Chasing the Evanescent

Chasing the Feelings

The compound was filled with chirps, giggles and occasional hearty cries of small kids who were pushing one another in their checked shirt and green colour pants.

He checked the smartwatch and it showed thirteen minutes past 13, so probably he had set his foot in around lunch break. when he has come this far he could not go back to his place before a glimpse of her, he has to solve the mystery behind her.

"she is married and you have no rights." his conscience warned him but now was not the time of contemplations.

"Maybe she actually needs you." his heart tried to make it easy.

On another side of the door, he was very well aware of her world and after the six long hours of the journey through a flight and Bus, he was certain to hear his heart even if it meant for him to shatter later.

"He was not going to create a scene or something, just a glimpse that's all." he reminded to himself and pressed the small button beside the main gate and waited for the guards.

"Yes Sir..." the guard in a uniform asked him as soon as the small gate opened.

"i wanted to meet someone, Miss Aditi..." gulping away a lump he found his voice back.

"which standard and section, Sir?" without waiting for his sentence to complete the guard asked.

"No, no... I wanted to meet Teacher... Ridhima - the Dance teacher." it sounded strange enough that he cringed at his own words.

"Oh, Ridhima Madam" he sounded excited as if he was very much familiar to the teacher... "you might need to wait in the visiting halls, I'll inform her." The guard told him and led the way to the visiting hall.

"its lunchtime, right?" he confirmed with the guard.

"yes Sir." the guard affirmed and kept walking till a big room came in view surrounded by pink and yellow bougainvillaea climbers.

"wait here for a few minutes, I'll go and inform her..." with that the guard turned to leave the room but stopped and asked suddenly. "what should I tell her who has come to visit her?" and all those years of a brave conscious suddenly mocked him, he didn't know what to say.

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It was not every day that someone came to visit her so she was agape and ran a quick check about who could it be, not many have information about the address and this new locality she was currently residing.

Collecting the props they were working with she announced them to keep rehearsing the steps if she could not join them after the lunch break. With a slight nod, the kids of standard 8 kept themselves busy with the props and steps.

The walk to the common hall took a good seven minutes, she had it memorised; perk of living with army men all her life.

Still questioning herself about the visitor and the reason for this visit which could not happen at her home, she reached the hall and ...

A tall man with Parted legs, straight posture, hairs almost a buzz cut was standing there with his eyes focused on something, she could not make out his face but she was sure her visitor was military personnel.

___________*____________

He heard the footsteps which had turned cautious as they approached him and this was it.

He turned to the entrance and he knew it was the same rhythm of his heartbeat that the heart maintained whenever she was around, how would he make his heart understand later if this meeting meant a first as well as the final meeting.