The woman was lying on the bed, asleep. The old man, standing outside, was peeping at her constantly from the rectangular shaped glass set amidst the white colored door. He was yearning for an eye-contact. But it was missing. The man's gestures were not being reciprocated by the lady lying inside. The old man was gazing at her pair of adorable gleaming eyes which were closed then. The old man was glancing at her wrinkled yet glowing cheeks which still retained the spark that could mesmerize any living soul. The old man was looking at her delicate hands which she had often placed at his face in affection and at her lips which used to produce the world'd most beautiful smile. He was waiting for the moment she would come out of her reign of silence. He was staring at her with so much sincerity and hopefulness in his eyes in an attempt to make a picture of her in his mind. He was reminiscing those old days he had shared with the lady lying inside. The lady was his wife. Fifty two years of life they both had lived together. Since the day they were tied together in a wedlock, they had loved each other unconditionally. The unending roads they had walked upon started twisting in front of him. The long hours they had talked for begun to recollect. The indescribable moments they had witnessed together started swirling around his head. He remembered how she used to giggle innocently on being tickled by him on her nape. She laughed flamboyantly, every time making his heart skip a beat. She was the reason of his existence after their children had left them in an old age home. For him, she was the epitome of beauty, love and peace. His feet suddenly started tracing steps back and forth involuntarily. His train of thoughts was suddenly interrupted by a voice.
" Are you all right, sir ? " - asked a nurse passing from nearby.
" Yeah ! I am..I am " - said he to the nurse.
( Or maybe not, he said to himself )
" You can sit here. " - said the nurse pointing towards the chair placed near the door at which he was standing.
" Ah ! Y-Yeah ! I-I can.. " - he faltered in a monotonous tone.
It was quite prominent that how uncomfortable he was, how he just wanted to run away from there and embrace his wife in his arms passionately who was lying inside on the hospital bed waging a war against cancer. He squirmed in his chair at frequent intervals. He placed his elbows on his knees and dug his face in them. He was trying to hold back his tears. The chair couldn't lend him the peace which he was pining for. He placed his hand in his pocket and took a photograph out. He stood again and stumbled as his feet were no longer supporting him. He looked at her photograph and smiled. She was also smiling at him from the photograph. The old man pressed the photograph close to his heart and started sobbing...