Words Unsaid

She stood as the flames raised high in the sky, and his soul left the Earth with the orange flares. She could not do a thing as he left her for the last time, but he would remain forever etched in her heart, as a memory, a gem of her past. With this revolving in her mind, she looked to the skies, and begged for forgiveness; she begged for him to be back with her; waiting for him to walk back from the flames to say that it was all a joke. The rivulet kept flowing down her cheeks, and she remembered the smiles he had brought on her face, and the happiness he had given her heart. And all of a sudden, she was all alone, no…his future, their future lay inside her.

She remembered the day when they had become one- a couple; the promises they had made to each other; it all remained in her brain. As the fire blazed in front of her, she could visualize that day- it all came back to her.

There she was, a magnificent glowing Princess, walking towards him. Dressed in the traditional red dress, she held her head low, but her eyes searched for him, her soul mate, from under the veil which covered her head. As the pandit said aloud the chants, she looked at him, to find his eyes fixed on her. Averting his deep eyes, she bowed her head again, her cheeks flushing red. At the other side, she could see her parents and also Anurag’s parents, smiling and reflecting happiness.

As the pandit called for them to stand in order to take the promises, she glanced at him, and he pouted his lips in a kiss. Shocked by his motion, she widened her eyes in anger, but here heart danced, in glee. This was the man she loved, and this was the man she wanted beside her forever. Walking the 7 circles, they held hands, and swore in front of the holy fire, the same fire which was tormenting her now.

He had hugged her tightly that night, and had repeatedly said that he loved her so much, but she had not replied; she could not as shyness drowned her completely. That was one of the only two days when she had not said it. The other one was the day he left- forever, and she regretted the day the most.

The fire in front brought her back to the present, and she dabbed at the stream falling down her cheeks. Her sister held her and led her to the car which waited patiently for them. limping weakly to the machine, she stopped and looked back, and then up to the skies, which joined her in mourning the loss with their own tears. With a deep breath, Aditi ducked in, and sped off- towards memories, towards home.

The mementoes and his absence awaited her. as she went through the messages and calls, she missed him- she missed his arms around her; she missed his sweet voice and cheesy dialogues; she missed the whole him. Stifling a sob, she sank into the armchair he loved reading in, and she closed her eyes, tightly, as though to feel his presence. She wished she could change their last day together, she just wished.

The alarm clock shrilly cried out for the 5^th time that morning, and Aditi ran back to shut off the hysterical screaming.

“Get up Anu! I got to go to office now, and so do you.”

“Nothing will happen if we skip a day honey,” he said as he pulled her down to sleep beside him.

“Fine, you don’t go, but I have to bye. If you wish then call me later. But don’t apologize.”

“Hmm…”

With this, Anurag went back to his slumber, and Aditi rushed to work, grumbling.

The clock chimed the 4^th hour, and Aditi glanced again at the phone. This was the 15^th call she was getting, but she didn’t want to talk to him. NO! This was the 3^rd time he had acted like this in the week, but he had to understand that this did not work! She had wanted to tell him something in the morning, something very important, which would make him very happy. But his childish behavior had spoiled it all. She had had to wait for 12 whole hours to pass before she could tell him. Not that she was that pissed, but this did not work in real life.

“First I will shout at him like hell, and then I’ll quietly tell him the news. No wait, I’ll fire him from here, and then when we meet, he’ll woo me. Then I’ll tell him,” Aditi thought as she packed her bag to leave office. She was leaving early so she could get things set up for the news tonight, but her feigned anger had to reach him and she picked the phone. All she typed in was, “Stop calling me again and again. I never want to see you again.”

As soon as she kept the phone back, it rang, “I love you too. Get ready to leave, I’m picking you up in 15 minutes. I’m sorry love…L :’(.”

“I don’t love you at all. Get here soon, I’m leaving anyways.”

Putting her headphones on, she wiled time until he came. As the 15 minutes came to an end, she walked to the exit, and the phone rang- it showed it was him.

A curt voice started speaking before she could cut it off, and said, “May I know who I am speaking to? I’m speaking from the Police.”

“Well what’s wrong Officer? That’s my husband’s phone you are calling from? Is he in some trouble?”

In the background, she heard the man say, “Fill the name as Anurag, we have his wife here. Send a car and an ambulance to pick her up. Get going right now. Ma’am where are you? I’m sending a car for you, there is some bad news I’m afraid.”

With a cry, she fell to the ground in a heap, until the ambulance accompanied with the police cars picked her up. Anurag had been consumed in a high-speed crash, and as he died, all he said to the paramedic holding his hand was, “Just tell my Adi that I love her, whether or not she does.”

His last words came to her, and she repeatedly went on till darkness permeated her senses, “I love you Anu, I love you so very much.”