That evening

A Story by anxia

There was a pitch dark room and dancing and the smell of lilacs and then a truth never seen before.

I knew that was the end of it. That had to be the end of it. Of life. Of happiness. Of anything that's positive and bright. with the beginning of a marriage. Her marriage. I shouldn't have gone yet I did. I had returned from my best friend's marriage two days back. I so wanted to avoid it yet I didn't stand a chance missing it. She's my best friend after all.

Knowing that she is married made me feel tumultuous. To change the mood that I was trapped in, I decided to go to the party, Mia, my friend had invited me to. It was very privy and only the priviledged few were asked for it. The invitees were allowed to bring one person along. Mia had chosen me.

The sun was setting down when we started out together. It was at some kid's place. The party was in full swing even as we arrived. Drinks and snacks and people were everywhere. Festivity was right in the air. Mia went over to her boyfriend. I just hung around having small confabulations now and then with the guests. After a while, I needed to use the restroom and walked up the stairs. There were many rooms and since I had never been to this gigantic house before, I didn't know where exactly the restroom was or which room had it. I made my way to the last room.

I twisted the knob on the door and it parted. The room was pitch dark and I couldn't see anything but it felt like it could be a bedroom. I walked in, feeling for a switchboard on the walls and didn't find any. And as I walked in further, my eyes adjusted to the dim moon light that was pouring in through the slightly ajar window behind the bed. I walked with my hands out in the air just in case I fumbled on to something. Reaching the windows, I pushed them a little more apart and looked outside.

It revealed the garden in the back of the house. Only a few partyers were out in the garden. And there was a girl and a boy standing a few feet from the house. I looked closer. They were actaully a man and a woman. And they were dancing, not standing. Their arms were wrapped around each other and they swayed ever so gently to some music that must be there but I couldn't hear any. May be there wasn't any music. Maybe, they had it in their minds. But, how does one or two as in this case, dance so smoothly as if to the pleasant rythm of sweet music when there is none actually? Right, there must be some music down there afterall, I thought. I decided to find out.

Each pair of eyes staring so intently into the other as if it contained some kind of compelling magic. The proximity between them seemed to have born from a source of strong urge in either of them pulling them together. The smiles were serene and content. I was so frustrated and annoyed and confused. The man and woman must be in their fifties atleast. Some may have preferred to refer to them as old but i just couldn't. Its just so hard for me to believe that marriages can be happy and satisfied. I always thought that one of the two had to be a martyr, only then can there be happiness to the other. And that at the age the couple seemed to be, marriage would be nothing but an unfertile ground for any joy because by then man and wife must have struggled just to keep the marriage together and must have had innumerable fights that the element 'joy' is longer an expectation. But this couple seemed like they just got together for the first time in their lives. What with all the endearing attention they were drawing from each other. Ugh. My frustration was reaching the peaks up on reflecting my own belief and comparing it against this couple that are the exact oppsite to it. They might as well be just performing, only that there werent any audience. I didn't know I had begun to pace furiously in the little place I was hiding. I hadn't taken my eyes off them after all. The leaves rustling beneath my furious feet knocked me in to sense and I thought I should probably leave before I disturbed the couple and gained attention from them.

I settled down on a bench nearby with thoughts that had become even more baffling than they had been before till that point. I was enraged too. Why can't there be simple answers to everything? Like, can't someone just freaking say if something like a relationship can work out or not? If I were grass, my thoughts fuel, and distress a fire, I would be burning by now, I thought. Then the couple would have turned their attention to me, anyways. I felt thirsty and went in for a drink. Hastily I gulped down enough to quench and took the bottle with me as I got back to the garden.

There sitting on the bench where I was previously, were the enchanting couple.Seeing me look at them, 'Hello there,' they greeted me.

'Hiii,' I said, a bit unsure.

'Nice evening, huh?' The woman asked.

I nodded.

'Want to sit?'

'Sure, it is. And Thank you,' I said sitting down next to her as she made some room.

Ellie and Arnold were their names. They must have noticed my disturbed look for the woman aksed ' are you alright?'

'Yeah, I think so,' I said again with mixed feelings.

'Are you sure?' Arnold asked in an inviting and friendly tone.

