May I....?

Sitting in the bus – and listening to all the chatter around her – she turned to her husband to share a secret smile! They both loved travelling locally – just to hear all that was happening around the world!

The couple in front of them was having a bit of a fight! He had forgotten to pick up the clothes from the dry cleaners and now the lady did not have the sari she intended to wear for their niece’s wedding! Oh what a tragedy! But the conversation of the 2 men beside them was full of passion and zest and talking about how Modi’s rule was so much better than the Gandhian and how others should just admit this already! The conductor had his own problems!! “Why don’t people carry change? Keep flashing me pink or gold coloured notes. Dumbasses!!” He mutters to anyone who would listen!!

At that moment, Meera turned to her husband and with mischievous eyes said, “You know, I always wanted to be a bus conductor as a kid! I used to think him the richest person on the planet!” Chris smiled and let his hands rest on her shoulders. That is the best feeling – Meera thought. The feel of his presence and the security it gave her. That’s why she married him... she kept telling him!

Chris was her rock. She met him when she had started her first job – fresh out of college and full of dreams. He was all the right things! Tall, handsome and well built! Meera was the quintessential party girl – the life of every party and a dance fanatic! She danced till someone switched off the music and shooed them off the dance floor! Not a minute less! Her moves were the envy of every girl and the dream of every guy!

She met him at her bosses’ party (where else!). He was the playing the part of the silent broody type (all girls have a thing for that kind eh!) and kept looking at her. Finally just before she was about to leave – he asked her for a dance, “May I?” he asked with his hand outstretched. “Just one” – she’d said.

Something changed for Meera the minute she put her hand in his – she did not feel objectified, she did not feel scared – she felt as if she was home! She knew right then she had met her “The One”. She had never felt so safe and secure ever! His hands enveloped her so beautifully, they were like a blanket giving her all the warmth on a chilly night! Looking into his eyes – she smiled and looked away shyly. She didn’t know how to deal with all these emotions. She had never felt like this about anyone – she had tons of friends who were guys but never a boyfriend. Could this be “the” one??

Well – it has been 12 years since that moment and they were still going strong! They had their share of slides and bumps along the way – the last year was the hardest – They’d had an accident and Meera had suffered a massive head injury – she was bed ridden and could not even recognize him anymore! She was but a shell of the dance diva that she was!

But Chris was confident that she would make a full recovery – He carried her diaries with him every time he visited and now relied on them to make him feel like she was there right beside him! He read them over and over until he had memorized the words and felt the emotions!

Chris was shaken out of his reverie when another lady asked him to move over so that she could sit on the seat next to him – it was only then that Chris realised that Meera had once again woven her magic through her diary and swept him into the past!