Eternity

Just like any other Monday, he brought me these beautiful red and pink roses. Yet, it was a special day. He put one red and one pink rose in my bun and I decorated the rest in the flower vase.

It was our 50th wedding anniversary. Our children and grandchildren had all arrived, my picture perfect family. We had shifted out of children’s dwelling long back as he did not wanted to see daily fights and bickering with them, if at all any.  His idea worked. We have had a wonderful life and maintain great relation with our children.

They got us our cake, a lot of gifts and house full of smiles, laughs and happiness. A smiling and happy family is always a million dollar gift. Our grandchildren kept clicking on their cameras, posing left and posing right, looking this way or standing that way. The camera flash has always been an itch in his eyes.

It has been the same since our day of wedding. The shutterbugs then also irritated him no end. He had said that photography was the worst part of his wedding.

Yet, he has been my hero and impresses me, ever since our college days. His beautiful eyes, now hidden behind glasses, a man of magical words, now mellowed, a man of royalty that still radiates from his face.

As we reached our room that night, he closed the door subtly and we moved towards our bed. Age had slowed us down. He stood behind me and hugged me, slowly planting a kiss on my neck. No matter how old you are, a kiss on the neck is no less than magic.

He turned me and I could clearly see love in his eyes. The madness of love hadn’t left his eyes since the day we met.

"Sweetheart I complete my promise today, to stay with you for eternity" He said and kissed my forehead.

We both have blood cancer. Our doctors told us that it is the final stage. Our end was near. The doctor suggested chemotherapy but we decided to be at home with our family when we die.

We have been spitting blood almost the whole day. Our kids, unaware, are rejoicing outside.

We are going to sleep in each other’s arms, never to wake up again. We had promised to one another an eternity of togetherness and promises are meant to keep, we did keep ours.