The Speechless Moon

As I got interrupted by our office coffee machine's loud hissing noise, I suddenly realized was still working with my eyes wide open.... Checked the time was past 11 , was awake to achieve some trigger in the graphical analysis for our Client 's online ad campaign , the report which constitutes more of assumption and less of consumption. Rubbing off the sleep from my eyes, was struggling to get back to my desk. The Smoking Hot coffee was the only attraction at this moment which was dragging me to my desk to dig my eyes into the reports.

While trying to concentrate, I overheard our sleepy Tinku Bhai
-our office caretaker talking to someone "arey aap hi ka office hai, saahab (The office is all yours master)...", this made me leave my desk again and go to our reception corner, wanting to collect data for my personal database which kind of gets fascinated by the unusual stuff rather than the usual one.. That's why these days some media channels believe in creating unusual news if they don't have one in store. Unusual news any day will attract an over enthusiast mob.
On my way , the over enthusiast me hungry for gossip just before reaching destination got so excited , that I started to run resulting the collision of myself with a human body. I didn't even realize who it was until I confronted the body, with knit brows only to turn over and confront a calm gentleman smiling at me.

Hi Tiksha How are you doing?
(It was Daksh; he was an ex-employee and a good old friend of mine from the same company. It had been a while since we were in touch with each other anymore and yes to mention he was very much in love with his Dhanno, the nickname for the girl whom he dated and we used to tease him by calling him by this name; on a serious note the girl's name was Henna.
 P.S. she was not a friend of mine)

I am doing well, what about you?

Long time so why are you up and here so late? (After a pause I guessed that was lot of questions at one go)

Hey I never see you around, I  do pass by regularly

Yeah, To meet Your Dhanno ( I know I  sounded rude)

He smiled and winked saying "I wish she was your friend then we could have met often....

No Ways!!!! (Yeah, that was me)


I came here as it’s her (Dhanno) birthday today, and wanted to give her a little surprise by piling her desk with goodies..

WOW… I exclaimed. What an amazing thought.
.(Grumbling inside - why do all dumb girls get their hands on smarter guys)

Gee Thanks Tiksha ...We had the cake cutting at 12 along with her family and some friends , and after that I just rushed to give her this little surprise, and Hola !!!!  I  meet my good old buddy after so long  , who can also be sweet to me tonight and  help her friend  out , if she doesn't mind , and yes if she isn't busy..

I smiled ...Okay Daksh ....Okay that’s It ...I will help you my friend.

So Where's the cake ?(grinning at him)

It was 1.30 now , and I  was almost done with my reports , but still had to calculate the results and make the summarized feedback .But somehow helping Daksh was a much better idea , as I  was already super bored gazing at my screen for 12 long hours .

Another hot coffee, and marched towards Dhanno's desk which was far away than mine , usually I  like it that ways , but tonight I felt the urge that it would have been nicer if she was somewhere closer. It would have been easier for me to hop in hop off between my desk and hers. In the present scenario it was a proper stroll of 10 minutes from my desk to hers, which was painful.

Daksh has started on with cleaning up her desk for the goodies .Daksh to me was always a perfect gentleman who always kept his promises and who made an extra effort for any relationship he handles. But somehow when he chose Dhanno , I  was a bit disappointed .The day he proposed to her , he had taken my advice , but I was just a few  months old friend  to Daksh , so I didn't even utter a word against her , instead advised her to go for it .Anyways when it comes to heart , I  feel your mind has its own way in deciding what's good for you, better not mess with them as from my experience , if somebody has made up his mind to love an individual ,my advising him not to go in that direction doesn't make any difference what so ever. People learn by their own mistakes when it comes to heart. On the other hand Dhanno was a typical girl, with all the nauseating habits and tantrums of a dumb girl. I and our group personally never liked her, it was just that she looked good, but if only her looks could somehow match her nature, it would have been brilliant.

You seem to sit far away from her?

I smiled

so how have you been all these years; it’s been 3 years since we last met. How is life treating you?
And how are you treating your life?

I am good, 3 years ... I didn't even realize...Life is good, going on a faster pace. How’s yours? When are you both planning to get together?

Well, I am planning end of this year, let’s see what madam (Dhanno) has to say about it ...
She has her views and I respect her views a lot ...
So what about you? Have you given permission to anyone special yet? Or still waiting?

Naah...I am good, still haven't found a reason to get married or stick to someone for the sake of a relationship ...I am good. Can live and laugh with my friends and family forever...

You are still the same.Chal let's get going ...

The night seemed to pass slowly ...we both were talking, making fun of each other, sipping coffee together , blabbering , shouting , teasing each other , reviving the old days when we used to go out for cutting chai (Tea) together , talking about everyone in the group and so on...

Suddenly his mobile hops up ...and he just puts it on speaker as we both were busy blowing up balloons for Dhanno's desk. “HI Baby, What you doing? , it’s my birthday today "

I chuckled ...

Yup my dear ...was sleeping and dreaming about you my sweetheart.

I chuckled again...

"Is There somebody else with you ??,I  just wanted to talk to you about some stuff Baby"

I started to get up and leave ....just then he held my hands and pulled me back on my chair , and  with his eyes asked me to sit down and carry on with whatever I  was doing...

Suddenly I felt the warmth and closeness with his touch ...but I immediately tried to shift-delete every thought going on in my mind and started to get busy with the balloons. Just when I heard Dhanno saying...

