Second Coming

Between what is said,

And not meant,

And what is meant

Is not said,

All love is lost.

- Khalil Gibran

Akshara collected her tickets and boarding pass mindfully. One has to be a little extra careful on early morning flights. She was not a morning person, that made it more of a work. But she liked it these days. It kept her alert. Whenever she was not traveling she missed the hustle and bustle. The security check-in line was less busy than usual and it was a treat. Now she had enough time to grab a coffee and read before her flight was announced. She felt relaxed.

Standing in the que she checked the long list of possibilities in the first cup of coffee. This always amused her to no end. No matter how many varieties were listed she knew all she wanted was her latte, but each time the scanning of the names was a ritual she thoroughly enjoyed. The que was moving pretty slow. She looked ahead and noticed a very familiar shoulder slouch of the tall man who has just moved up the line. This could not be? Was he not somewhere across the world in London or some such place? Her heart was thumping so loudly that she thought it would burst. After all these years! Why oh why? She was not ready for this. She will never ever be ready for this. When was the last time she had looked into those deep brown eyes? Fifteen years ago or was it eighteen? The one fight she had regretted forever. Now she could not even remember. Her mind was all muddled. Sahil turned right at that moment and lifted his hand to wave at someone behind her but almost in a lightening flash their eyes met. 

Akshara was fixated in the gaze and rooted to the spot, as if she had grown roots. All the hustle-bustle and the ambient sounds faded away and they remained gaze-locked for unending seconds. The Barista at the counter said, "Sir, should I repeat the order"? People between them were getting restless. "In a moment", mumbled Sahil. A young boy of  10 or 11 ran past Akshara and ran to hug Sahil at the waist, Sahil was always tall, he was the tallest in their MBA class of 1997, but the boy's hug at his waist made him look even taller. 

Akshara felt her eyes moisten and then tears started rolling silently down her cheek. Sahil smiled ever so softly and his liquid eyes spoke volumes. " Daddy I want an Oreo smoothie", finally Sahil turned towards the counter and completed his order. Sahil's hands were trembling, his breath caught in his mouth and he just wished he could melt away. But this time he knew he had to break his silence. The dark dreary, December night when he had turned into stone with anger and did not have the conversation Akshara wanted, came flooding in like a movie flash back.  Varun was tugging at his  belt, "Daddy, are you all right?" Sahil looked at his adopted son and drew him closer, hugging him tight and whispered, "Never been better boy, never been better." He knew this was his second chance at life.