Crescendoing Silence: A Moment Forever

Take me in your arms,

And make my heart fly..

Kiss me once and last,

A kiss, a love tale

Platinum true,

Honey sweet,

Moist tear,

Nude skin,

Sea deep,

Pure dew,

A kiss, rare as you…

And, hitherto,

Answer my soul’s ‘WHY’…

I draped myself in his favorite color Saree; deep blue it is. With thousands of silver stars hanging upside down, twinkling into my face, watching their clear ripple less reflection in my watery haze. He called me up in the evening from his office, and told me not to prepare dinner. It was our fifth anniversary. He had planned something as always, I knew.

Since last four years, on the eve of our anniversary, we have been dining out in our favorite restaurant. Exquisite diner, with such a romantic ambience, and that dim yellow light filling in the room would make you fall in love, again and again, with the place. I’ve loved this place always. A five year old relation indeed, akin to our marriage.

Exactly at 20:45, he was outside the house and rang the bell once. I can vouch anytime any day for my man and his patience. When I opened the door, he eyed me inanely from my auburn hair to my coral blue heels, from my mascara to my nail polish, but didn’t say a word. He as usual ambled towards our bedroom, grabbed his towel and walked into the bathroom to take his regular shower. He was tired, I knew. I could read his face easily and those tension lines on his cringed forehead would always narrate the story of his stressed day in a telltale voice. They did whisper to me today also, though in a bit louder tone.

Everything seemed normal; nothing offbeat; nothing special as from erstwhile.

Meal wasn’t cooked as instructed by him, and we would be skipping our dinner tonight it seemed. He was lying in bed, clothed in his Night Pajama and cotton tee. Neither having chutzpah, nor intention of inquiring about the dinner, I too slipped into my sleek pajama and loose T-shirt, and crawled into the bed, beside my kid. I’ve a four year old kid from my five years of marriage.

I slept, not out of choice but of my dire requirement to curb my heart wrench and surfacing tears.

At midnight, when clock arms were nevertheless romancing each other physically for the second time in a day, my cell phone beeped with a whatsapp ping. Reaching out for my phone, I tried to stare on its screen with my half opened eyes, squinting at the sudden brightness piercing the blinding darkness around. It was from him, and it read, ‘Happy Anniversary, my angry bird…oops, wifey.’

I turned around to look for him and there he was sitting at the edge of our bed smiling, with a perfect heart shaped cake resting in his place of sleeping.

‘Happy fifth anniversary,’ He mouthed the words,

not willing to stir the tranquility blooming in the moment.

I emulated his gesture flawlessly.

Cake was a mere trailer of what was yet to come or I’d have rather termed it as Love Ascending. Thereafter, I smelled nature's freshness in my room, and a bouquet of red and white roses and Ferrero Rocher chocolates appeared from nowhere, like he had conjured the art of whooshing his magic wand and making the empty dry AC air transform into some desired object, sitting atop his palm or on bed.
Then followed one Alpino pack consisting of two golden wrapped wafer chocolate balls.Unwrapping those enveloped balls, individually, revealed us two enclosed secret love messages.

‘I’d like to be with you during a moment called Forever...’

‘Smile, if you have big nostrils. Because love is in the air...’

And we smiled to each other and to this beautiful moment. I was entirely basking in the cozy warmth of love. And, as if my heart wasn’t enough overwhelmed, he told me to get ready for another and the final surprise. My heart started racing not sure of what the next moment had in store for me. Pleasant for sure, but ‘what’ kept getting on my nerves till he elbowed and mimed making me look

towards the big wall clock as its pendulum swayed in rhythm with my heartbeats, or a tad slower. It was 00:40.

It was on October 11, 2008 that our Nika’h took place, at 00:40. This was the time we were waiting for us to cut our Anniversary cake.

He held my right hand and guided the knife into the heart of the heart shaped cake. And the sharp edge of knife hit something. I was yet to know.

A Platinum Ring. If you could imagine my ecstasy.

I shrieked. I yelled. I cried. I threw myself in his arms and hugged him tightly. And he said lovingly stroking my tousled tresses.

‘Platinum ring for the Platinum of my life. You did bear with me in my worst, endured every brusqueness our marriage offered you at times. Kept holding my finger when I felt alone. Gave me needed sense of warmth and confidence. And made me feel most loved and precious.’

And I was already crying. But he continued. His words oozing like warm honey from the depths of his manly heart.

‘You’re as precious as any precious metal or gem in this world, and Platinum reminded me of you. Precious. Beautiful. A Lifelong partner. Rare and Eternal.’

I could only manage to say, ‘I love you’ and tears sopped my words. He held me tight in his strong embrace and rocked me till I could feel serenity dawning on me and my soul.
Love is as timeless as Platinum. I’d cherish both till I breathe.