He had been seeing her ever since they were little. They had
been fond of each other from the time their homes hadn’t been separated by
walls. Luckily, they had been tall enough to look over the walls by the time it
was built. He had cherished looking at her dancing in the breeze. She moved so gracefully,
that, just looking at her made his heart flutter. That, and the way she laughed
as she swayed to the rhythm. There was something so magical about her laughter.
He had caught her glancing at him whenever he pretended not
to look and then she would shyly turn away, the moment she realised he had
caught her. He longed to meet her someday, but the distance of the few feet between
them was something he knew, he would never be able to cross. Sometimes having
your feet planted firmly in the ground could be such a terrible barrier.
Each day, he had tried to reach out to her; at first it was half
hearted, especially when he did not know how she felt. And then, he saw the
change. She was no longer shy, she would no longer hide when he caught her
glancing at him, and most of these days she danced just for him. They had begun
enjoying their time together, talking for hours, laughing. She loved getting
drenched in the rain and dancing as it drizzled, and though he hated it, he
danced in the rain too these days, just because it made her happy.
Their arms had finally begun to reach out for each other and
he knew the time had arrived. He would tell her what she meant to him and though
he knew, he wanted to hear her say so too and in as many words. The sun had
begun making its descent downwards. The sky had been looking ominous, and he
guessed that it might rain. He looked out for her and there she was, waiving
out to him. She had been a beauty back then and she was a beauty today.
They looked at each other for a long time, throats parched, their
breathing shallow, heart beating faster than ever and words refusing to escape
their lips. And then it began to drizzle, just like he'd thought. As each drop brushed against their skin, it felt like powerful currents of electricity coursing thorough their bodies. He held out his arms, and she entwined them in hers. Words
weren’t needed now. He pulled her closer and coyly, she surrendered. He encompassed
her in Maithuna, and it all felt so spiritual, so sacred- he the Shiva and she,
the Shakti. And then they danced, their celestial dance, unmindful of the
world, united in spirit, the union coming after what seemed like eons. Time
stood still for them as they lay entwined in each other’s arms, for days,
years, perhaps.
A sharp pain shook him out of his reverie, and even as he
looked in utter bewilderment and shock, he saw them ripping her arms away. She screamed-
not at pain of having her arms ripped but at the agony of the separation, and
then at the grief of seeing him being mercilessly hacked too. They caught a
final glimpse of each other, their eyes filled with tears, their hearts aching,
before they both crashed to the ground dead.
********************
Inspired by a couple of trees that I see every day on my way
to work. Two trees on opposite side of the road, their bough, forming an
arch that stretched to the middle of the road, like they were hugging each
other. And today, there was an eerie vacuum- just two stumps of nothingness.
