THE LINGERING FRAGRANCE

THE LINGERING FRAGRANCE

The sweet fragrance of her perfume clung to the tapestry for a long time even after she left the sofa. It took me back to the first time we had  seen each other. We had been living close-by for a long time, but we were introduced to each other that day.

I had never seen her before, but here was someone I would have to put for quite a long time to come. The glass wall of orthodox Indian traditions divided us even on the first day. We could see each other through the wall, but the image was a bit hazy. Both of us wanted to break the wall, but none of us had the courage to do it.

In desperation, my gaze travelled to other props in the room. The portrait at the other end of the room provided a comprehensive view of a sunset. Sunset has never been a novel phenomenon in my life. It has always been synonymous with several changes and novelties ushered into my life at different occasions. Here was another sunset, and this one probably symbolized the end of my celibacy.

The problem was that I was approaching the Christmas of my life, and unlike the Christmas in real life, this one was not very pleasant. Several realities of life had been laid bare and naked; they had sucked away all the excitement of life. There had been several ups and downs in my life, there had been bright and gay moments, but the encounters with life in the past few years have equated them to a dark and dismal night. I did wonder if she could bring the night to an end.

I sometimes wonder what other facts of life the apparent darkness of my life conceals. There has to be something bright at the other end; there has to be light at the end of the tunnel; there has to be silence beyond the entire medley. All of it would remain a mystery till the light of early dawn penetrates my life. I did wonder if she would be the source of this light.

She would certainly be the bedrock over which I would thrash out all my sorrows. She would give me some company through the arduous journey of my life. The glass wall dividing us on our first meeting would eventually wither away, but the fragrance of her perfume would linger on with the tapestry for quite some time. I hope she leaves behind a stronger fragrance all over my life.