Promise To Be Together

“So, what do you think about the ice-cream?” He suggested.

“Are you asking me for a date?” She glanced at him with big eyes.

“Did it sound like that? Is that how a date suppose to sound?” He scratched his head while frowning.

“Really? How unromantic are you? You can ask me for one date! It’s been so long.” She huffed and looked away with an angry face.

“Ok! Ok! Sorry. I am sorry. Fine! Will you go on an ice- cream date with me?” He asked her with a forgiving face but a big smile which he knows that she can’t resist.

She tried hard to be angry and not smile but failed miserably.

“Ok! I forgive you. I will be happy to go with you.” She smiled a big one. She is quite easy to be pleased.

“Vanilla or Chocolate?”

He asked while giving his elbow to her to take. She was surprised at his gesture. She took his hand and started walking away.

“I thought chivalry is dead.” She asked.

“The bones may rust, but chivalry remains young forever.” He smiled at her.

************

“So, what’s next?” He asked her while licking his dripping chocolate ice-cream.

“I don’t know. You suggest.” She told him while eating her own double chocolate cone.

“Wow. That’s a first. Are you asking me to choose? Which world are we living in?” He was shocked and nudged her playfully.

She gave him a frowned look.

“Do you want me to change my mind?” She asked him sternly.

“Ok! Let’s go shopping. I will buy sarees and new pieces of jewellery. That will be a good one.” She told him with all excitement.

Listening to this, his face paled with worry.

“Oh, Lord! I have to carry all the bags! The heavier the bags get, the lighter my pocket becomes. That’s a nightmare. No, I beg!” He pleaded with a frowned face. He was terrified of her shopping spree.

She raised her left eyebrow with a smirk.

“Don’t ever question back. Now, you suggest. What do you want to do?”

He smiled but suddenly gave a hesitating smile. He has an idea in his head but he knows that she won’t approve. She saw his expression and knows what’s going inside his head. She has been with him for years that she can guess correctly all the time.

“What is it? I know that I won’t like it but still, what’s it?” Yet she asked, knowingly.

“There’s a new movie which released recently and it’s been such a long time that we went to a movie theatre. So, can we go?” He asked her with all his might. He made his famous sympathetic face which no one can resist to give in to his wishes. She noticed clearly what he is trying to do.

“Ok! Why am I feeling that I am not going to like with the name of the movie?” She told knowingly. “What’s the movie?” She asked.

“Ummm…errrr…. It’s a good movie. I have heard from Aman that it’s an excellent movie. Please, please, say yes. Don’t be angry.” He asked her with a pleading face.

She knew what he was about to ask.

“Any chance, that it’s a Marvel movie?” She lifted her left eyebrow.

“Hahahaha, yes. Avengers- Infinity War! Please say yes. Aman is threatening me with spoiler alerts! Before he leaks anything, I want to watch it. Please.” He pleaded.

“Oh! You know how much I hate your superhero movies. There is nothing real. It’s all bag of fantasies. Aman is such a bad influence on you.” She frowned. But she already had a small hint about this.

“Oh! That’s the reason you were fighting with Aman like kids over the phone last week. Is it? Oh My God! You are still such a child.” She was surprised and looked at him with a big smile.

“Yes! So now you know how much it is important for me to watch this. Please.” He asked her.

“You are such a child. Really, you want to watch this?” She asked him one last time.

“Yes, please.”

“Ok! Let’s go. But after that, it’s my turn to choose. Even if it will be a shopping spree, you have no other choices. Ok?” She told him.

He did a small happy dance.

“Yes! Of course, whatever you say. I will go with you and lift all the bags while you shop. Promise.”

“Good. Let’s go.” She smiled at him while putting her hand on his elbow to walk away.

“Hey, when will you accept that inside your heart, you want to be a black widow? All sexy in leather pants, fighting for justice.” He nudged her with a knowing smile.

She looked at him expressionlessly.

“Do you want me to change my mind?” She asked.

“Ah! No!!! Fine. Anyways, you are always beautiful and sexy for me, with or without leather pants.” He smiled.

Her lips twitched a bit with his words yet kept her calm.

“Shut up and walk. We are already late. We don’t have much time.”

“Ok! My Lade! Whatever you suggest.”

“As if you hear my suggestions!”

“Really? I don’t?”

They both started bickering away like always while walking to the movie hall.

*********

After 2 hours.

“That was not what I expected. The end, it was horrible.” He was so sad after watching the movie. She was sad too but his sadness made her a bit miserable.

