After eons, it seemed, I saw him again.
He was lounging on his swiveling chair, just as I remembered, wearing a suit that fitted him like a glove, sipping his double chocolate milkshake, and offering me his most disdainful smile as I walked up to his table.
"So, Master Aech, how have you been faring since the last time we met?". Sarcasm dripped from his words; he knew full well what hell I've gone through. He was a part of me, after all. A part I had never wished for, but a part all the same.
"You know full well, Hyde, of the life you drove me to.", I replied with venom in my voice. "You did all you could to ruin me". There wasn't enough hatred in the whole world for what I felt towards him, then and there.
"And I would have succeeded too,", he replied calmly, pointing towards an approaching figure, "If it hadn't been for her."
As she came nearer, I was able to make out details about her. She had the face of an angel, her cheekbones softened with light, but carefully applied makeup. The kohl intensified the fire in her eyes, and I wondered, not for the first time, that how could anyone possibly resist falling for this perfect beauty. Her dress was a long white, with silver embroidery covering the entire front. A long shawl covered half her head, and trailed past her shoulders along her back, all the way to her calves. Her feet were adorned by silver heels which complemented her dress, and in her hands, there was a matching clutch purse. Her beauty and poise took my breath away, and as I stood there, my mouth hanging open and my brain befuddled, she smiled that shy smile of hers, and I was giddy with joy as I stepped towards my bride.
I helped her into a chair, and as she settled into it, I saw her glance uncertainly towards Hyde. She didn't recognise him! Breathing a sigh of relief, I took the remaining chair between them.
As always, Hyde was the one to speak first. "Welcome, Mrs. Aech. Its a pleasure to finally meet you". The look in his eyes was one of mockery, and though he appeared languid, there was an unmasked hostility in his demeanour. I knew the reason well enough but she didn't, and hence it wasn't a surprise when she placed her hand on mine and whispered, "Who is he"?
"My lady, I'm . . . ", he began in his glib tongue, and for the first time, I cut him off. "My dear", I addressed my bride, "he's me. Or rather he was, before I met you. I don't know what he is now. A remnant of a life behind me, I suppose?"
"I still don't understand...", she said, bewildered, as he chuckled behind me.
Steeling myself with a deep breath, I took her hand in mine, and began my tale...
--
"So, Master Aech, how have you been faring since the last time we met?". Sarcasm dripped from his words; he knew full well what hell I've gone through. He was a part of me, after all. A part I had never wished for, but a part all the same.
"You know full well, Hyde, of the life you drove me to.", I replied with venom in my voice. "You did all you could to ruin me". There wasn't enough hatred in the whole world for what I felt towards him, then and there.
"And I would have succeeded too,", he replied calmly, pointing towards an approaching figure, "If it hadn't been for her."
As she came nearer, I was able to make out details about her. She had the face of an angel, her cheekbones softened with light, but carefully applied makeup. The kohl intensified the fire in her eyes, and I wondered, not for the first time, that how could anyone possibly resist falling for this perfect beauty. Her dress was a long white, with silver embroidery covering the entire front. A long shawl covered half her head, and trailed past her shoulders along her back, all the way to her calves. Her feet were adorned by silver heels which complemented her dress, and in her hands, there was a matching clutch purse. Her beauty and poise took my breath away, and as I stood there, my mouth hanging open and my brain befuddled, she smiled that shy smile of hers, and I was giddy with joy as I stepped towards my bride.
I helped her into a chair, and as she settled into it, I saw her glance uncertainly towards Hyde. She didn't recognise him! Breathing a sigh of relief, I took the remaining chair between them.
As always, Hyde was the one to speak first. "Welcome, Mrs. Aech. Its a pleasure to finally meet you". The look in his eyes was one of mockery, and though he appeared languid, there was an unmasked hostility in his demeanour. I knew the reason well enough but she didn't, and hence it wasn't a surprise when she placed her hand on mine and whispered, "Who is he"?
"My lady, I'm . . . ", he began in his glib tongue, and for the first time, I cut him off. "My dear", I addressed my bride, "he's me. Or rather he was, before I met you. I don't know what he is now. A remnant of a life behind me, I suppose?"
"I still don't understand...", she said, bewildered, as he chuckled behind me.
Steeling myself with a deep breath, I took her hand in mine, and began my tale...
--
"I had a life before you too. A continuous, monotonous cycle of the
trivial: eating, sleeping, studying (and later, working). There was no margin of
leisure, no concept of freewill. All was preordained for me, and following it
meekly was the only way I knew. My imagination lacked inspiration, and my
actions were without aspirations. Then you came along, and lit this spark of
spontaneity inside me. A spark that transformed into a raging fire by the time
you committed yourself to me. And now I look back and think: That’s when I was
really born.
I dreamt before you too. Dreams of a long and happy life, a job where I
would be at home, a small cottage by the sea, beside my café, where I would lie
down in a hammock and play my guitar, or sit on the beach and pour my heart out
on paper. I used to dream of a companion whom I would respect and care for, and
who would always be there for me. However vivid they might have been, they were
still mere dreams, and when mornings came, I woke up to the same humdrum
lifestyle that I hoped to escape. And then one day, those weren’t just my
dreams anymore; they were my goals. Our goals. I started to hope, to believe in
a better life. I put my faith in us, and now when I look at us, the reality is
more beautiful than any dream my mind could conjure up.
I loved before you too. Entering each relationship bravely, willing to
give my all in exchange for quite little: a smile that would belong to me,
occasional attention to my condition, and hope for a better future. Time after
time I failed though, because I didn’t know how to love. Love, as the world
taught me, was just a tool to get almost anything done. Love was a poison,
meant to act slowly, as you work to obtain what you need from your beloved. And
after that, once you satiate your greed and acquire what you came for, you just
have to get up and leave. You turn your promises to maybes, your devotion to
deception, your smiles to smirks, and just disappear. And after a stumble too
many, when I decided I was ready to pay the world in kind, I met you. For a
while, I didn’t know whether you would be my final hope, or my first victim. I
was selfish and rude, taking my frustrations out on you. Yet you never left me.
You purged me of all the hatred I had for this world, and filled me with your
essence. You became my salvation, and now I when I look back, I think: You
really saved me."
--
By that time, I had run out of everything: things to say, air to breathe, and strength to look at her. Now that she had seen what I was before, she may not like me anymore. I feared I had lost her forever, when she squeezed my hand in reaffirmation, and just like that, all was right with the world. I looked at her, and I couldn't help but smile as I marvelled at her beauty, her courage, and the trust she had in me.So lost were we in each other's eyes that we did not even notice Hyde wave at us as he vanished in the cool afternoon breeze. Nor did we feel the warmth of the perfect winter sun, for we were too lost in each other, hand in hand, and ready to begin a new life with each other, full of love, happiness and adventure. And as I held her face in my hands, the whole world seemed to stop, letting us savour this new sensation as we came close...
--
By that time, I had run out of everything: things to say, air to breathe, and strength to look at her. Now that she had seen what I was before, she may not like me anymore. I feared I had lost her forever, when she squeezed my hand in reaffirmation, and just like that, all was right with the world. I looked at her, and I couldn't help but smile as I marvelled at her beauty, her courage, and the trust she had in me.So lost were we in each other's eyes that we did not even notice Hyde wave at us as he vanished in the cool afternoon breeze. Nor did we feel the warmth of the perfect winter sun, for we were too lost in each other, hand in hand, and ready to begin a new life with each other, full of love, happiness and adventure. And as I held her face in my hands, the whole world seemed to stop, letting us savour this new sensation as we came close...
