An encounter.

An old flame,
lying comatose
on the memory lane
rose all of a sudden.

Destiny brought
them together again.
Years after,
though for a brief moment.

Eyes that once spoke
nothing but love
and gazed unabashedly
into each other
were now despondent,
seeking a haven to hide.

Eyes that now spoke
volumes of
love incomplete and
promises unfulfilled.

Thin lines of wrinkles
that showed their
premature senescence-
spoke of endless ennui
and longings.

They managed a
disconcerted smile,
barely exchanging glances.
A cold frozen silence
iced the warmness
that they tried hard
to feign but in vain.

Drifted away by memories
they reminisced their togetherness,
their innocent love
and candid differences.

The differences that crept in
with such effrontery
and broke their hearts
into millions of shards.

Hesitatingly, he said
to break the ice
"You look just the same"
He lied and she understood.
Yet, her face glimmered
and she suavely pushed back
a curl of hair back around
her ears and smiled lopsidedly
much like the old days.

They could hardly
exchange words
but confabulated fluently
non verbally.

She could no longer
bear the stifling discomfort
and said :-
"I think, I should leave"
and he didn't stop her.

An encounter of five minutes
brought back memories from the grave.
An old flame that died long back
faintly flickered today.