Silence

It was a silent evening, but dusty; the feelings, moreover imagination. Boredom had befallen, silent but full of sounds.

I gave a buzz," Have time?" " Not sold, neither mortgaged" , an answer. " If could, could sell?", a sound of silence. " Then ", another exchange," talk over tea."

"Agreed."

The same corner, behind the door. Never felt isolated, though separated as the life is.

He talks well. I like his comments rather bitter remarks in a friendly tone. I assure you, he never lets you down. He stands with you, too. Thus, I feel interested in him.

You know, as usual, we shook our hands in a gentle tone, charmless but beaming smile, probably of our meeting, a simple but rare.

I ordered tea, what next then. " Milk tea, two." True to my heart, frankly speaking, I really feel good and often fond of asking for a cancer pipe.

The tea shop owner was old but similar in one case- he had brown beard , some of them milky white which were away from the mehendi as he put. Nearly I forgot to tell that he has more interesting eyes as opposed to mine dull ones. They brightly enjoy the fiction which cordially dances beneath them in the form of smoke; a thick and dense. They can neither ignore.

" There you are." He muttered, putting an astray by the side and a matchbox nearby my hand. Soon we conversed.

As the first puff went in, I felt relief of being away from the dusty dusk. An illusion. " Whats up?" I said, "Nothing." And, " Yours?" " Don't ask me such! Ask me what's down."

A smile exchanged. " Then ?" " Everything to say but you know each", he continued. At the moment, I had my eyes fixed on his new watch, but rarely to his mobile where he was reading his girlfriend's messages.

"Really, nothing goes, yar. The only thing is that I never give up and have no fear of losing the nasty battle of absurd life. Time whether favourable or not, I am, let alone in a fix, determined to endeavour the painstaking challenges. I dare cope up with 'em."

" Sure, my friend. Time is such which is there, never here. It is escapist. I appreciate you."

Tea on table, just now served. The owner beamed whether he thought of the two cups of tea and a cigarette or of his own pranks, god knows.

I do not tell you lies. The cigarette was only the witness which was dying each moment like a sick in a death bed, really dying by its own funeral pyre.

He was prompt in digression. As he swallowed the third sip of the tea, he asked me if I had loved her. Smoking at the time of sipping tea really makes me serious, not as much Devkota.

A dark face of her appeared in my mind consistently. " Yes!" " Why don't you propose her on this Valentine's Day?" he hit on the head.

" I dare not" mine reply.

He caught me on my throat," A coward never loves but dies."

Shocked much.

" Interestingly she wins me. A blonde hair, Shakira like face, attractive appearance, bold presentation and sexy look. I am a man of not remarkable quality. How shall I win her except than this imagination."

" You step ahead. Its better."

" I can propose her to work together, struggle together, let alone death."

He smiled a little bit. " God bless you!"

" Should I go?"

" Haven't you seen green signal?" Baffled I was as he answered me back. It was the dim aisle of an absurd life filled up with colorless light. I thought how could there be green light.

Then the tea on the cup was about to over. I mulled over a few seconds since I wanted a continuous rapport with him. Decided to order next two cups of tea. After his nodding I asked for them. Bonus was the cancer pipe, no doubt.

" I love her" I said. " She looks beautiful. You know she is the best example of a girl - beauty with brain" I further claimed.

"Surely,yes," he added to me.

" Keep going," he said." I have my brakes defunct," I giggled. He didn't miss to giggle with me. A large puff of smoke danced in tune with the giggling note of our rhythm.

I think I need to mention the tea shop owner, don't I?

No,no. I don't like him except his milky white mixed brown beard. " Sometimes I feel I would propose her, if I were you," he disturbed our laugh, putting a serious remark. I knew that his remark was a provocation. Yes, I needed a good provocation. By the way, he was not like agony aunt, Love Guru Rekha Thapa. Neither was our weekly meeting.

" I have given her two souvenirs. Both of them are books. So, I gave 'em. She is fond of reading novels, especially the fantastic bestsellers. Especially Hosseni. " Yupe," he muttered.

How could I forget the cigarette, a solemn friend. A shameless puff tossed my eyes and passed away dancing.

" Man," I put my tea cup on the table and said," But, but...."" Tea is no more hot," hehehehehe, he said.

" How do I dare, yar?" said me , " Before I tell, I go nervous and about to fall down, feel as if paralyzed and almost numbing."

" Be a man," he said. " Don't have....?" You know I censor it. " Surely my friend, I do have but what to do with that if it doesn't work well," I added."Wind up your courage,feel as if you are the only person in the world to have her and moreover let her know know that you care and love her more," he summed up. " I will see," I said.

It was already the dusk,

So, we left the table. After that I lost all my courage and started loving her silently more silently than the tickling breeze of the spring so that she becomes a phantom for me, ever and ever.