Past

Unblinking...

His eyes were looking intently at something.

Anybody could make out that he was spacing out.

Focusing on the act of looking rather than the object that caught his attention?

Glimpsing moments from some distant past which was triggered by some smell, taste, touch, sight or sound?

Reliving some memory that was regurgitated in the sudden silence that surrounded him?

"She used to say 'yaaaa' in the very same manner.."

Ah. A clue. More than a clue in fact. It was the remembrance of some girl from the past that he summoned.

The memory having been brought back by the understanding exclamation from a college girl talking non-stop, probably with her male friend on her cell phone.

She was sitting on the bench to the right of ours and was making no attempt to lower the strain on her vocal chords.

People went by on their circuits of the park, mostly the elderly.

I tried to prod for more information

"She? You never told me about a she.. Aha! A new twist is revealed. A previously untold, unheard chapter from K's life!

Your ex-girlfriend? College love? ha ha ha.. i hope she is not in touch now..

or have you been carrying on with this even after marrying me?

if that be the case mister, dinner wont be served tonight and you will be sleeping alone in the hall."

I was ofcourse jesting him. adopting a fake tone of anger and hurt.

He turned slightly, enough for me to see his eyes rolling and an amused look breaking on his face.

His head still targeted that distant spot and held his gaze.

"Oh... i am doomed now!" he said dramatically making me break into a silly giggle.

These days he was able to make out when i was joking and when i was serious.

I remembered the initial days that had been filled with confusion and misunderstandings.

There would be needless apologies tendered from either sides assuming that the other had taken offence at some silly statement spoken casually.

Ah, how they had grown over time. Though not such a long time. only about 3 months now.

"She was a girl i met online." he continued. "we were dreaming of getting hitched.. but things did not work out with your mom-in-law.

She insisted on me marrying a girl from the fold.."

"And i was the unlucky one. I must ask mother about this." i butted in.

"I can almost see you.. all awkward and uncomfortable.. asking mom .. 'can i marry this girl i met online?' ha ha ha.."

His eyes changed a bit. I could see a hint of pain.

I moved closer to him and tightened my hold on on his fore arm..

"oh dear, im sorry... I can see that you wont appreciate any humor on this issue."

He sighed. "Its ok. No need to apologize. I just could not help wondering how close we had gotten and then how quickly everything fell apart."

The girl on the next bench uttered a rather un-lady like curse.

The batteries on her cell phone had drained and peace had returned to the little park.

"tell me what happened K... why did everything fall apart?"

He laughed out loud startling the cell-phone girl who looked pissed enough

and ready to introduce us to another word in her strong vocabulary.

"Its so funny if you look at it. My dear wife is asking about my old crush."

"So what. I need to know rite? we need to share each others life rite? past, present and future!!

Memories maketh the man!" I announced looking at him raising my free arm like Ambedkar.

"Ha ha ha.. you are an item." He said lightly pinching my right cheek like they do for little kids.

"ow.. Tell me na.." I wanted to know about his past.. wondering what it was that still brought a look of pain and regret in his eyes.

"She was a nice lady who i met quite accidentally online, on one of them social networking sites that were so much the craze then. We go to know each other, talked for a bit, got attached.. then the inevitable confrontation with mother, ended everything."

Ah a love story. Interesting, i thought. I wondered why he had kept it to himself all this while.
"did she also like you?"

he sighed again.

"i never could say. both of us were afraid of the so many differences that were in our lives. it becomes too difficult when the cultures are so varied. we shared something beautiful, but were fearful of the future. it was a big problem for me as i couldnt refuse my moms wishes"

"what happened then?"

"we lost touch for a bit. she was upset with me for lacking the courage to go ahead. i promised a lot but then did not keep them. it all happened so fast. it was so intense."

I saw him close his eyes tight. trying to undo what he had done. trying to remove the painful memory from his mind.
"is she still in touch?"

He opened his eyes and looked at me.
"sometimes. she is also married. very happy. sometimes i feel everything happened for good as it always does."

a look of happiness gently spread on his face.
"what?" i asked.

"the moon has risen.. lets go home"

He seemed back to his own self.. running ahead to buy some roasted peanuts from the street side vendor.