An insight into life !

People were streaming up and down the road; most of them had luggages with them, women, children,men - young and old, they were all moving towards the huge tents put up around the huge maidan. There was a huge hoarding of a Baba looking quite smart in a sherwani. I would have to wait and ask someone for bldg no.25, where my teacher lived. The best bet would be the watchman at the next gate- pity i will have to wake him from his slumber though!

As I walk towards the gate I hear a voice call out 'Anu' ! Anuu!! Anupama!!!!....Who could be calling out to me in this place?? As I turn around towards the voice, I notice a man, he was tall I could see, his height being somewhat lessened by the flesh around his abdomen shoulder and face, his hairline was receding making wavy patterns on his forehead, he looked familiar - slowly recognition begin to dawn, making me numb for a second. He was walking towards me, smiling, as he approached I could see those eyes still held the same warmth.

The last time we met was more than 20 years back. I was rushing home, racing across the huge ground after work to meet my future in laws and there he had popped up before me- a tall lanky young man then, bubbling with life, ever ready with a smile. All I had time for was for a quick wave.

Here he was now, standing before me, like a ghost from my past ! He kept looking into my face for a long while as I smiled in recognition at him. 'You look so beautiful' he said and I could only smile back in response. Even those days, when I was thin and scrawny and almost ugly he was amongst those rarest breed of men who found me beautiful. He seemed to be shaken by the chance encounter, 'how many times have I imagined this scene'! he said. I was thinking too, of the innumerable times I have envisioned this scene, now it was here I felt happy and proud to realize that I was totally at ease, there were no bells ringing anywhere, no nostalgic memories running down my head into my heart.

I walked besides him, happy that this meeting did take place but more than that my heart sang out with joy that I had the greatest love in this world in the man I was married to for the past twenty years. I felt at peace with myself and the world.

In the evening that day as I cuddled up to my husband before the television whilst he watched some outdated cricket match, booing and shouting like it was some present world cup going on I couldnt help but laugh at this child-man who filled my being with so much love, it would take me a few lives to compensate.