Roses and Rain

It was pouring heavily. I watched the raindrops rumbling down, drop by drop, it appeared as if they were having a competition. I smiled, it reminded me of something but I couldn't exactly pinpoint what, so I ignored it and looked towards my cup of coffee. It was about to be emptied. I wanted to order another one but then decided against it. I sat there and stared out the window pane, my half emptied cup of coffee long forgotten. The rain had stopped pouring and it was drizzling now, drops of water appeared as pearls on the slanting roof ends and started plummeting down in a designated pattern. A memory started tugging at my head, wanting to resurface again, calling out to me. I didn't dwell too much on it, it always led to a headache.

I saw a boy not more than eighteen past the curtains of the drizzle, standing on the sidewalk. It appeared that he was waiting for someone; he had a bouquet of roses in his hands. The flowers were pretty, and a very deep shade of red, like the shade of a bleeding heart. The little drops of water that landed on the petals, I suppose due to the drizzle made them look even lovelier.

But the boy, his face was so familiar. I felt as if I knew every line on that face. Yet I couldn't point out who he was. I felt that push and tug again, my mind was clouded, a hazy picture wanted to resurface but couldn't and the boy seemed more intriguing with each passing second.

My eyes were transfixed, and the tugging inside my head increased. My heart accelerated, eyes watered and palms started sweating. Tears ran down my cheeks but I had no idea why!

My seat was secluded in a corner. My vision blurred but I did not want to transfer my eyes from his face. Who was he? Why did he have such an effect on me? He took a look at his watch and as if detecting my eyes on him he looked up at me, more likely my eyes. I stopped breathing, his eyes - they were the darkest shade of black. It felt like he was peering into my soul.

A girl walked up to him and tapped his shoulder, he turned to her and our staring dual broke. I saw him smile at her adoringly and he took her hand into his and walked away, as if he never saw me.

I felt a fresh set of tears run down my cheek. I wiped my tears furiously, trying to forget about his face. I did not even know his name, how come he evoked such a feeling as if somebody had just stabbed me.
"What nonsense!", I murmured.

The hazy memory had gone back into the deep abyss of my mind, no longer bothering me; some sort of exhaustion took over me. I felt a longing to return to the comfort of my home. I went up to the reception to pay my bill but the lady at the counter told me that it was already paid. I could not comprehend who might paid for it. I asked her the same. She pointed me back towards the table that I had been occupying not more than 10 minutes ago. I followed her instructions and went back to it; I found a bouquet of red roses on it. The roses were so pretty, and it reminded me back of that boy. A ghost of a smile touched my lips. I felt something prick my heart as I picked up the bouquet, a tear landed on a rose as if they were made for each other. I put them back on the table and turned to leave but the flowers were too lovely to be left there just like that, so I turned back and looked at them.

Just when I reached out to them,I felt someone behind me and turned around.

"You look cute with tears running down your face but you look even prettier when you are smiling."

My eyes were stuck on the person's face; I was perplexed. The person wiped my tears and took my hand and led me to a table filled with people who appeared so familiar to me but I recognized only two faces - My parents. They were all celebrating something but I couldn't remember the occasion.

"Happy Anniversary, love" - whispered the boy whom I had seen across the sidewalk, in my ears.

10 years later after I regained all my memories, that day still stands out amongst all the others because that day I fell in love for the second time with my husband.