On The Subway (Part 2)

October 19, 2003

“It is in moments such as these”, he whispered, “that I feel the loneliest”. As he stood with his hands stretched on the terrace hedge, the expanse of Manhattan was lit before him. The glittering lights of the concrete jungle were mesmerizing.

“How can you feel alone in the most happening city of the world – the city where even loneliness doesn’t feel alone?”, she questioned, taking a sip from the glass.

“It’s not the din outside that defines internal peace”, he turned his back to the city of dreams, “A good package can’t make a gift out of garbage”

“Why do you feel alone, when you have me?”, she put her hands into his.

His eyes welled. “All this time, you have always lived with the belief that I was there for you. And you never take credit for being there, for me”, he said.

“Ssshhh”, she whispered. He went quiet, as he always did.

October 05, 2003

“Sir, your phone is ringing”, the housekeeper shouted at the top of his voice. He woke up with a start, and heard the familiar ringtone.

“Hello”, he mumbled, his throat still dry.

“I need to talk to you”, her voice was unmistakable.

“Then what are you doing right now?”, he managed to force in his banal sense of humor even while in sleep.

“Shut up. When are you coming here?”, she demanded.

“Will be there next week”, he answered, as the line got disconnected.

He stood up and went up to the window. It was raining outside. The spattering of water on the window sill was the only sound audible. He closed his eyes to think about her. Dating a princess was not easy. And her behaving like she wasn’t one, didn’t help.

“Sometimes, I fondly recollect the days when I possessed something called ego”, he thought to himself.