The Album

The final part of the series is here. You can find the previous parts Here!!

"Happy anniversary, love", he said smiling gently and placed a light kiss on her cheeks.

Her face was pale and wrinkled, but the joy glistened in her eyes when she replied "Happy anniversary to you too." With a hope-filled face she asked, "Did the kids call?"

He shook his head in despair. "Lets not worry about them. Look what I found", pulling out an old album from behind, he showed it to her. "Remember this? Back when these were in fashion."

"How could I ever forget this or anything related to this?" and her face lit-up. Both sat there turning the pages of the album, re-living the days.

The album had been Olive's gift to him on their first month anniversary. It was a symbol of her love for him and the means of getting back the old Nik she had lost when she asked for the 21 days of break. The theory had worked partly. The 21 day break from talking had extended for well over 2 years. Neither of them spoke over call or even met when Nik had come back to India after a 1 year of work, except for the occasional message over some social media channel for a birthday or some festival. Their huge egos had created a barrier which either of them did not dare to break. The talking had stopped but the feelings were still there.

Nik in his sorrow had taken to living a lonely life. He cutoff ties with friends, work colleagues and barely spoke to his own family. He went from bed to office and office to bed for his year of stay in UK and the same continued when he came back to India. People took him for being extensively workaholic or money driven and overlooked the depressed state that he had been in.

As for Olive, her newly started relation with Rahul did not last for more than 15 days. And after that it was an onslaught of boyfriends in her life. Every month or two, she'd date a new guy and before things could get any serious she would breakup and move to the next one. She could not connect with anyone the way she'd connect with Nik.

This life of lonesome for Nik and relation-breakup cycle for Olive went almost 2 years until the day when Nik's parents landed up at Olive's place with a marriage proposal when both had been out for work. Both the families knew that Nik and Olive had been friends from college days, but none of them knew or even suspected the things that were going on between their kids. Olive had successfully managed to hide her many relations at home and Nik had masked his loneliness with a smile. The families were happy at their arrangement of marriage and informed their plans to Nik and Olive the same evening. The sea of emotions that both of them had managed to keep dormant in their own ways had become a tsunami on hearing the news. They had parted ways 2 years back and now destiny was binding them back together.

What was happening!, Nik wondered. After all these years of separation how could they get back and that too forever. Even if he did not want to be back with her, how could he justify his decisions to his parents. A similar trail of emotions was running through Olive in her home. I think Nik will never accept this proposal and I will not have to justify anything. I will say yes and let Nik do the rejection. Nik was also hoping for the same from Olive and both affirmed to their parents request.

The next day, when each of them heard the others reply they were shocked. Does Olive still love me? Oh Nik, why did you drift away, if you had liked me. We need to talk. The contacts which had been on their speed dial list were now being searched for, the long lost numbers were dialled and then the sweet voice of the lady - The number you are trying to reach is busy, please try again later - once, twice and then finally the screen on Olive's phone ringing with Nik's photo on the screen. "Hello" "Hello" from both the sides and then a long silence, tears wailing down both their eyes, each of their voices heard like the music of a lost bird.

Finally Nik spoke up, "Olive lets meet."

"At college gate. ASAP" cam the reply.

Moments later both were at the college gate hugging each other with tears of joy rolling down. The river of words that had been held back by the dam of ego was set free. Everything that had been held back from 2 years was being narrated till they realised that it was night and their families were awaiting.

A week later they were engaged, a month later married and life was on track for Olive, but Nik was taking his time to come out of his lone shell. After marriage, Olive celebrated every week anniversary for Nik and finally came up with the album - the album of every moment they had been together. After a months of efforts, the old talkative Nik was back.

In the past 45 years a lot had happened - they honeymooned, they had two pretty daughters who were busy ignoring them, they fought to the verge of almost having a divorce, honeymooned to moon after giving marriage a second chance, started and lost couple of businesses and finally settled in an old age home looking back at the old album in this era of virtual reality.

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