Lavender

She came to him like a dream. He was rushing from his office for a meeting he already was late for. As he ran out of the office to hail the nearest cab he banged on to someone. As he fell, his folder containing documents needed for his meeting, were scattered all over the pavement. A speeding cab nearly ran him over when he was swiftly moved over to safety by her. He looked up at her in his shocked state and was instantly mesmerised. She stood upright in front him like a fairy. Her wavy hair open and flowing, her almond eyes twinkling, as she smiled at him and reached her hand down to him to pick him up

“That was close wasn’t it”, she said still smiling.

“Thank you so much”, was all he could muster, his hands still trembling at the shock of what just happened. And what could have happened had it not been for her.

She was smartly dressed in a dark suit and matching knee-length skirt and a white satin shirt under her jacket. Her fair complexion turned pink as she looked at him and smiled. He felt a rush of happiness seeing that smile and knowing it was for him.

“My file”, he exclaimed, suddenly realising it had dropped as he fell and the papers were scattered all around. He looked around and couldn’t see anything.

“It’s here with me”, her angelic voice made him look at her again instead of the pavement where he was hunting for it.

She smiled yet again as she handed over the file to him. It had a beautiful lavender smell about it. Maybe it was her perfume that was on it. The papers were neatly stacked inside. He looked around and was relieved to find no loose paper around the pavement.

“Do you work nearby”, he asked her, attempting to begin a conversation with the beautiful woman.

“Same building as yours”, she smiled. “I’ve seen you many a time. Most of the times rushing for a cab”, her smile broadened as she spoke the words.

“Uhh yes. I’m always late and am forever rushing to make it to my meetings on time”, he confessed, happy at making progress in his conversation with her.

“I know. I’ve seen you running behind cabs most of the times.” You must learn to be on time”, there was a hint of mild reprimand in her tone.

“Aren’t you getting late now”, she asked him, as he was staring at her fixedly, mesmerised and bemused at the same time. He had never seen a woman as beautiful as her.

“Uh yes yes”, he replied, embarrassed at being found out. “I’d better go. Hope to see you soon again, since we’re both in the same building”, he said, extending his hand to shake hers.

He was about to ask her name when he felt splashes of water on his face. He opened his eyes and saw a crowd of people staring at him. He was lying on the pavement. His file was lying close enough to him. The papers seemed ok to him.

“You’re lucky mister. You would’ve gone for good had it not been for Maya”, the old security guard from the building said.

“Maya…yes I know…I was talking to her just now when….”; he stopped mid sentence as it didn’t make sense to him at all. He surely was talking to her. So what was he doing lying down on the pavement? And the file was in his hands. And not a couple of feet away on the ground. He looked around for her, confused and dazed.

“Where did she go…Maya “, he asked no one in particular, wondering aloud.

“Maya, our beautiful receptionist”, the security guard sighed. “It was her first day at work. She was excited that day as she was about to meet her fiancé after work. I remember her running out of the office to cross the road to meet him. And poor thing. She was knocked off by a taxi right in front of my eyes. Died instantly poor soul. It all happened in a flash in front my eyes”, the old man sighed as he gingerly walked back towards his chair again.

“And yet sometimes…I see her…like today”, the guard sighed to himself as he walked away.

He stood there, his hands still trembling as he picked up the file from the ground. As he opened it to find all the papers intact he felt an overwhelming whiff of lavender. The wind howled as he began to walk towards a waiting cab.

Copyright (c) Pratik Majumdar