She stood there watching the crowd gather and slowly the buzz increased,

“who is he?”,

does he have any identification on him,

is he breathing?

Arey nahi ye to mar chuka hai!!

Arey koi police bulav!!

Lo Ek aur chutiya ab poori chowpathy band karenge sale

The sounds and chatter grew by the minute, she stood there rock solid now watching the lifeless body lying on the shore. The waves touching his face as if they were trying hard to wake him up of his deep slumber.

Tears running down, her body trembled with anger and helplessness. All she wanted to do was to sit down on the wet sand, hold him in her arms and cry out loud till the life was restored back and if not that, hers taken away along with him.

In due course the search for identity began, they searched his pockets, for wallet or some kind of identity card, she saw his ring and watch ( the same she gave him) being pocketed by someone and involuntarily her fingers moved over the delicate pendant that adorned her thin neck. So it was revealed who he was, Soon the crowd grew enough that she could see the body no more. She stood there still unable to move, to comprehend, tears filled eyes and trembling intensified, her senses blocked and thoughts clouded. She was supposed to meet Sahil today, they were to celebrate being together, there were to mark a beginning of a well thought about the relationship, past month was full of crazy events, sweet giggles, sweet nothings and chats that meant everything. They had finally learnt to breathe for themselves.

In whatever virtual time they had together they could now define words like happiness, peace, calm, love may be and comfort for sure. She could see the text, the chats, the SMS’s, the forwards, the quotes, she could hear him whisper the sweet nothings in the phone and giggles that went on till late nights flashed in front of her while the sense of reality took over. By the time the sense prevailed the crowd had sort of dispersed baring a few enthusiasts who still were wondering how and what would have happened.

“arey who ambulance wale gaye”, she heard someone say. ….. “Madam thik ho, pani chahiye ?” someone asked she didn’t notice who that was.

By now she had refused to identify the only person in her life she could be with herself with… sounds of ping notifications, discussions, images of emojis and quotes exchanged, the time spend missing each other, eternal promises of holding each other in arms for eternity and now the cruel irony of acting as complete strangers created a havoc with her senses. She couldn’t stop and cry, couldn’t yell, scream and let out her anguish, couldn’t even speak of the sharp pain she felt deep inside .. All she could do today was turn around and walk the stretch listening to the waves crash against the walls of marine drive and stand there watching the sun go down and ask all the questions which now would remain unanswered till eternity.

Her name was Seher, the one who I was talking about, she comes from a typical Mumbai setup, husband and wife, two kids, 1-bedroom hall kitchen home that was just enough to house the four of them and yet big enough to accommodate everyone who came to Mumbai during festive seasons and holidays. Her house was in Borivali a Mumbai suburb, and her office was in the city to be precise, she worked in a private firm located in by lanes of Charni Road. Her routine was predetermined by the lifestyle routine of the city and ran in perfect sync with the city’s pace. Early mornings, train rush, evening shopping for veggies and late nights marked her routine. Diwali bonus dominated festive shopping schedules and school exams the holiday plans. Life didn’t budge to give her the space required to think about the concept of me time or happiness. Often when things got difficult to pull and she could no longer breathe making her brain to shut down, like thousands of others in that humongous city she too would take a few minutes out for her self and walk down the queens necklace, the marine drive stretch that forms an integral part of the cities coastline.

Marine drive is always crowded in the evenings, single individuals, dating individuals, couples, families, kids, dogs, people reminiscing in yesteryears, activist trying to save someone, artist exhibiting their art and to add to it all hawkers selling small things and making sure all the crowd is entertained and in all this madness is a hidden method, that instinctively everyone is aware of. The method of detaching oneself from the surrounding by blocking out the sounds of all humans, toys, animals and traffic and being able to listen to the waves. To allow the waves to hear your heart and put the missed rhythm in place. No matter how low one feels waves never fell to raise the spirits back up to match the cities pace, and so Seher too like thousands of other walked the stretch taking in the waves and letting them put her life back in its place.

That day on the beach, she was going to meet Sahil. He is the other character in this story, he lived in the city side ie South Mumbai and worked in the other direction, the place where your existence in office is dominated by 5sq.ft X 5sq ft cubical he owned a 10 X 15 cabin, a secretary, a lavish car, and a big 4 bedroom hall kitchen tastefully decorated house. Needless to say along with this a beautiful wife and equally beautiful high-end kid were a part of the deal. Everything with Sahil was upmarket, everything has to be over the top was the mantra being followed. Life from the social standpoint was picture perfect.

