3000
*This story is a work of fiction as well as a part of some writing experimentation.
It was chilly outside with a cold breeze blowing. Rubbing his hands together to get some warmth, he entered the building stealthily making an effort to avoid the people around him. He sprinted up the flight of stairs to floor two, hoping that she had not already left her apartment. A quick glance at his watch showed the time as eight-thirty giving him a pang of hope as it was not usually before nine that people left for work in that city.
He rang the doorbell twice. Its sharp sound echoed through the gallery disturbing him for a while. A moment later, the door opened and she stood before him with an amused expression on her face.
They both stood silent for a while looking at each other.
“I came to see you” , he said.
“Why?”
“I am leaving this place today. I am returning to my city to continue my business.”
She gave him a quick glance without uttering a word. He looked at her face and couldn’t trace any feeling of emotion. They were left wrapped in an uncomfortable silence.
“I thought we could go together”, he finally uttered.
[Part I - Dreams]
“Come inside” , she said.
He had always been surprised by her unpredictability, her way of dealing things in situations. As he entered inside, she handed him a pair of die.
“Roll it and if you get the total five, I’ll join you”, she said.
Any other person would have been bemused at such a ridiculous suggestion but not him. He knew her. And he knew that it was now his luck casted upon some unknown number on the die that would determine her decision. Something didn’t feel right to him as he felt a sudden jab of uneasiness.
The dies rolled on the floor for quite a long time, giving the impression that they would never cease to move. Then one of the die struck the wall and almost immediately came to a stop showing the number two on its upward face. His heart skipped a beat. He watched her and found that she was calmly looking at the other die which was spinning slowly now almost to a stop. The spinning die rolled on to reveal the face two .. then stumbled on to three .. and in a painfully slow agonising motion, stood there slightly vibrating as if teasing them .. as if it was an ominous power which could twist their fate as per its will.
Time seemed to stop for him at that very moment. Strangely, at that very moment, he came to terms with the reality. And as he came to terms with his own feelings, to his very surprise he found that he didn’t care any more .. whether the die showed up two or three or five or any damn number, it didn’t matter to him any longer.
The die had finally come to a stop, rolling once again just before its motion ceased to reveal the face five. He had failed to pass her test.
They looked at each other in silence. Both understood what the other felt at that very moment. She knew that he had realized the reality of his situation. From a corner of her eye, she had watched him undergoing the transformation as he was watching the spinning die.
He left without saying another word. The door closed behind him with a thud. And in the ensuing silence, a drop of tear rolled down her cheek onto the floor.
[Part II - Fiction]
(… “I thought we could go together”, he finally uttered.)
A pause followed. He sensed her expression changing. Her eyes were as dreamy as they used to be but now they conveyed her feelings. He felt happy. He knew he had done the right thing and would never live to regret it.
In a tearful voice, she replied “I thought you would never ask.”. Two drops of tear rolled down from her eyes.
The train to his town left at seven in the evening. And this time, he was not returning alone.
[Part III - Reality]
(… “I thought we could go together”, he finally uttered.)
“No” , she said.
“Why?”
“You know the answer to this” , she replied staring at him firmly.
He felt confused at that very moment. He thought he didn’t know how she felt and stood there not knowing what to say.
Their was silence again. He turned back and walked down the flight of stairs deciding to call her in the afternoon.
[Conclusion - The Finale]
(3050 AD , fifty years later.)
He stood on the terrace feeling the cool breeze flowing around. It was chilly and dark at this time in the afternoon.
The day reminded him of his haunting memories fifty years ago. At that very moment, he wished .. if only he had realized back then that she didn’t love him anymore .. if only he hadn’t given into false hopes.
And it was at this instance that his heart craved for living his life over once again.
