Colors unfurl itself

Once upon a time, in a well-decorated house lived a beautifully dressed girl admiring the reflection in the mirror and wondering how magical everything around her is. Suddenly, there was a loud noise on the door; the door was pushed hard such that the wall was left with scratches. The noise shook her and left her gasping for breath. It took her a while to regain consciousness.

As soon as she regained her breath back, she was ecstatic and instantly laughed watching her friends giggle and rush to her. They held her hand, pulled her from the chair and were almost ready to drag her but as soon as they turned, they saw the lady with dignity walk in, the lady of house, the mother of the very gorgeous girl who is being dragged. With her presence she was capable of turning down the noise into pin-drop silence.

In all the chaos, the girl with spotlight was slowly giggling watching her friends guilty in front of her mother. Her mother did not break the silence and just walked a few steps ahead, took a moment to gaze her girl, smiled with satisfaction and finally kissed her forehead. The smile she held was constant and was an implied compliment. She walked another step and stood behind her girl. Both of them together walked into a place decorated and enlightened with smiles and blossoms. There stood a lot of strangers who could not stop but stare and praise her beauty. "What a day, what an occasion!” she said to herself.

Everything looked so magical, she could not gather enough words to appreciate what she was looking at, while everyone else could not help but adore her. Helplessly, she stole a flash moment and flew back to her memories, even to the ones that were opaque.

She just felt floating in the sky and decided to paint everything she could recollect. The canvas was pretty large and her brushes never gave up on her, so she flew while she spread those colors in the air. Suddenly, she stood there trying to recollect her first home, the place where she took her first step. She had just started turning the blur film into visuals and she recollected one of her very favorite moment. It felt as if it was just a while back, she was holding her Barbie just after she ran straight from bed to her parents staring at the glittered paper her mom was tearing. Everyone was clapping their hands when her mom presented her a male friend for her Barbie. "Happy Birthday Anaya", she wished and hugged her. Dad kissed and threw her in air and then she just would not leave his arms after that. She swirled, singed, danced with her gift, she soon noticed that her gift was literally so handsome and neatly dressed. She could not stop but admire his significantly noticeable light brown eyes. As a surprise, she visualized that male friend to be so perfect that she imagined a friend like him for her as well. A friend whom she wished she would step in her life in some near future. These images were not just colors flying in air; they were everything for Anaya, the girl whose dreams were so realistic that imagination was left amazed.

She flew again leaving her canvas back to her present. Her friends could not stop giggling the whole while. She felt alien-like because her each step and accessory was watched closely by everyone around "as if mother did not bother enough", she complained to herself.

She tried escaping a lot of the people in the crowd like a soft breeze they could feel but not enjoy its presence. She had her tactics to skip them as her destination was not far but they made her anxious and the path longer. One step and two more she walked but yet it looked so far, then she could see her destination. It was more beautiful than she envisioned. Dressed in crimson she stepped on a stage colored in metallic gold and decorated with white orchids. Instantly an innocent smile lit her face and the colors were glowing all over her face.

The smile brought few memories and she rushed back to hold the brushes left in air drying up with the paints. She soaked them further in more beautiful colors to give her memories and canvas its life back. The picture this time was the about first she felt the same blush as she felt while stepping the stage. Anaya was sitting on the first bench of her high school, few months passed the session and the exams were approaching so Economics revision class was held. With the amount of creativity in her, economics bored her and made her drowsy. Almost when she was about to doze off sitting on the first bench, someone screamed on the top of their voice, 'Excuse me Ma'am, may I come in?'.

With the immediate effect on the teacher's face, a grin on her forehead and new nerves appeared strained out on her neck and later she started screaming back. Her sleep was disturbed by these voices and she noticed this boy from her class, dressed in shabby uniform and his shoes filled with fresh mud and stamps of a ball on his socks. Whilst all the argument, she could only focus on the color of his eyes, blue, sapphire blue; the style of his hair, simple yet charming. The tone of his voice, the innocence in his expressions and only after he passed by her, quoting "you're welcome", she smelt the fragrance of wet mud after the off-season rains.

She simply lost herself in the fragrance and could not really figure why he thanked her (she chuckles in certainty of confusion).

All her friends giggled after the class talking about the incident and her steps were slowly falling different, she was walking out of the class to rejoice the smell of rains again. He followed her, stood there for a while to see her enjoy the drizzle and just couldn't stop walking closer to her and whisper loudly "bhoooo" in her ears; she was scared to death and immediately turned to scream "Manik! Are you mad?”

