Metro Diaries: Epilogue
The blanket of silence engulfing the entire surroundings, the twinkling stars, chirping of the crickets and the smell emanating from the nearby night queen tree, all seemed to define the night bringing out its magic more evidently. What defined him, he wondered letting out another ring of smoke into the air. Maybe these white circles do, he thought as they floated around in the air adding a mystic touch to the environment. His life was also like these circles. It struck him unexpectedly as he kept staring at them for long. Free from any bondage, floating away in abundant joy, no worry no fear, all they did was to exist and go with the flow. Unaware of the fact that it would all end one day, just the way it had began, suddenly.
Exhausting his daily quota of cigarettes, he proceeded to go inside. Not that the count mattered any more, but today somehow he wasn’t in a mood to break any rules. That rebel in him was hibernating for a while it seemed. Aimlessly he sat on the couch and switched on the television. “Ek akeli chattri main jab….” It blared catching him unawares. He didn’t remember last when he had watched TV, maybe that’s why it was still tuned to her favourite channel. Her, he reminisced fondly and smiled. Tonight was turning out to be her night.
Her favourite channel, her favourite song, she would have loved this moment had she been here right now. She was a radio in herself, always humming some song or the other as she went about doing her work. She would hum this song very often especially when they were together. He remembered it so clearly that even at this moment he didn’t realize when the playback singer’s voice had been replaced with hers in his mind. He smiled as he remembered how this song for her meant love, while for others it meant separation from a loved one. But then that’s how she was, different. Where everyone saw no hope, she saw shimmering hope. Where people saw hurt, she saw a lesson and where they saw possessiveness she saw love. Then what happened that she stopped seeing hope and love? This question hit him hard somewhere inside. Hard enough for him to switch the television off and go to the bedroom.
“It was a bad idea to watch television; maybe I should retire early today. Some sleep could surely do.” His mind seemed to be talking to him. Entering the room, he switched on the lights and glanced around. He slept here every day and woke up to go to the office then why did the room seem different today, he wondered. The windows -The flowing curtains drew his attention there. The windows were open today. The maid must have opened them while dusting in the morning and forgotten to close them. Will have to ask her to be careful and ensure things just the way they are. Shaking his head in disapproval he was about to close them when once again the warm damp smell, typical of the August weather enticed his senses.
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How she loved this season and always kept the windows open. I want to be put to sleep by the stars and woken up by the sunshine kissing my forehead. She would always say whenever he tried to close the windows shut. Well, tonight was her night so why not try to sleep her way. He mused and left the windows the way they were.
Moving on to his side of the bed , yes that side was still hers, just the way it had always been he opened the drawer bringing out a wooden box. It had become a ritual for him now, pop his daily pills and then read her last letter before the pills started showing their effect lulling him to sleep.
P.S: This is the epilogue of the story I am currently working on. I had this sudden urge to share this here, as for me my blog has always been the place where I learnt some of the most amazing lessons of life and am still learning. A part of my heart, sharing here with an expectation of it finding a place in yours.
