Empty rooms shout the loudest. On their own. Laced with the echoes of yesteryears. The silences shout louder from the depths of it. There are traces of your laughter. Those awkward ones with a snort as if you’re trying hard to not laugh. Failing, of course. But successfully remaining etched. Redefining what failures means.
Ever wondered how their flaws stay back while the perfections fade away? Perhaps that’s the charm.
There’s music adding to the gloom, failing to drown the noises of the past. Instead, helping it thrive. Words, I don’t know of. It probably does. As the strings caress each other and the symphony flows out like the background score of a Spanish drama, I stare out of the dark smudges of the window. Nothing.
With my back stretched on the sofa and the legs dangling out on the carpet, I stare at the ceiling. Questions. All over the carvings on top, flowing without answers. Navigating my way, forlornly, from one pattern to the other. Following the mundane routine.
‘Why it had to start?’ The question on loop since the exit.
The numbered days had already stapled an expiry date for the end. I knew it, she did too. A set timeline for it to happen. For a change, I chose the short term joy over my long-term sanity. I overlooked the pain of not looking into those eyes ever again over the laughter accompanying me for a few. But it did start something. A beautiful beginning awaiting cessation. The end was always in sight. Tick Tock. Tick tock.
‘Why it had to start??’ The question was still unanswered.
As we sat on the stairs, while the moon shone brighter, silence engulfed us both. I feared, that this is it. Did she?
Her eyes said, ‘Maybe this is for the best’. She said nothing.
‘Why it had to staaa…’
‘Ting’
A smile dangles out, effortlessly, as a message popped up.
‘Kitna roega be C%$#^? Neeche hoon. Jaldi aa’.
Maybe they all don’t come with expiry dates.