A Balcony Conversation

The French windows let a warm breeze into the penthouse's living room which scattered coloured drawing sheets all over the place. The father called out, "Ayra, pick up your drawing sheets & put them away." Ayra came running at her father's call & picked up the sheets. No sooner did Ayra put away the sheets than the doorbell rang. Ayra ran to answer the door for her play date. Ayra was excited to see Rayansh & declared, "Papa has put up a play tent in the balcony, come on." The kids ran through the French doors into a large balcony. Ayra's father stood at the door & looked at the corridor for Rayansh's aunt's arrival.

A few moments later, she appeared in the corridor & walked up to the door. She expressed, "As soon as the elevator doors opened, Rayansh ran. I did not even know the way. Thank God! Bhabhi had shared the flat number." He voiced, "Rayansh does that each time. Come in." She stepped into a home of tasteful decor. The warmth of the environment brought a smile to her lips. When she turned to compliment him, she bumped into him. While he smiled warmly, she raised her eyes to his. Their hearts raced at the proximity & innately embraced. The embrace was electric & both couldn't recollect the last time they felt this way.

She snuggled in his arms & he dived deep into her hair. The familiar pleasant fragrance of her shampoo brought warmth to his heart. She felt his deep breath & shuddered. As she pulled away, he enquired, "Are you alright?" She only nodded & looked towards the French windows. He persisted, "What is it? Did I..." She interrupted, "Nothing." His eyebrows knotted, "Are you blushing?" Her eyes met his eyes & strongly expressed, "No." He enjoyed the tease, "Why is your cheek coloured then?" She smirked, "Your stubble." He quickly raised his right hand to the stubble & cringed. He reached out to her cheek, ran the thumb across & uttered, "Sorry, skipped shaving over the weekend." The slightest touch made her blush, he was ecstatic & she turned away.

He cleared his throat, "The kids are on the balcony. What would you like to have? Coffee, chai, juice or a drink?" She tilted her head, "Drink this early?" He raised his hands in the air & articulated, "It's 6 o'clock somewhere." She shook her head & laughed, "Old habits die hard. Juice would be nice on a hot afternoon." He replied, "Alright, I'll get us some juice. Do make yourself comfortable." As she walked, her eyes soaked the details of the house. The contemporary decor was subtle yet had a captivating appeal, with a few unique elements that made all the difference.

As she walked towards the French doors, she noticed that the space in front of the left wall was clear of any objects or furniture. She curiously walked up to the wall & faced it. At the centre hung a large family picture of Ayra with her parents. Most of the wall-covered photos of the trio at various locations & times. Her eyes stayed on the woman in the central picture, who had a brilliant smile & eyes filled with hope. She went through an ocean of emotions. She did not realise he had walked up behind her. He voiced, "That's my wife." She jolted slightly & turned towards him. He extended a glass of juice to her, "I want her presence, not her absence. Everyone told me to set up her solo photo, put up a garland, light a lamp & incense stick. I couldn't do that to Ayra or her." She sipped orange juice to quench her parched throat & nodded in agreement.

He continued, "I only paid to buy a house. She made it home." She noticed that he spoke as his wife was still around. She softly sounded, "The house is beautiful. Also, I know it is all her work." He smiled through teary eyes as she spoke about his wife in the present tense. He questioned, "How do you know?" She bit her lower lip & replied, "You do not have the patience or the taste to set up such a wonderful place." He stared at her with narrow eyes & in a few moments, they broke into a laugh.

The duo walked into the balcony area carpeted with an artificial grass mat. They settled at a coffee table that overlooked the city & allowed them to watch the kids play at the play tent. They spoke at length about old college stories, life events, milestones, achievements & life itself. While the kids played & munched on the healthy snacks, the adults had two rounds of orange juice. Finally, he asked, "Are we going to address the elephant in the room? In our case, the elephant in the balcony? Or do you need time to think through?" The colour drained from her face & she seemed uncomfortable.

He continued, "After some deliberation, it did cross my mind that my wife's death shocked you. You could be confused, guilty or anything else. I do not intend to pressurise you or make you uncomfortable. We can leave things as is & not take it forward." Her expression drastically changed from an uncomfortable one to a frown. She leaned forward, put her hands with crossed fingers on the table & asked, "When did you become so considerate?" The kids turned towards his loud laugh. He calmed down & expressed, "Well, I had to grow up sometime." She smirked, "Since you are asking & for the record, I was jet lagged, loaded with a pint of coffee & junk food on a hungry stomach." He agreed with a giggle, "Yeah, I'm sure it was all your travel stress & absolutely nothing else." They both laughed & fell into silence.

He patiently sat across her as she contemplated what to & how to say it. She uttered, "I did think a lot..." He added, "And…?" She faltered, "I want to... I can... But..." He cupped her hands in his palms & articulated, "Whatever is on your mind, we can discuss." She swallowed hard & looked at the empty juice glass & thought, maybe it's time for that drink. She took a deep breath & began, "I have been living out of a suitcase for as far as I can remember. Forever I'm packing, unpacking & jet-lagged. There have been instances when I woke up & couldn't recall where I was. It takes a while to figure out a routine. When I'm settled, it is time to uproot."

He interrupted, "Why did you take such a job? Also, stick to it for so long. It must be exhausting." She smiled, "I could not handle the news of your wedding. Any place in the city where we usually went out reminded me of you. The only way to escape my melancholy was to be on a constant run. The exhaustion helped in falling asleep. It is a different thing that I would wake up wondering where I was. The longest I stayed in a place was for six months. That was an eventful stay." He was at a loss for words & kept mum. She smiled & enunciated, "It was my choice & you do not have to feel guilty. I thought you almost caught me during the conversation at the coffee shop." She continued, "Frequent travel is taking a toll on me & my third passport pages are running out. I want to settle down in a place & live peacefully." He smiled at the thought of them both being together. She added, "My boss offered me a position in London & I'm taking it." He spat, "What?"

Take Away: Not all conversations go the way one thinks or wants.

P.S: The story is a sequel to "Que Sera Sera".