A belated love story, part 1 ...

I find it absolutely amazing to remember how the chain reaction of events accounted to one of the "most unkindest" twists of fate. If I had the ability to turn back time, I guess the very first act of changing history would have been my intervention in this episode.

I recall, just like chessmen neatly arranged in their initial positions in a chess board, they were all there. Alice, her father, her mother and my family, even certain family issues which would culminate to its peak at the wrong time. They were all there right from the beginning to start a game of fate.

My father and her father were great friends and neighbors right from a very young age, in fact a little peep from the window of my father's ancestral house (at 'Native land¹ ) would fetch a glimpse of their family and vice versa. Hence in spite of my father's transferable job, the bonds never weakened. She was my age and I knew her ever since my childhood memories began to form as a toddler. It was rather natural for me to get acquainted with her.

I saw Alice every time I peeped out of the window and even had endless child talks from window to window. This continued every time my family visited Native land, where my grandparents stayed.

I was four years old, rather a little bit mature for a toddler, I found myself teasing her by making funny faces at her every time I caught her at her window. She replied back in the same terms. It was an innocent childhood prank.

As the years passed, we found each other no longer indulged in childish pranks, but engaging ourselves in long conversations, I do not remember what we chatted about but I remember we had something to chat about.

My father had a transferable job, so whenever we were on a vaccation, we visited the native land and I had a chance to talk to Alice.

Years passed, it was the year 1987, I was 12 years old. During that time my father was posted in the city of " Golden gates"² Again, my family was on a visit to Native land after learning that my grandfather was not keeping well and his condition deteriorated each day. This was the first time that upon reaching the Native land home, I did not see her. They themselves were away on a vacation.

My grand father passed away within a few weeks.

By that time, as if on queue, her family too returned form their vacation. The game of chess has already started much earlier, remember?

This was when I saw Alice after years, she was no longer the little girl with her hair in pig tails. She had shoulder length hair, her eyes were enchanting already she was just a few inches shorter than me and nature was taking its course, she was transforming. In a different reality such a meeting would haves inspired many poems instantly, but this, was a sad time for us.

She paid regular visits to me for days and it was she who helped me a lot to overcome my grief by staying by my side for hours. I missed my grandfather. I was the eldest son, (a male heir ) of my generation. No wonder I had developed a soft corner in his mind for me. It was then; I remembered that my grandfather always carried a smile when he saw me talking to her. Did he assume that a match made in heaven was already in progress? Well, he never knew how this match would progress.

After a few days even when I was had coped up with the loss, still she never left my side, until her mother would call her for lunch or for home work from school.

I felt very comfortable with her and her presence was always so soothing. ³

My family had to return to Golden gates as my father's job demanded his presence sooner than expected. I wish I had more time with her.

Alice came to meet me a day before we were scheduled to depart for the Golden land. She looked very pretty in a light pink colored blouse and blue faded jeans and her shoulder length hair gave her a unique sweet appearance. She wanted me to come back soon and I notice her eyes to be moist?

Who can forget such memorable days? Unfortunately I did, only to come crashing back to this -square one, in due course of time, and I never knew how the winds will blow on this game of Chess, as it proceeded, the strategy thickening from now on!

Continued to part 2

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