The Walk

 

The boy came down that evening to meet her, with a hidden wish to gift her a rose from the local flower market, only to find her standing with another boy. 

“We’ll walk together.” She said.

Three shadows move in the dark. Two are close, one moving apart. The loner is still in the thoughts of gifting the girl that rose.

The two moves together, lost in their conversations, moments later discovering the third one’s absence.

The boy manages to push the crowd and catch them again.

“Here you are” The girl smiles. 

He looks at her. A streak of her hair falls on her forehead, making her look like the most beautiful girl of the world.

The three have chocolates. The other boy holds the girl’s hands and draws her forward. They smile and laugh together. And then they kiss.

The wind blows now. It brings the scent of the Eucalyptus leaves with it, the scent of the Chhatim flowers and the traces of December chill.   

The boy bids them goodbye. The girl takes the road straight ahead, while the other boy vanishes in the dark and he, takes the turn and walks back home.

He never knew, just what it was, about this old walk back home, he loved so much. 

And for the years that will come, he’ll realise why he failed to gift her the rose that evening.