Love of My Life

Chapter 2: Memories

David belonged to a well-off family. He was the youngest of his three siblings and was completely spoiled by MR Richard and Julia Richard, his dad and mom. He was an apple of his mother’s eye and but his father was always concerned about him as he was extremely careless about his studies. He seldom cares about his meals and was always in a hurry as if he was after some unseen goal. David was a dashing young man with smart built and straight black hair. He had beautiful expressive eyes and his innocent smile was as pure as an angel. He was a spoiled child in the eyes of his family members but outside the home, he was a very helpful, compassionate, and honest person. Though he was careless about himself he always cared about his loved ones. He had a pure heart and soul.

He was in his last year of the university when he met Cathy. One fine morning when he was heading towards university, he was met with an accident. His bike hit the sidewalk and he fell on the road. As he was losing his consciousness he heard a sweet voice calling him and trying to wake him up. He became unconscious and next he opened his eyes in the hospital. She was standing beside him; thoughtful and worried. ‘Who are you?’ He opened his eyes slowly and asked.

‘I found you the road, are you alright? Where is your family? I was really worried’ she asked a lot of questions in a single breath. David was amazed. He told about his family and went to sleep again as he was under the influence of tranquilizers. Next, when he opened his eyes she was gone. He remembered very little about her.

The next day he was discharged from the hospital. On his way back he saw her in the corridor rushing towards him. ‘I have been thinking about you, are you alright now? You didn’t talk to me yesterday I was worried’, again so many questions without a pause. It was the first time David looked at her closely and he was mesmerized. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. She had beautiful grey eyes with a cute round face and rosy lips. Her cheeks were blushing and she had a doll-like appearance. Her body was slim and she was wearing a plain black skirt with a white-collar shirt. She was a very elegant young lady. David kept staring at her when he was patted by his mother on the shoulder.  Cathy was feeling awkward and went away.

Many days had passed but David was unable to forget Cathy. He was craving to see her face, to meet her and thank her and he got his luck one day. It was a bright sunny day; David took his last class and was moving towards the cafeteria with his friends when he saw that face. She was outshining in a group of her friends. She was laughing beautifully as a friend told a joke. She was stunning and David was stunned. Suddenly one of her friends noticed David’s presence and patted Cathy’s shoulder to draw her attention. Cathy looked at David and stood up in a moment. She walked towards David but before she could say anything David asked about her as he never saw her before in university.

‘It was my first day when I saw you injured on the road’, she said. She was looking very pretty in a brown skirt and green collar shirt. David liked the way she dressed up. It was different. Unlike the other girls, she was not wearing any suggestive dress. She was innocent and sacred. David fell in love with her.

Six months were gone in a blink of an eye. David and Cathy were enjoying the beautiful time of togetherness. Everything was beautiful. The chirping of leaves seemed to be romantic, the moon was extra lit, the flowers were bringing joyous bloom, the sun and the moon, the flowers and leaves, earth and sky all were testifying their love. Everything was sacred as if the Divine God had sent them for each other and they kept it pure, no lust was there.

________________________________________________________________________________

After a year of dating each other, David decided to propose to her. It was a very special occasion for David. He wanted to make it an everlasting memory for Cathy.  He decided to do that on New Year's night. He had planned a lot for her, to surprise her and make her happy. It was a life event for him. There was hustle and bustle everywhere. Times Square was crowded with people of all ages but the enthusiasm of the youth was outstanding. Music was playing loudly in the streets. Food stalls were crowded and everything was decked with the colors of life. David was at the top of his spirits. He decided to propose to her at the top of Manhattan Square. It was 11: 49. People were waiting for the celebration to begin. All eyes were set on the clock. Led screens were showing the clock too. David called Cathy on the rooftop of Manhattan Square. The full bright moon was accompanied by the stars. The sky was embellished and so was the time square. The clock’s hand was moving and with each second David missed a heartbeat. The clock struck 12. The sky was echoed with the fireworks. The LED screens started to show the highlights of the bygone year. Amidst all this, David sat on his knees and Cathy was shockingly amazed.

‘Hey you, the deity on this earth, I want to spend my whole life with you. I want to wake every day with you by my side. I want to start all my days looking at your beautiful face. I want to spend my evenings in a garden chattering with you. I want to spend my nights in your arms. My rough paths seek a destination in your companionship. I want you to be mine forever. I promise I will be like you want me to be. I promise I will never look at you with anger. I promise I will love you till my last breath. You are the most beautiful blessing to me. Cathy, will you marry me?’

Cathy was mesmerized. Her tongue was smothered with overwhelming emotions. She was crying but she did not know it. It was the most beautiful moment of her life. She had never felt to be important before. She was on the top of the moon.

‘Yes, I will marry you, she said. Words were stuck somewhere inside her. She did still not believe it all was happening to her. Finally, she was engaged with the person she asked God for. For the first time in the whole year, they got close to each other. They kissed and it was prolonged.

The wedding date was decided. It was going to be held after Easter. Preparations were at their peak. Cathy wanted to keep it simple but David wanted to fulfill all his desires related to marriage. He wanted it to be extravagant. He booked the most beautiful and expensive venue for their wedding. He ordered Cathy’s wedding dress from the top most designer of the town. He wanted everything perfect for his perfect wife-to-be. He was waiting for their wedding day anxiously. Every passing day increased his anxiety. Every passing night increased his longing for Cathy. It was difficult to wait for him. He was carving to take her into his arms. Her longing was increasing on and on. Finally, the day had arrived.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Emma started to cry and he came back to his present, a present where he was all alone. The house which was turned into a home by Cathy was quieter than a graveyard. He had died somewhere inside with Cathy. He was just breathing for his daughter, the only hope in his life.