Reunion

      She was acutely aware of his presence in the mundane atmosphere of the crowded hall. The room was filled with inconsequential people discussing uneventful topics, making it hard for her to concentrate on anything over the din. If only people appreciated the beauty of silence, she thought gloomily. She caught wifts of fiery gossip from the circle of women who surrounded her. Something about someone's daughter marrying a man beneath her social standing. She couldnt care less. Again she wondered why someone else's life should be of any interest to these ladies.' Human Nature',she thought, answering her own mental queries.
      He sat on the other end of the room,enjoying the party with a woman,who she assumed,was his wife. And yet again,their eyes locked. Blushing and swearing under breath, she vowed not to let her gaze wander in his direction.She realised soon enough that this was an impossible task. Every few seconds,her eyes would scan the room for him, and again he would catch her staring. Embarrassed as she was, she decided to move to a calmer location where his presence would not tempt her.
      Almost as if he'd read her mind, she found him in the garden outside,by the rose bush. The same rose bush where years back, he'd kissed her for the first time. 9 years it had been, she counted in her head. Seeing him there gave her a headrush. She wanted to avoid any awkward confrontation,yet fate seemed determined at going against her wishes.
      She tried to steal away from him while his back was to her. The sound broke his reverie and he caught her standing behind him. Colour rose in her cheeks. Her long gown fluttered in the chilly night breeze, the only audible sound apart from the rustling leaves. 'You dont have to avoid me', he muttered in a matter-of-fact tone. He looked exactly the same to her, though his face had gained the maturity of his late twenties.
     Quick at defending herself, she denied avoiding him. His lips turned into a knowing grin. She hated how he still had a peculiar insight into the workings of her mind.
     "You remember-" , he started to say, when her affirmative answer interrupted him. He edged closer and every fibre of her being responded to his proximity. She could think of no subtle way of escaping, so she stood still as a statue.
     "So many years have gone by... I've lost count..."
     "Nine", she answered calmly.
    "You've just not changed."
    She grunted. "Neither have you."
      They stood silently next to each other, peering at the starlit sky. The awkwardness of their encounter faded. She whispered, 'Your wife must be waiting for you now....'
     He started at her with an incredulous expression on his face, humour clearly evident in his eyes. Trust him to destroy the solemn moment, she thought.
    "Thats not my wife."
   "Oh."
     " It was great meeting you after all this while" , he said, clearly trying not to laugh. Resisting the urge to punch him, she responded with a polite, "You too." Still smiling at her blunder, he strolled off, leaving her alone under the purple nightsky.
     She was pleased with how his cocky grin and sarcastic humour had not taken leave of him. He was more or less the same guy she had surrendered her heart to 9 years back. Smiling to herself, she secretly prayed that they might cross paths again. She dint know that her unspoken plea had been answered, for in the course of the next few weeks, she saw him on more than one occassion, and this time, it wasn't a coincidence.