The incessant efforts done by me could not bring out any
fruitful result. The sky was shimmering with stars and the distant skyscrapers casted
their reflection down upon the vast lake of Camphor. I was staring into the
vast emptiness, reliving those moments that have gone past me.
“Would you mind?” I asked her just out of courtesy, flipped
the cigarette in my hand.
“Would you care?” she looked away from me.
It was silent, with only the distant whistle of the carrier
ships breaking it. When love had a price….
It was my favorite song. I imagined how I used to travel this place during my
college days. So, full of spirit and an ignorant vibe to conquer everything, unchallenged
by the limitation of mind and body. I used to be something back then. With
three majors on my name and an impressive track record, I was the chosen one
for my faculty. Slowly the water receded,
and the high tide was gone. The whistle no longer present to remind us of its
presence. It was all gone.
I walked her to her home.
“bye. Tomorrow we will go to Jamie’s. I will be up there by
nine” I looked at her as I said this. Though my face was stone cold, yet
somewhere inside, I wished if she could just throw her arms upon me. I wished
if she could understand that It was not my ego that has come up, but my slow
recession towards self-destruction. I wish I could hold her and say all will be
just fine and say that I love her so much. I wish if she would turn back and at
least smile. At least…
As she was moving up the stairs, she turned back to me. My
heart leaped inside. She came closer to me, close enough to make me feel the
warmth of her breath. I held her hand. It was warm and sweaty.
“I lo…,” As I opened my mouth, she put her palm on it.
“I think it’s over”
“what?”
“It’s over!”
She took her hand away and went inside in a hush.
The far whistle was
coming back again.
“when love had a price…”