THAT FRIDAY AFTERNOON

“They walked together till beyond where the Earth kissed the Sky, and they lived happily ever after.”

♠

The sun was unforgiving that Friday afternoon.

A BEATING HEART

It was an arranged marriage. Arranged by fate.

And it was their wedding night. They stared at each other from across the bed.

“Mrs. Gupta?” Rajiv ventured.

“Mr. Gupta.” Payal responded.

He inched closer, staring into  her eyes. Her heart was singularly beating like a million drums in an orchestra for the deaf.

PROUD OF YOU

She had been sitting in the car for fifteen minutes now. Just sitting, doing nothing. The car stood in the parking lot, with the engine running. But she just stared, seeing nothing.

The birds were singing as if it were the last day of sunshine, and the sun responded with all its graciousness. It was a beautiful start to what would obviously be another hot and muggy day. She didn’t care.

HE WAS THERE

It was her wedding. And he was fine.

‘See,’ he told himself. ‘I always knew it. All this first-love business was just too Bollywood. All rubbish.’