Story

Longtime ago, I was on a beach. It was a Polynesian beach, filled with a lot of filthy rich people. They came by in groups of two’s, three’s and four’s and more. I was young, single and successful enough to be on a backpacking tour to Europe. As I was chilling, I saw they had all the time to talk about their own and other’s business, sometimes brawling loudly but many a time lowering their voices to pass on a delicate piece of news.

I was thinking of the long evening ahead, to be spent all alone by myself. I thought of taking a slow , dreary walk through unknown streets and of the deadly gloom with which I was already filled, being a lonely traveler and of the repressive memoirs I have already pocketed out of my [dream-come-true kind of] backpacking trip. This was despite getting many a warning from friends, family and foe.

As my loneliness increased with the falling shadows, all John’s and Laura’s started kissing under palm trees soaked in sun kissed tanned bodies. Giggling girls undid their bath robes daintily and ran into the water, enjoying the rippling waves.

Then, at that very moment I saw her. She was beautiful. I mean there are faces whose charm appeals to anyone and everyone and delight you instantly. It was one such face. I felt she was the one for whom I was born and was born to love her and make love to her.

So I loved her.

I was introduced to her that very day, by a common friend. Her looks, her smile, her hair flickering in the air, her gestures, and her manners all were enticing me. I asked her out for a date.

She said “yes”.

Unbelievable was the day and my luck on that day.

She changed into an evening gown and came out with me. She was elegance personified, exuding freshness, and pretty all by herself. That night we made love. After that night, I started appreciating the seductive beauty in the curve of a woman’s cheek, the movement of a lip, the pinkness of an ear, and more and merely everything I know of women.

She was mine and I was mad. For the next 4 days, I was with her.

It had to end.

My backpacking trip ended abruptly with her vanishing act without a caution or a word and I returned to my life.
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[20 years later]. Day: Today
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I was in downtown this evening trying to catch hold of a cabbie. It was raining cats and dogs.

I can never forget her fragrance and I whiffed the same fragrance right next to me. I turned and could find a fat, old, lady with lots of shopping bags and a couple of brats around her calling her “mommy”. I saw her and found it difficult to digest that she was the girl whom I mated 20 years back, and the girl I still dream of every night.

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“Hi” said I.

“Do you remember me?” “I am ‘I’. We met on March 4th, “XXXX “. I hope we had a great time. At least I thought I had.”

“Oh, hi” said she.

“What explains you vanishing unnoticed that day?” said I.

“My husband yelled at me to go back to him to the isle” said she.

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I was stunned. No more words came out from my side. I couldn’t mince anymore. I was dumbstruck.

Even as I recall, she said many things after that. She was still screaming as I got into a call taxi. But I couldn’t hear anymore. I just couldn’t. I got down a couple of streets away from where I live. I walked that silent walk that I thought of taking that day. I saw quite a lot of couples in their teens hovering all over the place near the by lane park. They were walking slowly, arm in arm, clad in long, winter wear.

I went home and stood under the shower and saw myself in mirror. It was ages since I saw myself in mirror.
For the first time in my life, I understood women are poor beings. Their joy, their power, their life all lie in their beauty which lasts 10 years. . It’s their beauty that is deceptive. It deceives men and them alike. After those 10 years, they are those big, fat, common women.

All through the night, all alone I stood in front of the mirror for a long time, a very long time. I saw what I was that day. I saw my sneakers, my black hair and the youthful expression of my face.

Now I was old.

D