“I know! But, it’s just a story. They will always live in our heart, isn’t it? You never know they might come back in the next movie.” She patted his back and encouraged him a bit.

“Yeah, but…next movie…..” He dipped his head. She interrupted him before he continues and complete his line.

“Shhh! Quiet! The movie is over so no more gloomy time. You promised me that you will follow whatever I choose next. So, it’s my time.” She told him with a gleam of excitement in her eyes. He saw her and made a happy face. She made him happy, no matter what.

“Yes, Mademoiselle! Your wish, my command!” He bowed in front of her.

“Oh French! I thought you have lost your French tongue! I am impressed.” She smiled at him with wide eyes.

“A man never forgets his ways to charm a lady. And French has helped me a lot in the past to get girls easily, even you!” He said knowingly, with his chin held high and a smirk.

“Really? Do you think so?” She asked him while trying to stifle a laugh.

“Yes, isn’t it?” He asked her with a smirk.

“You are a really funny man.” She couldn’t control her laugh anymore. She burst out laughing aloud.

“Hey woman, what did I say so funny?” He was smiling looking at her antics but he has no idea what he joked about.

She tried her best to control her laugh. Her eyes welled up in happy tears. After a long time, she laughed so well.

“Nothing! You are right! It was your French, definitely!” She stifled another oncoming laughter. Now, he frowned upon her since she was not telling him.

“Hey! Tell me!” He asked her.

“Nothing. Leave it. Anyway, my turn!” She changed the topic. Her face was all filled with enthusiasm. He thought to keep that joking side for now.

“Ok! Where do you want to go and shop?” He asked her. He knew her love for sarees.

“Ah! Naah! I don’t want to go shopping. Do you remember Rose park?” She asked him with wide eyes and a big smile. He smiled after hearing that name.

“Yes! Of course! How can I forget that place? That’s where we met at first, that’s where we used to spend time after college and the place where I proposed you for marriage.” He told her in one breath. He remembers all. She blushed while remembering those moments.

“Yeah….” She was about to complete it.

“….And you said no. Remember? How you ran from there as if you saw a living ghost? I was running behind you, but your athletic legs gave me burning lungs that day. Then, like a thief, I lunged your walls of the house to reach you because you closed the doors and I was caught by your father. He gave me some serious blue-black lessons all over the body.” He frowned angrily but sadly remembering that day. He was not angry at her that she said No but what followed next.

“Hey! I am sorry. I didn’t know my father will react such like that.” She told him sheepishly. “Also, after that, I said yes! So don’t complain so much!”

He looked at her with astonishment.

“Really? Really? Because of that? You didn’t know how your father is. He is just like the leader of an underground mafia gang. I tell you, your father could have taken the role of Pablo Escobar.” He exclaimed with his hands high.

“What? You are so incorrigible. By the way, who is Pablo Escobar?” She asked inquisitively.

“Oh! He is this cool Columbian drug lord who was feared among the whole community…” His eyes had a child’s gleam of happiness. He was explaining with such enthusiasm

She looked at him uninterestingly yet smiles a bit looking at his enthusiasm. He is infectious when he is happy.

That’s the reason she fell in love with this man.

“So, where did you learn about him?” She asked.

“Oh! Aman gave me this new Netflix series. It is so good. I have watched all the seasons of Narcos.” He was about to explain more but she cut him off in middle.

“Really? Aman? He is really a bad influence on you. I am telling you. Is that the series you were watching these days with your earphones on, hours after hours, ignoring me when I used to shout what you want to eat for lunch?” She asked him with squinty eyes. He is caught.

“Yeah, maybe or maybe not.” He told her with a red face.

“I was wondering whether I should be worried that you are watching all those bloodsheds, shooting and all.” She gave a light punch to his arms.

“Ouch! It pains!” He rubbed that place where she punched.

“Oh! I thought you are strong and don’t get hurt.”

“Hey! I am still a human.” He exclaimed.

“Ok! Fine! Let’s go to the Rose Park. It’s been a really long time that we have visited that place.” She told him.

“Hmmm. Yeah, let’s go there. I guess it has changed a lot.” He gave his elbows for her to take them. They started walking towards the park.

“Only one way to know.” She said.

“By the way, you were not impressed by my French?” He asked her, inquisitively.

“Ah! So, the secret will be out today. Remember when you wished me good morning dear, in supposedly French, with such confidence on my first-day at college?” She asked her while again stifling her laugh.

