UNKNOWN HORIZONS

I woke up in his arms. He was sleeping peacefully. He looked happy. Perhaps he was smiling in his dreams. I slipped out of bed quietly and headed to the terrace. I saw the sun rise. It was an enthralling experience.

I was on a holiday after a really long time. The little bungalow was situated on a hilltop amidst the forest. The exquisite beauty of the surroundings is beyond description. Even poetry would fail here. I was lost in such thoughts when familiar arms engulfed me with passion and elegance, his head resting on my shoulders. “Good Morning”, he whispered in my ears. I smiled and wished him back. As I turned to him, he somewhat loosened his grip but again came back to his former self. “So trekking today ?” he asked. I just managed to say a yes. Just then, the housekeeper came with two buckets of water and my dear husband regained his composure.

We were ready to explore the forest after a warm bath and a light breakfast. It was a crunchy, chilly morning but we were at ease. It was interesting to see those quaint little activities in the wild, which I had long forgotten to notice. We heard the gush of the stream and rapidly advanced to it. Lo and behold ! It was nature at its best. The entire scenery was so very heavenly. We frolicked around like school kids. Time flew by and we had to return. The return trip was memorable too. At least for me. He kept quite close to me and showed me some remarkable sights which I had failed to notice earlier. We got back in time for lunch and I could see, he was hungry as hell. I had a short nap thereafter and he did all the packing. We left for the concrete jungle after witnessing a glorious sunset. I thanked him for the wonderful weekend during the return journey. He had already dozed off and I smiled again. The weekend was certainly an euphoria.

A fortnight later I was surprised. Quite pleasantly though. I was bubbling with unknown emotions. I was ecstatic ,on the other hand I felt warm tears trickling through my cheeks. I called him home immediately. All of a sudden, I grew apprehensive. Would he be as glad as me ? What if he wouldn’t ? He almost rushed into the house. I handed him the report. His eyes widened and for a moment looked staggered. An inconclusive expression. I closed my eyes anticipating something really bad. But I was terribly mistaken. Perhaps he was in a stupor for a second. Then I heard the words “Oh my God !! I just can’t believe this….I never knew I was destined to be so happy…….I love you so much …” He locked me in an embrace , he was uncontrollably happy. I didn’t know what to do. I don’t remember when he looked into my eyes and said,”You know I feel its her. She’s back. This time we won’t lose her.” Tears welled up in my eyes. Her face flashed across my mind. She’s coming back certainly…now its my turn to be the friend, philosopher and guide. At that instant, I decided I would name my baby after her. My thoughts drifted to the jolliest days of my life- with Shweta Di and Tushar.

(Di : elder sister)

To be continued...