Miss You Cards

" I have seen him somewhere... " She said narrowing her eyes.

She was sitting on the bench of the garden area of an old age home. Her salt and pepper hair swaying lightly with the cool breeze as she was knitting the crochet. Though her face was wrinkled she radiated happiness. She was old but she had aged with grace.

He was a new joiner at the old age home. He was accompanied by his son. He strolled around the garden area completely focusing at her.

His son completed the formalities and bid him an emotional goodbye. He was standing alone with his bags.

"Sir come this way." The helper boy said to him. He quietly went after him.

They met again at the lunch table. Lowering his head down he was trying to gulp his food. But it was difficult for him to swallow.

She couldn't hold her curiosity and went to meet him.

"I have seen you somewhere. But I don't know where. Who are you? " she asked gasping for a breath.

"You speak a lot. Cool down. Let's take a stroll in the garden area after lunch." He said maintaining strong eye contact.

It was a calm and bleached afternoon. As they sat in the lawn area the afternoon sun engulfed them with its warmth.

"We were in the same college and I am the one who secretly gave you some 'Miss you cards'. Can you recollect? He licked his lips impatiently.

She gave him a slight smile and closed her eyes to visualize the old memories.

"Really !!!! You don't seem the romantic types. It's hard to believe that you gave me cards. " She surveyed each part of his face.

"I guess you don't remember. It's been forty long years. I have changed a lot." His heartfelt emptiness as he wished to be alone for some time.

"Someday everything has to change. " As she winked the laugh lines became more visible on her wrinkled face.

"I had proposed you but you turned down my proposal. I gave you 'Miss you cards' as a token of my one-sided love. I had sent them through one of your friends. Did you get the cards?" He added some more information just to allow her to recollect.

"I have some memory problem and with my old age, it's getting worst. I am trying to think back." She said still unable to recollect.

"Hmm......." He said as he felt blue that moment. She was looking at him with a quest to remember her past.

"However, we can connect now. I am in this old age home for the past four years. After my husband's death, I decided to stay in this old age home. I don't have children, you see. " She broke their silence.

"Good, you don't have. You saw what my son did. He dropped me here. As if I am a big burden to him now. Old age is the most pathetic phase of life." He said in despair.

"Don't say that way. I feel it's the most cherishing phase of life. Old age is like a hidden treasure. If you can reinvent yourself you have found the treasure. " she said with enthusiasm. He was not affected by her excitement. He was cold.

"This place is fantastic. I like the serenity of this place. This old age home is just like a family. We care, loved, and looked upon pretty well." She said to cheer up his mood.

But he was disheartened by his son's betrayal. A sudden urge of giving happiness to him geared inside her.

"Will you wait for me? I will come back in few minutes. "She said.

He gave a slow nod to her.

After few minutes she came with a colorful box in her hand. She handed over the box to him.

"Look inside this box. My treasured possession is kept in it." The orange color sparkled from the sky and gleamed brightly on her colorful box. The lawn area slowly became dusky.

With trembling hands, he opened the box. He saw his 'miss you cards' neatly placed inside the box. He was shaking all over as he took his cards warm-heartedly.

"Yes, I got your cards. But my marriage was already fixed by my parents. So I turned your proposal down. I am reciprocating your love after forty long years. It was never a one-sided love. Maybe it was destined to blossom at the last phase of our life. "She said lovingly and held his trembling hands softly. She felt safe and whole after a long time with him.

That moment was the most overwhelming experience of their life. In nostalgia, they cherished the beautiful memories of their college life.

In their lovely abode of the old age home, they lived happily unmarried thereafter.....