The First Kiss

We had not talked for a few days. The silence was disturbing. But I am sure the ripples carried through. For she felt the same way. It went without saying. It went without thought. It went without all things love.

And NO. The day wasn't special. Neither was the moment. Nor was the night. It was perhaps the most dab of all days. But the jack hadn't sprung out of the box. Not yet. I had been back from somewhere. My memory fails me. She had always said I didn't have an eye for details. I acquiesce. I went out for a smoke. The rings dispelled the doubts. The doubts did it for any misbehaving thoughts. Any remnants of sensibility were inaptly done away with.

She had been waiting for a few minutes when I came back. She looked simple, as always. The first few minutes flitted by without nothings. I fumbled with the phone. Stupid oaf. It had been ringing off the hook. Then her eyes said it all. Perhaps they didn't. I am not exceedingly crafty with subtle gestures. I stashed the cell away in some unknown corner, willing it to stop ringing. Was she up for a walk? "Yes", she mumbled. The two slid out. Perfect.

Against expectations, the moon wasn't shining. Not all stories are that romantic I presume. The stars made their presence felt in some abstruse geometrical sequence. Fuck them. I must have thought. It's the coolest thing to write anyway.

The two walked in silence. I had never been good at conversations. As a friend, she knew about all that. She accepted the quiet as her own. Better than perfect. But her silence seemed to perturb me. I looked around for some scattered phrases, hidden in the chrysanthemum bushes.....

How come she was here? Ah, the stupid fuck couldn't have phrased it any other way. He lacks the subtleties folks. She had come to know of that too. She jabbered something about feeling restless for the past few days. I tried to mouth a few consolations. She asked me to stop. My presence was all she needed. That was something new. I made a mental note of the comment. Then out of the black (quite literally), she said I looked cute. What!! Of all things cute, she could find just me? And didn't she notice the new born pimples sprouting all over the rugged face? I felt smug anyway. The shameless brute.

A certain someone caught her eye just then. She excused herself. I mumbled something like you go on. She just smiled. How could she? Wasn’t I supposed to be labeled as something rude? She ambled away. Her smell lingering on. I kicked a few unsuspecting pebbles out of the way. The air seemed heavy with ideas and opinions. They had never been welcome in my company. But that night, I let them hang around.

I stood there, waiting for her to come back. She did. She came out of nowhere, walked up to where I stood, and I tried to look into eyes I could not see. I could see she was smiling. I could see I was as dumb as ever. I saw my inhibitions unfolding in those blue circles. Then she flung her arms around me and kissed me. I knew that there and then, I could not have loved more. Could not have asked for more. I gave in. The rest, as they say, is history. I am sure you don't want the dirty details. I am not giving them even if you do.

Disclaimer All characters in this story (don't think it fits the bill but who cares anyway) are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental!