Eclipsed Hearts

CHAPTER 1

A memory flaked under the monsoon solitude, unaware of its desire to be brought to light, to be talked about, hidden in the depths of my knowledge, lacking the fire that ignites to view, it stays dormant for I know I'd become weak upon its arrival, endlessly scavenging for the one that left, hunting for that feeling, I am afraid it has already been let out untamed. I fear I don't have much to live for. After all, how long will these memories last?

It takes me like a numbing breeze of all the times when we used to spend hours talking about the most random things possible. The way you just won’t stop blabbering about this guy you once saw in the bazaar . At that moment it seemed to be something enjoyable, something of a tale to keep safe for the years to come and laugh at, reminiscing to those days I feel envious of the guy who was lucky enough to be loved by the moon itself.

Being a brother more than a friend I would try to ignore those dulcet tones, fighting like maniacs now I am begging to listen to something other than these black and white words that ring a feeling of unfamiliar familiarity.

Even though these vines are now overgrown and the large Banyan tree is no more, the sun is still here, shining just like the way it did years ago and talking about the Sun you cannot forget the Moon.

Oh my dear Chandra, how even in the dark, you always had a glow to yourself, even to this day.

I would, every night, wait for the perfect moment, to open my window and throw my gaze towards the white freckled beauty.

She would usually startle, making our eyes meet and then hide behind her black curls closing the curtains. I could hear her giggle.

Soon her giggles would turn louder and prettier, to my surprise she would turn out to be right behind me. She was quite an athlete and at times, would run faster than my imagination would think of something,

Oh why, just why can’t the happiness last.

Among the many aspects, her voice and her beauty were to become the midday conversations as to why everyone were so eager to get her married.

”Aree, If her parents ever wish na, they could marry her off to sahab’s son” Said the one kneading the dough.

”Haa haa, who wouldn’t wish for a well mannered lady to become their wife ? If it were in my hand, I would have married my son to her” Replied the other.

”Let’s see-” her voice was cut short by the deep sound of one of the husbands sitting beside.

”Why can’t you just let her be? You will eventually stain her beauty with those filthy talks of yours, Let her be happy while her childhood lasts and don’t you have better things to do?” The ladies, now too shook to add to the remarks of the grey-headed man, got back to work, without the gossip this time.

And with that fame came the flaws, her mother thought that this beauty was the gift of nature and might vanish over time like the depleting resources and in order to preserve this sacred glow, her face met different ointments and remedies that would help, at least that was what she thought would help.

It was one chilly morning, when I was woken up to a sound of a similar scream, but this time, it wasn’t playful or jolly, however was influenced by the feeling of losing something precious, something pure, something so significant that without it the other person would crumble into ashes, and so she did.

I grabbed the courage and rushed my way to the neighbours. The horror slowly creeping, the Chandra, once praised for her pale beauty, was now red. She was scratching her face as if was bitten by an allergy, as if she was going insane. Her mother was weeping, and so was I, but both shed tears for equally different reasons. She, for the lost beauty and I for being helpless in this pain causing times.

The Future was no good, I wish if by any miracle I could have known what was about to knock our doors, I wouldn’t have even dared to look out the peephole.

”Aree is anyone home? Suraj?” Shouted the broad chested man whilst knocking the door.