He was greeted by many, as he entered the lively, grassy and sunny spot near the clearing, after passing through the silent rustle of the trees. He gave a quick glance to the personages of the day. Many pairs of eyes fixed on him, but he nonchalantly walked away to take the furthest seat. Moving his head slowly, he looked for a place he could stare at without eyes staring back at him. And then he noticed, and his eyes froze at the picture scene.
On a girl..
As the she smiled and talked to the bride, her pink yukata, similar to the bride's, made waves of cherry blossoms as the light wind flew past her, caressing her tresses. The smile on her face shone brighter than the sun itself. Giving a Sakura blossom to the bride, she pinned one to her hair, too. And she looked at him.
It was just a glimpse.
He smiled.
She smiled.
And then the unexpected happened.
She turned and left.
She did not stop to stare.
And then the unthinkable happened.
He, after long, oh so long, saw a girl, worthy of seeing back.
As she disappeared into the crowd, he attempted to focus on his work, but the bright sun prevented him from doing so. And after hours and hours, the crowd diluted to a few friends and close relatives.
He picked up his vibrating phone.
"Stop wasting your time, you good for nothing-"
He disconnected the call.
He stood up from his seat and walked to the podium.
And he saw the girl again.
He moved over to wish the newly-wedded couple.
And almost suddenly, the heaven spread its wrath in unforeseeable heavy downpours.
Everyone rushed off to the safety of the trees, the only shelter in the naturally open lawn.
He stood there, his hand extended in an incomplete handshake, water dropping from his face.
And he noticed the bride.
The bride who stood by the groom who now was in some refuge of foliage.
Her eyes shedding tears, which dissolved into raindrops before falling on the grass.
Her mind still unable to process this huge a mistake on her most important day.
He took off his blazer, and putting it on the bride's shoulder, he brought her back to sense.
And he turned to see the same girl, rushing to the bride, a drenched tablecloth in her hand.
Their eyes met again, but only for a second. Telling tales incomplete, yet completely fathomable.
Her eyes wide, she pulled the bride along, but not before mouthing him a small thanks, her face and voice depicting shock more than the espoused themselves.
He walked away from the clearing, the downpour increasing every second, and made his way through the trees to his car.
And all the while, her eyes followed his every movement till he disappeared amidst the barks.
And soon, the rainfall turned into a mere drizzle, the sun escaped its hiding.
And she fell in a thought.
Those eyes that met hers for a second. Telling tales incomplete. Yet understandable.
Those eyes.
Those cold eyes.
Those hurt eyes.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
She hurried her pace.
She knew she would make it, but she didn't want to take a chance.
Making her way through the crowd on the busy road, she waited for the signal to turn green, and as it did, she rushed across.
She didn't want to waste the lifetime opportunity of working where she desired.
And just as she reached the place, her name was called out.
She pacified her breath. Clutching her file harder, she walked into the cabin, forcing calm.
Eyes down to her feet, she handed the interviewer the proof of her qualifications.
And taking a deep breath, she looked up to face the interviewer with confidence on her face.
And the visor of confidence slipped past her features as her face filled with shock at the intense moment.
The same cold eyes eyeing her certificates.
He never once looked up at her.
"Name?" He asked.
She was stilled to a statue.
His hurt senses darted from the certificate in his hand to the folder, to the ample amount of her achievements.
"Name?" He repeated, inspecting her resume.
She didn't reply.
"I don't want a person this low on confidence." And she came out of her trance to hear his final words.
"You are rejected."
And never once did he bother to look up at her.
She walked away with the folder in her hand.
And it rained,
And it rained.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
He walked into the plush luxurian restaurant and walked off with waitresses ushering him around. Men and women alike stopped to take a look at him. The chief waiter himself escorted him to his table. He beheld the view of the night sky and stars from the floor length window by his side. And when the waitress came to ask for his wish of food, he felt the desire to look up to her.
And their eyes met.
His hurt ones.
To her ones, with an unexplainable darkness.
