Late

Payal Dutta108 Comments

LATE

Two years have passed and still there is no trace of him. Even today I wait for him to return. Living in the outskirts, I hardly have any visitors. I have only one friend with whom I share everything. Sitting on the couch for about, I don’t exactly remember, how many hours, I keep staring at the door. Even the tea in the cup has become cold.

“You still believe he will return?” my friend asked.

“He promised,” I replied instantly.

 “The war has ended two years ago,” she added after a long pause.

“But he promised.”

His absence has stolen the colours of my life. Without him around I don’t even feel like changing. Now it seems like I’m wearing this same dress for years. I don’t even feel like loitering anymore. I just wait for him on that old couch with a cup of cold tea.

The silence of our conversation was broken by the sound of the unlocking entrance gate.

“Did you hear that?”

“Maybe it’s him,” I replied. “Who else can it be?”

“I hear a girl’s voice though.”

It was a girl’s voice indeed.
Without answering I waited for the door to open. Not a lash did fall. Finally the door, which was shut for the past two years, opened. A beautiful lady dressed like a bride entered the room. My eyes searched for him.

“Honey, this place is just perfect!” she exclaimed. “Can I check the rooms upstairs?”                                                          

“Yes sure,” came a familiar voice from outside.

“It’s him,” I whispered.

“Who’s she?”

As the lady made her way to the room upstairs, a handsome figure entered the room.

“His wife I suppose,” I murmured.

He lifted me up and stared at me the way I stared at the door for the past two years.

“How I wish we could stay together forever,” he sighed.

Leaving me behind, he made his way upstairs and found his lady shocked and terrified with tears. I knew what had happened. I couldn’t wait for him so long. They discovered my body which was still hanging from the ceiling fan.                                                                                                            

I have so much to tell him but it is too late by now. After all I’m just a photograph and my friend, a silent frame.

 

By Payal Dutta

PC: royalty free images from pexels

108 thoughts on “Late”

  26. Cute Twilight Zone type tale. I like the reveal at the end. Small suggestion; Maybe you could workshop the endings build up though, make what’s happening a little clearer to the reader? I never finish tinkering with my Tales. Cheers

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Payal Dutta Cancel reply