The Lady in Black

She is the dream he never wants to wake up from.

The sky was a bit cloudy with a shower or two the previous day, but the sun was shining bright that morning. I reached just in time as the crowd was gathering up at the entrance. The silent hustle of the air was replaced with pleasantries being exchanged among strangers. The wind was cold, sort of lukewarm, coupled with the cold breeze and the bright sun that warmed it. A queue was split into two to accommodate the proceedings in a faster manner. And one by one each entered and while the photo taking session was already in progress, which never needed an invitation. While a lot many admired and a greater many were adored over the years. For a lot many, it was the first time meeting and it didn’t quite like it was the first time they met. It was as if they knew each other for a long time and are just catching up now.

As the people divided themselves in groups of their own, and as the clock chimed for the second time, the people were asked to settle themselves in an orderly arranged chairs. The music played in the background, the beats synchronizing with everyone’s beats. And then the music slowly faded in the background and before he knew, everything was in slow motion and the most of all, his heart that had earlier synchronized with the music started pacing faster.

It was the first time he saw her. She adored herself elegantly in a black dress. The photos of her on the internet did no justice at all. The soft black curls dangled over her shoulder, the light focused on her as if someone was doing it deliberately, or maybe it was just him as to how he saw her, amidst the crowd. He sunk in his chair and he didn’t even know he was slipping out of his chair. The music was still playing in the background, but he didn’t listen to any of it. There was a foggy voice in the background, perhaps calling out to him. But all he could hear were those soft laughs and her warm charming smile that melted him a little more. She talked animatedly with that bright spark in her eyes and she walked as if in slow motion with all that bright aura radiating from her.

It took a while for him to get back to his senses, pulled himself back into the chair and soon after he sent her a text She replied after a short while and he was excited the would finally get to meet her. In contrast, she had no idea that he had flown all the way from south to west for this event, so she also sounded excited to meet him. Well, they were texting and there was no way of knowing how excited one was, but he for one was, for sure, and he thought that she was too. He pulled himself together, adjusted his hair, straightened his shirt and sat while he hoped for the time to move faster. His phone was draining and he was afraid he would lose the battery before he could meet her. The time moved slower than it normally did.

It was about time the session came to an end. He was still scared to make the first move. In his mind, he had devised a perfect plan to break the ice, introduce himself for the second time, but for the first time in real. The scenarios in his mind were growing and he was getting nervous with each one. He was a bit, a lot scared of leaving a bad impression. Besides creating a million scenarios in his head, none of them came to take any solid shape. They decided to meet at the entrance after the event had ended. He had been standing there for a while. There was an after party and since most of the people had other appointments, a few left for the day. It was a two day event, he was attending both of the days. He had flown all the way and he planned to attend both, without fail. Was it really for the event or was it for her?

There he stood at the entrance waiting, his throat going dry, his heart skipping beats and his phone battery dying. He was more scared of his phone battery dying. Because then there would be no way he would be able to contact her, in case he missed that meeting at the entrance. There was always that after party but how could he tell her where he was, as if he was so confident meeting. He waited and waited and his mind exploded a million times thinking how it all will go down. “Don’t let it be awkward!”, “Don’t let it be awkward!”, he kept telling himself.

The music was slow, the crows lesser than earlier gathering, yet there were a roomful. Some wanted to meet the celebrities, while some wanted to drink the free booze. And oh, he was least bothered about the celebrities alright, except her, of course. So he walked around and took the glass of water because he is sober that way. As he took a sip, he trailed off from his walk when he saw her again. And it was a pleasant feeling all over again. Everything was in slow motion yet again, and there she was talking enthusiastically and smiling ever so brightly that added a special charm to the dully lit ballroom. He was just waiting for the right opportunity to head over to her and introduce himself, like he had practiced in his mind a million times over. And all of which he was that charming dude sweeping her off her feet before he could say anything. Though there were a million other ruining scenarios, he chose to ignore. He didn’t want them today. That was probably for some other day, but not that day. That day was all about how he moonwalks and smoothly lands himself without tripping over. A mindful game that he had been playing. A couple of minutes later he sat with a new found friend who was waiting to meet the celebrity who had graced the event. Two people sat there waiting to meet their celebrity. He drowned himself again in a glass of water and looked at the guy who was still explaining how excited he was to meet one of his idol. He also wanted to tell how excited he was to meet his celebrity as well and that was when there was a soft nudge, a kick perhaps. He turned to see what it was and there she was standing ever so elegantly, tantalizing me out of my mind.

P.S. Should the story be continued? If I get 10 yes(es), I will continue. Otherwise, I will let the imagination run wild. 

P.S.S.: This is also a part of the crush series that I am doing.

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