Broken Hug

The Sky and Love

The tower seemed to have ripped out of the ground. At the main door, they were checked by the security guard with a metal detector. The lobby was polished and big and wide. The capsule lift said it all. As it went up, the surrounding buildings kept pressed down, getting dwarfed further and further. It seemed an angel had opened wide the windows to give Rohan a wider view of the city.

   Fai smiled as Rohan looked, his eyes taking in the view in slow degrees. Higher and higher they went.

   He looked at Fai. “Splendid.” And he beamed. “It’s as if we are travelling in a rocket.” 

   Rohan saw nothing around him but space, and they being lifted higher and higher. It was an endless flight. And endless distance. Endless travel with the sky embracing them.  

   The lift stopped on the 77th floor. They stepped out. And when Rohan stepped into the sky-walk, he lost his breath. It was a passage-c*m-balcony surrounding the entire building with fibre glass through which one got the view of the outside world. Outside, his eyes fell onto the panoramic view of the entire city. He looked down, and his eyes caught the streaks of light weaving themselves from one side to the other. Tiny buildings stretched all over. The sky was a shade of blue. Rohan stood dumb at the scene. Peace prevailed all over.

   Fai held his hand. “Come this side.” And they started walking. “People visit Baiyoke Tower from sunset onwards. And it’s going to be dark soon.”

   The place was devoid of others.  As he walked he continued watching the panorama outside. After a while, she stopped. Rohan’e eyes fell at the sky and he couldn’t believe what he saw. The sun was a red spot, and the western sky splashed with reddish-golden colour. As this colour spread out it gradually turned to light grey spreading far and wide around the remaining part of the sky.

   Rohan almost forgot he had come with someone till Fai cleared her throat.

   He turned. “This is beautiful,” he whispered with a tone of amazement.

   She smiled. “This is my painting,” and she pointed at the sunset and moved her hand across the wide expanse of the entire sky. “Didn’t I say you will fall in love with this place, and you will not fall in love with anyone or anything else ever?”

   He leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on the view outside. Then he shifted his gaze from the view outside and rested them on her. “When I saw you on the first day I simply couldn’t remove my eyes from you. Something told me you were different.”

   She looked at him, then outside and then at him again. “Well, you must have said this to other girls also.”

   “No, I’ve never told this to any other girl.” His voice was soft, yet clear. “Honest to God, no. I admit I’ve been around with other girls, but you are different. Believe me, no other girl has ever made me feel the way you do.” He held her hand. “This place you’ve brought me to, this painting,” and he pointed outside, “is wonderful. And the beauty of this place is valuable because you have showed me this.” He paused. “While we were coming here, you told me in the bus that this place is your favourite. Doesn’t it mean you wanted to share your favourite place with me because it would give you happiness? Immense happiness?”

   She looked at him and then lowered her eyes, turning her face left and right. The way he said it, the manner in which he explained this feeling was so simple. How could he do this?

   He could read yes in her eyes. “Yesterday evening I was explaining to you about that painting,” he continued, “and how looking at it from a different angle gives a different appearance. And here you’ve done the same thing. You are showing me a scene where nature is constantly changing the colours of the painting and thus giving a different meaning every time.”

   He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. There was some glow and a dull sparkle resting within. Without knowing what was happening to him, but aware that something was taking place, something indefinable, he wrapped his arms around her. Warmth overflowed out of his heart and he could hear his heart gently thumping against her chest. Then moving his head away from her face, he looked into her eyes once again. “I love you,” he whispered.

   She lowered her eyes and as she did so, he gently pulled her towards him. She rested her head on his chest, and he kept his chin on her head. Her heart stopped its beat for a few seconds. They remained in that position for an immense number of seconds, he looking at the sky romancing with the sun as it went to bed. He kissed her on her head, and she put her hands on his chest. She closed her eyes, and as she did so, she could read her own breathing pulsating in slow rhythm as it fell on Rohan’s chest. She opened her eyes after a while and looked up at him, her eyes soft, speaking in the language of silence. For quite a while, they remained holding each other.

   He looked around. The passage was empty. He held her hand and lowered himself on the floor, leaning against the wall. She sat next to him. In front of them the western sky spread its magic. His hand held hers and her head rested on his shoulder. Both looked out at the sky. To him a different meaning was being weaved in the sky as if each and every colour were telling its story, and all the stories had the same ending – two people falling in love. Rohan couldn’t think of anything but about Fai and he together and the soft moments of living their lives together for the moment. He looked at Fai and rested his lips on her head. The moment was silent and loving. He gently rubbed his thumb on her hand. He had no desire to talk for words at this time would break the language of silence. Fai shifted her head a little. Then she turned her eyes to his eyes. He noticed a smile at the corner of her mouth. 

   He smiled back. “I was wondering,” he asked after sometime, “if there is any guitar somewhere around.”

   She looked around. “I don’t know. But let me see.” She went to the end of the passage. At the main door was the security guard.

   He told her something in Thai. She came back to Rohan saying she’ll be back soon. Very soon she returned with a guitar grasped in her hand.

   She handed the instrument and sat beside him. He looked at the sky. Its shade of grey had deepened around and where the sun had set, the last streaks of silver were visible. He brushed his thumb over the strings. A soft sound emanated from the hollow body of the guitar but it was so soft and distinct that to Fai it seemed to have come from the silver streak of the sky. Rohan’s fingers slipped from one chord to the other, like a seagull gliding over the waters. And as he did so, a mix of sound filled the passage. Save the two of them, the music and the silence were present there. The strumming continued. Fai noticed him; his eyes closed, his mind deep into something. The music transported her as she watched him. The western sky dipped further into a dark and constant grey. She continued looking at him and noticed water forming between his closed eyelids. At that moment the strumming stopped.

   She only stared at him, at his face, mesmerized. She reached out towards him, and planted a kiss on his cheek. A gentle kiss, the touch soft and tender as her lips touched his skin.

   He opened his eyes and looked into hers.

   Her eyes were watery.

   Keeping the guitar across his leg, he put his arm around her shoulder and as he did that, she rested her head on his shoulder.

   “You know, Fai, this music is for you. It had been playing in my mind since quite some time but this is the first time my heart told me to play it out.” And he pulled her closer to him. He removed the guitar and kept it leaning against the wall. She came and sat in front of him, leaning her back against his chest, her head on his shoulder.

   He looked at her. “In the last four strums, I said to myself, I love you, Fai.”

   She snuggled closer to him, closing her eyes as he put his arms around her. He kissed her on her cheek. Outside, night had fallen, and lights of the buildings glittered like Diwali lights. Streaks of light over flyovers stretched long and far, and returned again.

   Rohan put his chin on her shoulder. “The most beautiful thing that’s happened to me is falling in love with you.” He kissed her neck. She turned her face towards him and looked into his face. Their faces came closer, and their lips touched, the kiss marrying softly into their hearts.

   She looked at him. “You know. My dad had proposed my mom here while both were watching the sky.”

   He smiled at her. “Your dad did the best thing in the world.”

   In the canvas of the sky all they could see moving were the colour of the sky darkening and the lights of the city becoming brighter.

   “Raw-han, you are leaving in three day’s time.”

   He turned his gaze from the sky towards her. He went on gazing at the Thai girl. “But I promise to come back.”