A Photograph
The house was a mess after we had decided to move to London. The packing seemed more like unpacking from the cupboards.
Thousands of things had made home in those wooden boxes we called as closets. It seemed as though everything was just pouring out of place. The old flower vase, the swim suit from fifth grade, his basket ball jersey from school and the photograph from college.
It turned out that we were both laughing, while he was looking at me, I faced the sky, with my eyes shut. That reminded me of the good laugh we had had back then. “The joke, whatever it might have been, it definitely made you guys happy to be laughing on that. I believe he really was very happy to
see you laugh whole heartedly, comfortably and beautifully.
The sweatshirt that you wore on the day, that originally belonged to him, the jeans that was yours, but was a size larger than yours, made you look like a guy, none-the-less, your habits too were like them. What you had as that of a girl, was nothing else but your body. The mind inside that, worked like none of the literal kitty girls. Yet you were proud to be one, back then. I believe you still are.
“The t-shirt that he wore, green, black inked, along with blue denims, made him look young, definitely. The appeal toward him, in you, came by, not what he looked like, but what his heart was like. It definitely was a fun loving, caring and that of a loyal person.
“The college days were about to come to an end. The graduation day was too near. Both of you knew what careers to take on, had jobs in hand from placements. The money was going to be good. The apartments to be rented were sure in sight already. Plans, not ready yet, but the friendship was to last for sure. Never was that doubted.
“Life was never better for you two, than you had ever imagined it to be. The photograph says too much. The entire story altogether.” There was a pause as I looked at the picture, then up from it and back at it. After a few minutes of silence, I found out that what had just been depicted in front of me was something extremely beautiful.
Those words gave an entirely new way to my imagination. Ifs and buts, do’s and don’ts , yes or no, fundamentals or the moments, practicality or fantasies, everything started pondering in my head.
But just the thought of it could not change the reality, that was for sure. As that as a consequence, I decided to break the silence.
“You do know that the guy was same through out the real life as well, but daddy didn’t turn out to be that way, honey.
You do know it that divorce was his choice, and you were mine, right?”
“I know mom, I just love fantasies.”
She smiled.