'To be honest, no. I am just sooo.... Ugh confused and hurt and irritated,' I opened up.

I needed to.

'I am sorry, dear. Is there something? Do you want to talk about it? Is it some one in the party?' Ellie inquired, the concern was pure and discernible.

'The party's cool. Actually, right now I wish I hadn't come. Maybe then, I wouldn't have seen you and got all upset about it.' I said the last part unplanned.

'I am sorry, dear. We could find some other place to sit if we are inconvincing you in anyway,' she was quick to apologize, passing her glances between me and her husband with bewilderment.

'Oh. No, no, no. I am absolutely sorry. You are not at all inconvincing,' I quickly rectified and went on, 'You are absolutely fine. It's how fine you are that's bothering me, I think. You see, I have trouble trusting marriages and here you are, so perfect. As a couple. I am sure you have been married for longer than I think is possible for anyone in my book. And yet, after those tempest and draining years you are all fresh eyed and so in love with each other. I am sorry but I have been observing you for a while. You were dancing. And there was this virgin love sparking about both of you. Marriages are scary. Like they won't work out. But, you are as if you just got married now. Like, the scent of it hasn't drifted away. Just like how it is in the early days of a wed lock but not after that. And this has started a battle between my distrust and what I have seen of you two tonight.' I paused a beat and added, ' I am sorry if you didn't want to hear that.'

Both of them laughed on a light note.

'Darling. First off, we are happy that you are talking. And about the marriage,' Ellie looked at Arnold and continued, 'I don't think we hadn't had any troubled waves that washed at our marriage shores. There are more than that I can count. They still do sometimes. And then don't forget there have been equally happy times too. Which outweights the other, I cant tell. If there's a problem, there's got be a solution too and it's not always easy. The solving, I mean.'

'Yeah, I agree,' Arnold took up, 'sometimes, one of us have to step aside, like humble ourselves. And stepping side is not a failure or losing out or it doesn't indicate our incapability. It simply means putting them before you. And this understanding should be from both. Sometimes me, sometimes her. And it's not necessarily true that every day in this life is about either you or me. It's not so. Don't think like that. Such situations only crop up now and then. Other than those instances, one would be fairly fine with each other. And you may ask why should you put the other before you in a particular instance. Like, why can't she do it this time and may be you can do it later. You see, I wouldn't exactly think like that if it was a situation circumscribing my kid and me. Or any parent and their kid. It's because of the pure acceptance. No strings attached. This acceptance derives because they are Your flesh, your blood and Your life. And a happy marriage comes with the same pure acceptance too. And this special bond is incredible because you accept the other for the pure reason of love. They are not your flesh, blood or life. Yet, they become your everything. It's about acceptance, love. And sharing, bearing and caring. Just like it is with someone your own, like with your kid, or with your parent except it's more. It's accepting some one as your own. Like I said, for one pure reason. And that's love.

'Woah,' I looked at them musingly, 'thats just wow! I never thought about it like that.' I took a deep breath. 'I just ...I am so happy to have met you. Now, I have got a new perspective. And food for it. It's all so thrilling. Like, having the veil lifted off something that you are scared of only to know that it isn't so scary after all. Thanks a lot. I will remember this.'

A small pause.

'Can I ask you something? This acceptance, I understand from what you say, comes on the basis of true love, right? Can there be a true love out there? for me?

The couple smiled. so musing, so reminiscing and so radiant.

'There is, honey.' they simply replied.

Either I had held my breath or simply dedicated it too to the couples sermon that I didn't smell it until after; the smell of the lilacs around us bursting about and enhancing our eccentric evening.

© 2015 anxia

Author's Note

Your thoughts are my stepping stones to betterment :).

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Featured Review

Helen Crutchett

Dear Anxia......You have evidently put a lot of thought into this story and it shows! I loved the 'theme' and the inspiring message about the 'ups and downs' of marriage. The couple were delightful and showed that 'respect' for each other is a major element in a marriage, albeit 'just married', or 'married for many years.' It's up there with love and perseverance during bad times, which crop up in any relationship.

I enjoyed the read. May I suggest you go through it again with a "spell check" and watch the punctuation too. It will improve it and craft it into one beautiful write.

Thank you for submitting your story to the contest. Well done!

P.S. I loved the ending too!

Helena