The Lonesome Stranger.

I observed him carefully as he walked to the door. I knew that time was running out but suppressed the urge to check my watch. I took a deep breath and started counting in reverse under my breath, “ten, nine, eight, seven… silent tears smudged the mascara I was wearing from the ball… holding close the pendant on my bosom I continued...six, five, four, three, two… a pull!! And a hand twirled me around to pin me against the wall, it half cupped my face and there I was shrieking trying desperately to get the hands off me. Amidst all I could see was his lips curving explicitly into a curve. A victorious smile. “Happy New year!!”



I quickly glanced at the clock over his shoulder. It was already 12, and I closed my eyes hopelessly to conjure up images of the night I had planned for us. Endless questions evaded my mind. “Where are you lost?” A voice to my side startled me. And in vain I opened to reality. “Who the hell are you and what are you doing on my balcony?” I blurted out pushing him away. He fixed the folds in his shirt and walked right beside me into the room...“Hello Mr.! I am asking you!”  He did nothing but smile at me every now and then at my blabbering but responding to none.Snapping my fingers I gave him a cold stare, “…my husband would do the honors of beating you badly for pushing into our house like this, get that?” “But he left already… happily” he replied grinning. “..And he loves you not!”     “Excuse me?” I chocked the uncertainty and at the same time tried to sound honest. He stepped forward in a sickening slow pace grabbing a Champaign bottle and a glass… sat comfortably on the ground, and started making a drink, “Hey... Easy, stop sulking and have this” and extended the glass. 
“You break into my balcony, talk things that obviously make no sense and on top of that offer me a drink as if we are in la-la land?” His grin widened and his hands slowly moved towards the plate carrying the chocolate cake I had prepared for the night.“Don’t even think” I frowned knowing his intentions and leapt on to save the cake. We caught hold of the plate at the same time and I pulled struggling to get it off him. The plate jerked off anyone’s control and crashed onto the floor. He picked up the broken chocolate pieces and ate them lazily. “Mm... such a delicacy! No wonder you were so aggressive about this one”He spoke rather pompously while he got up and walked around the bed, scouring the shelves for a tissue perhaps.
“STOP FLAUNTING YOUR SMARTNESS OK!!” with that I could feel the animosity radiating over me.I pulled him by his jacket. Was it the flicker of courage or the spur of a moment, I did not know but I leapt forward and punched him on his face real hard. “Get out of my house!!!” I knew if I was going down, I would go down fighting.His fists tightened… Shaking me up he caught me hard by my shoulder. I resented the way he held me but he had me tight. He looked at me with an even sterner look and left me with a thud.
I crumpled on my knees sobbing. “You just ruined my day’s effort! This is not how it was supposed to be. Tonight was special. I should have been with him. Celebrating our time. But here I am with a complete stranger listening to the gibberish babbles.” He rolled his eyes. Wickedly ran his hand through his hair, and was downright glaring at me. “Why you going so hyper? It’s just a cake Miss. Melodrama!” He spoke with a mouthful of my cake bits and put his hand forward.
 I looked up to him to react. That punch ought to strike down his attitude.
“Sometimes when life hesitates to give you the perfect moment, you should desperately try stealing some on your own” he said mockingly. I mouthed “sick”.“Enough! Get out of here” I stormed to get the phone. Just then I could hear my favorite track being played on the system. I turned back discretely. And he stood before me gesturing to hold his hand.
... I did not even know whether I was numb or perplexed for he swung me in his arms, pulled me closer and started dancing effortlessly. Unknowingly he took me back to the blissful years of my life. A period of unmarried love, a time when I was not taken for granted by anyone. And all those years of married life, the brutal happenings, his rough and offensive memories rang in my ears. I finally got my moment.“Oohh... It’s everything you wanted, it’s everything you don’t... Its one door swinging open and... Oo...Some prayers find an answer some prayers never know….” lip singing the song he looked into my eyes with much intensity. And I went with the flow filling the rest “… we are holding on and letting go…” His eyes were dangerously sparkling. He stopped abruptly, looked away and started walking towards my art board kept at the corner. Thinking drove me insane sometimes, so these fanatics work of colors. The painting was a piece of my mind whenever I gave up on life. Whenever he looked at me with hatred. The portrait of the lady reflected my world, complete and entire. The one who never stood her ground, the one who suffered endlessly and never hoped to find the strength to smile. “So you are not only aggressive, but gifted enough” he said his eyes transfixed on the portrait I had left incomplete. I bit out angrily at anyone who tried to lay a hand on my work. But I skipped over half the things that he was saying. Out of sheer wonder because with each second I spent with this guy I gradually knew myself.   “I got this” and he began to run the brush over my work. I stared at him blankly. His eyes scanned through my imperfect artistic work and a mischievous smile played about his lips. He nodded his head and gave a thumbs up. He took a step back chivalrously. Slowly but surely I walked towards the board. I angled back my head to get a clearer view. My eyebrows arched. And the sight misted my eyes. Literally. It narrowed in distrust. The portrait was so striking, and looked bright and happy. It was as if someone had wiped the lurking sorrow around her eyes. I felt a familiar tremble down my body. Yes! The lady was longing to get touched, to get out of the miseries and pain. Her face was no longer pale. There was an irresistible zest about the portrait now. And this was a sheer attempt to give her life. The lady in the portrait looked so majestic.    “Beautiful”.  I mumbled meekly. 
“Isn’t that my line?!” and so he pulled me back to face the master-mirror opposite to the bed. “You don’t need to live with this pain you have been fighting with all the years. Choose honor and dignity over these bruises” and he brushed his fingers over and around my neck, the fresh reminder of a faulty marriage.  I so badly wanted to turn and go back to the life that my parents saved for me. A time when I was stubborn to the point of annoyance. Shot in love. What so ever it is ought to be blind. And for whom? I questioned myself. For someone who swabbed of the happiness from my little world?
A smile shot across my eyes, I blinked and my thoughts were again taken over by ‘the man’ who left me alone unashamedly and unapologetically in each phase of our married life. ‘THUD’ the sound woke me to see him nowhere around. He was gone in a jiffy. I ran to the balcony and peeked to see him clinging on to a rope. Sensing my gaze, he looked up and flashed the now familiar mischievous smile. Without sparing a second glance, he climbed down fading into the dark.Consciously or unconsciously my hand leapt out but refrained in the next moment and finally rested on my bosom only to shriek in astonishment.
“The pendant! It’s gone!” the lonesome stranger stumbled upon my life, granting me the perfect moments yet luring away a prize in return.