“Yes, I do remember. You blushed so bad.” He told her with a smirk, remembering vividly how she reacted at his words, then.

“I am sorry to say, but you wished me in Spanish. I was not blushing but trying hard to keep my laugh at bay.” She laughed out loud.

He stood there for a second, dumbfounded. He thought that she didn’t notice that slip.

“You knew?” he asked her.

“Yes, you dumb head! You should have realised that moment itself when you learnt that I know Spanish but you forgot.” She was laughing again so loud. He remembers that slip he made. He was now blushing and smiled in a goofy way.

They walked away while talking about those days.

*************

“Ah! My legs don’t want to walk anymore. Let’s sit somewhere.” He exclaimed while pointing out to an empty bench in the park.

“You have become such old! Ok! Let’s go and sit.” She walked with him towards the bench.

They sat together while keeping their hands clasped together. They looked around the park. The whole place was bustling with people. Some youngsters were jogging on the track, some kids were playing football and there were small kids who were fighting for the swings. She smiled watching that. He looked at her smiling and saw where her gaze was fixed.

“Remember those times when we used to sit on the swings for hours in evening and just talk.” He asked her knowingly with a big smile. She turned to look at him and her eyes welled up. How can she forget those days?

“Yes! I do.” She said in a voice filled with love.

He smiled at her without any more words. They didn’t need any words to exchange the feelings they were both feeling, nostalgic.

She kept her head on her shoulder as he relaxed more.

After some time, she said, “ You know, I am very worried about Natasha.”

“Why?” He asked her with a frown.

“You know, she is so alone and not married yet.” She looked at him with worry.

He smiled at her.

“Natasha is no more a kid. She has been raised to an independent woman who is running her business and is quite happy with her life. Don’t worry, you know her well, she will settle whenever she feels like so.” He told her.

“Hmm, you are right. She is an adult. She can take her own decisions I guess. I just wish that she finds her true love who stands beside her in her good and bad days.” She smiled while wishing the best. He smiled but hesitated a bit. Suddenly he said, “Listen, I have a secret.”

She bolted straight, “What? Again a secret? We discussed that there will be no secrets between us.” She asked furiously.

He made a face like a thief caught red-handed.

“Yeah, that’s the reason I am going to share it. So that no more secrets stay between us.” He told her sheepishly.

“Ok! Say.”

“Natasha is in a living relationship with a boy named Rishav for past one year.” He said it all in one breath.

She took a second to understand what he said and then,

“WHAT? SHE IS IN A LIVING RELATIONSHIP?!” She exclaimed with surprise. She was furious.

“Natasha never told me something like that!!! How dare she hide that news from me? Six months?”

“Calm down. I knew it already.” He told her while pointing at her. “That’s the reason she never told you. She was afraid that you will react like such. Do you think that you would have been so calm while she told you this?” He asked her calmly. She hissed but she knew he was right. She took a calm breath.

“But she told you!” She was hurt.

“Yes, because she knows I won’t go ballistic on her. She is my favourite and she knows that. Anyway, she told me and asked me once to meet him. Don’t ask when but I have met that guy. He is really a gem and they love each other. They reminded me so much of us so I approved their current arrangements. She really loves that Rishav. He is a really nice guy.” He told her trying to make her understand. She took some deep breathes and closed her eyes to think properly.

“Is she happy? Is the guy good?” She asked him with worries but mostly she needs to know.

“Yes, she is very happy. Have you noticed for past two months, how happy she sounds whenever she is on the phone? That’s the reason. Yes, Rishav is an amazing person. A bit different but understands her nuances and everything much better than her. She is really happy.” He told her with a genuine smile. He knew that she will understand this much better.

She took some moments and gave a small smile.

“Well! If she is happy then I guess, I am happy too.” She told him.

He smiled and was about to relax when,

“Listen, even I have a small secret to share.” She muttered but she knew he will hear. His eyes were wide.

“What? Didn’t you just scold me for keeping a secret? Look, the pot telling the kettle black.” He was surprised.

“Yeah, I had to.” She said with a guilty expression.

“Ok, spill!” He gave her a green nod.

“It’s about Abhimanyu. He has left the job last month and working on his own start-up.” She told him slowly.

“WHATTTTTT? Did HE LEAVE THE JOB? IS HE MAD? WHAT ABOUT JOB SECURITY? WHAT ABOUT HIS FUTURE? WHY DIDN’T HE TELL ME?” He went ballistic after hearing the news. She heard him and just kept her hand on his shoulder.

