Breakup

The beach was almost deserted, few joggers, trying to drink in the beauty of the dawn were scattered throughout the entire stretch. There were no hawkers to disturb one from drooling at the sea. She was full of energy, shining like a bride. The painter had started painting his canvas with hues of orange and yellow. Da Vinci could not match nature’s strokes of beauty made by the eternal artist. The sea was alive and adding music to the scene. As they say it was picture perfect.

He had parked his bike in the by lane and they both walked together in the sand taking one heavy step after another. It did not gel well with the mood around but it was ironical such a romantic mood could not inspire a young couple. But the events of the last couple of weeks had taken a heavy toll on them. The usual brushing of hands never happened as they were at least a couple of feet apart. She was following him looking down at the sand, hoping to see some stroke of inspiration that could hold them together. There was nothing, it was all sand. But then it never is just sand, is it? It is millions of fine grained granules sticking together to form a sea of sand. When you take a handful of sand and then just drop it all, there would be some part of it always sticking to your hand, unless you forcefully pour water to wash it off. A metaphor for relationship?

He was walking, hands slightly stretched and making very little moments, legs slightly stretched wide and walking lazily betraying the effort he put on to hide the lack of sleep. The eyes deep and sharp usually but now teary looked forlorn staring at nothing in particular. He walked near the shore and sat making a lot of effort to look casual and not simply dropping down. She came close to him and stood for a few seconds and sat down very slowly. Not a word was spoken. The sea was filling in the silence and the waves slowly nudging them close to tears. But not a drop was shed by either of them. The breeze was so soothing, on another day probably would have made them get close to each other but not today. Today, nothing mattered, neither the persistent hum of the waves, or the canvas that spread across the sky or the little girl playing with a ball in front of them.

When the relationship is true, words have no use. There is nothing that they can convey which is not already known. A nod, a slight movement, a twinkle in the eye, the twisted eyebrows convey million things. This day, even these unspoken words were not needed. You do not shout your goodbyes in a graveyard. Each minute just prolonged the agony but they knew these were precious moments which would never come again.

After eternity, she spoke, “Do not get back to your drinking habits just because am not going to be around.”

(pause) “hmmm”

“you know that I tried my best, don’t you? you believe me na?”

“hmmm”

“I wish the very best for you, I can’t imagine another girl with you but now I never thought it will come to this… (starts weeping). Find someone, someone better, someone best (weeping continues)”

Time does not pause for anyone but then there are moments when we feel it hangs in there just a wee bit longer, maybe sympathising in our sorrows or pausing to give us an encouraging pat.

Not a word was spoken, she sat there wiping her tears, and then suddenly she got up and turned back towards the road. She stood there for a moment, the dawn cracking behind her and the sun making its way out ever so gracefully, then she started walking leaving behind imprints of her feet in the sand and also………