rendezvous

Seeing her coming towards him,
He jumped with joy...
God! please don't make me look messy...
He, prayed silently, looking upward at the slice of evening sky as seen through the trees and the towering buildings of the city...
She waved her hand...
'Did she wave? didn't she?'
He thought as he felt like walking towards her...
To shorten the distance of her walk...
But he was transfixed...couldn't move an inch from his position-
That is, the second lamp-post of the sprawling campus, beside the pool and the cafeteria...

'How long have you been waiting?'
She asked the first thing, after she came near;
White salwar, silver flat shoes, a silver bracelet and a white dupatta going round her neck...
'Not for long...'
He muttered, trying to garner up courage...a bravado...male bravado...
She smiled again...
'Could have waited three or four days here...or anywhere in the world...'
He thought within...but said nothing...
'So? what's up?'
She asked, looking at the pool and the people sitting on white chairs...
'Thought to meet you...after-all,going away soon...'
He said...
'Oh...what we are going to do then? now? movies?'
She asked, without expression, as if she was prepared for anything and everything...
'No...I mean...as you wish...'
He said, coughing twice...clearing his voice;
'O! really?'
She said, looking surprised a bit this time...
He stood looking at her eyes...
'Yes...if ...you've any wish...'
He mumbled...almost shying ...
'Okay! let's sit by the pool...'
She said and started walking towards the chair...
'That's it?'
He said...following her...
They sat...face-to-face...
'Allow me to get for you something...'
He said, helping her to sit, pulling the chair for her-
And as about the attendant...
'No! I am not hungry...'
She said...
'Take a juice then...or coffee...'
He insisted...
'No...I'm sorry...I'm here only to have a look at you...'
She said, looking at him, turning her head a bit...
'God!'
He almost shouted had not something broke into his vocal pipe...
'Got married?'
She asked, as he stood there, transfixed again, by the table...
He nodded in affirmation;
'You?'
He asked;
'Yes...'
She nodded;
'Sit...'
She said;
He sat...feeling uneasy now, ruing the fact why had he called her...after so many years...
'So...got kids?'
She asked, bringing out her cell phone, looking at its screen with furrowed brows;
'Hmm...one...seven years...'
He said, softly, looking down at the table napkins white, kept in triangles...
'Got his picture with you?'
She asked, a bit excited, for the first time in the evening, looking at him, from the screen of her cell that glowed;
'Yeah...'
He fumbled out his cell and selected one out of the several photos in its memory micro card...
She almost snatched the phone from him and
She looked at the screen...
He watched a slight transformation of her face from silent, pained state to joyous as if she was smiling...
'seems like he is taking after you...'
She observed;
'Only hope he would not grow up to be someone like you...leaving behind people, forever...like a traitor...'
She stated, mincing almost and handing over the phone, she suddenly stood up;
'You're not going away?so soon?'
He asked, standing up...
Alarmed, surprised, hurt;
'Got to go...bye bye...happy journey across the sea...'
She uttered and took her purse up from the table and started walking briskly towards the road...
He followed her...
But she didn't look back...
Walked hurriedly to the sidewalk and hailed a taxi;
The yellow filthy looking cab came, she got in and the junk took up speed...
Leaving a trail of smoke on his face...