The Crumbled Paper

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As he walked into her room, he stamped on a few crumbled paper balls. He passed a few but stepped on more. With a huff he bent down to pick up one when he heard from behind, " Hey! What are you doing! I mean doing here?"

He turned around to find her stand at the door in pink pajama and white tees. He liked those colors on her. He smiled and waved his right hand and tucked the paper by his left in the back pocket of his denims. "Aunty told me you will be in your room so came to say hello!" he said with a sheepish smile.

"Oh Mom! Doesn't even tell me.. Its a mess in here... come lets go to the terrace..." and quickly hushed him out of the room with a scared smile.

"Are you hiding something in there? From me!" his eyes widened as he inquired.

"Me? What! Are you crazy.... I tell you everything Raghav, and you know that!" she said without looking at his childhood friend.

"Yes, I know Mish...but it seems to be different..." he pulled her hair to tease.

"Hey! No...stop...we are grown ups now...you still pull my hair..Stupid fellow!" she giggled.

As they both laughed remembering their childhood on the same terrace, Misha's mother calls for her. With a wave she ran down.

Sitting there alone he pulls out the crumbled paper, looks at it, smiles and runs down to her house again.

Ting-tong....

" Aunty, may I see Mish...Its a surprise...don't call her...." he smiled and entered the house and went straight to her room.

She was in the bathroom, he heard her humming a sad tune....He took a pen from the desk by the window and scribbled down on that crumbled paper. Once done, he crumbled it back again.

The bathroom door opened and she stepped in the same pink pajamas and white tee...her hair moist... she looked at him with wide eyes... he walked closer.... playfully pulled her hair, smiled and tucked the crumbled paper in her hand.

She looked at it, held her breath in disbelief, opened it and let the heavy breath out...

Today, after twenty-five years....that crumbled paper is still hanging there over their bed, in a rose wooden frame. And it read,