A Tale of Love to Remember

I have been in love with the woman staying in the opposite flat since I rented my flat. Many times I have noticed her and maybe she has also noticed me looking at her. I keep wondering what she thinks of me. I keep looking at her and my fantasy runs riot. I want to hug her and I fantasize how she would look without clothes. She looks stunning and the dress today is short above the knee, which highlights her legs and a flat belly leaving very little for my imagination. But I’ve never gotten the courage to talk. to her. Six months have elapsed and I am wondering that perhaps today something will change. Today is December 22^nd. What’s so special about December 22? Well, it's the longest night of the year and I am hoping that this longest night would be the opening to Alibaba‘s cave. I can fantasize, about her lovely face and then I close my eyes and I can’t help not thinking of the curls on her mons. Does she have them? The thought excites me no end. Would I ever hide my face in that fur and savor the excitement of paying homage with my tongue?

I am hoping it will be a long night. My luck would be changing, I was sure but why was I so confident? I heard the others talking about December 22nd, the longest night of the year. I will have the most time for her tonight, as the daylight takes our movement away.

I come from the office and watch the sunset from my window. It’s a beautiful sight as I watch the sky turning beautiful shades of colors. The colors in the sky as they change are beautiful. Once the sun sets, I will be free to approach her. My day in the Office was passed, anticipating the night and the chance that I would see the woman of my dreams opposite my flat. All day, I have been working and trying to keep my mind on the jobs given to me by my boss. I tried to concentrate on the work, but I couldn’t get away from the fantasy appearing before me of the woman in her house and dropping her dress in front of me.

The clock is ticking away and now it is time to pack up and go. Everybody has gone and I am the only person left. My blood pressure rising I don’t know but I can feel the thumping of my heart as I’m the last man to leave, close the door, and take the elevator down.

I reach my house, open the door, and look out of the window. The sun slips lower and lower along the horizon. I can feel the tingle in my hands as the sun descends. It means that I will soon come to life and I will be able to talk to her. I have been in this flat for around 10 years, but she came 6 months ago. I have never once spoken to her. I have tried, but I can never force myself to start. I want to say hello, but the words get stuck in my throat. I am wondering how I’m going to make my pass to her.

Did I tell you that in my spare time, I paint, yes, I paint and on the canvas. I have the half-finished painting of the woman in front of me. I Drop the brush and now it’s pretty dark and the long night is beginning. I move away from my canvas, but not before I have planted a kiss on the beautiful face, I was painting and then I get up and move to the door. I open it and stand there looking at the opposite flat door. She has not yet come, but I will keep standing here till she comes. There is an absolute silence all around and no one else is in sight then I hear the elevator coming up and it opens and out she steps. This beautiful girl. She looks at me standing at the door and smiles but doesn’t say anything as she puts the key in the lock of the door to open it. I see her framed in the door; somehow the door is not opening and then something strange happens, the keys dropped to the floor and she goes down to pick them up. I’m seized of the moment and I just run to her side. What the hell am I doing? I kneel next to her and pick up the keys. I do not want to hand them to her, for now, I feel these keys are the ones that are going to open Ali Baba’s cave. I look at her put the key in the lock and turn it and I can hear the click as the door opens. She’s looking at me with a half-smile and she reminds me of a beautiful goddess

“Are you alright?” I ask, my voice low and tender.

“Yes, thank you. So nice that you ran across to pick up the keys, my dress is so tight. I would have difficulty picking them up.” Her voice is like a melody. She smiles at me and takes my hand. We stand together, her hand still in mine. Neither of us dare to move. I don’t even dare to breathe.

I push open the door and inside the small apartment I notice an old gramophone. I wish she asked me in and then my prayers were answered. She says," Thank you for helping me but why don’t you come inside”

This is the invitation I was waiting for and I quickly move inside and she follows me. I give her the keys and she deposits them on the table and then looks at me and says, "Do you like my gramophone.?"

"Yes, it’s lovely it’s antique, isn’t it?"

"Yes, and I have some old records, would you like me to play them for you?"

"I would love it."

"Okay, I will play them but before that, I will get you a drink. What would you like?"

"Nothing, anything, whatever you’re drinking."

"I’m going to take gin and lime"

"Same for me"

There is a lovely bar and she goes there and makes the cocktail and then surprises me by saying, "I have wanted to talk to you for a long time at least for the last six months ever since I saw you in the door."

"You have seen me in the door"

"Yes, every day."

"I will tell you a secret. I have also been watching you; believe me, I have fantasized about many things."

"I can understand," she says with a smile.

Her gaze is warm and comforting, and I melt beneath her stare.

She hands me a glass, and I slowly start sipping it, watching her while I sip. My heart is beating fast and I wonder if this will be my night, my dream night which I have been waiting for the last six months.

“Oh? I wanted to ask you something,” I say, looking down at her dress tight and sexy showcasing some of the loveliest legs I have seen. How old could she be 24,25? I am touching half a century.

"Okay," she says I will now play some music. Would you like to listen to some old music from Stef Meeder?"

I didn’t know who Steff Meeder was, but replied, "Yes I love this music. Please put it on". She walks to the gramophone, lifts the hood removes a record from a jacket, and sets it on the turntable, then pushes the stylus to the record which begins to turn as she places it on the edge. It’s beautiful music that starts playing but maybe I like the music because it’s been put on by this girl, my fantasy.

