Random Thoughts- A short story

Neena curled up on her arm chair with the box. It's been long since she last went through its contents. There was dust residing on it now. It was one of her shoe boxes hidden away in the back of the wardrobe where no one would ever see it or imagine what would be in it.
She was alone at home. She had finished all her housework. Made sure all the clothes are washed, dried,ironed and arranged, just like how Neil liked it. Random thoughts, she called it, enveloped her mind which made her go back in time.

She removed the cover over the box. Everything inside was neatly arranged. She had done so each time after she was done reminiscing. There they were, pulling her into the past...for the last time.

Photographs which kept his face in her mind intact,Letters; some which made her smile and others which made her heart swell and caused a stream down her cheeks. There was a small teddy bear keychain, which he had won for her, shooting moving ducks at the summer fun fair.But her favourite was the pendent. The one which is a heart shaped and cracks in the middle and both the parties can keep each of it. She had the one which said "LO.." and he had kept the "..VE".

She thought of all the good times they had. She thought of all the petty fights they had too and smiled about them. But the truth also remained that he wasn't in her life now. It's been 3 years now,she thought, since we last saw each other.

It had been 2 days before she would be Mrs Bannerjee. He asked her to meet him at the same place they had first met. She left the home saying, she still needed some alterations on her sari blouse. Her cousins teased her that she used that as an excuse to probably meet Neil. Neena managed to smile. She couldn't help but feel fear,anxiety,excitement and confusion. She had to meet him one last time, she thought. She had already prepared herself to give Neil a chance to make her believe in love again. Till then, she had to go meet the man who introduced her to love altogether.

They met at the train station. The same place where they met for the first time 2 years ago where he walked up to her and inquired about the trains and their destinations. He was new to Bombay, he had said. Neena helped him and found out that he was on the same destination as hers. From then on, Neena waited for her new friend who was alien to her city to make him feel comfortable by travelling together. He later told her ,in due course of their relationship, that he had never set foot out of Bombay ever and his father was the station master and had spent most of his childhood at the stations and couldn't come up with a better excuse to talk to her. Neena had just blushed and was glad that he did so. In a month, they were inseperable and found love.

It had been a brief meeting at the chai stall, their rendezvous. All kinds of emotions were overwelhming that day.He had asked her to come away with him. She told him that she had to stay. He pleaded for a another chance. She smiled and said it was too late. After a defeated conversation, he had dropped her to her car where they had embraced in their last passionate kiss. They parted..with tears in their eyes and heavy hearts. No more questions were asked. No more answers were seeked.

Neena drove home in silence. She left her past behind but carried her memories along. This was the end of a chapter and two days later, she opened a new one.

But it was time to move on now. Neil had been nothing but patient with Neena. Neil had found her very secluded in the beginning but gave her time to adapt to the new place and was cooperative in every way. She slowly and willingly gave in to her present, and gradually fell in love...again. She could finally let go of the box. She wondered where he would be now? Did he get married? Was he happy? Did he still think of her the way she did? All these questions didn't matter now, she thought.

Neil had gone to Bangalore for work and was returning in an hour. Today, she was about to enter another chapter. She wasn't sure what was happening when she felt like sleeping all day,when she thought the food was smelling bad, when she found a new grown liking towards pickle. The doctor gave her the reports earlier that morning. She felt fear,anxiety,excitement and confusion. A collection of emotions ,she wasn't new to. This time, these emotions were all for the right reason.

Neena wanted to surprise Neil. She had planned to place the report in the drawer where he would normally come home and place his wallet and watch in. She already cooked his favourite dinner, cleaned and dressed up a bit for him. She still fit in her favourite dress..After all, it had been just 10 weeks. Still another month before it would start to show. She was watching the news when she had decided to get rid of her old memories. It was time to make new ones.

She finished going through the contents one last time. She stood up to dispose the box of the past. That's when she heard the "Breaking news".
" The flight AI706 Air India from Banglore to Mumbai disintergrated in mid-air, off the coast of Mumbai, killing all 326 passengers on board. The flight was only 30 minutes from the Mumbai Domestic Airport. Officials said that they don't know the cause of the crash but........."

There she stood...staring at the TV...numb and cold...with no thoughts in her mins...staring with her past in her hand and her present gone.