The Reunion!
A piece of Fiction
By: Farhat Fayaz Pushoo
“…for those who love with their heart and soul there is no such thing as separation” – Rumi
He was young, athletic, having a lavished life-style and everything at his disposal, he was unknown of the tragedies of life. Being raised up in one of the elite families, having studied in one of the prestigious institutes of the country, he was someone seen as an inspiration by the younger lot of the neighboring place.
It was just another normal autumn day, the sky was clear and the sun out, shining to full. He decide to drive to his favorite place, to the heights of Indervani, it was a place that gave him solace away from the chaotic world, the world of unfaithful he termed it as. With naked trees, as the fall had began, plus autumn being his favorite. He was a voracious reader and always had a thirst for reading. Spending time alone was a rare part of his life, as the busy schedule had taken a toll on him.
It was during the course of his college life, he had fallen for the girl of his dreams. Her appearance was that of a sunset on west-coast, it was as if spring will “soon” meet autumn, it was a first time experience, she was something unique and rare, she was more of a dream than a reality and dreams are meant to be accomplished.
For him, dreams always came in fragments and it was how his parallel life could be. Every time he used to glance at her, he found her quite and calm, away from the hustle and bustle. It was just one sunny afternoon during his college life, he decided to give it a shot. It wasn’t a cake walk, going out there and expressing his heart out was something he hadn’t ever done.
With a letter in on hand, a rose in another, he approached her, stumbling, shivering, his face wore a pale look. She looked serene, at peace, she had now understood the moments of gazing and glancing. As he put his plea in her court, she remained calm, she didn’t utter a word, a silence descended as if his heart knew it will be a nod in yes. As if, words had lost their essence, as if a bond has developed that transcended every understanding and language, which connected the two hearts and the two souls. In that moment as if he had lived till eternity. The silence and the nod in yes, made him to taste forever. Both had accepted each other as their soulmates. Both had promised a forever, both had promised each other being their till eternity. But what fate and life had in store, was known to none.
As they say, we are most alive when we are in love, it was turning into reality, with every text pouring, the adrenaline rush used to rocket up. He sneaked on to his phone with a single beep, or every time her name popped up on that notification panel. From those brimming rays of light to the bright shining moon she was on his mind, while the other side too was sailing in the same boat now.
From those meetings in college cafeteria to putting the pictures of togetherness on social media, the journey of their love was at climax. Hosting each other for lunch, travelling to the place where the mountains kissed the mist was something in their books now. Everything was going fine, the chats were on in full pace. Oaths and promises of oneness forever done, life had something else for them.
The journey of their love was going swiftly, until one day he woke up, it was a cloudy morning, his eyes open, as a routine task. What followed was something unexpected, he couldn’t stand on own, with blurred vision, black-out all over, he collapsed. The next moment, he opened his eyes was in a health care center. He found himself laying on a bed with machines continuously beeping all-around him. With everyone, hearing for a safe word from the men laced with white coats.
What followed was a bolt from the blue, it left everyone dazed and numb. He had been diagnosed with the dreadful disease, it was announced-CANCER! Everyone was shell shocked, he had only few months at his best, they said. It not only affected the health but drained everyone physically and mentally out. It was a world coming to a crash, it was eloping with death, was something neither expected nor seen before.
As everyone was helpless, his better half was unaware, as communication breakdown unfolded, they both were helpless, at night, through the only window, he looked at the moon, wondering may be she too is looking at her, so that their eyes meet, on the other side too, she allowed the moon-light to spread on her bed, like a quilt dreaming in a sleepless night. He was helpless so was everyone. Days were passing and the battle with the dreaded disease was in full swing, as they say, nothing remains in the bag, the better half was informed.
For her it was the end of the world, losing no time she made an arrival at the center, there he was, laying on the bed, his head resting on a white fluffy pillow that should have comforted him. But he was not at ease, each moment, was terrifying, every moment at the treatment center, every word spoken by the doctor at the treatment center, every expression in the eyes of his family, with pain and agony it was killing him. He was losing it.
She got up a little and reclined his head on her chest. She caressed her head tried running her fingers through his erstwhile smooth hair, but therapies had him bald. She didn’t lose hope, tied votive knots on the window grills, wooden railings and entrance gates of every holy place. Like a lunatic she cried her heart out to lord but all in vain. The condition began to worsen, he was fighting it hard, as the time and death were closing in, the room was suddenly a different place, with beloved around, his breath was clearly running out of steam. She watched, as her world was meeting death, as it was crashing, every moment was flashing, from those trips to those oaths, everything was biting the dust. He sucked in a feeble half lungful, slowly exhaled, the machine displayed a plain graph and it was the end.
The world had crashed for her, with tears rolling down her cheeks, she repeated his name, wake up my love, wake up. She held his hand in her both hands and pressed it gently, with the hope that he will hold his hand forever as promised. She looked into his eyes for a long time that seemed to stretch to an eternity, his eyes were a path leading her to eternity, the calmness surrounding them, a peaceful path leading her further into them towards an endless arena of love, joy, melancholy and an incomprehensible feeling that had ended now.
Those eyes had revealed to her a world that she carried within her all the time. She tried to cuddle him, with the hope of getting it back but no, he had travelled to the other part. It had all ended, he went to the other part, with life going on, she waited and waited, she waited to meet him in the other part of the world, for a reunion, the promises and oaths of forever were kept unlike all of us!
