Here was this woman

I walked into the restaurant, hand still hurting, and sat at one of the many empty tables.

A waiter wearing a bow tie came up to me within minutes, and asked me to move to another table slightly away from the door.

"Yes Sir?", he asked.

"Beer from the tap! and some ice on the side!"

"I am sorry Sir; we do not serve from the tap. would you...".

"Just the cheapest bitter, and don't forget the ice !!"

Don't know who chose this place for the drop. I was sticking out like a sore thumb. The air of richness was unmistakable. The waiter was back in a short while, with a pint and a fancy bucket. 

"Chilled beer; just what I needed after a long day!". 

The ice bucket was perfect. I dipped my hand in it and let the ice do the trick.

Two beers later; it had already been a long wait. I was about to walk out. It was then that I saw her. Here was this woman. Right across the room from me. Wrapped in a fancy red dress. Her long hair; neatly combed. She seemed very approachable; yet unreachable for the likes of me. She looked straight at me with her beautiful blue piercing eyes. I wondered why she was giving me the stare. Maybe because of my clothes or the tattoos on my arm. Not exactly high class.

I looked away. But she would not. Surely; she did not fancy me. Maybe she knew someone who had gotten to know me on one my routine appointments. A brother perhaps; or husband. They may not remember my face but they don't forget the tattoos. Ever!

But as she continued to look at me only occasionally glancing elsewhere, it dawned on me that this was far more serious. This was not a beautiful gaze; but rather a sinister stare. I noticed the unusually big bag next to her. What was she really here for? Was this a setup? I checked my Beretta M9 tucked inside my jacket. 11 rounds still in it. The setting was not ideal, there were a lot more people around now, but I was ready.

The staring match continued for a while, and then without breaking her gaze she made a signal to the waiter to come to her. The waiter approached; she said something quietly to him. As he started to move away he shot a quick glance in my direction.

He traveled towards me and then went past me in the direction of the door. They had me in a cross fire. It was a turkey shoot.

This was it, I knew. There was no drop! This was a setup! I had to make my move. Now!! In one swift motion I got my pistol out and shot her straight between the eyes. My sudden move had completely taken the waiter by surprise. I quickly swiveled around to shoot the waiter but in doing that movement lost possession of the gun.

I though my game was up; but the waiter did not shoot back. Neither did he come towards me. Instead he ran for kitchen.

In the brief moment of calm before I ran, I saw it: a dog approaching the dead woman.

I ran as fast as I could. There was something so odd about the scene that I left behind. For some reason I could not get the dog out of my mind. Did it belong to the woman?  ? It was so calm! Why did it not attack me? How was it so calm ?! I had seen that kind of dog before. A black Labrador perhaps or a retriever; It had a peculiar leash; as if it were wearing a harness.  

I had crossed over a couple of intersections now and made my way into a narrow lane. I looked back over my shoulder just to make sure. No one was following me. I realized I had been running with the gun in my hand. I carefully tucked it inside my jacket. 

As I looked up; I saw the same kind of dog in front of me. For a moment I was startled thinking it was the same dog. Thankfully it wasn't. It too had a calm demeanor and a similar harness. There were two words printed on it in bold. Glittering in the late evening sun I could clearly make them out: GUIDE DOG!

Journey: The End?

   It was a new day, like any other day, yet it felt so different to the stream. The wind brushed her surface gently and she felt rejuvenated by it. This would be a great day, she knew.
   He had slept peacefully by the side of the stream all night and had had the best sleep in a long while. As he prepared for the road ahead he couldn't help but feel exited. There was something special in the day he knew. And his feeling was right, just few hours into his journey he saw her by the road. She was so calm and peaceful like him. She was so simple and yet so beautiful.
   As he walked up to her fear tried to grip him once again. The fear of going through all the pain again. But soon it was all gone. And so he walked up to her.
   The stream had seen this. She couldn't contain her happiness and she started flowing a little faster. She went by their side as they talked and then all of a sudden she fell from the cliff, and turned into a beautiful waterfall. Their was anguish now. She wanted to know what happened of them. But as her waters fell to the ground she realized; her journey had culminated. She had become what she had to. The anguish was replaced by a beautiful lasting image of them talking to each other. She knew it was never for her to know whether they ended up together. Her task was to guide him to her and she had done it. Perhaps they would end up together and would embark on a new journey together on yet another beautiful road.
    Or maybe they wouldn't and then there would be yet other streams guiding them on their paths. One thing was certain; their journey had not ended, if anything it had just begun.

Journey: The little things of Joy

As days went by, his mind healed itself. He was calm now. Every now and again, he would still be scared of what lay ahead, but this fear did not last long. The path too seemed much easier, as if it were a reflection of his mind.

