This story is selected as Editor’s Choice
Love Short Story – Winds of change
Photo Credit: www.cepolina.com
He ran across the bumpy road with no care in the world. He ran with all his heart and as I gazed upon him, I felt my heart rip to shreds. Right there, staring back at me was the most beautiful smile anyone could have ever witnessed. Right there, was a boy who still took wonder in the pure joy of life. Right there, I was reborn.
****
“You have a gift. You should be thankful that you have such abilities. Instead you sit here wasting your potential. It’s such a shame. Such a shame, really”, said Mrs Devyani. I lowered my head and fixated my eyes on the ground. Really, it was all I could do to not burst out laughing at her face. Me and Ayush MIGHT have spray painted “noob” across her door. Now I’m not accepting responsibility, mind you. I’m just saying it kind of, could be, a little, LITTLE bit possible!
After the curt dismissal from her cabin, we giggled like a bunch of kids and ran through the corridor. “I’ll meet you tonight?”, I looked at him hopefully. *Pause*. Oh my god, he thinks I’m being too clingy. What have I done?! What have I done?!?! “Sure thing”, he replied with a smile. Sure thing. SURE THING. HA HA HE LIKES ME. After gushing like an idiot and what seemed like a super sexy idea at that time, I blew an air kiss and ran away. That was eighth grade and MY GOD I WAS LAME!
He told me later on how much he laughed at that. Sure he would, he was always the cool one and I was always the clumsy, oops-I-fell-down-again girl. Despite the glaringly embarrassing memory it is, I still remember it clearly. That was when I was beginning to fall in love with my best friend. That’s where it all started.
****
“Hey Riya, catch that”.
“Catch wh—OUCH!!”. I rubbed my nose and picked up the crumpled ball of paper from the ground. My boyfriend, always throwing things at me. *sigh*
“Aren’t you sweet”, I scowled and threw it back at him. He threw it again but this time I caught it. I glared back at him, ’Ayush I swear to god, I’m gonn—“. “OPEN IT WOMAN”, he said.
Riya,
I’m always going to throw things at you, make fun of you, but you have to understand I do it all with utmost love. :D What I want to ask you is, can you take a lifetime of this?
I was speechless. Was he asking me what I think he was asking me? He looked at me with his signature sheepish smile. He took my hand and said, ”You see, you are the only one with whom life is a dream. You are the only with whom I can live the fullest. And I might be childish and irritating sometimes, but I do love you babe. Will you marry me?”
I didn’t even pause. I didn’t have to think. I was never so sure in my life. “Yes”. One word, that’s all I could manage that night.
****
“I’m sorry ma’am. He died on the spot.” That was all I heard. There were faces all around me, they were trying to say something to me. I didn’t quite catch it. It was a blur. I felt my ground crumbling beneath me and all I could think was this couldn’t possibly be happening.
I’m told that I spent an hour sitting on the couch staring at nothing. Days went by and I stared into thin air. Either I felt numb or I felt this acute pain, like someone was physically reaching into my chest, squeezing my heart and sneering at me while doing it. It took me a month but I started meeting people again.
****
Death is a funny thing. People have no idea how to deal with it, do they? They go like, “How are you doing?” Oh boy, I’m doing great. Just get me a trampoline and ill bounce on it to show you how happy I am. Or “Be strong, it will be fine” Oh let’s see, I’ll kill your husband and then we can both sing songs about strength and dance around. How about that eh? Oh this one nearly cracked me up, “Are you ok? Yes, in fact I’m giddy with joy, you moron!
I managed through all of that with a fake smile on my face. But I was a broken piece of mess. I couldn’t heal, I didn’t want to. I kept wondering why he died and I was left alive. Then one day something odd happened.
I was crying when I heard the bell ring. I quickly washed my face and went to open the door. People… there were always people who kept coming to meet me. Nevertheless I didn’t wanna be rude so I let them in. It was Manya, our college friend, with her husband and her kid.
“Hey honey, how are you doing?”, she asked. I nodded and looked away. At that instant, a high pitched squeal came followed by a burst of laughter and a finger pointed at my face,
“You look funny!!”. I was so taken aback, I stared right into the source of this comment, the seven year old boy!
“SHSH RONNY!! I’m so sorry Riya, these kids—“ … She was interrupted by the sound of someone laughing. To my surprise, I realized that it was coming from me! Everyone started staring at me like I was some maniac. But I simply couldn’t stop laughing. The boy was right! I looked incredulously funny with puffed up, tear-stained cheeks and noodle hair all over the place.
It was a tiny comment, a seemingly insignificant one. But it brought me back to my reality. Life was still going on. His memory will only live if I live, otherwise I’m not doing him justice. He deserves to be remembered with all the joy in the world. I went and washed my face, combed my hair and came out to face the silent spectators.
“Come Ronny, let’s go out and play”. Tiny fingers wrapped my hand eagerly and pulled me out into the driveway.
****
Interrupting my chain of thoughts, Ronny ran to me with a gurgling sound. It was so adorable, I couldn’t help smiling. He tugged at my hand and said, “Let’s race!!”. Seeing my hesitation, he narrowed his eyes and asked me with utter sincerity, ”Are you afraid? Don’t worry, I don’t make fun of old people!”. My god this kid had some nerve! I laughed and said, ”Ok mister, you have yourself a race”.
And boy, I ran. I ran like the wind, I ran away from my pain, I ran with joy and I ran in his remembrance. For the first time after I heard the news, I felt that I would be okay. The pain hadn’t gone but it was a start. It was a reminder that I still had a life to live. It was the wind, finally changing its course.
__END__
