One Shot – Whispers of the Waves

Maan sat on a lone bench by the beach, the waves crashing softly against the shore. The sun was setting, casting an amber glow over the horizon. His shoulders were hunched, his hands loosely clasped together as if holding onto something invisible—something fragile.

The breeze ruffled his hair, carrying with it the scent of salt and sand, but his gaze remained fixed on the horizon, distant and heavy.

The man known for his unyielding strength, looked so lost, so unlike the towering figure the world knew him to be once, long back. But the peace of not being in the limelight was worth it. Especially after his wife, his Geet, left him ten years ago, he’d preferred to spend his time with her memories rather than running after the life which, anyways, was meaningless without her.

The quiet crashing of waves mirrored the turmoil within him, a silent battle no one could see. His heart ached, weighed down by her memories that refused to fade, by a love he couldn’t forget.

He had come here seeking solace, but the emptiness of the beach only seemed to echo his own.

In the depth of his silence, there was a longing—a longing for something he had lost, or perhaps never truly had, she was always there fresh, in his memory . The sunset, with all its beauty, the calmness of it, the soothingness that it brought, mirrored her in all ways. He stayed there, unmoving, letting the world pass him by as the waves whispered her giggles and memories that only he could hear. The only difference was, she had already set away from his life and the sun was still setting.It will set today and again be back tomorrow with all its glory but she will not. The thought brought a fresh layer of ache in his heart.

She has left this world and he was surviving in this world without her. The woman who was his heart, his breath, his reason to believe in life, had left this world, and yet here he was, surviving without her.

It was the greatest irony, a bitter challenge life had thrown at him. How often had he told her that he couldn’t exist without her, that life was meaningless if she wasn’t by his side? But life had a way of proving you wrong. Life didn’t let you choose. It didn’t let you escape. It thrust you into situations, forcing you to defy your own promises.

For her, he had to survive. He had to carry on, not because he wanted to, but because she had believed in him. She had called him the strongest man in the world, a man who could endure anything. And only the weak, gave up on life. Her faith in him bound him to this world, even when his soul screamed to be with her.

Also, was their love only confined to them? Their wonderful children, the symbol of their unending love stood in front of his eyes, broken by the loss of their mother. He had to survive in this world for their love. When love grows, its meaning grows and it expands its horizon beyond the two people in love.

He couldn’t crumble under the weight of his grief because his children needed him. He was their anchor. And for them, for the love he had shared with her, he had to endure.

But had it not been for their capable children, he would have still been busy fighting the aimless worldly fight of life. He has always admired how they have understood his unspoken yearning—the quiet desire to step down from his towering position and spend what remained of his days immersed in her memories. It was their gentle support that had allowed him to take that step back.

All thanks to her hard work, her dedication, her values, and her tireless effort that had shaped them into the remarkable individuals they had become. They have taken the responsibility of his company so well and with his guidance took it to further heights.

Sometimes, in the quiet moments, he chuckled to himself. Were they truly seeking his guidance, or was this their way of keeping him tethered to life, to purpose? Perhaps they had known all along that without work to occupy his mind, without a reason to stay connected to the world, he might have succumbed to the abyss of his grief.

Ten years ago, when she left him to face life on his own, everything changed in ways he hadn’t anticipated. Their eldest son was already 35, a husband and father with a kindergartner. Their daughter, then 30, had a one-year-old baby of her own. Both elder children were grounded in their lives, strong and steady.

But it was their youngest, the apple of her eye, who bore the brunt of her absence. At just 22 years old, he had still been considered the baby of the family. Mumma’s boy, her shadow, her constant companion. He had clung to her warmth, her soothing presence. Losing her had forced him to grow up in ways no one had been ready for.

Watching their youngest son mature too quickly, out of necessity rather than choice, had been one of the most painful parts of the journey. Though his older siblings stepped in, showering him with attention and love to restore his place as the baby of the family, nothing could fill the void she had left. There was a certain comfort, a softness, only a mother could provide, and it was something none of them could replicate.

But then time flies by for all and they adjust to life with their partner and kids. It’s not that they didn’t miss their mother or they didn’t understand his loneliness, they have their own life. Maan understands that very well and is happy to see his children happy and having a prosperous life. And if there is a hurdle in any of their lives, he has still stepped in to get them out of the mess.

