It has always amazed me with its characteristics. Being one of the unsolved strangest mysteries, time does not travel back. It just goes on. There have been innumerous moments when we felt for just one sec, to stop the ticking time. Not because we are afraid of the future, but because we don’t want to lose the beautiful moments of the past.

There were times we didn’t mind being at home, cuddling around our mother whole day and hugging her at frequent intervals.. In the race for getting money and power and what not, we now rarely get leave and holidays to spend one day with her.

There were times we played with our relatives and cousins and siblings in holidays. And now they all are grown up. They now meet at the occasional functions and say hi and bye together with a smile.

There were times we sat in the back bench in our old school and played with the pencils, pens and boxes of your school friends and longed for one day to wear the color dress. Now, you are busy buying sarees to attend the same school friend’s marriage function. You discuss and make fun of them and then end up thinking, one more off the chain…

There were times when we bunked the college classes to hang around here and there writing assignments, and records and laughing for every word we said even amidst the tensions of lab and semester exams. Now, even when we are just few miles apart, we rarely call each other…

There were times we enjoyed the beauty of life with our room mates and friends, by hanging out and being in the room. The discussions and jokes, the frustrated rants about the office work, the fever and illness downtimes, watching of movies, the beach outing, the photo sessions, the lunch and dinner treats and the group shopping, the Uno and donkey card games, the making fun of each other with the relationships and all. Now, all are scattered in different parts of the world, with barely few phone calls and mails to each other…

PS: The alarm clock next to me, shrieked heavily. It was already 7 in the morning. Its another day already.
But.. ain’t I slept just a few mins ago…! Hmmm… Mayb not..

The rains had just stopped. The sky was getting clearer. The waves was slowly splashing across the shore, as if some storm had passed by. He was looking onto the horizon and the serenity of the sea. He loved beaches. The sea and the infinity tinkled his mind and soothened his brain, or does it make him think? Whatever. She continued changing her gaze on him to sea and after a while onto him again. She loved being with him on his favourite place to enjoy the silent calmness. Maybe cos he is at his best when at beach? Whatever.

Slowly, smiling at one of her alternative gaze, they looked at each other as if asking “kya dekh rahe ho” to her. As if to answer him, she smiled back bleakly.

“Why smiling”
“Nothing…”
The smile portrayed the hidden flirting playing on her face.

“Hey do you remember the first time we came here?” She continued.
“Ya.. And that time you were sitting 5 feet far from me!” He said making a sad expression.
“Hehe.. Ya. But you were blurting out all those philosophical crap, and was not at all making me feel that you want me near!” She smiled playfully again.
“Yeah. Thats was the beach effect.. but later on your effect was the one prominent na. ”
He gave her such a smart look, that she blushed and replied, ” Hmm… ”

Both sat in the silence followed. Memories were gushing up as like the blood through the veins. The fate always liked to play the game by rewinding and playing it all again. The times had changed, but the music prevailed in the air.
Finally she couldn’t bear the silence more. It was tearing at her heart. Her face became serious slowly and dark owing to the sadness.

“I am getting afraid ya..” She said it very slowly, looking at his face, as if waiting for him to respond and caress her.
” For what??? ” He was stupid from the beginning in understanding these small girlish hints..
” That guy is coming to see me next Sunday na.. ”
” So…? ”
She glared and stared at him blankly on hearing such a passive response.
” We already decided na, then why thinking of it again n again..” He couldn’t understand why she thinks too much always.
” Hmmmm.. yeah.. but.. ”
She couldn’t look at the beach nor the sky nor at him. She held her heads down at the sands. She found herself in them. Soft and scattered.

” Now what???” He never could see her sulky for long.
After what it seemed to be a long silence, she replied slowly thoughtfully..
” Nothing…”
They sat in that silence with the sea winds blowing onto their face.

.::Epilogue - When you say nothing at all… ::.

Its the end of October
And the start of November
Splashing across are waves; tender,
yet along with the rains n thunder.

The distant horizon,
The dormant expectations,
The glaring vision,
The never-ending confusions…