The Kohl. . .

Mike, in his leisure time, loved spending time at a coffee store. He was there at the Star Coffee Shop to have his usual cup of Cappuccino. It was a bright sunny day with temperature soaring higher and higher. He pulled out a handkerchief from the pocket of the jeans he was wearing. While wiping his face, he saw a few black marks on it. While trying to recollect how he had them over it, he remembered…


“Don’t come so close to me. I won’t be able to control myself then”, said the girl.
“I don’t want you to overpower your feelings”
As they came close to each, they had their first hug. The girl had a shivering in her body by now. He held her more tightly so that she couldn’t move. She was the one he had always cared about. She loved him tremendously but he never intended to be in some kind of serious love with her. As he held her little loose, so much that she could move, she gently kissed him on his right cheek which had a new growing green beard on it after one clean shaves it.
“This is my first kiss to you. Do not ever forget it”
“Can I too give you one so that you can remember one too… he asked with a whisper?” (Coming close to her ears)
She removed her hands over him and left her too… she just gave a sweet smile which he loved in her the most…
“Give me your handkerchief”
“Why… I haven’t even kissed you”
“Just give it”
She wiped her kohl with it and said, Whenever you feel the world is against you, just see this and you will come to know that I’ll always be with you and there for you.”

And just then the waiter comes to the table placing the order, “Your coffee, Sir”
Mike thanks him with a smile.
Stirring his coffee with the stirrer, he was again lost to the time when he was with her.
“Arpita” he whispered in her ears when he had first kissed her.
“I am in love with you”
She became blushing red in her cheeks. He could not forget that face of hers.

He had finished his coffee, when he saw something his eyes wouldn’t believe…
It was Arpita with another guy, which might have been his boyfriend or just a friend.
While he was still, staring at her, the waiter dropped the bill at his table. As the waiter moved, their eyes met each other. And Mike looked at her as if he needed her, he still loved her and she found his eyes wanting to tell her something. But she ignored him and got busy with the other guy. Though she couldn’t completely ignore him, she kept giving a glance as to see what he was doing? In a few minutes, as he had paid the bill and waited for the waiter to get him some change, Arpita had noticed the handkerchief with the black marks on it. And she was shocked to see that and believe that Mike was still not out of it. By the time she thought of speaking to him, he took the change and left. After he left, she could hear his voice say, “I like kohl in your eyes, and if you add that with a smile, you look most beautiful.” She had tears in her eyes thinking about the words he had said. She just left the person she had come with and ran out to look for him, to stop her first love and tell him that she had not betrayed him and loved her as much as he did.
Things however had turned bitter between them, though it was Mike’s mistake and he knew it… he felt betrayed because she didn’t wait for him to apologize, and started talking to other guys to make him feel jealous. Though she didn’t have any boyfriend, he felt that she had one immediately after their break up. He had reached the signal that was ahead the corner. Suddenly, the weather changed, it started raining as happens in Hindi movies. She was all wet by the time she reached him. She called him and he turned back.
“I like when you appreciate my eyes with kohl”
He smiled and said, “thank you.”
She went near him to hug him, but he stopped her saying that what was she up to?
She said, “I love you as much as you do or even more than that”
He said, “Perhaps, I don’t love you anymore. You in trying to make me feel jealous have lost respect in my heart.”
I don’t have anybody else in my life but I can’t say yes to you.
‘What was it with the handkerchief then?’
I had loved you Arpita and maybe I still do, but I need to respect the one I love… and you have lost that respect…
I am Sorry!

She was standing there all alone in the rain, making herself realize that little steps lead to big mistakes…

After a few weeks at the same coffee shop,
Arpita was alone and enjoying the Cappuccino just as Mike had liked.
And as she had finished with her cup, was when Mike entered and saw her as she was seated at the same place where he used to. Mike joined her as she was alone. And they casually spoke, he looked into her eyes and she into his.
He then said her, “I still like your eyes with the kohl.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Why you have got a boyfriend for you?”
“I never had one and you know that.”
“Hey, what if I say, I want you back in my life”
“I was always yours, Mike.”
“But before that I want you to remember the words you said me while giving this handkerchief”
“I remember each and every word, Mike… I am sorry, I promised to be with you all my life even if the world was against the world but I went against you… M sorry…”
“I love you, Arpita... Will you be mine forever?”
“I was yours, and am yours and will always be yours forever”