With Her....

She smiled a couple of times in her sleep. Though her eyes were wet, her beautiful eye lashes twinkling in the low lit room. The room was unusually warm when she was there. Garlands of time loomed large ahead; we had this whole night together. We had moved around the city on New Year’s Eve, walking hand in hand… The winter chill could not dull our hearts of warmth. Every time I looked into her eyes, it was like falling in love all over again. We sang songs, we didn’t know the lyrics, but the words always fell into place when we were together. There was love in the air too, a faint drizzle accenting the winter night frenzy.

Couples zoomed past us. Everyone rushed to clubs and discotheque’s to welcome the New Year. We sat by the beach, mesmerized by the sound of the crashing waves. Somehow, even the sea was in celebration. The moon shown its melancholy shade and stars winked at us. A disjoint cluster of light in the sky had added meaning to our lives. Nature had been so beautiful, like her, like her eyes. We could hear voices from the distance. Children laughing and dancing, mom’s warning their kids not to go to the sea, the occasional cry of a seabird; blending into the occasional silence.

We lay silent, neither of us had anything to say. I turned toward her, slowly pulling her into a heart -warming embrace. There were only a few minutes to midnight. She was my life. I wanted to be with her, today and every day of every year in every life I had in this world. I put hand beneath her coat. She gave me a nudge trying to tell me we were outside and people could see us. Moving my hand around her waist, I slowly reached into her breast-pocket, taking something I had put in there. She couldn’t help blushing in glee and surprise when she saw the ring, she hadn’t known that I had slipped it in there when I hugged her.

Smiling warmly into her eyes, I asked her, “My princess, will you marry me?” Her cheeks had rushed to crimson red, her eyes were a swell of emotions. She couldn’t say anything. She swallowed, trying to take a deep breath. Tears glistened along her face, but her smile was there. “I will” She whispered. I slowly slipped the ring onto her finger. A million firecrackers burst from a distance, sending flairs into the sky. Like mini rockets zooming up in the sky, they lingered but for a minute or so, yet their colors so vibrant, like her heart that was ready to break its chamber and be with me. It was like the whole world was celebrating us. We hugged, kissed and lay down in each other arms, watching the fireworks, deep embossed in the sky was a “HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012” etched in golden and shades of violet and blue. This was our moment, this was our life.

                The blaring music from far away seemed to subside after an hour. The beach was restored to its quietness. It had been late, we had to go home. I held her hand as we walked back. There were still people on the streets bursting firecrackers and dancing to their own songs. They all screamed New Year wishes to the passersby…

                We were home. I kept playing with her as she sat by the computer, reading email wishes and replying to everyone. I carried her to bed when she was done, kissing her lips. We lay in each other’s arms, telling each other how special the day was. Unknowingly, we fell asleep. The room was unusually warm when she was there. But only I knew, it was just the warmth in my heart, when I thought of her. She wasn’t beside me, but I could feel her, her arms wrapped around me, her soft breathing against my face, her innocent occasional smiles. She was mine for a life-time, but eternity was like just an hour with her. Could I bargain for more time someday, I didn’t know. Would I lose the light of my life someday, I didn’t know. But I was lost, lost in this dreamy world called love.

                I woke to a knock at the door. What was so clear in the dream didn’t make sense anymore. It was New Year’s morning. The room was cold. But she’d kept me warm all night. She’d held me all night. She’d been there. Hadn’t she…?