Checkmate

(Part 2 of Checklists)

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She reached home only to get the most dramatic and movie-like call of her life. She'd probably never imagined that what was to follow would be just as dramatic but with an end that only life can offer.

She was fiddling with the bunch of keys to figure which one was the right key and her phone buzzed. She is neatly arranged with her stuff, unlike most girls her age. She knows exactly which pocket the cell-phone is in. The phone said - D Calling...

She thought in an instant that she now had to deal with a delayed or canceled flight of a delayed or canceled love of her life. She answered the phone anyway

Him - "I did not board the flight. There's somethings we need to sort, to undo. There is mess in my head and I need you to sort this out."

Her - "You know the way. Get home. I'll order some food. Get some tea-leaves on your way back."

Him - "Ya we gonna need that. You are smart!"


They both giggled and hung up.

She knew what was coming her way. Life had been quite predictable for her and the predictability was the only surprising factor she had. He took just over 40 minutes to get home. The doorbell rang and she got the door. For a change, she was surprised.

It was as if they had exchanged emotions for hugs when she left him at the airport. She stood there, calm and peaceful, smiling, without a speck of anxiety on her face, like he usually does. And there he was, fiddling with his stuff, his phone, looking all clumsy - just the way she is around him at all other times. He did not know what was the right thing to do or say standing at the door like that. She stepped up, hugged him and said come on in. He seemed relieved. At least the awkward silence was gone.

He sat in the living room and said -

"Dont run inside to get dinner. Sit here. Right here. If I dont say it now, I can never say it. I've felt just as strongly as you have in the last couple of years.  I've dated other women with you on my mind, just the way you dated other men without ever getting over me. I did not want you or me to get into something beautiful and then not know what to do about it. You and me together, with your career aspirations and my family ties, are a logistical nightmare. We will never work this out. But I understand very well that logic hasn't helped us much anyway. I want to finish this. I want to feel close to you and I want to cherish this as something more than a friendship. Its a mistake. But I want to do this. The ball is in your court."

And for the first time, she felt weak in her knees. She wanted this and she did not want this. She knew exactly what would happen if she denied him what he offered. She would never ever get over him. She will be an emotional wreck. She also knew what would happen if she gave in. She would live in the memory of that 1 day for years to come. She'd anyway not get over it.

This time around, her head and heart did not manage a healthy debate. There was no time. Her heart decided to call the shots and her body was a mere puppet in the hands of her heart. The next thing she knew, she was next to him, surrendering whatever trace of logic was left.

The next morning, was a morning like no other. They were 2 people in love, happy and perfectly at peace with life's shortcomings. They knew the situation they were in and knew that it was perfect. Both of them called in sick at work and spent the whole day together, laughing and having fun. He left by the evening flight and promised he wouldn't come back this time around. They both giggled over it.

She got home and knew that Utopia was where she lived in the last 24 hours. She knew she'd go through the pain of nostalgia, but she also knew that she felt complete and happy today.

She looked at her checklists on the fridge. She realized that the best things in life are never a part of a checklist. They just happen when you don't plan for them. She crashed on the bed and smiled - a smile of victory to her life.