The Letter
I left her there on the park bench, lost in thought, and walked away. We had decided to end everything. Or rather, if I’m honest, I had decided to end the whole thing. To be frank, I was surprised that she was so quiet. Perhaps, it was the quiet before the storm or perhaps she realized the futility of making a scene. I walked a little way ahead and looked back. She was still lost in thought, holding my letter like a poisoned fruit. Her eyes stared into the distance full of that faraway look, which I used to love so much. Her head bent a little to the side as if some heavy thoughts were weighing it down. I used to spend hours looking into those dark eyes.
I tried to imagine what she was thinking. Was she thinking of how utterly heartless I was? Was she thinking of the intense time we had? Or was she thinking of the way ahead? I wondered whether I could say something more to her. Make her break the silence. But it would be a waste. I had explained everything that was possible in the letter. And I had a feeling that she would ignore me even if I did try to say something. I knew her look very well. Hell, we were like open books to each other! We understood each other perfectly.
It was very curious the way we met. A year back, I was very lonely and decided to meet some people…well…women online. Believe me that was a very big decision for me. I had never believed (and still do not believe) in the sincerity of virtual lives. It was just a phase I was going through then. I do not think I’ll do something like that ever again. So, one fine day, I went to one of the websites catering to my city and mailed women who matched my likes and dislikes. She was the only interesting person who replied. All the others were somehow either too reductionist or factual to be interesting. It started from there. Slowly, we started discovering things about each other. And one memorable day we found, to our intense surprise, that we were exactly what we had been looking for all our lives. That changed things and also signaled the start of a very intense relationship. A relationship which even I thought would be for life.
However, good things are never meant to last. Otherwise, the goddess of fate would be out of work. When did the cracks first showing up? Why did the disaffection set in? How did we reach this stage? What made the perfect intimacy we shared evaporate so fast? Questions…questions for which I’ve no answers. Perhaps life will provide them later. Or maybe not. Hindsight doesn’t hold any importance when the threads connecting us have been burnt. There was no going back. We both knew that it would bring only pain and sad anger.
That was why the letter held so much importance. I hoped she would understand what it meant; the symbolism and the intent. It was totally blank, a pristine white paper empty of words. I walked away in the direction of the park gate in the distance ahead. The slow evening breeze gently cleared my thoughts.
November 27th, 2006 | Quote
zoner: Again, you give tantalizing hints of knowing me from the previous incarnation of this blog! Do I know you?
The simple reason for posting it now is that I had nothing new to post so raided my archives. Thank you, you are generous to a fault to offer such unstinting praise for so worthless a piece! I do like the ending myself but since this is the first short story (in a manner of speaking) that I ever wrote there are a million faults. So it is not worthy of such wonderful words in all honesty imho!
It has been years since I wrote this so I do not remember now when exactly the idea to keep the letter blank came to me, before starting or while writing. However, if I keep in mind my usual writing style where ideas generate themselves as I write I’d say this piece developed itself as I wrote. Hope that answers your question. And thank you once again for all your detailed comments. It is a delight to read through them! Hope to keep hearing more from you.
November 20th, 2006 | Quote
this was from long ago right? before the obituary.. ;-)
why have u put it up under such a recent date? u know when i had first read this.. (i think i can safely say years back!!!) i was intrigued as to how u wud end it.. because i knew u wud either make her play something as her own “final” card and bring the whole scene u build up about him to crash! or else u wud really have to stand up to ur promise of a devastating letter and describe it such that wud be able to overtake and outdo the whole pain of the words u use in ur scene. but i hand it u! u surpassed both my calculations.. that u did use the letter itself as a final card that brings the scene to a crash and outdoes the heightened pain u reach towards the end.. with the promise of ur words held intact.. by revealing NO words at all! it was done with superlative mastery and i do know using those words besides each other is redundant but i cant help it!! i just like to gauge how u must have built the scene in ur head the first time.. if u had the end first n then built the scene.. or u built the scene and realised it cud have just this end! if she cud understand his letter the break up wud be worth it! a break among equals!
November 11th, 2006 | Quote
What can I say to such lovely words? Thank you yvaine. Your words mean a lot to me.
November 9th, 2006 | Quote
You write so beautifully still. I missed visits to blogs, and yours was one of the first I visited. This is a breathtaking scene; I an imagine it in a film!
November 2nd, 2006 | Quote
Gulnaz, thats very sweet of you to be so concerned but don’t worry this is not real. This is fiction. I don’t think I’d ever give a blank letter if I was breaking up with someone!
November 1st, 2006 | Quote
i hope you don’t mind but that was damn cruel, damn damn cruel!!!
….feeling bad for you….feeling bad for her….and can’t understand why you guys broke up, if everything was perfect???