"Baby, your gift wasn't that impressive, now that you are going to get married to me.Start giving some real gifts and stop giving me toys, you have to prove your worth in front of my family, only then they will be proud of my choice"

Listening to that I was like - Is she really that dumb???, what is she bragging about???

I could feel Daksh getting uncomfortable, with me listening to all his personal stuff...

Instead he smiled and said my dear its really late can we talk about this in the morning birthday girl...

Okay Baby but please do think about what I said, and do act as per required. Good Night Baby Love You.....

Love you too my dear, have a cozy sleep...


He looked at me ...She is a little psyched about her family not liking me, don't you worry my dear...she over reacts...

So you gift her an expensive piece and you get the love of her family right.... (I was intentionally being sarcastic to make him feel, that he is taking too much of shit from Dhanno Rani)

Chill Tik... (He used to call me by that name) .You is getting it wrong my dear. Let’s enjoy this night, don't get into the filthiness of the tragic reality called life.

It was then I realized, that Daksh was happily aware of what was going on, it was just that he just wanted to
avoid any hasty decision from his side, or the fact that he loved Dhanno unconditionally...(I am still figuring it out )

Hey Tiksha ...lets go and grab some  cutting chai..Babu Bhaiya will be around, we can have some idli’s (An Indian delicacy) too...then we can go on a quick bike ride and then come back and give her desk a final finishing touch...with red roses.

I had really started to admire Daksh at this moment, because there are a few bunch of people left of his kind .Who can leave all the worldly hassles and can just love unconditionally and can rather make love get bored and sick of them, but they won't ever try to break out of it.

So we headed for the famous Babu Bhaiya’s cutting chai along with some garma garam (steaming hot) idli.
It was already 2.30,
with each other time was gliding rapidly.
I was getting closer to him; I was getting to know the real Daksh.

We shared some secrets, family issues; he expressed his disappointment towards this ruthless world. It was a total new experience to talk out without feeling any pressure, of what the person listening infers about you.
When Daksh listened to my reasoning, it felt lighter talking it out with him and so was he.

After a year of dating, Your Dhanno changed Tik
I was shocked believe me.
But I can't just walk out now, I love her and she needs me, Tik.

I chose not to say a word then, (I could feel the pain in his eyes when he was explaining to me, I didn't want to upsurge his pain anymore)

Daksh, trust me it happens in every relationship, after a while the rosiness of the relation disappears leaving us to face the harshness of life. No relation stays forever, after a while it just becomes a restricted bond where you get strangulated in. 

I don't completely believe that. I agree that you get bored after a point and your relation becomes stagnant, but at the same time you have someone always close to you, who will understand you and care for you even when you say nothing. I mean at this age you are never left alone, there are friends, family surrounding you, but at one point in life, you will be sitting all alone, sick and tired of living your life just when somebody will come and hug you tightly... (When Daksh said these words, he had hugged me tightly in his arms)

"No matter what I will never let you go and will love you till the last breathe of my life ..."

I had started to feel the warmth of his hug and was really ready to die in his arms that very moment. Just then I realized that it was Daksh’s style of making me believe in Love as I was sure he still loved his Dhanno a lot...

Don't make me get used to it Daksh, you are already Dhanno's property. I tried hard to smile this time as smiling at that very moment was getting painful for me.

Daksh did leave me, but still held my hand and said Tik you are really cute, hope you get your perfect match soon. And I am sure you won't regret falling in love then.

I was just lost at that moment but still I don't know what made me ask,

So is Dhanno your perfect match Daksh?? Do you still feel she deserves you?

I don't know (saying this he took his usual long pause)

Then, Arey let's rush we still need to give the final touchup to the decor and then we can talk all night...

(I knew he just ignored my question, I knew he will never answer this question of mine)

I felt stupid at that time, wondering why I asked such a question. Was I expecting something from Daksh? Why am I feeling this strange closeness towards him? We just met few hours back and he was an all-time committed guy and I am gladly aware of that then why?

I think I should go home; it's quite late and moreover need to get up and rush for office tomorrow morning.

Hey I can drop you Tik ... Please it's not safe for you to take a ride home at this hour and all the drop services from the office have left for tonight.

Seriously I wanted to spend some more minutes with him as tomorrow he will be back to his forced relationship with Dhanno. (I felt it was a pure nonsense relationship, and they did make a pathetic couple.)

On my way home, I looked at the moon that night and a thought just popped into my mind. “Just like the moon our heart becomes speechless sometimes, but as the moon feels the beauty of the night within itself and still stays calm, often our heart feels the beauty of some unforgettable moments but still stays calm."

Bye Daksh...Take care.

It was a fun filled night Tik, you are a great friend. Take care dear and don’t forget me the moment I vanish from here today, do recognize me sometimes (winking at me).

When he left, suddenly my eyes had become wet, I was crying as if I lost my newly found love for the first time in my life. I immediately took a shower  and was heading to sleep as I wanted to wipe off everything from my mind as soon as I woke up tomorrow.

 Just then my phone had a message alert which read …

"Tonight when I hugged you , I seriously wanted to continue it till my last breathe. But sometimes life doesn't allow reverting back your decision... I lived my entire life today with you and always will cherish this day with no regrets - Daksh... :)"

I smiled ... 

"A Speechless Moment where we both let our hearts become as speechless as the moon..."

                                                                                              Story narrated and thought by -
                                                                                                                                  Pratiksha Misra