by Palvi Sharma
*****
He was standing by the edge of the cliffs, his hands in the pockets of his dark jeans and his sunglasses dangling from the pocket of his beige coat. The sun was setting and the sky had turned a golden orange. Below, he could see the whole city that looked like a model for property builders. There were cars going down busy streets and tiny people walking to either their homes or some club or restaurant to meet up with their friends.
It was cool today and the wispy cirrus clouds overhead promised a change in weather soon. The grass beneath his feet smelled sweet and he was certain that the faint sweet fragrance was emanating from some wild flowers that were concealed behind the large blades of grass.
He heard an approaching car and he didn’t need to be told that she had arrived. The car stopped on the side and he heard her footsteps on the gravel before they became softer as they touched grass.
She was behind him now and he wanted to turn and take her in his arms but all he could so was watch the sun lower in the horizon.
He could smell her sweet floral perfume and hear the chinking sounds of her bracelet as she no doubt tucked her hair behind her ear in this windy weather.
No doubt she was having difficulty in breaking the ice too.
“You came.” He said softly, saving her the trouble.
He heard her come closer. “Of course I came.”
He had tears in his eyes when he turned around. “I am so…sorry.” He said, his lips quivering.
She looked beautiful. She had left her hair open and it fell in loose waves over her shoulders. She was dressed in a brown knitwear coat and black pants with brown leather boots.
She lowered her eyes and he thought that her looking so thoughtful was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. He used to have her in his life and now he had to let her go.
She shook her head then and tried a small smile. “It’s time for both of us to move on.”
This was what was supposed to happen and this was what she was going to say. Hearing these words, he had planned to walk away from her, but now that she was right in front of him, all his thoughts had gone haywire.
He had to have her. She had to give him another chance.
“It doesn’t have to be.” He was saying and then moving towards her. Her eyes registered shock, but that didn’t slow him down. “We can be together again. You can forgive me and we can forget this whole thing…”
“No!” she cried as he grabbed her arms. “Let go of me.”
But now that he was touching her, no other thought nor her words mattered. “You have to give me another chance. I will love you like no one else will.”
“Please…just let me go.” She said, struggling in his grasp. “You’re hurting me.”
He embraced her tight. “You have to love me. You still do. That’s why you came all the way here.”
“Let go of me!” she said, trying to push him away with her hands, but he wouldn’t budge.
“I love you.” He said. “I will always love you. “He got down on his knees and took both her hands. “Marry me. I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world.”
She tugged her hands away so forcefully that he fell backwards into the grass and hit his elbow on a large rock.
“What is wrong with you?” she screamed. “It was a mistake coming here!”
He got up quickly and grabbed her before she could turn away from him. “Mistake?” his rage had returned to completely overpower him. The oozing wound on his elbow throbbed as his anger heightened.
“You cheated on me!” he accused. “If I could forgive you for that, then you can forgive me for all the small things that I did.”
“Small things?” she screamed. “You hit me and abused me. And I never cheated on you!”
“Liar!” he bellowed. “I saw you with a man. Don’t you dare deny that!”
“That man that you’re talking about was a friend who was helping me get away from the psycho that you are.” She told him.
His fury sent small sparks up his vision. “I…am …not…a…psycho!” his voice was a low growl and he saw the fear in her eyes though she didn’t let it appear in her voice.
“Look what you are doing…to me.” She said. “You promised you would let me go. So let me go.”
He stomped over to the edge of the cliff to glare at the city below him- the city that turned her into a betrayer. “If that’s what you really want, then go. I free you.” He said.
She was breathing heavily and now she looked at him suspiciously. She backed away a couple of steps and he didn’t move. When she turned around, he spoke.
“I can’t ever forget you.” He said. “If I can’t have you in my life, then I don’t want to live either.”
The moment he stepped at the edge of the cliff that had a drop close to eighty feet, he felt her hands curl around his arms.
“Are you crazy?” she asked.
“Let me go! Let me die!” he screamed at her and struggled wildly. “I don’t want to be without you.”
“Don’t be stupid…you’re…” His hands thrust out with such force that she stumbled backwards. Her feet went over to the edge of the cliff and her hands scrambled in the air to reach for something to grab on.
“No!” he cried, reaching out, but his hands missed and she let out a blood-curdling scream as she fell.
“No!” he screamed again and peered down the edge. He was sure his heart had stopped beating and his lungs refused to let any air enter. His entire body went numb and a cool sensation spread out from his back onto his limbs.
He let out a scream of his own when he saw her body lying on the rocks below. A small pool of blood was forming beneath her and he found himself unable to stop screaming.
His mind clustered with thoughts that clamped down hard on him. He couldn't believe this had happened- his mind refused to accept her death as reality.
He got up slowly; a heavy weight pushing down his shoulders and throwing intense pain into his heart. He was sure he wasn't even breathing anymore and whatever made him what he was, had slowly evaporated.
Tears were streaming down his cold numb face and his vision blurred, but he was only dimly aware of them as he walked- not knowing where to go but just walking on.
Below, there was a loud screech of car tyres and then a scream of a woman. As the hysterical screams went on below the cliffs where the road took a turn into the city, he sank down on the grass. His hands clutched the tall blades of grass and pulled until he heard a dull snap. The sharp pain in his chest intensified and now that no breath had entered his lungs, his vision started to blur with dark clouds.
He fell sideways, his eyes looking at a small yellow flower sticking out from behind a rock.
The sounds of sirens filled the air and he blinked once. The scene before him altered and he found himself no longer looking at the grass and weeds. He was looking at her face. Her almond shaped eyes were innocent, her long lashes gently brushing the skin under her eyes. Her small nose twitched a little as she smiled. He reached out his hand to touch her but his arm had stiffened.
He opened his mouth to speak but no voice came. She looked at him, still smiling and then she was gone.
And with her, so did he.