Happy Anniversary !!!

Kris came home from work. Yet another hectic day at office was over. He threw his bag in the corner and just crashed on the bed. He looked at the digital clock hanging on the opposite wall. It displayed 9th Dec 2011 - 7pm. He closed his eyes.
"Its been an year", he thought as a drop of tear escaped through the corner of his eyes.

=======

"Hi Kris, Where have you reached?", an excited Jia asked holding her cellphone close to her ears. "Just 15min more. Will be home soon.", Kris replied.
"Ok baby. I am at grandma's place. Will also reach there in 15min. Come sooooooon. I will be waiting. Bye.", Jia said dropping the call.

It had been more than 3 years since Kris and Jia had been married. They had their intial couple fights, some out of jealousy, some out of thoughts-mismatches etc, but everytime they fought, one of them always made sure that the fight ended within a few hours. Relationships are like a rubberband. When its pulled from each end, its bound to break. One person always has to let go, loosen the hold for the rubberband to stay intact. And this is what Kris and Jia followed.

Kris reached home. Jia had not reached home yet. Today was something special. Today was there marriage anniversary. He carefully removed the box from his bag and placed it on top of the cupboard. The door bell rang. Kris opened the door and saw Jia enter closing the door behind her. Next moment, they were hugging each other tightly with Kris lifting Jia in the air.

"Happy Anniversary baby.", Jia said stealing a gentle peck on the lips.
"Happy Anniversary to you too.", Kris said hugging her even more tightly. After a nice long hug for a couple of minutes and changing into more comfortable clothes,

"Listen...I got to tell u something", Kris said sounding very serious.
"What happened baby? What is it?", Jia replied worried.
"Why dont you sit on the sofa?", Kris said putting his hand on her lowerback and gently moving her towards the sofa.
"Tell me baby, What happened?", Jia said getting even more worried now.
Kris made her comfortable on the sofa and sat on the ground near her legs.
"There is this woman....", he started slowly avoiding eye contact by putting his head down.
Jia's heart had started thumping faster and louder.
"Wat is it Kris? Tell me. You are scaring me now.", Jia said trying to get his attention.
"There is this woman I am falling in love with. She is so wonderful. She makes me feel so happy all the time. She makes me feel so alive. I just could not stop myself from falling for her. She is so charming. Her laughter makes me want to kiss her everytime.", Kris replied in one breath.

Jia was stunned at what she was hearing. It had been three years and not once had she even got a sniff of something about all this. How could her Kris do this to her? How could he cheat on her? Why? So many thoughts running through her head. Mixed emotions. Anger, Sadness, Her heart was shrinking with the pain, Tears were going to burst out anytime from her eyes. Today was their anniversary. Why did Kris had to choose this particular day to tell her? Her head was getting flooded with so many thoughts leaving her speechless. She just kept gazing as Kris spoke.

"Hold on a sec", Kris said walking towards the cupboard. He removed the box. Removed the content and handed it to her.
"Here. This is that woman.", Kris said looking at her.
Jia looked at what she was holding. It was a beautiful mirror held inside a wooden border with the names Kris and Jia carved on each side.
"Isnt she hot ?", Kris said winking. She heaved a sigh of relief, smiled and started hitting Kris who was on the floor laughing away. Jia sat on him as he lay on the ground and kissed him fiercly, then gently biting his lips.
"Aau..Ow..", Kris screamed gently.
"Hehe....I love you", Jia said looking in his eyes.
"I love you more", Kris replied hugging her as she slept on him.
"I got something else for you baby", Kris said breaking their five minutes of sleep.
"What is it? Dont you dare fool me again", Jia replied giving him a fake angry look.
"Haha...no..get off me, sit down and turn around.", Kris said.
He then removed a black satin cloth, and tied it around her eyes from behind.
"What are you doing", Jia replied excited. "SShhhhh.......Just be quiet",Kris whispered in her ears.
He then removed a small box from his pocket and removed a diamond necklace. He sat behind her, slowly moved her hair away to expose her bare neck, put the necklace around it and kissed her hair. He then quickly removed the satin cloth from her eyes. Jia was extremely happy. She took the newly gifted mirror and looked at the necklace.
"WOWWW", she said and turned back to hug Kris.
"I love you soooo much Kris", she said looking at him with extreme love in her eyes.
Kris smiled and said, "Promise me, you will never leave me".
"I am yours baby. Always yours.", Jia replied.

===========

Kris opened his eyes to hear the phone ring. He looked at the time. It was 9pm. He had dozed off for couple of hours.

"Hello", Kris said.
"Hey buddy, what ya doing?". It was Raj, his office colleague on the other line.
"To be honest....i was sleeping!", Kris replied.
"Oh.. Hey...I am throwing this party tonight. Want to join for a drink?", Raj said.
Kris thought for a moment and replied," Uhhh .. Not today Raj, not feeling too good".
"Oh ok...no probs buddy... catchya tomo at work.", said Raj cutting the call.

Kris sat there on the bed just staring at the empty space. He was feeling hungry but somehow had no mood to eat. He got up from his bed and went to wash his face. Drank a glass of water and then switched on the TV.

The TV series LOST was going on.
He heard the exchange of dialgoues.

"just because two people...love each other...dosent mean they are meant to be together."
"Why are you doing this?"
"If i never meet u.......then i will never have to loose u."

Kris changed the channel.
Some romantic movie was going on.

"Don’t you love me?”
“More than yesterday and less than tomorrow".

He switched off the TV and went to have a smoke in the balcony.
He remembered telling to his friend one day who had asked him,"why do u smoke buddy?".
"Well...cigarette...helps me to avoid loneliness ...i think ..someone is burning like me too....", he had replied with a wink.

As he lit the cigarette, he heard a lady scream,
"Jia.....Jia beti come here."
It was some random mother shouting at her baby daughter in the garden below.
He looked up at the sky and smiled smurkishly nodding his head sideways.


Why was life being so cruel to him? The more he tried to get over Jia and her memories, somehow or the other fate or destiny or whatever it is that defines our lives kept reminding him all the more. What had happened just now was not the only instant. He was having such small "encounters" or sightings or some bloody damn thing which kept bringing her memories back again and again for the whole year now.
It was as if someone, so called God had stabbed him, killed him and was stabbing him again and again just for the fun of it.

He lit another cigarette and just stood looking at the night sky. His mind was trying to force him to think about nothing, but his heart always did the opposite.

Jia had left him. Somehow things had not worked out between them as a couple. Then why was he still thinking about her. He knew was that even though he could somehow manage to "exist without her, he could never really "live". He would still like to see her again, to say what he never had said when they were together. To hold her hand and tell her that he loved her very much, more than himself, more than anything or anyone else in this world and he was ready to do anything to make it work. At times, he hoped that one day Jia would just show up at his door and hug him again and never leave him again.

He remembered reading a book - The Zahir, where it was mentioned that each individual in this world has that one person who is made for him/her, that one soul-mate, that Zahir. Kris had understood that no matter what he did to keep himself from not thinking about Jia, no matter how distracted he kept his mind, his Zahir always won, it was always there, making him think, “I wish she was here with me.” His Zahir was Jia.

He knew he had made some mistakes and may make even more, but it was Jia and only Jia he adored. Funny as it may sound, though Jia was so far away from him, she was getting more closer to his heart each passing day. And this was never going to change.
He was going to love her forever.

Kris threw the cigarette bud away.
Went inside his room, lifted the frame holding Jia's pic from his table.
"Happy Anniversary baby!", he said kissing the forehead.

He picked up his cell, called Raj.
"Hey buddy, change of plans. So....Where is your party?", Kris said forcing a smile.