I lay down on my bed. The lights were already turned off. I hadn’t bothered to put them on. I could make out shapes of furniture by the street light filtering in through my curtains. Besides after sleeping in a bedroom for 30 years you don’t need lights to find your way.
I rested my back on the soft bed ‘Aah’, relaxed my aching feet, laid my head on the soft pillow and made myself comfortable. I was feeling very peaceful and content. It wasn’t possible to feel any better. But just then I did.
The fragrance of jasmine – my favorite flower- reached my nose. For a second or two I was caught under the spell of the sweet smell. I enjoyed the perfume – feeling my mind reach a higher level of relaxation as was every muscle of my body.
And then I laughed. All of a sudden I wasn’t tired anymore. I sat up in bed, lifted my pillow and moved my hand over the bed in the darkness “Ah there it is” My fingers found the soft petals of jasmine. I took a few on my palm, lifted them to my face and smelled the sweet scent.
I felt a sudden surge of love for my husband, my husband of 30 years “How thoughtful. Oh how I love him”
The bedroom door opened and he walked in.
“All preparations are over. I have ordered a thousand daisies –though God alone knows where we’ll be able to adjust Daisies in the decorations”
“Daisies!” I exclaimed unable to get angry with him. “What are we going to do with daisies? Nobody uses daisies in wedding decorations”
“I have no idea what to do with them” he paused “But you know how much she loves daisies. They are her favorite flowers.”
I couldn’t see his face in the dark but in his voice I could hear the agony of a father’s heart in giving his daughter away in marriage.
She loves daisies of course but she isn’t expecting to see garden flowers in her wedding hall tomorrow.
He sat on the bed. I moved close to him, gave him a peck on the cheek and caressed his neck and shoulders urging him to relax.
“She’ll love it.” I said. An error of a loving heart is what adds perfection to life.
He didn’t reply.
“I love you” I said.
He took me in his arms and we lied down in silence.
After a long time he said, “Thank you for being there- always”. He paused. “We did it all. We started off with nothing. We created our little universe as we went along. It’s beautiful. I’ve done and achieved everything I ever wanted. Our life is beautiful. It’s a masterpiece.”
“You’re wrong about one thing.” I said “we started off with love”
He turned his head towards me. I heard a faint laugh.
“I love you” he said kissing me lightly.
I couldn’t see his eyes in the dark but I knew they must be gleaming with love and pride of that love in the most charming and mesmerizing way as they did 30 years back when I lost my heart forever.
“Thanks for the flowers” I said.