How can he not, when Geet keeps coming into his mind and does not stop nagging him to interfere and solve their problem. She has that power over him and still can make him do things.

Maan has maintained his calmness in these years, he has tried his best to keep himself busy in his regular life and family. Enjoy his family settling and grandchildren growing in front of his eyes. But it was only him, who knows how he has done it. Each breath was impossible for him had he not talked to her each night, had she not been with him by his side and had they not shared their old beautiful memories. And later had she not placed her soft hand on his forehead to caress it and then make him drift into sleep.

The days would be normal but nights and these hours of solace on this bench by the beach side had pulled him through life. It has been in these hours of silence that he has gone through innumerable emotions with her and her memories.

Sometimes he had been lost in the memories of their candid beautiful initial days. Her innocent, charming smile filled with flirty shyness has taken his heart away. Those almond-shaped hazel eyes of hers—how they merely needed to blink, and he would find himself bowing down to her crazy wishes. Beautiful nostalgic memories of how in those olden days they had found ways to meet with each other. He wouldn’t claim that their love was greater than the love young couples experience today, but there was a unique magic in the challenges they faced to arrange even a single meeting between. The charm of those meetings, even if they lasted just for fifteen minutes. In those fleeting moments, how he used to capture her laughter , her adorable pout when she was angry at his teasing, and the way her hazel eyes sparkled as they blinked up at him, holding the universe in their gaze.

Well, how everything related to her is still so freshly etched in his mind. He chuckled at the silly, reckless things he had done just to see her smile—like sneaking into the neighbor’s garden to pluck a single rose. But what made it truly special was not just the rose itself but the joy she found in the effort he had made to steal it for her.

Many times, he found himself drifting into the memories of their mischievous, playful meetings—sometimes behind the wall of an old building, sometimes amidst the trees in the fields. He could still see her shy, blushing face when he teasingly tugged at her dupatta, her smile betraying her shyness as she averted her gaze.

He laughed to himself, recalling how she tried in vain to keep hold of her dupatta, eventually using her hands to cover herself when he pulled it off completely. How hard she bit her lower lip as blush filled her face with redness. Was it possible for him to not be crazy about everything that she was?

Then came the battle of convincing their families for their marriage—a struggle that tested them both. In those days, a girl falling in love was seen as a disgrace. She had faced relentless mental and physical torment but endured it all for him, leaving their families no choice but to frame it as an arranged marriage.

After marriage, life got busy but their love only deepened. Yet, as often happens, amidst the chaos of daily life, they keep on missing those sweet small moments that were the foundation of their relationship.

But now that she was gone, those very moments had become his lifeline. Rewinding the memories of their togetherness and struggles.This bench by the beachside was witness of those moments that he had lived those memories here.

The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and the sky had shifted its hues from vibrant orange to a soft, silvery glow.

And then the cool breeze moved past him, caressing his cheeks and ruffeling his hair. Smile adorned his face as he whispered “Geet…”

“Maan, I am missing you”

“Geet, I miss you too,” he whispered.

“Each day feels harder than the last, and I don’t know how much longer I can bear it. I wish… I wish I could be called to join you, to be by your side once again.”

“Maan, if you say such words, I promise I’m going to fall out of your love,” she replied, her voice holding a touch of sadness.

“Gee-eet.. Don’t ever say that,” he pleaded.

“What else should I say? Is this my Maan, the one I was head over heels in love with? I loved the Maan who took the world in his stride, who fought life with whatever it threw at him. How can I love this changed Maan, the one who speaks of giving up on life?”

“Without you by my side, life is just a…”

“Well, then I should not come to you any further,” she interrupted,

“Geet, please, don’t ever say that”

“Then promise me, you will lead a long life and take it from front just like the man, who made me fall for him”

“Anything for you. Promise me, you will ever be by my side”

“Where else can I go? I am there with you, by your side, always. All you have to do is make me fall in love with you all over again” He smiled

“I promise”

Another cool breeze came, this time with a slight drizzle. He turned to his side and she was gone.