December Diaries - Chapter 7
When life says, just take one more chance, grab all of it and wrap it in your arms!
The entire night, Joanna spent in search of her best attire. She wanted something in blue, Aryan’s favorite color. Finally, she succeeded in finding a one piece which ended few inches above her knees. As the morning arrived, her excitement was at its peak to see him once again. It was for the Nth time that she looked in the mirror just to make sure everything was perfect at its place. Be it her hair or her cotton blue flair dress. The door knocked and her heart beats rose higher. She pulled the door open and there she saw him. This time, he wasn’t in his typical business formals but in casual low waist jeans and a black shirt with its sleeve folded till his elbows. His hair was done just perfectly as always, and his hazel eyes reflected the ocean inside his heart – as always!
‘Good morning, lady. Should we leave?’ he asked forwarding his hand towards Joanna.
She smiled with nervousness and nodded a yes. She picked the overcoat from the shelf and locked the apartment door behind. She held his hand and they walked towards his car. For a moment, it felt all the differences between them just disappeared from their lives. It was a happy moment, for both of those lonely souls.
‘So where are you taking me today?’ Aryan asked.
‘Umm, firstly let’s go to the fun park?’
‘As much as I remember, you were scared of heights and rides taking you high!’
‘Yes. But I have realized that real fun of life is in facing your fears, and
not in running away. You never know when those fears of yours turn into your love.’
‘I wish you realized it years back,’ he taunted.
‘It’s better to be late than never!’
‘Wow. You have turned smarter.’
‘I always was.’
‘No doubt in that!’ he taunted her once again, and this time she knew
what he meant!
As they reached the fun park, Joanna’s senses turned numb with fear on seeing those huge sky kissing rides. But she had to do it. She had to face all her fears! On the other end, Aryan was entirely excited on seeing those rides because they were as high as his ambitions. He chose ‘the stealth’, the tallest of the ride.
‘Aryan,’ Joanna said sitting beside him on the coaster.
‘Yep,’
‘Just in case I die few moments later, I want to let you know something.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘Oh shit! It started.’ She said, terrified.
‘We’ll be alive, don’t worry. What is that you wanted to say?’
‘I love you, I always did! Oh shit,’ she screamed at the top of her voice. It seemed her heart came out of her chest to beat. As the coaster reached the peak, it seemed, she almost kissed the morning sun. Soon, they reached the ground and she ran to hug him tight, he wrapped his arms around her in return.
Switching through several rides of the fun park, the glimpse of that child inside them began showing up. It seemed they turned seventeen once again, it seemed the time they had left long behind had come back to make them live those moments once again. Their morning was beautiful, exciting and thrilling.
Somewhere in the parallel world, two teenagers were returning from the school to their hostels. They waved each other goodbye and headed towards their respective hostels. ‘Freshen up and meet me at the cricket ground in 20 minutes.’ She left the text on Aryan’s cellphone.
‘With friends… Can’t come… See you at night.’ He responded. She had to talk to him urgently. She replied ‘I have something urgent to share. Please come’. With the delivery report of text, another text arrived ‘Coming in 10 minutes. See you there…’
The entire night, Joanna spent in search of her best attire. She wanted something in blue, Aryan’s favorite color. Finally, she succeeded in finding a one piece which ended few inches above her knees. As the morning arrived, her excitement was at its peak to see him once again. It was for the Nth time that she looked in the mirror just to make sure everything was perfect at its place. Be it her hair or her cotton blue flair dress. The door knocked and her heart beats rose higher. She pulled the door open and there she saw him. This time, he wasn’t in his typical business formals but in casual low waist jeans and a black shirt with its sleeve folded till his elbows. His hair was done just perfectly as always, and his hazel eyes reflected the ocean inside his heart – as always!
‘Good morning, lady. Should we leave?’ he asked forwarding his hand towards Joanna.
She smiled with nervousness and nodded a yes. She picked the overcoat from the shelf and locked the apartment door behind. She held his hand and they walked towards his car. For a moment, it felt all the differences between them just disappeared from their lives. It was a happy moment, for both of those lonely souls.
‘So where are you taking me today?’ Aryan asked.
‘Umm, firstly let’s go to the fun park?’
‘As much as I remember, you were scared of heights and rides taking you high!’
‘Yes. But I have realized that real fun of life is in facing your fears, and
not in running away. You never know when those fears of yours turn into your love.’
‘I wish you realized it years back,’ he taunted.
‘It’s better to be late than never!’
‘Wow. You have turned smarter.’
‘I always was.’
‘No doubt in that!’ he taunted her once again, and this time she knew
what he meant!
As they reached the fun park, Joanna’s senses turned numb with fear on seeing those huge sky kissing rides. But she had to do it. She had to face all her fears! On the other end, Aryan was entirely excited on seeing those rides because they were as high as his ambitions. He chose ‘the stealth’, the tallest of the ride.
‘Aryan,’ Joanna said sitting beside him on the coaster.
‘Yep,’
‘Just in case I die few moments later, I want to let you know something.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘Oh shit! It started.’ She said, terrified.
‘We’ll be alive, don’t worry. What is that you wanted to say?’
