The Echos of longing

Lovers

"Meeting you. Even for a day. It is the greatest gift of my life"he said looking at her,as they lied beside each other in the hospital..

The old lady smiled a toothless smile. Sweet as always.

The doctor closed his eyes. Why? He could not make himself tell the old man chattering with the old lady for months,she cannot hear. And she cannot talk.

"Do you know. I never married anyone in my life. Many came. Left wounding me more and more. Just because of the desire to taste the forbidden fruit. Slowly,age seeped in. I hired a manager. And started travelling alone. Then I found this old age home. Luckily we met here. How great is that. Right?"he continued.

The old lady lying on her side,blinked. The old man was looking at her..

It was a everyday routine. The doctors,nurses all pitied the old man a lot. And no one had the heart to tell him. She could not understand him.

One day after few more months, the life of the old lady ended. The old man watched blankly as they took her away. Her children,grandchildren. 

He did not go to her funeral.

He lied silently for few days. Then one day finally the doctor decided to break ice. A young doctor tried his best to tell him,not to be so sad..

"Sir. You donot have to be so down. She is gone. In peace. And she could not even hear you"the young doctor spoke.

The old man chuckled.

"Boy. Her name is Victoria. We were childhood sweethearts. But due to the difference of family status and ego of family. We were pulled apart. She married someone she never loved. With a promise. In the end. I would come to find her. I kept tabs on her. And when she started living here,I too moved here. To accompany her in her last journey. And about her being deaf and mute. Of course I know it. But what no one knows is. She can read lips. Word by word. She was quite bullied in school. So we had practiced it a lot. From childhood till adulthood. To help her overcome it"said the old man with a gentle smile.

The young doctor looked stunned.

The old man chuckled a little. He was quite a silly boy.

" You have never loved anyone. Right? Youths these days. Even love is calculated. Learn to love freely. Love is freedom. And what can be calculated can never be freedom"said the old man and closed his eyes.

The young doctor left. That night. The old man too bade his farewell to world. To go to his sweetheart.