A Date

Well, another usual day, another routine; just juggling with the keys, a water bottle, bag and a bunch of mails. One envelope caught my attention. Though it was simple, plain looking but it only had my name, no address, no sender’s name or any other details. Not sure of what next, I opened the seal. There was a very thin paper, soft and grainy, delicate. I took it out. Every grain had its own identity but yet fully attached to other, inseparable. It was translucent, and blank. I flipped it. Was it some kind of joke? I finally positioned it towards the window. The light passed through the paper. Every grain lit up. A few lit up even brighter, with a golden hue. They joined together and created a few letters. 

Dear Hemani, you got a date with time. 

Date with time? Is it a misprint or words have jumbled up? 

I looked up. He was looking at me, smiling. 

“Oh! I am not ready...” I muttered. 

“Will you be ever?” The smile was even bigger. 

And I looked back at the card. A few grains from corners seem to have disintegrated. A lot was going on to comprehend, to understand. 

“Well hello” I managed. 

“Very Well hello”, and he again smiled. And I looked at him. Not bad. Off guard, clueless. Not sure of what next? 

“Hmmm…” I cleared my throat. “So? I mean such pleasant surprise”. 

“You are missing me a lot these days dear. I hear it so often from you; you are chasing me, I am running very fast, you are not getting a bit of me. I guess you have complained about it to the entire world. So here I am, with you, for you. After all how can I afford to even breathe with so many complaints from you?” he was crisp. 

Was he sarcastic or simply buttering or genuinely concerned? 

“Well, I guess, that’s all true. Isn't it?” we looked at each other and I was falling in love with that charm. No wonder they call him biggest healer. I managed to hid my smile after imagining the wheel of Mahabharata or a big oldie with sparkling white extra extra long beard – what wild imaginations people have! 

“Of course you are running fast. I am tired of chasing you all the time. At one moment I saw my doll Muskaan in my arms wrapped in a towel looking at the new world and I blinked my eyes and I see Muskaan celebrating her 14th birthday.” 

“Oh please…I have seen you when you ignored me completely. Even I stood there for a moment looking at you, when you were chasing your kids in a garden, cuddling them or when you two were deep lost in thoughts with smiles on your lips over a cup of tea, and then I tip toed from there, so that I don’t disturb you. Rather I guess you have tagged me with good and bad, made me a hero and a villain. At times I felt so bad when I saw you praying that I should pass soon. I never wanted anything bad for you. I am and will be same for you always.” He looked at me again. 

I was speechless. I just managed to smile and looked at him. He was smiling at me. I sat beside him with a cup of tea and enjoyed the silent moments which were clanking happiness all around us. I looked at that invitation card, and the last few grains disintegrated in thin air, I looked up and fresh air kissed me softly.