Fireworks

New Year's Eve of each year always was a happening tale. Happenings do occur in my loneliness too, and those would be the most beautiful memories. But the sketch that always floats highest among all of them was that particular New Year of us.

Rishabh took the last puff and made circles and asked me, "You will be there, right, for the party?"

I said, "I am not sure."

Rishabh stared at me and mocked me with his cocky eyes, "Man, it's Dec 31, come out."

I laughed back and said, "You won't understand."

He sighed, his hands, and walked off. I decided to take the stairs to reach my office bay. I zigzagged through the stairs and was already getting lost. What is new in boozing on Dec 31? To take a vow and to break it in 3 days?

I smiled at the numerous vows that I have taken on many Dec 31st from 8th standard.

Or to wake up on Jan 1st of a year with a hangover part umpteen?

Well, anyway, I sat on my chair and stared at my laptop. I heard the New Year buzz from the other corner with a lot of loud laughs and fun. I knew it's time for me to vanish from this buzz as I always found myself alive when I am alone with the exemption only being her. I left the office in 5 minutes, and I saw "Rishabh calling" on my mobile. I'm sure he saw me leaving. I didn't attend the call. I just drove around the bakery lane and stopped my car under the shade of a bougainvillea tree. The road was getting busy... New Year's Eve vibe everywhere. The baking of cakes produced an enchanting aroma, and along with the shade of bougainvillea, it always made me fall back and remember how I met her. I smiled at the idea of baking a cake together tonight, and I walked into the bakery and got all the ingredients for the same. While I passed through the gate of my home, the white lilies were afresh, and even they looked ready for the New Year's Eve.

She was in the kitchen and not cooking, sitting on the slab, and I placed the baking bag beside her and sat on the chair in front of her. She was not surprised on seeing me earlier. She asked me, "Again early?"

I said, "Why not?"

She slowly started talking about how the neighbor's dog chased a cat, her dancing idea for next year, shortening her long hair, how she misses Easter at Chicago. I simply placed my cheeks on the slab while I sat on the chair. I felt the coolness of the slab on my cheeks, and I kept looking at her talk and responded with salient nods and hums. The kitchen slab was my favorite spot to sleep, and her talk was a lullaby to me. I was half asleep, and she asked me, "Are we baking the cake today?"

I said, "Yeah, let's bake."

She said back, "I doubt."

I smiled and lay there; she took my face, and with her wide-open eyes, told me not to sleep, and I fell asleep.

In my sleep, I was laying on the banks of a river with water rushing through my feet. The coolness of the slab now resembled the river water, and I wanted to get into the water. I could see the trees on the banks were full of bougainvillea and Lilly. The bakery stood at the banks with her walking to me from the bakery, and with her came the aroma of baking. Then she called, and I woke up.

"Come."

I opened my eyes and simply started. She was there in front of me with her long hair open. She pulled my hands, and we went out, only to hear the bikes humming and the fireworks have already begun. How long did I sleep? I put my hands around her waist and told her to come inside. It was electrifying outside with colors and fireworks, and the lights were in full pace. I was inside my home with her close to me. That moment was indeed the greatest of all my memories, when the outside world was buzzing with all lights, I was holding her close to me, and she looked onto me and said, "You are too mad at me, but this madness is my life's firework."