‘I love you, I always did! Oh shit,’ she screamed at the top of her voice. It seemed her heart came out of her chest to beat. As the coaster reached the peak, it seemed, she almost kissed the morning sun. Soon, they reached the ground and she ran to hug him tight, he wrapped his arms around her in return.
Switching through several rides of the fun park, the glimpse of that child inside them began showing up. It seemed they turned seventeen once again, it seemed the time they had left long behind had come back to make them live those moments once again. Their morning was beautiful, exciting and thrilling.
Somewhere in the parallel world, two teenagers were returning from the school to their hostels. They waved each other goodbye and headed towards their respective hostels. ‘Freshen up and meet me at the cricket ground in 20 minutes.’ She left the text on Aryan’s cellphone.
‘With friends… Can’t come… See you at night.’ He responded. She had to talk to him urgently. She replied ‘I have something urgent to share. Please come’. With the delivery report of text, another text arrived ‘Coming in 10 minutes. See you there…’
*****
‘Where are we going?’ Aryan was too excited after the fun they had in amusement park. However, he hadn’t showed it much.
‘Out of London,’ She replied. They left the car and got on a bus going somewhere and sat on the seats. After traveling for one hour, she shouted ‘Stop!! Stop!!’ Everyone was gazing at her, because she stopped the bus amidst of nowhere.
‘You want to get off the bus?’ Driver investigated.
‘Yes we want to get off the bus.’ She said and bus dropped them somewhere in between the long fields. Aryan looked around. There was nothing except the long green piece of land.
*****
Aryan hurried to his hostel and threw his bag in his room. His friends wanted him to stay, as it was someone’s birthday party. Aryan gave an excuse and ran towards the ground. His sixth sense was telling him that something was wrong.
Joe was there sobbing in the ground. She hadn’t even changed her dress. Her sobs were audible from a distance easily. Aryan sat next to her and hugged her. He embraced her completely in his arms and asked what happened.
‘You believe in Jesus?’ She asked. Her tears made wet his shirt.
‘Yes, I do.’ He managed to say this only.
‘When today I went to church like my routine to make a wish and lite a candle, I wished you to stay with me forever.’ She sobbed.
‘That’s the good thing. But then why are you crying?’ He questioned.
‘The candle stopped burning.’ Her weeps grew. ‘It’s the second time. First time it happened when I was eight years old.’
‘Firstly stop crying. Did you lose something that time? And what was your wish?’ His mind re-flexed with obvious questions.
‘Last time I made wish for my mom. In the very same year, she died of Cancer. I lost her.’ Pain in her eyes was palpable. Her tears were narrating the agony of one loss; she couldn’t afford the second one.
‘I promise I won’t leave you ever.’ He held her hand and took her into the church. He took a candle and they both lighted it together with a wish and promise that he won’t leave her ever. They sat there until the candle burned completely. Joe was happy that he won’t leave her ever.
However, Jesus had something else in mind. He completed Aryan’s wish but failed to complete Joe’s one. Aryan maintained his promise and didn’t leave her. It was she, who left him.
*****
‘Why are we here?’ Aryan asked confused. The bus was gone and they were walking down the slope in a field. After the amusement rides in the park, now she wanted some peace and there was nothing better than nature.
‘Are we sitting here in field for rest of the day and what will be our dinner? This grass..?’ He chuckled.
She had planned something good. She held his hand and they kept walking in the field. Soon, a building was visible at the distance. It was old and abundant. He concluded that it was Church, as they came near it. They walked inside and she pulled a candle out of her side bag.
‘Do you still believe in this? Remember, last time it was him only who made us apart.’ He laughed. His voice echoed in the abundant church.
‘No, it wasn’t him. It was me. At school, your candle burnt complete. My candle didn’t. Hence, I left you. I want to see if our candle burns complete or not. I want to see what happens when we make a wish together.’ They both walked to Jesus. While walking to the statue of Jesus, Aryan noticed her eyes full of hopes. He was realizing that she still cared. She was the same Joanna whom she loved in the school and maybe still did.
‘Jesus, we wish to live together and forever. Make us soul mates.’ She wished and lighted candle near the statue.
‘So, shall I call my PA, he will send us a car.’ He said arrogantly.
‘No, I want to see if this candle burns completely or not.’ She said. Even, he wanted to see the same. But he didn’t want to show it. She held him from his arms and they sat down near the candle embracing each other. From the broken structure, a sun-ray was passing and hitting the candle. She smiled and slept in his arms.
‘Hey wake up.’ He shrugged her. The day was gone. She slept for almost one and a half hour. ‘Look the last piece of candle is burning.’ Candle was almost burned. He wakes her up on a perfect time. She looked at the melted wax and then looked at him. He smiled.
Candle was burnt completely. She blushed and kissed his cheek.
‘I missed you.’ Aryan said and kissed her forehead.
It was evening. He called his PA to send a car. They walked back to the road and waited for the car. Sun was going down. He looked at her again, this time with love, not with hate. Maybe, he was falling in love again. The night was yet to begin, and she had the perfect plan to make it the most beautiful night of her life.
AUTHOR
-Himanshu Chhabra
-Himanshu Chhabra
&
Drishti Dasgupta
(Blogger at Maple Leaf)
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