I cannot believe I am listening to a record from a woman whom I have fantasized about for six months. Sometimes I feel that what is happening is unreal. Outside the sun has set and it’s a long night and here I am listening to music with a girl that I have fantasized about for the last six months. It feels like a dream.

The record is now playing out soft lilting melodies and she looks at me and says ." I love this music and I love to dance to it."

"Dance to it?"

"Yes, why not?"

"Yes," I say, "Yes, I also want to dance."

We move to the center of the room, our hands joined together. I don’t want to let her go; not now, and not ever. I am imagining we are in a real dance hall and there are lots of people around and the girl is cuddling close to me and everybody’s looking at me and wondering look this foggy has got such a hot girl with him. My thoughts are cut and I realize that there are only two of us here.

The woman lets go of my hand, but only for a moment. She takes my other hand in hers and raises them above our heads. My palm presses against hers and I pause. I have never been so afraid to dance with someone. Slowly, we begin the dance.

It’s a funny way, “I say, “the music is so beautiful but more important, I have dreamt of dancing with you for the last six months”

She smiles, "I know."

I want to ask her, How do you know ?' but the question doesn’t come to my lips and all I say is 'I never got your name what is it?'

"Kavita,"

'What a lovely name'

"You think so?"

"Yes, It means poetry, "I say and I am wondering whether this beautiful girl can read the fear in my stomach.

"This is going to be a long night." She says.

"Yes it is, but I hope it will be longer and we can dance forever"

"Yes, we can dance till morning, and in between I will make you a sandwich of ham and chicken."

I am wondering if today is my day, is it going to be my conquest, my victory? We dance and now I pull her closer to me.

I say, “I realized that I would rather look at your beauty than I would look at the sunrise. tonight, I overcame the fear.”

As we dance, I tell her I am an amateur painter and I have been making her paintings. She is astonished. and says, " I want to see it."

"You will have to come to my apartment"

"Let’s go"

"She switches off the record and I gather her in my arms, cradle her enter my apartment, and stand before the painting.

This feels like a dream, and I begin to wonder if paintings can sense anything. But a painting cannot hallucinate, and I cannot dream. This is real, or at least as real as one can call our lives. "It is very beautiful," She says, "you have depicted me so correctly."

“I have been wanting to tell you of your beauty since you came here,” I say, fighting the urge to run from her. Maybe it is time to turn and face my fear.

She blushes and takes my hand in hers. She picks up the painting and together we move back to her room. She switches on the record again and places the painting next and says, "How did you make this painting without my dress? You painted me in the nude; Have you been fantasizing about me?"

I do not answer as the music begins. I hold her and dance again. It feels electric as if our hands will catch fire. I meet her eyes, which are filled with love as much as they are with joy.

“Such beauty as yours cannot be matched, but your words mean more to me than I can say,” she says. She breaks the steps of the dance and places a kiss on the back of my hand. I gasp, and she pulls away.

“I did not mean to frighten you,” I say, “that was just unexpected.” I take her free hand in mine and place a gentle kiss on the inside of her wrist.

“I never did catch your name,” she says, meeting my gaze.

“It’s Kavita and you?

“Raunaq Singh”

We dance together Her hand lands on my waist, a gentle gesture in the dancing world, and a touch that means so much more to me than anyone perceiving it could ever know. I’m getting my confidence back and I move forward and lightly brush her lips. But there is an animal in her, and she responds with her tongue in my mouth.

As I suck her tongue, I say," I wish this could continue forever, and the night would never end."

"I also wish the same"

There is not much of a place in the room and suddenly she catches the stool and she stumbles, but I hold her and now I have carried her in my arms and taken her on the couch.

What a beautiful moment it was. I can’t have enough of it. I have now pulled this short skit up and the high-waist panty comes into view.

I put my thumb in the elastic and wrench it up. It’s a flimsy piece, decorative and dainty and not meant to stand such pressure, and the same tears at the seam and I throw it away what I have dreamed for six months now comes true as I hide my face at the altar of her beauty.

The entire night was spent in rare transport of joy. Afterward, I can get to my apartment in the morning and once more we are transported to Paradise, I realize I have not had a woman for three years and I can’t have enough of her.

We dance the rest of the night our words and our movements matching in grace. When the morning is approaching, we take a rest. I sit down next to her, and she wraps her arm around my shoulders. It is impossible for a painting to get cold, but the gesture is more than enough.

The night sky slowly lightens, and I sit up. I feel my time is running out, and I have something more to say.

“Kavita?” I say,," I want to say something."

“What is it, Raunaq?” She says the name effortlessly, and I am delighted..

“I am in love with you. I have been since you came to the flat,” I say, the words easily. I never could have predicted it was so easy to confess to her.

“ I also, my dear Raunaq.” The first rays of color start to peek over the window, and I sigh.

“Until tomorrow night?” It is not a question I expect her to answer. I lean to kiss, and realize her smile is beautiful but sad.

. For six months, she was the woman across my flat.

There is always a twist to the tail and the twist took place. I say," Wait, I am coming from the washroom." I enter and come out as fast as possible but the beauty is not there and the room is empty I shout 'Where are you' There is no response. I look around for nobody. I open the door and look at the door of the flat in front of me. It’s open I enter but there is nobody but somehow I feel happy. Maybe she would find happiness also. I look out of the balcony to the rising sun, and I realize this was one long night that was wonderfully spent, something that’s not going to happen again.