A Known Unknown Being

Flashbacks

Late monsoon
Dear Diary

That night will never get erased, neither those rain drops nor that place. It will survive and depart with me.

I had my tuitions classes there. It was raining and that rain created a beauty which I doubt if I'll encounter again. I was half wet with my umbrella. The street lights were flashing as if it had some mechanical disturbance. The paved roads were dank and lustrous. Only a few cars passed by that place in unequal intervals. There were two shops, a pharmacy along with that of steels and iron. These shops were at work, whenever I visited and were the only shops kept open when all others were closed. The steel shop workers were always busy with their tools, burning and trimming metals which gave out some sparks and noises. This buzz was probably the only sound at that phase of night, apart from the barks of street dogs and a few unemployed dogs! I splashed a little stagnant water on the path and hurried for the stairs present by the side of that steel shop. A boy too from nowhere hurried up towards the stairs. I can assure that I never met him earlier yet I felt something know, anyways.

So it seemed that the entrance was too small for both of us to enter at a time and we had minor accident! "Auch.." my left shoulder, consequently my bag fell down. The formal 'sorry' ,was uttered by both of us. Both the bodies bent down to pick up the bag and again, crash! This time, victims were our heads. Laughs burst out aloud along with sorry. A while later we realized that we were already late for classes and we've got no lifts.

Soon after the students leave, the place again gets back to it's own delight, the abundance. Aimlessly I waited there for a few minutes, well aware of the fact that I was to go by my own. Yet, disappointed at unknown stuffs I headed. It was a humid and chilled weather. Everything was so silent that I could even hear the slightest whispers of winds. I could see the slowest movement of leaves and smell the distant burns.

"Jeanette Malik?" A mischievous and known voice broke my meditation with nature. "Where were you?" I eagerly asked him, as if i had some right on him. Then I corrected, "I mean, I didn't see you in the class and not even after that, so!", realized that i didn't have. He told that he was there, he has always been there, beside me. I can't even quote his words, he said with such charm. He also told that i would never find him in the crowd but when loneliness sets in, he would always find a way to provide a company. Before I could thin of anything, he held my hand and began to walk. With him, the atmosphere looked even more intensified. He said that it was his world, magnified, emphasised and deeper and I knew that I fell for his world. The darkness was never so beautiful and the silence was never so comforting. We talked, yes we were talking for the forest time but it felt like I had already depicted him my stories, my lights and my sorrows. It seemed that we were the only people to walk the silent city, to laugh, holding hands and to enjoy the dark. When rest were asleep in their cozy comforts, we owned the streets and every jewel the night had. I didn't want to bother that I had to go home, neither I did bother. Suddenly I felt the warmth of his arms. I explored myself to be in the most safe and comfortable place. He had hugged me. My closed eyes could feel the pleasant air and I could even smell him, which was similar to the smell of ozone I have always loved. He said, "I'm always beside you, may be within you. Well, that's different when I often get lost in lights and crowd but I can ensure you one thing, that I'm all always beside you. You never missed me in lone times, neither you'll ever do." His words were touched instead of mere listening. He whispered, so close to my ears, "beside you". I opened my eyes but I discovered none. He no more was there and thus, I regretted that I had opened my eyes. It all felt like a dream which survived reality. Then, when I again had all my thoughts back with a chaos in my mind, I could guess who he was. Was he the one who always had his ears when I used to babble our my secrets to the foreign winds which passed my window? Was he the one who survived cries with me, when I missed my loved ones? Was he the one who smiled whenever I turned and looked back in search of someone who could be called mine?

I realized that I was late in saying a 'thank you' at his face. Never mind, he's beside me!

Love
Jeanette