THREE WEEKS...

The shopping mall… Three weeks back… I was skimming through the colorful bling blings of the fancy shop. My eyes caught a peacock blue bracelet. Just lovely. I couldn’t resist touching it. So I did. Then I felt it. That soft fragrance... It was exactly 9 years I sensed it last. But I still remembered it. Still holding the bracelet in my hand, without turning back, I closed my eyes to indulge in the soft aquatic fragrance. Then I heard the voice. ‘I know you love blue. But that bracelet is so not for you!’

I turned back.. and I couldn’t help but smile. There he was, standing behind me… grinning.. hands in his trouser pockets.. and wearing a Peacock blue T shirt. I had to look way up to talk to the grinning guy. Too tall, he is! It’s been 9 years I last saw him. The first thought that crossed my mind was.. ‘Why did I ever let you go?’… Instead, I smiles back and asked… ‘Really..?? Then what does?’.. ‘Well… Why don’t you try this one per se?’.. He’s still smiling. Well.. It was an aqua blue bracelet with white seashells attached to it. It fitted perfectly… ‘See..?? There you go! Sea bracelet for a sea girl’.. Not being polite, not waiting to thank the guy standing beside me… I asked.. smiling of cos.. ‘What are you doiiiiing here? Aren’t you suppose to be in Australia chasing the dolphins in the sea?..’… Staring at the ceiling he replied… ‘Well.. I still do. Got here two months back… Just came here for a short vacation. Gotta leave in 3 weeks you know… the dolphins are waiting for me..’… Well.. That can’t be the only reason.. so I asked.. ‘Only the dolphins?’.. His smile was broad… ‘Yeah.. Only the dolphins’.. and showed me his ring finger… which of cos.. did not have a ring in it.. His chance to ask the question.. ‘So.. Who is waiting for you here?’… I too smiled… ‘Only the dolphins..’..

His smile was broader this time.. ‘Well.. Dolphins can wait a bit, can’t they? Will you care to join me for an ice cream.. if you don’t mind?’.. ‘Sure.. of coz…. How did you come here, btw?’.. ‘Well.. I came by car.. and there it is.. annnd I came alone. Need some sweaters to grab before I go, u know...’.. So.. We walked down the road… sat by this small ice cream shop in the street.. and covered 9 whole years within an hour…

9 years back.. I still don’t understand the reason why I did not want him in my life. Many times I tried to figure out a reason why. But I couldn’t. Then he left. I felt guilty at that time, thinking that he left just because of me. He landed in the Kangaroo Country and made his dream true, becoming a Marine Biologist. That’s all I knew. So we talked.. and we talked for three weeks before he left. The good friend I had to let go 9 years ago.. got back, just like that. The day before he left, I asked.. ‘When will you be back?’.. He said.. ‘3 months have to past’.. Then I asked ‘Are u gonna live all ur life there chasing dolphins?.. You’re never gonna come here and live?’.. Then he was quiet for a moment… I said ‘Hello… Are u still there?’ Then he started to speak slowly.. ‘I would be here.. only if there’s a very good reason for me to be here.. a perfect reason…’ He paused. ‘…. Do you think I’ll have a good enough reason to be here… someday?’.. Took me a while to get what he asked.. I just said… ‘Maybe… Yeah.. Maybe’.. Then he asked again.. ‘Are you sure about it?’… ‘Oh.. Yeah.. Maybe there could be a reason for you to be here.. So.. You should stick around to find out’… He was smiling.. ‘Yeah… I will.. and I will be back after 3 months.. You’ll keep in touch, won’t you?’.. ‘Oh yeah.. Sure I will’… Then he said.. ‘Yeah.. You better.. I can’t lose you again.. The last time I lost you, it took 9 years to find you.. You shouldn’t do that, don’t you think..?’.. ‘Yeah.. It’s a rude thing to do.. It won’t happen again’….

So.. it won’t happen again.. You should not let go people just like that… The three weeks passed.. The story.. to be continued…