Manuscript found in the relic of a memory

“Today, when I stand here,  alone, on the shores of her thoughts, memories and letters, the echoes of her words tear apart my eardrum, for I shall not hear anything here after,” his lips parted with a sigh.

What’s wrong with him? I tried myriads of time to help him to escape from the clutches of her thoughts and memories. To be sincere, we both failed pathetically! I have never seen anyone loving someone like that. I know it’s quite demanding for comprehension. However, we can’t define love in any of the available measures of definition.

“I never tried to win her heart ‘cause love is not a means to anything. She said my love for her was a fantasy that I weaved around in the chambers of my memories. The years of suffering, agony and pain became a fairy tale in a fraction of second! Let me laugh at myself. Anand, once you laughed at me and I chased her through the mist.” Yeah, he’s right. Once I laughed at him, and now, I feel pity or sorry or helplessness or what… what should I feel for him, a trivial soul? No, no! Did I say a trivial soul? No, he’s not trivial at all ‘cause he’s not trivial. I’m sorry about that.

I wanted to know what was in the letter. Since, theoretically, thoughts and language can create the thing called reality out of nothing, I was afraid of his obsession with the phantasms of her thoughts. I asked him to read out the letter. As he passed them by, parting the next, each letter evaporated into the thick air. They transformed into clouds and that rained like never. However, we both didn’t see the tears parting from our eyes.

“She couldn't give ‘me’ her heart. She already gave it away, to her one ‘true love’. Well…, true love. True love! True love? Is she laughing at me? Well, I never meant to question her love for the ‘true one’. Did that declare mine as fake? Anand, I’ll never ever thwart her love for her ‘true one’. If I ever do that, that will make me a fake one. I am not possessive. And she’s right, Life is full of uncertainties, you never know who you'll fall in love with, who will capture your heart. And that’s what I suffer now! I never wanted to be a villain of classic romantics.” Well, I have no answers for him. “if, however, her feelings have changed, I would have to tell her,  she has bewitched me, body and soul, and I love.. I love.. I love her.” I do believe so.

***

“I am happy today, much happier than ever ‘cause she found or realized ‘his’ true love for her. I want her to be happy. After all, what is love other than happiness you feel as long as the one you love is happy, isn’t it dear Anand? Above all, she is too generous to trifle with me. I respect her like I respect myself. And she’s with her ‘true love.’ May the purity of my soul shall be showered on her ‘true love’ and let it touch the heavens.” Well, well, well… so that’s it! Of, course there is no point in making someone, who is love with ‘true love’ to love someone who has not shown yet.

“Anand, carve it down in your heart deep inside, let it bleed. I didn't love her to ruin me and I don't want to be a tragic hero of some untold poetic tragedy. I am the Victorious hero of my life. My life is wonderful and most beautiful. Look at me Anand, One day, before I die, I’ll meet her not in the form of apparitions of thoughts or memories or letters, but in the real self and soul with the same or more intensity of love for her. Her love for her ‘true one’ never extinguishes my love for her. I’ll love her, no matter what happens.  I’ll meet her and repeat how ardently I admire and love her. Who knows what’s next! I would love her to love her ‘true one’, “promise for a lifetime” as she said ‘cause it adds more power to the intense flame of my love.” A flight of phoenix appeared before us when he was about to join me. “Look Anand! A fight of Phoenix,” he said with a sigh of Hope.

***

Before he could join me, I let him stay there for a while there. I wanted tell him the story of Florentino and Darcy.

***

And, I am the ghost of his thoughts, memories, reality, existence. I am his OTHER!

***

And here, like Florentino said, “Please allow me to wipe the slate clean. Age has no reality except in the physical world. The essence of a human being is resistant to the passage of time. Our inner lives are eternal, which is to say that our spirits remain as youthful and vigorous as when we were in full bloom. Think of love as a state of grace, not the means to anything, but the alpha and omega. An end in itself.”