the rocking evening melted into a cozy night which ended up being one of the most memorable nights of Maya's life till now..

Next day morning the look in his eyes said there was more to it...more than what Maya knew or ever wanted to know...

Kolkata, 15th April 2016