About a boy.

Another one.This one is for Sanju.Thanks.


''It was the hands .Long, slender hands .An artists hands .But they held hers with a deceptive strength. She stared at the intertwined hands .One pair slim, young ,soft, gentle ,the other bony, knuckled, hard. She dared not look up. If she did, would drown in the grey blue seas of his eyes. The soft ,clear depths of his eyes had undercurrents that swallowed her.

She sat, lost in the moment. Holding hands. Childish, but oh so sweet. He stroked her hands, she moved her eyes. She looked at him. His young boyish face smiled at her. “Please come with me” his velvety voice was a caress. A tiny smile touched her lips. “To eat gelato?’ “ We will walk ,talk, eat gelatos, and whatever else you want” Inwardly she almost laughed. Anything I want. Now that was impossible. She got up abruptly. “Fine, lets go. I ‘ll get the car” He touched her softly, reverentially “Lets walk instead”.

She nodded assent. These old bones can still walk. Walking ,talking, the wind in her hair, the setting sun in her eyes. She wanted to hold the moment, never let it go. She could not. ‘Lets walk down to the sea” She demurred “The rocks are slippery with rain, I may fall” He softly answered “No, I will not let you fall.” She wondered “Where was he all my life ?I meet him now, when I am old and brown”. A mirthless chuckle escaped from her. He never asked why. It was as if he knew.

They touched the sea. She took of her chappals, and took a tentative step in the water. She recoiled in distaste. Her feet had touched a piece of unmentionable garbage. He saw her expression. Tenderly, he bent down, with his handkerchief , he gently cleaned her feet. “Lets go back. Our gelatos are waiting” They walked up to the dark road, and to ‘Amore” “That means love, doesn’t it ?”Yes” He sighed deeply “Isn’t it wonderful to be in love ‘’.She didn’t answer. They ate gelatos. The sun had set, the skies darkened, monsoon clouds waited in the wings for their act. ‘Lets go home, its going to rain” He agreed.
They walked back. The clouds moved in to scene. This was their moment. Pent up emotional clouds broke down, their streams of water flowed in torrents. He held her close ,sheltering under the awning of a café. She shivered in his arms. He mistook her desire. He thought she was cold. He tightened his grip on her. For one wild moment she thought ‘I am going to blow it. I am going to kiss him ‘’.She didn’t. They reached home.

‘Dry yourself,and change your clothes” he said.She nodded “You too” He smiled shyly ‘I have no clothes.Can I borrow his clothes “’? She nodded assent. She changed.He changed.

And they sat back sipping their cognac enriched coffee. “When will he be home “’.’Soon ‘’.And she thought ‘my son will be home in a few minutes.And he will be in his lovers arms’’

This boy whom I spent my afternoon with, whose hands, lips, eyes drown me in a maelstrom of passion ,is my son’s lover .

Guilt should have consumed her,pain did.''