There started a new story of the ground and goals. Among the chit chat he held his arm around her neck and she blushed as the world was a garden of lilies and all the butterflies were resting on her body.

She drowned in the feeling while she re-created it on her canvas. She finally felt delighted and allowed her brushes to dry now.

She sung her favorite melodies back on her way. She happily reached the decorated stage, started greeting people. She was enjoying the attention of all the people she had in her life, who altogether gathered just to celebrate with her and "the side-benefit is to receive such loving compliments'', she said to herself.

Every person in that room came ahead to give their warm wishes, some hugged her tight, some kissed her cheeks while few shook her hands, different gestures reminded how distinctively close they are. Within all the chaos, a hand reached hers. She held only to remember the touch and realize it was close enough just for a simple handshake. Her happiness disappeared within seconds; her smile was suddenly replaced with a slightly open mouth, showing off her milk teeth. "Your rabbit face is the best of all your expressionless faces", exclaimed a familiar voice. Finally she gathered the courage to gaze into the eyes whose hand she was still holding, the feeling was entirely different from what she had come across until now. The brown eyes, pleasing smile, flattering voice did not make her weak in knees for the first time. The melodies turned silent around her and she slowly stepped towards her canvas thinking of everything that touch reminded her.

It was probably the first time; she backpacked to go on a lonely trip. After her college ended, she decided before she gets busy with her corporate life, a trip is must for her. She needed the peace and freedom to begin her new journey in order to live better ahead. She wanted to learn what her parents taught her, 'life is lot more than the usual routines', so this trip was everything about that lot.

Leh-Ladakh, the place is so famous only for gifting its tourists the memories of lifetime but for Anaya, its significance was different. She had not just created memories, she started a new story. A story where two strangers met in a beautiful land and became friends forever. She never knew this friendship would last forever but destiny had different plans. She kept meeting him often and the friendship grew deeper with time and all their silly fights. The paints were turning dry and she was feeling helpless but this picture was the largest of all and the memory is so fresh that the pain craved all the wounds in her heart. Her hands were working to make it a masterpiece and the tears were keeping the paints wet. The picture was again shining or that is what appeared through her tearful eyes.

The emotions involved in the friendship grew more day by day, so the colors grew dark as well. Anaya knew she will always remain a friend to Aarav so she never even tried to pay heed to the unconditional love she had been holding since months. They stood together in thick and thin, be it anything until she lost her patience on a drunken night and admitted her love. The night was not dark as compared to the days which were about to come. She thought they were perfect but she did not realize, she was only a best friend. He just could not afford to hurt her in any possible way and hence he left like he never existed, vanished as if he was just another passing cloud for her but Anaya, she considered him as the only star that would remain forever. Years passed, these stars met and yet stood apart until today. The day when she was getting married, he stood in front of her on the stage holding hands. He smiled looking at her innocent face and understanding how surprised she is to see him. Aarav could not resist but hugged her tight, so did Anaya. Their hug convinced her they are truly friends forever!

Aarav turned to wish the person right next to Anaya, "the handsome man who took the courage to tolerate this foolish girl, more than congratulations you would need my best wishes Sir." (Chuckles). Aarav left the stage and moved straight to the exit only to re-read the message outside the hall, "Anaya loves Hridaan".

Anaya had her canvas painted completely and had been presenting them around the world during different occasions, each had a different story. Yet she exclaims, there was one story she couldn't paint. Her marriage ceremony was only in her head and it was far more beautiful than the colors available, though she did paint a part of it. She likes to recollect the journey of this part while she turns the pages of the ceremony album.

One such day, she was going through those albums and she felt an arm around her neck, instantly a hand held her tight and spotted kiss on her forehead, altogether. Though the feeling was not same as the first ones but this was surely for eternity and she understood after a very long time. She constantly compared her first special moments to what she felt with her husband, though the past looked perfect but she was happier than ever. Anaya had learned her lessons of life, she did not look for anything to be special anymore all she wanted is them to be complete. She learnt what she shares with Hridaan would only last for eternity because she wants to and there would be no quality or reason ever good enough to love him forever. Throughout the life, she believed there is only one thing that makes a person fall for the other. Now she realizes people only keep looking for reason because they want to answer all the queries but the only constant reason to love one, is the urge. The urge to keep falling for one another, the urge to put efforts to make their life better and watching this urges the other does not fall, they rise in love. Anaya gradually understood the difference between a special and a complete moment. Anaya and Hridaan both were complete as individuals and grew to not care about the society. All they cared about the completeness they share when they are together. This togetherness led them marry each other.

"Happy 10 years of Marriage, love", Anaya kissed him back.