Now the old man had stopped feeling the ache in his back and the neck…. Even he felt the strength coming up in his limbs to climb the stairs to reach the garden, instead of taking the slow gradient road…. But yeah his heart pumped faster… nah.. not because of the exhaustion, but …hhmmmm….. but, because of excitement. A naughty smile danced on the lips at the thought of excitement and the eyes had a spark as he could figure out the lady coming from the other end.

His hand automatically went to set his hair, though only a few were left on his head and he headed in her direction. As he trotted towards her, no I am NOT saying limped to wards her, he trotted towards her, his voice shaked a bit with excitement and anticipation as for the last seven consecutive days he asked the same question “What’s the time” and she always answered, “ Time has stopped in my watch.” And each day the smile became more wider and tone more congenial.

The old man always wondered where had he seen her, always at the back of his mind a thought of having seen her in his earlier life haunted…. He would shake his head and close his eyes to find her in his fantasies…. Stretching his eyes and keeping the folded news-paper on his face, he would straighten his body on the wooden bench….. And gliding into his memory lanes, he found him-self young and energetic, he would see her wrinkle free and beautiful.

Today the old man decided to go after her and so instead 9 am, he reached the garden a little early and sat behind the shrubs, waited for her and held his hand over his heart as he feared the excited heart would create noise loud enough to divulge his presence…. He could feel the rush of adrenalin in his veins as he heard her foot-steps and saw her coming from the lane ….. She paused a little, turning her head to sides, her eyes widened and then searched for him… old man smiled at her eagerness to find him… How satiated he felt to know that she too waited for him daily at the point where they crossed each other….

After a pause of few moments she continued her walk out of the lane towards the road that unwound on the hill to bring the walkers down to the vast meadows where the sub-urban area started. The old man chased her, his heart praying that she must not turn her head to find him following her…..

The old man stooped to tie his shoe laces and as he turned up, she had disappeared from the road …… Old man blinked his eyes and rubbed them , but the reality was that she was not there…. He moved a few steps further, and a few more hoping if he could see her walking on the turn of the road…. NO.. she was not there…… He could feel the gaze of eyes at the back of his head….. his sixth sense informed him she was there, near, somewhere….  A giggle he heard... but could not rely on his ears......... and then another small giggle confirmed that it was not a fake illusion of his ears, rather the giggle was real……

“You thought only you knew the game of hide and seek….” She said with a naughty smile  playing over her sweet lips.

“Ah.. I was just seeing the greenery of the valley…” the old man justified.

“Hmm.. greenery….. I see” she smiled and let out a sigh as she tried to get up from the place she was hiding, the old man offered his hand …… she accepted  his hand with a little hesitation…

The old man felt the same sensation as he felt when he had kissed the hand of his girl friend for the first time….

“So you decided to follow me today” she said

“Nah.. no… why should I … I just wished to see where this road leads to….” The old man said.

Their eyes met and smile followed the path , hands warmed a bit more and the chilly wind seemed to be a soft breeze to them, the comfy cozy companionship made them happy, giving them the freedom from the mundane life they had been spending since long…… All the pains and pangs they had seemed to float away…..

They did not even know that they had reached the end of the road and had started towards the spring road, which took them away from the living streets….. following the path they entered the meadows and reached the lake….. a place of supreme tranquility and calmness…. Her laughter, her smiles and her lively chat made him shower all his love and affection over her…. He lost count of time, neither did he care how he would tread back to the streets where he lived, nor he had any worries of his house and  his belongings….. he sat at the smaller rock while she sat at the higher one…..

His head rested in her lap while she caressed his head while he held her other hand…..

“At last I have you….” He uttered .

“Am I real….” She asked

“Does it matter….” He replied.

“Oh hell, see here, he is lying….. ah.. what a place he chose to die….” The young man said while others gathered around him and dragged the old man’s body to the path way.

None of them noticed the small perfumed handkerchief the old man held in his palm….

None of them noticed the smile and satisfaction he had on his face…..

None of them had ever felt the eternal presence of the lady with the old man, neither they could understand why the rocks have a shape that resembles the figure of an old man sitting with his head in lady’s lap….…. the local guide says its mystery, I know its not… its all nature’s salute for old man and his fantasies….