It is the sights which strike you first-the cafes, the restaurants, the Eiffel, the sounds kick in later-the tolling of bells at the Notre dame, the gushing waters of the fountains, the street musician's mesmerizing chant. And the rain, oh the incessant rain. Washing away the cigarette smoke and the smell of coffee everywhere. As she breathed it all in, she knew that she had finally come to the place she belonged, she had come home.
"Stop grinning like an idiot, Mila. See this is why you should have never gone away," her friend laughed, braking the car and breaking Mila's reverie.
"Sorry, Marie, but you know.." replied a smiling Mila
"Yes I do, " said Marie, with a chuckle. "Now let's get your bags up and have you settled down."
And as soon she had done the needed settling down, she went straight to the Seine and went down to her favourite spot under a tree. It was a hidden place really, right in the midst of the madding crowd and yet away from it. It had been her happy spot. So she was a little annoyed when she found that it was already occupied. Some idiot of a man, smoking a bloody cigarette, with a bloody book in his bloody hand, had beaten her to it. "Guess it wasn't that secret after all," she mumbled and angrily kicked a stone in front of her. The cursed stone rolled and rolled until it stopped at the feet of the man who was in her spot. And he looked up from his book just as she tried turning away. And the book and the cigarette fell. She thought she had seen a ghost for it could not be, not after all these years, not after all these months. And she turned and ran with all the force she had.
She should not have bothered running in fact because he caught up with her pretty soon. And stopped her. "Mila, give me a chance to explain. Please. I had to do what I did. I had no intention of hurting you. And you know that I had no idea that you would be back here. I would never have come if I knew. I do not mean to cause you any pain or harm. Please listen."
But she stayed silent, immobile, not hearing a word of what he was saying. She put out her hand to touch his face but could not bring herself to. It could not be true, she surely was hallucinating. Maybe it was a bad dream and all she needed was to open her eyes. But her eyes were already open. She suddenly found that she could not breathe and the world slipped out of focus. He caught her in his arms as she swooned and fell.
He brought her back to his apartment and laid her gently on the couch. And watched her sleep. A terrible sense of remorse washed over him, He had done this to her, he had caused her pain and suffering, he had hurt her. And that was as unbearable now as it was then. And he knew that ten years apart had done nothing to change the way he felt about her. And that even a lifetime apart would not rectify it.
"Stop grinning like an idiot, Mila. See this is why you should have never gone away," her friend laughed, braking the car and breaking Mila's reverie.
"Sorry, Marie, but you know.." replied a smiling Mila
"Yes I do, " said Marie, with a chuckle. "Now let's get your bags up and have you settled down."
And as soon she had done the needed settling down, she went straight to the Seine and went down to her favourite spot under a tree. It was a hidden place really, right in the midst of the madding crowd and yet away from it. It had been her happy spot. So she was a little annoyed when she found that it was already occupied. Some idiot of a man, smoking a bloody cigarette, with a bloody book in his bloody hand, had beaten her to it. "Guess it wasn't that secret after all," she mumbled and angrily kicked a stone in front of her. The cursed stone rolled and rolled until it stopped at the feet of the man who was in her spot. And he looked up from his book just as she tried turning away. And the book and the cigarette fell. She thought she had seen a ghost for it could not be, not after all these years, not after all these months. And she turned and ran with all the force she had.
She should not have bothered running in fact because he caught up with her pretty soon. And stopped her. "Mila, give me a chance to explain. Please. I had to do what I did. I had no intention of hurting you. And you know that I had no idea that you would be back here. I would never have come if I knew. I do not mean to cause you any pain or harm. Please listen."
But she stayed silent, immobile, not hearing a word of what he was saying. She put out her hand to touch his face but could not bring herself to. It could not be true, she surely was hallucinating. Maybe it was a bad dream and all she needed was to open her eyes. But her eyes were already open. She suddenly found that she could not breathe and the world slipped out of focus. He caught her in his arms as she swooned and fell.
He brought her back to his apartment and laid her gently on the couch. And watched her sleep. A terrible sense of remorse washed over him, He had done this to her, he had caused her pain and suffering, he had hurt her. And that was as unbearable now as it was then. And he knew that ten years apart had done nothing to change the way he felt about her. And that even a lifetime apart would not rectify it.
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