She immediately pulled a smile on her face.
"What would you like to order today, sir?" she asked with a fake grin ornamenting her features.
Noting down his words, she walked away with the smile still on her face.
His eyes looked less hurt every next time she saw him. A bit better.
A bit more . . .
. . . Healed.
And his eyes turned back to the window stained with falling water and the city fogged off by the rain.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
She was late from work. Her mother would be worried.
She hurried off, and taking the cycle along, rode at full speed, ignoring the falling drizzle, which increased its intensity soon.
And she took a right turn at the almost deserted crossroad.
A sharp, harsh turn.
And the tyres skidded off the wet road, changing her direction to almost the left.
And the blinding light fell on her eyes.
She lost her grip, and fell harshly backwards.
Her head banged against the pole.
Rivulets of crimson velvet flowed from where she fell.
The person got down, walked to the unconscious girl, and picked her up.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hours passed. Days passed. Slowly they turned into weeks. And weeks became months. And these months turned into years too.
Three and a half to be exact.
But she didn't wake up.
He stayed by her side all the time.
That girl, who didn't even have a single source of family contact on her.
A girl in this era, without a phone.
He stayed, but never cried. The doctor said, she could see, hear and process everything around her.
He did not want to break her.
But he prayed.
But not to God.
To his late wife, who had left him alone in the world.
'I know you are with me. I know that you are aware of everything too. Please help her. I don't want to be crushed yet again.' He prayed.
Her last words still fresh in his mind, as if it was just yesterday.
'I finally saw you one last time . . . Please take care . . . I will watch over you forever . . .'
His hand on hers seldom moved.
And the fear existing in him, magnified.
After a few more days, her hand twitched in his. She woke up to be able to use herself to move, to speak. To show response to the still environment.
"Take care." He hardly mouthed, and left her alone to the scent of medicine. He didn't want to break.
He didn't want to be hurt.
But he knew he would be.
And although she wanted to stop him, words failed to leave her mouth.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
'We killed the family evident to the murder, boss. However, their eldest daughter wasn't found.'
He heard the sniper's words uttered to his senior co-worker as he passed the cabin.
Being the cold person he always was, he walked away without another thought to the sentences.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Destiny needn't be that cruel to her.
She was left alone in this whole, wide world.
Her mother left her.
Her father left her.
Her only friend married off to move to another country.
Cinders being the lone proof of the existence of her house.
Alone, with nowhere to go.
She was thrown out of the hotel for living long, more than her payment. Her money was fast running out, like mud slipping off her fist. And she still had a fortnight left before she got her salary.
His eyes fell on her as the devastated girl walked the footpath in the searing wind and raging droplets. He parked his car to the side, and decided to walk to her. He clutched the pocket of his suit. The ring that matched his, lay in it. The one that belonged to his wife.
He was about to get out of the car, and his phone fell. Picking it up, he looked up.
And he had the shock of his life.
The same assassin, taking his target.
And at the gun point, stood . . .
"NO!" he screamed and jumped out to the ignorant girl.
His eyes met hers for a fraction of a second.
And her eyes were shrouded in sorrow.
And he fell on the girl whom he had fallen for.
'I finally saw you one last time . . . Please take care . . . I will watch over you forever . . .' He struggled to speak, his voice barely a whisper.
He did something for her that he couldn't do for his wife.
He saved her.
He took the gunshot instead of her.
He breathed his last, one hand in his suit pocket, the other on her.
She couldn't understand. And when she did, it was too late.
The person in her arms, was no more in this world.
He left her.
The person she had unknowingly fallen for.
Dead.
In her arms.
"NO!"
She screamed.
But it was too late.
His heart, which belonged to her, had stopped beating.
And not later, her mind which thought about him exploded by the next bullet.
And as the crimson velvet flowed through the footpath, two strangers, no, two lovers innocently lay in each other's embrace, as their souls proceeded to the afterlife, and found their peace out there up in the heavens, in each other.