All the Facebook post, Instagram pics and videos where especially clicked to perfections and altered using specific apps before uploading. They were all so perfect that they could make a perfectly sorted person green with jealousy.

Sahil, however, was a different story altogether. His office and his home were places where mechanical autopilot modes and replies worked better than raw reality. I love you, darling, I miss you too, Dad will be home in no time sweetheart were responses that came with minimum efforts and with perfect precision in intonation and yet rarely meant anything other than the literal meaning the words meant. He often longed to find himself, to be at peace, to be in a place where the human sounds of needs, wants, demands would die out and become a distant memory. He longed for a place where the rhythm was peaceful life could be seen as a third party without disturbing the pace. In the evenings when things were too much to handle and yet he could snatch a few precious moments from the demands of households he would take the belt and walk Sophie around. She always sensed his mood, much better than his wife he often thought. Her walk was always to suit his, tired legs were matched with the slow walk and happy running Sophie always appeared when Sahil had achieved a breakthrough some project and yet that big a victory didn’t warrant an audience in the house.

It had been a hectic week and no time to breathe made Sehar’s mind block things out, she cursed every moment of it, she could now feel the pressure mounting and was gasping for the fresh breeze and rhythmic waves to soothe her nerves.

It was just the start of the month and targets were yet to be discussed and yet Sehar was struggling on all fronts to keep her mind on tracks, she decided to take a walk on the marine drive stretch, it was her last and only place of hope, it was her secret corner of life where she could breathe. She got off the taxi near Chowpatty bridge opp Shiv Sagar, crossed the road and came towards the coast.  It was windy that day, unlike old times Mumbai gets erratic when it comes to weather these days. She could smell the breeze and taste the salt in the air. She was walking in her own accord when she felt someone pat her shoulder. All ready to hit the ruffian who was trying to mess with her she turned around and was shocked to see a man impeccably dressed man, a decently good looking sexy man standing behind her.   She couldn’t respond to him for a couple o3f seconds, struck by his ever-charming vibe she was still mesmerised with his scent when he held her bag right in front of her face blocking out her view and cutting the trance. His was a face that could be fallen in love with not to be angry with. Sehar had left her age-old laptop in the taxi, it was still the company property and something she normally would have guarded with her life but that day was different, she wasn’t herself that day. Still, in her own world, she took the bag, sported a spontaneous customary smile while saying thank you and turned around.

Sahil had something else in mind, he didn’t want her to walk away, something somewhere deep inside had clicked between them.

Sahil: A! can I walk with you?

Sehar still caught in her thought: Uh! Year alright!!

Sahil: My name is Sahil, yours?

Sehar: I am Sehar.

Sahil: Hey that’s a coincidence, Sahil – Sehar

Sehar: Yeah it is, isn’t it?

Sahil: So, what do you do?

Sehar: Well work, married, and mother of two.

Sahil: Wow that’s one hell of in detailed introduction.

Sehar smiled: It helps to keep looking for an easy way out of my life.

Sahil a bit taken aback: Who, you think I am looking for an easy way.

Sehar: Aren’t you?

Sahil: Hell no!! I just thought it would nice to walk with someone, who would appreciate my efforts taken saving them from a catastrophe.

Sehar: Catastrophe?

Sahil: Yes I just returned a 10 kg bag to you didn’t I?

Sehar: Ah! Yeah sorry for my reaction!

Sahil: That’s ok

Sehar: Did I say thank you

Sahil: Well yes you did

Sehar: I didn’t mean to sound rude, it’s just that I am a bit too preoccupied today and have no clue what’s going around.

Sahil: no worried, so do you mind if I accompany you right now.

Sehar: I suppose you can

Sahil: after you

Sehar: So, you come here often is it?

Sahil: not really! only when life is at standstill, this place helps me breathe and sort things out.

Sehar: funny another coincidence then that’s exactly what am doing here today!!

So they decided to walk the stretch together, they both guessed they could be polite to each other for a while. Soon the conversation moved from professional to the personal front. Scores of things were discussed from memories of childhood to current lifestyle. The brief walk that day gave them enough time to create a small little world where two of them were themselves, he was who he was and she was who she was. No pretence, no demands, no limitations, the laugh and giggles where real, the look in the eyes that said a whole lot more than the words did was real. Time went by quickly and soon the setting sun gave way to stars and street light, they both lost the track of time.

Sehar’s phone rang, startled with the ring, she answered the phone:

Voice: where are you, mom?

