"No ways! That's impossible, it would never work out! Long distance and us?!?!" was her reaction on his decision to go abroad for masters. He gave a calm smile.
She went to see him off at the airport, her hand clasping onto his, her teary eyes had pleaded him not to go so far...She had no hope that their relationship could go through this long distance turbulence. But he never commented on that. He just smiled away her childish cries. She made him promise that they would skype every night, he did. And he flew.
Through those two years, skype calls varied from every night to once a month, her smile turned into sobs, tears and then acceptance of the inevitable. She believed that he had moved on with his new life and has no time for her. Once a month chats, was her list of complaints and his saying nothing has changed.
At last it was time, he flew back. She did not go to meet him, she had been upset for a long time, what she had heard from others had come true in her case; long distances never work. But a knock on her front door at the odd hour changed her perception...
She opened the door to face her lover smiling at her. Angry as she was she turned away, he followed her inside without a word. He was waiting...
"What has brought you here? I thought you forgot about this person. Please go away! I have nothing to do with you. All these while you leave me alone and then you thing you will come back and I will let you!! Well, YOU ARE GRAVELY MISTAKEN!! I hate you! I have learnt to live without you! Now, why have you come back??" she blurted out without looking at him.
"For you...I am glad you have learnt to live without me, that's exactly what I wanted but I don't wish to live without you for the rest of my life..." his calm voice came closer and closer, till she felt his arms around her.
She turned around to look into his hollow eyes, still thinking what he really meant when he said he wanted her to learn how to live without him...she felt something was wrong...but knew he is a man of few deep words.
She raised her hand to his face and asked softly, " What is it that you have not told me? What is the big surprise dear?"
"Two years of treatment for a disease I wish I never had... I love you forever", he tightened his grip around her motionless frame.
She took a few minutes to process the shock, the head started spinning with many questions but she did not want the answers at the same time. She hugged his tightly and tears rolled down her cheek.
"How much time?" she murmured into his ears.
"Enough for you to complain..." he laughed into her ears.
That winter, he was bed ridden, love was always by his side. She lived her lifetime in those few months and her complains were limited.
"No ways! That's impossible, it would never work out! Long distance and us?!?!" was her soft complain that night. He gave his last calm smile.
With love,
Sanjukta.