For things like love
He looked at the watch. She was late again. This was the
tenth time this week she had done this. Till when was he supposed to ignore
everything she did, that hurt him, or went a step further – intended to hurt
him?
He looked at the sky. It was partially cloudy. About half
the sky was unobscured, but the other half danced with tiny bubbles of
impending water. He loved a blue and sunny sky with no clouds or a normal
sunset. He tried to remember when it was last that he had had the time to
witness a sunset. She always wanted to walk when there was a sunset that he
wanted to witness or a rain he wanted to soak in.
She always wanted to do the opposite of what he wanted.
He had often asked himself if this was intentional but how
could it be. There was absolutely no reason for it to. One day when there was
an agricultural fair in the town, he was very excited. Though he had moved away
from his native village so many years ago, the memories of the farms, simple
people and natural produce always stayed with him. He never realized the impact
those childhood associations had on him, till he left his village. Now the way
his heart beat softly at the thought of going close to those natural things,
the impact was beginning to dawn on him. He planned for a week on all the events
he will attend at the fair, things he will buy and souvenirs he will collect.
He called her up and told her everything excitedly. She asked him what kind of
things would be there at the fair.
He told her all the he knew. How it would have all kinds of
herbs, seeds, soils, manure, and other gardening needs. How they would sell
fresh organic products. How they would even teach city dwellers how to garden
in their backyards despite limitations of space. She asked him how he could
grow anything in his little apartment. But before he could answer she asked him
why would he want to waste his time on it when his focus should be on the
promotion that he has been hoping for at work. She felt that this was what was going to impact their future together.
He told her that a great atmosphere at home will motivate
him to work better at office too. She said that sounded too filmy. He was
beginning to feel dejected but he tried for one last time. He said that if he
has a little garden somehow then it will make him feel good every time he
looked at it. It would bring him happiness and joy, and once he feels that he
is in harmony with his surroundings, and with the world at large, then a lot of
issues he is struggling with will go away. Then he waited for her response.
What seemed like an eternity passed. His heart was beginning
to beat faster. And then she laughed. She said if he really hoped to marry her
then he should be focusing on his job and not on his surroundings.
He slowly tore the plans he had made for the agriculture
fair.
Comments