Sehar: In the office darling.

Voice: when are you reaching home mom?

Sehar: As soon as possible

Voice: its late dadi said you should have been home by now

Sehar: I am on my home baby, will reach in an hour, tell dadi to make some rice will do the rest as soon as I get home.

Voice: ok ma, love you but listen na

Sehar: yes

Voice: can you get something for me?

Sehar : what

Voice: anything

Sehar: ok will get anything, hehe

Sehar giggle, the voice on the phone had brought her back to reality, the trance now was broken she stood watching Sahil while he folded his full sleeves getting into more comfort zone.

Sehar: got to go home, that was my daughter, they didn’t know I would be coming here.

Sahil: oh ok, so you are leaving for home.

Sehar: yes will take a train back

Sahil: should I drop you till church gate

Sehar: that’s ok I will take a taxi no issues

Sahil: let’s do one thing I will drop you off to church gate and take the same taxi home

Sehar: that sounds good

They both soon found a taxi, the best part of about Mumbai taxi’s is that the drivers always know the longest route and all traffic signals are always red, more than that the taxi drivers are never really interested in your world.

Sahil was glad that travel was taking a wee bit longer than anticipated but with growing delay, the anxiety in Sehars’ eyes was growing. It was as if her motherly instinct had been triggered and the need of me time was now more like a bump in the road home. Sahil realised that and just before the Churchgate station signal asked Sehar for her mobile number. It took Sehar by a surprise, all this time she had spent with a total stranger, and it was pretty unlike her. She did share the number though, got down from the taxi and soon got lost in the crowd. Sahil kept watching her from behind for as long as he could, it didn’t take too long for the taxi driver to remind him curtly that they were waiting on the main road and needed to move.

That night both didn’t speak to each other, the evening spent together was tucked away in a secret corner for them to visit at a later date. At the time of bed both secretly wished for the evening to be real and not a part of an extended dream, both wanted it to happen again, and both fought the urge to call each other the moment they got a breather at home.

It was definitely the longest night both had encountered in their life, at least it felt like that, the next morning came with a promise to speak, both had butterflies in stomach and wondered whether the other person would reply and so the series of good morning messages started, that day every free minute from the time walked out of the house for office and till the time they entered in their respective home was spent sending and receiving messages on whats app, it amazing how well the technology can get people closer.

Post that there was no turning back, days started with promise of talking to each  other and ended with sigh and longing, the nights seemed long and days small, never did it occur to them that they knew each other just for a few days now, it seemed like they were soul mates of some kind just born in a different world at different time. Meeting was not an easy option considering the logistics but questions like where are you? did you eat lunch? When are you leaving for home? Are you travelling? When are you returning from the trip? Can we chat a minute longer? Marked the horizon. It wasn’t even a complete month but they could predict each other, being in each others arm was the place of solace, the rhythm of waves was only a distant need now, the rhythm of chat did the work. Every morning came with a promise to hear each other voice and every evening brought the pain of longing. Their duties towards the families remained unchanged, the autopilot replies were delivered in precision with intonation in place. Nothing was changed except their basic composition of being themselves. Their life now revolved around the chats and calls, and happiness was based on the time taken for replies to come. Often they both completed each other’s sentences and loved the way the chats after that followed. Though not openly admitted both secretly wished they had met before.

Love was in the air and after more than a decade or so they both were to celebrate valentines day. A week in advance they both had ordered the gifts and had them delivered to the other in the respective offices. She bought him a watch, clean nice dial with just a dot at 12:00 hours and thin leather straps, he bought her a classic office wear pendant complete with the gold chain from a fancy online gold website, everything over the top. It was an exquisite and rare pattern and it adorned her thin long neck making it look more delicate and beautiful. She loved it the minute she saw it, he just knew a how to give a perfect gift.

They had decided to walk on shore first, wet their feet in the water like school days, and then walk the stretch till the end. But first, they were to walk in the wet sand while the waves kissed their feet. It was something they both had discussed a 1000 times, every time with a new set of thoughts. The day was planned. It had to be 14^th Feb, the perfect day to meet again, and express and accept the fate, to take vows of being together with the backdrop of setting sun.

But as the fate may have it, she was late that day, she tried calling him a 1000 times but he won’t answer, she messaged him but there was no reply, her obsession with replies grew with every second and her anxiety doubled. It was unlike him not to answer her calls, it was unlike him not to reply.  It’s only when she reached the shore she saw the crowd gather…