SOULMATE - the one you met…

Heaven unlocked the high; perfect ray of sunshine on her cherry cheeks; her smile flowing off the speed of mercury. Not so perfectly dressed - the short, small, cute “little monster"; as her roommate called her; was ready to conquer her share of happiness. A winter jacket borrowed from a “friend” - well, she hated calling people “friends”, for reasons acceptable! And her century old running shoes, if only she could afford the boots! $100 was like a fortune for her. The thick, brown hair, long enough to tie up an entire human under its flow; she kept it open for the most part. Jumping over three steps at a time, she headed towards her kingdom. 

The timeworn, ugly looking building - a shopping centre, with good food, but pale service - as she entered, suddenly felt known (facts: she was at the same place a week ago, reasons differ). It almost felt like walking towards an aisle to her. She paced towards her destination, leaps of four now. But just when it was near, she barely managed to crawl. With her heartbeat running a marathon and eyes like that on an investigation, she was thrilled by her vision. She was excited for what waited. Her friends, on the other hand, were miffed - she literally was talking about it for the past whole week and they wanted to unveil the curtain…

Her vision had never been so perfect. There he was - helping a customer, so engrossed to forget about the world. But maybe it was something in the air, he turned, like he knew exactly what was waiting on him at the back and he could no longer concentrate. The monster, on the other hand, was clear on her motives, like always. She promised to show her friends the best looking man they’d ever known - a good chance for her to see the beauty again, but from a distance. The last thing she’d want was to get noticed by him. But nothing ever in her life went as planned…

A dress store, which didn’t have anything good for her, except the fact that it offered a great look of the charm, from a visible distance (the monster didn’t like to mention her glasses). The scent from his perfume shop distracted her while she was patiently trying to browse through the clothes, trying to not look like a stalker. Clearly her friends understood her obsession now. And just when she thought she’ll have a final look at him and leave, he waved. He waved at her. She, not knowing how to react, but still conscious, waved back. He said something, but it was like a voice too far. She certainly didn’t do that on purpose; his charisma was definitely blinding. After trying so hard to stay focused, all she could hear was him asking her to go closer (he literally performed to convey that). And maybe, it was again something in the air, she started walking towards him. The existence of her companions, was like mentioning a shadow to her. She could barely think of them. 

With violins in the background, flowers under her feet, just as dramatic as she thought it would be, she could feel the end nearing her soul. Those fifteen steps seemed like a lifetime to her. Her walk was normal, heart racing again, eyes fixed on the harbour and the beauty of her smile intact. Everything seemed to blur except the honour of his gorgeous eyes. As her outlook grew bigger, she gave herself freedom to adore the glamour in front of her. Tall - almost about 6 ft, black eyes, thick dark beard, a mole on his left cheek, perfectly done hair. There he was, so close, yet at a distance. Wearing a red-black shirt, blue jeans, brown boots. Perfection! There was something in his eyes, but his lips kept distracting her. It gave her an urge to ignore the world (which she already did) and dive deep into the taste of him. It gave her butterflies - the first time ever, she felt the magic from her novels…

Avoiding the fantasies, the matter of wonder for her was that he called her by her name. The monster was astonished with pleasure. She no longer felt like a stalker; he remembered her. On the other hand, a line of shame covered her face; she had to write his name down this time, so she won’t forget it. It all started with him asking about her day and life in the new city and it went on… They talked about everything. The guy was good, in ways which made the monster keen to listen to every word that came out of his mouth. He sounded interesting, or maybe, he got pretty lips, that helped her keep focused or look like she was!

Soothing - the moment, the talk, the everything. It felt to her like years passed since they knew each other. But just when they were deciding on their happily ever after - her friends came and she realized how short the time was. It was time for a goodbye. As her steps started parting away, the butterflies returned. The smile brighter than before. The heart calmer than it ever was. She knew something had changed inside her - forever. And just when that thought travelled in her mind, she knew exactly what it meant. The monster finally started believing in “forever”. 

And with her soul dancing to the rhythm she never knew about, she realized that she found that which she was not looking for - her Mate! Unconscious, unaware - their little escape from the world, as he called it. No wonders, no blunders, just the two of them, in their kingdom. She knew, in the moment, even if one day he’d leave; even if one evening it will all be different, it will still be there, forever…Home…That where you can always return, that which is eternal, that which is never gone…She found her SOULMATE! The one who gave her lifetime of happiness and million days of memories. She will always remember him, as the one who knew her. She no longer needed to note his name, it was engraved, deep in her soul; somewhere where the terror of her insecurities didn’t exist, somewhere she felt safe. And maybe it was something in the air again, just when that thought ran in her mind, she turned back…with tears in her eyes and flooding emotions, the memorial in the shop had the same picture she took on their second meet, he looked perfect… 

Love,

Manisha.