Lock and Key

I was asleep. It was the continuous vibration from my phone that woke me up. I was so sleepy that I couldn’t even read the name of the caller properly or even differentiate if it was a call or an alarm.”The flight is at 6, please get up, I don’t want you to miss it.”he said as I picked up the call.

I jumped off the bed hearing that. Hurriedly, I took a shower and rushed to the airport with my clumsy self. He was standing there looking at his watch and me. On my way, I called home and said that I am off this weekend for an official trip and wouldn’t be back in 3–4 days. I lied, of course! You can’t get things that easily if you live in an Indian household, especially permissions, apparently, not even a chance if you are a girl.

“Sorry, I called so many times, but I know your habit of waking up late and sleeping till noon. I just wanted to make sure that you make it to the airport on time.” He said. “Thanks for the call, and I am sorry for being late”, I smiled awkwardly. He dropped his bag and hugged me. It was a warm bear hug.

“Happy New Year you sloth bear!” I heard him screaming drunk and mad. “Happy New Year to you too” I replied. “I have something to show you.” I could see him doing something over the phone. Seeing message notifications, I checked them to see lots of images from him. I smiled like an idiot seeing the love lock having our names on it. I never thought that he would do something like that for me. ”Did you like it?”He enquired. “Take me there once, even I want to see it”, I demanded.”I would love to. I have marked the place and the position, I hope this stays till we come back.”

He handed me over a bag of chips as we waited for the flight. I smiled and took them for I was famished, he knew it better. “How is everything at home?”He asked.”Still the same. Unfortunately, still unapproving my happiness on a daily basis.”I laughed and he didn’t. “Tell me about you,” I asked. “Intimidating and hurtful” came the reply. I didn’t ask anything else for I knew what and how things were. I avoided any awkward conversations.

The flight landed. As usual, he had made all the reservations. This habit of his is annoying at times but useful mostly. Planning things has always been his habit. I would be his antonym when things come to discipline and planning. After resting properly, it was time to visit the place we have had come to visit.

“Did you rest well?” He asked me. I nodded for he had taken care of every single need of mine. I smiled and offered him my chocolate bar. He smiled and looked at it. “Still the same chocolate, some obsessions never change, do they?”He asked. “No, they don’t.”I looked at him keenly for my obsessions rarely go away. He should be knowing that for he is one of them. He quickly turned away to avoid further eye contact.

“Stop drinking you mad woman,” I heard him screaming as he was trying to take away the bottle from my hands. “No, I want to drink and confess that I love you, this bottle makes you courageous and stupid at the same time,” I said and drank from the bottle. He looked at me in surprise yet calm as he had foreseen this. I looked at him and asked,” What? Don’t you know that I am in love with you?”I asked and stumbled upon a stone. He got a hold of me as I was finding it hard to even walk. Since then, he has never left my side.

“I think it is better for us to part our ways. It seems like our families would never agree to our relationship. And we don’t want a life leaving them behind. It will be hard but then we’ll get better.” He said. I sat on the bench,lost in thoughts, trying to find arguments to make him stay, keep this relationship alive but I couldn’t think of any. Our love seemed too weak for a reason against the many reasons to part our ways. We looked at eachother helplessly yet hopelessly in love. “Can we go to Paris and unlock that lock?” I asked him. He thought for a while and nodded.

Here it is, he pointed at the lock with our names on them. I looked to see a blue(which happens to be my favorite hue) lock. I went to it and held it in my hands.

I looked at him desperately. He wasn’t happy either. As he came closer with the key to unlock it, I stopped him. He wasn’t surprised as if he knew that I would protest.

“Let this end here. Let this end for our good. Let this help us to move on. Lets end this beautiful journey here.I love you and you love me. But not all those who love can be together. Maybe our story is destined to end here.” He said.

I closed my eyes while he unlocked the lock with the key and threw it into the river. Our hearts shattered. My eyes got filled up with tears. Holding my hands, he stood beside me even then, when everything was ending, just the way he stood near me when everything started that night.

We went back home taking with us a lifetime worth moment of love,life and loss leaving all baggage of despair and desires.