Everyday he awoke with new found enthusiasm. Before; he did not enjoy his new path but now things were different. He wasn't anxious to finish his journey. He realized it was as important to enjoy his journey as it was to get to its end. The path was the same, as always it kept going on. But the mind that tread it now was not grasping at thin air.

And so he enjoyed his path. He sat it the lovely shade of large trees. He ate sweet, delicious fruits. He listened to the beautiful songs from chirpy birds. He chatted with animals passing by. His mind was set free. He realized that there was much to be happy about. And he realized how much he was missing by dwelling on the past. He had never imagined he would enjoy the little things in life so much.

The stream was delighted. She knew he had done what was needed of him. He had laid to rest his demons to rest. He wasn't on the look out for any goals anymore. He was happy on his path.

She knew that it was time for the final act now. It rained that night. The air was filled with calming scent of soil. Her waters grew. She leaped out of her bounds with sheer joy. As she did so she cut the road and diverted his path to another way. She gave water to the trees and asked them to bear flowers. She asked the birds to sing song more beautiful than ever before. She had done her bit. Tomorrow he would rise and start on a new path. A path that would lead to another 'Beautiful Road.'

Journey: The Uncertainty Within

“Should I’ve let her go? Should I’ve called out one last time?” It had been days on the mountain now. Twisting roads had given way to an uphill climb. A scorching sun beat down on the mountain side. It had been days now since he had left the crossroad. Uncertainty had crept into his mind. Should I’ve called out one last time?

As he looked at the valley below, 'the beautiful road' went on and on. There was no one to be seen there now. The only thing that felt good now was the gentle breeze and the sound of the stream. He picked a spot right next to the stream under a large tree and rested there for a while. He thought about the beautiful by-gone days. Of joy, of bliss, of the smiles and beautiful times.

How had it come to this? Why had things transpired this way? If everything happened for a reason he certainly didn't see one now. He had accepted fate at the crossroads and had begun a new journey with nothing else but hope. But as it is with hope: it is uncertain. And that uncertainty had now consumed him. Sadness and regret now filled him. He knew not which way to take. The surrounds too looked dull and sad.

The stream had been with him all through his journey. She did not like what she saw now. A person holding on to what he had, not prepared to treat every moment as a new one. A person, thinking about what could have been, uncertain, under confident. She feared for him now. She had seen many a journey men, but had for some reason grown a level of affection for him, she had previously not known. Precisely why, she was very worried.

She had to help him. But how could she. She knew from past experiences that the journey men couldn't hear her. She prayed for him, she prayed for a way to help him. As days past he grew more and more uncertain. He started wandering from the path set for him. He seemed aimless. And then one day her prayers were answered.

As usual 'he' was resting under a tree next to the stream. A young calf approached the stream. It seemed thirsty yet hesitant. It wasn’t very strong and was perhaps afraid of being flown away with the flow of the stream. But the water in the stream was not deep at all, neither did it flow rapidly. But the calf seemed to be very afraid. Perhaps this was because of some previous bad experience with flowing water. It went nearer and then came back again. This carried on for a while. He watched the calf and couldn’t help but feel sad for it. It was so ‘uncertain’ and so unsure about what would happen if it took the next step, that it was ready to bear the pain of thirst. But finally instinct took over. Thirst got the better of the calf. It mustered enough courage to get close to the water. And then it drank from the stream. As it did so, he could see how happy it was. It had conquered its demons. It had made it past the uncertainty.

It had been so difficult for the calf to muster up all that courage, but it did. He knew he too would have to, and without the push of instinct. He had not had her in his life all the time. There had been uncertainty before and there would be uncertainty in the future. But there was no reason to be sad. There was no reason to lose confidence. The days of past had been wonderful, but that is what they were - 'the days of past'. A new future awaited him; uncertain, sure but intriguing. He drank from the cool waters of the stream and as he did so he felt refreshed and energized like never before. He took to his path again, and carried on along the stream, singing and humming along his way.

The stream was happy now. He had overcome his uncertainty; he had accepted it. There was never anything wrong with being uncertain, she knew. Uncertainty was there for a reason. It was there to inspire and to create intrigue, not to sadden and dishearten.

Journey: The Beautiful Road

There she stood, at the crossroads. There were tears in her eyes. Of loss!! Of joy!! Yet her heart was at peace. The pendant in her hand shined. She yearned to try it for once. Would he friend really be there? Then she smiled. She slipped the pendant into her bag. He would be there if need be, she knew!!

