Pinkest of Life 😁

It was a humid July afternoon. As soon as Aditi came out of the taxi, she felt as if someone was boiling her to a broth. Nothing was great about this day. Her car won't start and she received split milk. 

After standing by the road for half an hour facing rejections from several autos and taxis, she reached her destination twelve minutes late. Throughout her life there had only been few instances where she hadn't beaten the clock and this is the prime reason for her extremely successful career as a former journalist with a professional life of forty-six years.

There's one more reason she believed was the reason for her success and that is undivided, singular attention towards work in the absence of any sort of romantic endeavor. And here she stands in front of an orthopedic clinic unmarried with a bank full of money, depression, an empty dinner table to return to and of course arthritis.

How thoughtful is the destination clinical chamber directed at the old people, a room on the third floor. To put a cherry on top, the lift was out of service. Struggling with her swollen joints, she was somehow carrying her frame to the third floor. On the last flight of stairs, a hand was extended towards her to help her out. She looked at the person and he was an old man like her, stretching his lips in a toothless smile. His already wrinkled face made a few more smiling curves.

All her life, Aditi she has done things alone, she's not very accustomed to receiving help. Rather she gets a little irritated. Politely refusing any help, she led her way alone. There was a tiny gathering of old folks all complaining about gout and arthritis and the long flight of stairs along with several other maladies of old-age.

Among this crowd Aditi tried to think she isn't that old to be complaining a few stairs. Right from her childhood, she was very confident in her field. After coming second in standard four, the first position always remained reserved for her. Being an incorrigible perfectionist, none but she found problems with her work. She dedicated her life to her profession journalism. It's not a kind of work that lets you sit comfortably in an office but the one that snatches away all comforts. Now during her late sixties when a visit to a doctor is a struggle, journalism stayed far behind.

Today she was curious about the toothless old man who extended an arm, Richard Gonzalez. She has met him a few times earlier here. He comes to the clinic with some similar problems. He stood by the stairs and was helping other old people. After her regular appointment, she sat down on a chair for some time. She needed to restore some energy before going down the stairs.

Also she wasn't very thrilled to return to the hollow house. This gave her some time to look around. It isn't that crowded as usual. The broken lift must have discouraged many. This Richard seemed to be too happy for a man of his age. Kind of a chatterbox too. He was bragging how both of his sons have settled abroad and are married and his third son is in college. He is a former school teacher. Aditi was somehow jealous of him.

Every evening, Aditi goes to the graveyard. Not because she's old and closer to death than life but because of a long habit. The quiet, peaceful walks provided tranquility and strength to make a standing in a hectic professional world which was at her time mostly male-dominated. It kept her sane. Now it just reminds how lonely she is. She was walking past the marbled epitaphs and found a man sitting in front of one.

This sight isn't new to her. But this man is familiar. He is the same Richard Gonzalez. He was wearing a black suit with an old-fashioned bow tied neatly and a small floral lapel pin. He had a huge bouquet of carnations that he put on the grave. Aditi couldn't believe she could think a deceased person is in a better place than her. None would ever approach her with a bouquet of carnations.

Aditi watched him for a long time sitting on a bench. As the sun started to go down, Richard was ready to go back. But he didn't. He noticed Aditi and sat beside her. This embarrassed Aditi a little and she didn't want to linger any longer but couldn't ignore him as that would have been rude.

She asked him why he was there. With a twinkle in his eyes, he said the tomb is of Rosa Gonzalez, his wife. She closed her eyes six years back. The carnations were her favorite flower from her garden. He came to meet and enjoy their anniversary. This was confusing for Aditi. She wanted to know more. And a sweet current of conversation started.

At one point Richard asked, " What do you think of love?"

Confused, Aditi replied, "Well, I don't know. I have never dated anyone nor was I ever married. I go to my home without thinking of anyone and have dinner alone."

Richard," I know this is sudden and absurd and not something that suits our age. But I have a confession to make. I have been noticing you for some time in the clinic now. Do you think it's a good idea to ask you out?"

Aditi was caught off-guard by this sudden change of unimaginable events. She was flushed and taken aback. It's been years that she faced such a situation. And this is the time when it wasn't expected at all. She has been asked out multiple times but those were when she was much younger. She had turned down everyone to go on prospering. This time was no different.

Aditi said, "I understand your feelings but it's not the best idea to ask out someone on your anniversary. Besides look at our age, it's not the time… the time has passed long ago. I am sorry"

Richard walked her down the road and both separated ways.

That night Aditi couldn't sleep. She tried to console herself by saying she was a confident independent woman who didn't rely on any man for her happiness. But she knows that's not true. There have been days when the food remained untouched and she went to bed for a long sleepless and dreamless night. She has been shoving down antidepressants to keep the will of life going. She often seeks warmth from a human hug only to hold close her cold pillow. She had forced out love always.

This darkness of her life could have been pinkened only if she wished. Life had given her another chance before performing its last actions. Now when she thinks of him, Richard seems a decent man. She remembers how the bow shone against the black suit. How affecting seeped out of those wrinkled hands. Suddenly nothing seemed as charming as the toothless smile and a few scattered white hair on his head. How those eyes shone brightly from under the spectacles. Is it possible that she was in denial this long? How much she wished to hold that extended arm and say a yes. She regretted not doing this earlier. At last, she realized it's never too late. She might be sixty-seven but that brought a second chance too.

Next day at the first light, she rushed to the clinic. With a lot of persuasion, she collected Richard's address from the reception and rushed to his home with a thumping heart. It's her first time to ask someone out. She didn't know if she was doing right. All she knew that she was always done right and yet the consequences were not desirable. So doing the wrong for once won't hurt more than it already does.

Today she has worn a pink saree. She wears it for special occasions and it has been a long time since anything specific happened. Also, a pair of earrings adorned the beautiful face. A Titan watch sat gracefully on her crisscrossed fragile and thin wrist. She saw herself in the rear-view mirror of the car a few times. And at last, she reached Richard's house. With a lot of anticipation and fear of rejection she reached his door. Only to find a big lock hanging there. She heard her heart fall and shatter. At this age she wasn't sure if it was a cardiac arrest or the metaphorical heart break. She was about to leave cursing her life choices when a neighbor informed her that Mr. Gonzalez is in a hospital for a hike in blood pressure. Without wasting any time further, she rushed to the hospital. There's a silver lining to her life.

Aditi entered Richard's cabin. He was laying comfortably on his bed. As she came closer to him, a different childlike brightness spread over his face. That toothless smile looked even funnier when a man of his age cried. Aditi's eyes moistened as well. She came and sat beside him and held his hand. There was not much talking but what happened next goes without saying. Of course they didn't get to grow old together, but the experience was no less than growing old complaining about arthritis and looking down upon the new generation.