Where was he?

It was unbelieving to believe what was happening in their lives.

He had actually met someone on shaadi.com and had actually liked her. So did she. She was surprised at herself. She could not believe that she was actually having some feelings for someone she had never met or even seen. It was hard to believe for him too, that someone really liked him. But she did. They both were surprised at amazed to actually accept that shaadi.com kind of things actually work or do happen for real! They were going through it for the first time...they had only seen friends and had heard about it. But this was happening to them.....

Sometimes they wondered - was this love or just a crush or infatuation? They were sure it was not love, as it did not feel like one! It was neither crush or infatuation. It was something in between. They named it '6'. Neither 10 nor a zero! It was the language only understood by them. It was like a float and they both choose to be just be there...

(I was watching them, enjoy, talk, smile, live, laugh, share ...almost a life of togetherness)

Both had seen love in the past. So they knew it was not love for sure because they believed that love takes lot of time to creep in. But they agreed that it was a comfort-ness, a willingness to listen to someone, the willingness to believe that not everybody is bad, a willingness to accept that sometimes bad things do happen and you have to just let go of it, and believe in the present, the desire of wanting to talk and wishing to find out about the other person, the comfort of being honest, of not having to put up an act, to pretend, to just be yourself.. added to it was the desire of wanting to discover the new person, the thrill of looking forward to someone who was being honest and himself as well... it was not about having to talk, or having to do something for the other BUT wanting to talk, wanting to listen, wanting to be there... ..They were in 'fix with 6'. They were happy to find someone who felt likewise for the other. May be it was peace with some doubts here and there about each other... some dreams...some hopes and some worries...but thats what IS life....

( I watched them talking and enjoying the present...unaware of the destiny)

They did not know it would be like this when they first communicated. She found him. But soon both took the responsibility of discovering the other. It was he who used to talk most of the time. She was the listener. In real life they both were listener and took time to open up. Between the two she was more spontaneous and less constipated in real life. But she needed response or actions to be so. She was slow, shy and calm. Her wilderness was subjected to response. He was slow with respect to expressing and actions. But they seem to have over come this difference while talking...

(I knew them since childhood. I knew of their short comings. I also knew that if they were to remain patient and calm they would discover the warmth in companionship pretty soon. Talking and communicating, I believe lies at the base and essence of any pyramidal relationship, specially a marriage since words is all that you will have when your hormones fly away)

So they kept talking and along with it slid in the feeling of atleast wanting to know the person more, the real him/her, his weakness, her fears, his insecurities, her sorrows, his sadness, her pain, his joys, hes smiles, his fears and her tears. He wanted to know the real person behind the smile. She wanted to touch the person behind the restless soul. They decided to meet.

They did not know what the other exactly felt... but they knew for sure that they DID feel something may be '6' . They did not know what to expect. But in their minds they had painted a picture of each other. A reflection of possibly what they wanted as a WIFE or a HUSBAND !

She - found him nice, caring, sensitive and loving, Thats what she had wanted as a 'Husband' ;

He - found her cool, fun loving, adventures, exciting, Thats what he has wanted as a 'Wife'

After these basic needs are met they expected.....

She - her husband to be 'cool, fun loving, adventures, exciting'
He - his wife to be 'nice, caring, sensitive and loving'

( I was worried as they were expecting opposites of what they had seen in each other or shown to each other or told either - YIN_YANG! I wondered if they will they have the time to discover and read each others expectations? Will they ignore all the differences and believe in the common knot they had, yet they had made so far! They both had seen their own share of the world. And I believed it was time for them to share and exchange each others notes...and laugh at the miseries, smile at the dim days...as they had found that 'someone' who would walk with them till the end. I wondered if they would want to resolve the differences and conflicts, that would run into while traveling together? They just seemed so perfect for each other with complete picture of each other....)
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It was 11th day of the month...He had planned to visit her. He had left JFK. She was at the airport to receive him. But he never reached. Destiny had planned something else for them. The person she spoke to never reached ! He got lost somewhere in between...

She kept wondering for days, weeks and months where he might me? Why he never came? What happened? Why he never called? Why he never picked up the phone? What happened to the flight he was coming? The 5 days that she had thought would have been spent in warmth, in companionship, in love, in affection, in care all seemed to have got lost somewhere. There was noting but complete stillness as if you stood in the desert by yourself.

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I just stood there staring at the red wall, in moist eyes and aching throat changing the date on my Calender to 12 September 2008 and wondering, why did she have to meet him at all?