THE MISHAP

Another sweaty night in the middle of the city and there I was just mingling among the crowded pavement. My mind was in a trance and the crowded street did not bother me one bit. I was in a far away land and at peace with myself looking for my angel. Things had become so calm in me these days after the quarrel that turned out to be some sort of an omen for me.

It had been a mighty long time since I took night walks on crowded pavements. Tonight I realised that a lot of things had changed maybe for the better or vice versa. I was just not bothered to analize. How meaningless things were as I overheard mumbled words and unfinished sentences as I passed among actors of that long play known as life.

A buzz on my cellphone.

"Where are you pop?" her voice full of innocence as usual.

"On my way baby..." I said.

"Ok...I`ll be here" as she hung up.

Neon lights and young kids dressed up for the kill of the night and the ever flowing traffics like there was no end to the notorious jam. Did we make our life any better with all the complicated achievements that we invented. Along the way we even found ourselves salvation through new viruses and hi tech drugs. We had actually failed to realise that wars could never be won. It should not even be started in the first place. Running thoughts as I continued like a careless ghost out of the closet. I got carried away in my far away land again.

"Pop! Over here!" I heard her familiar voice.

I turned and there she was at a table in the corner of an open air Italian Cafe. All of a sudden thoughts ran no more. The crowd virtually just vanished into thin air. She was the only image that stayed in my sight as I walked towards her. I kissed her soft cheeks as she tried to get up but in time enough for me not to let her as her left foot was still in full plaster from the mishap.

How awesome some things turned out to be. Unexpected things. A miscalculated mishap that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It had even brought us much closer than before. So close that we could even read each others minds.

THE HOSPITAL

She laid so helpless and seemed frozen as I walked towards her bed. The smell of hospitals had always been a turn off for me. Doctors and nurses in white robes and caps. Tubes and masks and help desks with maids scribbling unreadable words on files. My eyes were fixed on her face as I stood beside her and slowly held her hand. She started to cry.

"I`m so cold pop.." she murmured.

I covered part of her legs that was exposed. Her movement was restricted as her left foot was covered in plaster and bandages. She had fractured her ankle and that to me was lucky enough. That she didn`t land on her head when she jumped from the second floor. One would quite easily lose one`s balance from that height or maybe lucky enough it was just from the second floor. Unthinkable. It came to all this as a result of a quarrel that started over a phone. Dozens of questions bombarded my mind but not a single one came out of my mouth. Refrain was my ultimate discipline at that moment.

"I`m so sorry I..." she began to explain.

"Ssshh.. ok..just hang in there baby.." I said although part of me wanted her to finish her explanation. Somehow I had already sensed that there were nothing good to listen to. Another part of me didn`t want to hear what she was going to say.

At times she`d break like a little girl but that day had taken a lot to make her cry. Not from the pain of her fractured ankle but something inside that had been dragging her mind to the brink. Love or hatred, awkwardly enough it took a hospital to magnify one`s deep feelings that couldn`t find the right words to say all these while.