“And that’s the reason he told me, not you. You always react like such. Besides, believe me, he is happy. He is chasing his dreams finally. Don’t worry, his plans are great. He will get success. I believe him.” She made him understand.

He heard her.

“What about future safety? Has he thought through all the risks?” he was genuinely concerned.

“That’s the reason he called me. We talked and yes, we have covered all the points. He has a good amount of savings which will help him financially for his home to float for next two years. It will be enough time to build his business. His plans are really good. I never thought he can come up with such ideas.” She told him with an impressed look on her face.

“Wait, he asked you and not me?”

She gave him a murderous look.

“Who takes care of the house?”

“Oh! Sorry!” Never ask a woman if she knows how to maintain the finance for a household to work and grow. They are the pillars to hold it all.

After some moments, he thought something and smiled, “So, his plans are great, huh?” He asked.

“Yes, they are. Don’t worry, he has never failed ever in his life. He won’t fail this time too.” She told with such a determination.

“Ah! I must say this is the result of staying with right people.” He smiled proudly while trying to lift his invisible collar.

“Unnecessary credits!” she said knowing him so well but smiled anyway.

She kept her head again back on his shoulder while he smiled. He closed his eyes while enjoying the evening breeze and the laughter of kids playing there.

After sometime,

“No more secrets?”

“No more. Promise”

********************

“Please, doctor! Do something about it! Save them!” A man and a woman, who looked similar are crying and begging the doctor.

“I am so sorry Abhi and Natasha. I know how hard it is for you both, but the accident was so fatal. Your Papa and Maa have lost so much blood. They are so old that their body couldn’t take the trauma. They are now in the coma but the reports are not good. I can’t give you false hopes. We tried our best but I am sorry. You have just some hours left. Please, make peace with it.” The doctor told them with a sad face. He knows Mr and Mrs Ray, and their family for a long time. When he heard about the unfortunate news, he came himself to operate but alas, sometimes even they fail.

Both the siblings, Abhi and Natasha were crying so hard. Rishav hugged Natasha to give support while Nayantara, wife of Abhimanyu sat beside him, patting his back, giving him support while wiping her tears with another hand.

**********

After some time, he opened his eyes. He realised that they have slept for some time. He nudged her to wake her up.

“Hey, wake up. See, the sun is almost ready to set.”

“Hmm… where? We slept?” She opened her eyes and yawned. She could see that the sun was now about to touch the horizon. She looked at it.

“Ah! The time has come, isn’t it?” She asked knowingly.

“I guess! But hey, you have promised to stay with me for seven lives.” He laughed but there was a hint of sadness in his voice. Her eyes were filled with tears.

“Oh My God! Again, I have to deal with your snores and all the bad habits?” She exclaimed with a smile but tears were rolling down her cheeks.

“Really? What about your mad shopping spree and those illogical Hindi serials you watch when I want to watch the cricket matches?” He tried to joke but failed.

“Yeah! What can I do? I guess I am stuck with you for lives then. You should be punished to make me fall in love with you so many years ago, and then every day, Mr Ray.” She punched him again but lovingly. She couldn’t keep her tears at bay.

“I am ready to take any punishment for that. I am glad I did that mistake of Good Morning all those years back. That smile will always remain etched in my memories.” He smiled big.

She bowed her head down shyly. He kissed her head lightly.

They are old but so young at heart just due to love.

“I think we should go now.” She told him while wiping her tears from her cheeks which were covered in wrinkles just like her husband.

“Yes, we shall meet again in our next life, Mrs Ray!” he told her happily. He was so positive about it.

“I love you!” Mrs Ray told him for the last time.

He was shocked because she said these three words only once when he proposed her second time and today. Finally, he couldn’t keep his tears controlled.

“I know! I love you too.” He told her in a grey tone voice.

They stood up and started walking again. He gave his elbows so that she can hold him for their last walk.

“Chivalry?”

“Till death”

The sun just touched the horizon while Mr and Mrs Ray slowly vanished into thin air.

***************

Beeeeeeeeeppppppppppppppppppp

The heart rate monitor beeped long for the last time. Mr and Mrs Ray took their last breath to start their new voyage.

The room was filled with sounds of cries.

“I wish grandpa could have seen Avengers before he left, he so much wished for it!” Aman, a child of just thirteen years old, sat near his beloved grandpa silently cried for the loss of his best friend.