Now visible at the crossroad was a tap. She was thirsty, and so she drank from it. As she drank, she felt better. The sorrow was gone. She felt relieved, happy!! All this time, she had her back to her path. Now she turned and looked at it. As she turned she was anxious. She had thought it out for a long while, and she knew this would be the right path. But now it was time to tread that path. She was anxious.

But as she turned and saw the path her anxiety started to shed. It was unlike anything she had seen before. It was beautiful. The road was lit with beautiful mild sunshine. Along the side were plants and trees flowering to the fullest: Lilies, Daisies and Roses galore. Their fragrance filled the air. It had just rained and the soil was soft and moist. A beautiful rainbow shone in the foreground and road went on and on and on. The air was filled with songs and chirps of birds.

As she walked her uncertainty vanished. She knew this was the path for her. As she moved further forward she saw a bench at the road-side. On the bench was he. She smiled and approached. There was no need for words. They looked at each other and smiled. And then they became one.

They walked together on their road of happiness. Hand in hand their hearts filled with joy. And their joy spilled into the surroundings and made it even more beautiful. Destiny had worked perfectly as it always did. It had united two souls as it always did. The strength of their bond grew. They knew along the road there would be testing times. But in each other they had the perfect confidant.

As the two passed along the road, there came a place where the road narrowed a bit. A slightly bent tree stood on the road-side. The two involved in each other paid no heed to the slightly rising wind. As the passed the tree its branch brushed against the bag. It made a slight hole into it. As the walked ahead the pendant slipped out. Destiny had played its final role.

Journey: The crossroad of their life

Hmm! So here they are, standing at Crossroads. Even though they have been walking together for the last three years it is only now that he realizes that she was not looking in the same direction as he was. She always did say that one day she would have to take a different path at a crossroad. Just didn’t think that, that day was today.
So here they are as I say again. Straight goes his path. Mountains lay ahead and dark clouds. And there is fear in his heart. Because the one he thought would be there just won’t be there. He looks at her, confused, bemused. He asks her "Why? Why, my dear?” But answers there were none. Cause answers there could be none. He expressed his anger with a raging stare. And that stare helped. As he gauged beyond her towards her path; a balmy wind blew there. A fragrance filled the air on her path.

He then remembered those wonderful days. The feeling his heart felt for her, corrupted now by the anger. He wanted to feel that again. And so he closed his eyes. And he tried to feel again what he had always felt. Pure happiness!! What is it that he had wanted for her? It was happiness. What is it that made him happy? It was to see her happy. Why was he so uneasy at this moment in time? Cause he was not being happy for her. The anger vanished. He looked at her. He could sense her feelings as he always did. She yearned to take the path she had chosen for herself. She would be happy on her new path, but for the little pain in her heart. She wondered had she caused him pain. She didn’t mean to ever!! He knew her far too well. He knew she hadn’t erred. He knew what was right for her? His anger subsided. His feeling now clear, he gauged at her path again. He was happy what he saw there. His sweet heart would be happy he knew. He knew what he had to do. He had to let her go. Years of stress had made him shallow. He did not believe in destiny. Now he did. He did not yet understand it. But he believed.

Another thing he realized. The anger was gone and so was the fear. He turned now and looked at his path. The mountains were still there. But the clouds had cleared. There was a path in the mountains he could see it now. The path was tough but there was hope. For along the path lay a stream. Visible at the crossroads now, was a shop. He picked the accessories that he would need. And then there was another thing he picked up. He slipped it in his pocket and he was ready.

He had one last thing to do. He went to her. The thing in his pocket was a pendant. He gave it her. He had made some promises before. Those had to be fulfilled. “If you ever need help, just rub on the pendent, and I shall be there. We did not take any vows, you and I!! But I have made a vow to myself. Whenever darkness befalls on my dear, I shall be there to tear the clouds. With that I bid adieu. I am happy for you as never before. I will keep a watch on you. I will be there if ever need be. Understand this that my heart is at peace. Now there is no malice.” He kissed her forehead and bade goodbye.

His breathing was deep now. The first step would always be difficult. There was so much to hold on to. He checked his back pack. Everything was there. From the mountains he could keep an eye on her progress. His heart slowed down. His senses lowered, until he could not hear or feel anything else. All he saw now was the road ahead. And then he took his first step. And then another, and another... Soon he had passed the crossroad. One glimpse back and there she was at the crossroad of their life, with new hope in her eyes. He smiled. He was happy.

There was no looking back now. As the mountain approached, he strode ahead. Not knowing what lay ahead. He was now aside the stream. At that very moment on the other side of the mountain, another soul had crossed a similar crossroad. And she too was at the mountains. Neither traveler knew where the road would take them. Only the stream knew and she smiled.