The Falling Petals...🌺

Reflection.....

Our romantic, moonlight safari ended when we reached her home. At the gate were Nari and her mother who, after breathing a sigh of relief on seeing her daughter, walked back inside showing her motherly anger.

At the gate I asked Nari, "What's her mood?"

"Till now she was worried, but now it's time for her to show anger. But she won't say much because you're here," Nari replied, smiling.

"Okay, I'll take care of that. But hey! Thank you soooooo much for helping us so far."

And the three of us marched in, with me in front.

I saw Eomma sitting in the drawing room. Without caring that my wet jeans were spoiling their carpet, I went to her. Just like any mother in this world would have felt, she too was angry. Without saying a word to her, I kneeled down in front of her. Yes, I was on my knees in front of my future mother-in-law, looking in her eyes.

Very politely I told her, "In this, there is no Dae's fault. It's my completely fault. And you can punish me for that." (And I said to myself, "Please do it fast, I have to catch my plane in a few hours.")

Standing at the door, both the sisters looked at me. I don't know what they thought. Was I brave or stupid? I did not want Dae to keep answering her mother's questions after my departure so I tried to sort things out, as far as possible, while I was present. I did what I felt would safeguard her.

The next moment, Eomma helped me get up and said, "I love her so much, that is the reason i am more worried about her. After some days, she will be leaving here to come to your house....." She melted inside. thinking about her beloved daughter. All mothers are so emotional, even mine is.

She further said that we could have told her the truth and then left in the evening. She wouldn't have said no. ("Of course, she would not have said no for that movie, but what about my hotel?" I asked still talking to myself.)

Well, that's how I handled the situation back at her place. When I checked my watch next, it was midnight and I had to leave for hotel, crossing the same pool of water, the same brawls in the same watery car. Time was still running out and, if everything went well, I would be at Busan airport in another five hours.

The atmosphere at her place was much better now. I walked down to the bathroom, badly needing to pee. Of course, being in those wet jeans for almost two hours and surrounded by water and more water, it was only natural.

A little later, back at the main gate, all the three ladies waved at me goodbye. But I waved to the one standing ahead of everybody. I felt so different again. I was waving to the girl whom I spent the longest day of my life, the girl with whom I enjoyed the best hour of my life. And I kept looking at her till I turned the corner and she slipped out of my field of vision and I from hers.

In a short while, I was back in the cab. the water level on road had been gone down, and the conditions were better now. We didn't have too many problems going back . The traffic was negligible by then, though I still saw a few dead vehicles on either side of the road.

Every 15-20 minutes, Dae kept calling me on my mobile to check if everything was fine. She told me she was out of her wet attire and was lying in her cute night dress on her cozy bed. I loved it when she said that. It felt like being with her again. We couldn't talk too long though, as my cell phone's battery was dying.

I asked the driver to switch on the radio, wanting to celebrate the victory of the day or, probably, one of the memorable victories of my life. Sitting behind the driver I pulled back my seat to stretch my aching wet legs. Tapping my feet (and the injured toe) gently to the music. I looked in the rearview mirror on my left and I saw a reflection.

A reflection of the lights, of those vehicles struggling in the water, a reflection of the moment when she was resting her head on my shoulder in the cab, a reflection of the time I was pushing the cab, of the calls from her home which we were too scared to pick up. A reflection of that perfect kiss in Room No.701, that evening.

And, watching those reflections, I smiled and closed my eyes.