Soulmates

She wrapped her arms close to his waist, digging her ashen face further into his hunched back, as he revved up the engine of his sports bike noisily and sped through the winding, up-hill roads. The cool wind lashed against her face and blew her hair away in a fiery motion, dancing wildly to her racing heart-beats. She loved him for this. She hated him for this.

He was as reckless as the wind while she was the epitome of calmness. No one made her laugh as hard as he did and she loved him for this. His don’t-care-a-damn-attitude, taking risk at the drop of a hat, living life dangerously, yet making the most of every moment, left her in awe, and in fear. He made every moment she spent with him come alive and she never felt as vibrant as she did in his company. Yet, she knew, he was not the committing kind and he’d never settle down for marriage and kids.

The view atop the hill was breath-taking. Silken, white sheets covered the bare, wet peaks seductively, while the naughty breeze gently pushed the covers away. The graceful mountains surrendered to the gentle showers of rain, their love, making bringing every blossom to life; the greens became greener, the browns becoming darker. The soft mud that lay beneath their feet, sprinkled wet, sent out a lilting earthy fragrance that tickled the two’s senses.

“I love you” he declared simply, taking her rain-drenched face that quivered with suppressed emotions, in his palms.

“Don’t give me false hopes. It’s not meant to be” She shook as words came out in whispered pain, flooding her eyes, drenching her face all over again.

“Trust me. We can do this. It’ll be fine. I’ll never let you down” He pleaded. He went down on his knees, took a blade of grass, twisted it into a ring, slipped it into her finger and spoke with solemn sincere eyes.

“Marry me. Grow old along with me the best is yet to be.”

She laughed at her incorrigible man.

“Yes” she said, even as the heart twisted at the thought of their future; an amalgamation of two diverse, complex and intense souls.

It was the most beautiful twenty years of her life. They fought, they cried, they laughed, they lived every moment. Together they survived the storms, embraced the rains and rejoiced the sun-streaked seasons in their life. He was true to his word and she never had to regret her decision.

The best one she had ever taken, she thought, creased lines on her forehead deepening, fresh tears stinging her sorrowful eyes as she knelt down at his tomb on his second death anniversary. 

Image courtesy of Janssenfrank and taken from Wiki Commons Quote:


Grow old along with me the best is yet to be.
Robert Browning

Word count: 450
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A fiction less than 500 words written for Light and Shade Challenge, combining the photo prompt and the quote above.


21 comments:

  1. Heartfelt post, Uma. I love the portrayal of rich emotions in this piece. Very beautiful!

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    1. Thank you so much, Shailaja. Feels great to hear this :-)

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  2. A poignant journey into the past and the present. Powerfully written

    All :)

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  3. Wow Uma!! So well written!! Loved reading this!

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    1. Hey Radhika, so nice to have you back and thanks a lot for the wonderful words :-)

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  4. Uma, the story is so emotional, passionate and poignant!! Loved it.

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    1. Thank you, Ushaji. Those are truly encouraging words!

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  5. Beautifully written Uma! Loved it :)

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  6. Good one, People that different are bound to fall for each other ;)

    I have something based on love too :) Will post it tomorrow!

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  7. Wonderfully craved.

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  8. craved should read ...... carved.

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  9. This one tugged at the heart you know...Nicely written

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  10. Brought tears in my eyes. So touching. :')

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  11. Heart-warming and heart-breaking at the same time. A lovely tale...

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    1. Makes me happy to hear you say this, Tara, since I did attempt to highlight both the aspects in the story. Thanks a lot :-)

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