Romance and Cigerettes

      The Car came to a rolling stop. Sameer got down and walked to the front. With his back against the bonnet, he stared at the waves. Waves of the mighty blue ocean, clasping each other, trying to get shore. It’s been so long since the last time Sameer came here. Years back, he used to come here with Archana every week. He loved coming here with her. Holding hands and walking along the shore, wetting their feet. Talking for hours, mostly inane stuff. He just loved to be with her, lost in these waves.

      He pulled out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. His right hand now rummaged his pocket for the lighter. It had the alphabet A on it. Archana bought him that, hoping he would think of her every time he smoked. Hoping eventually he would quit. But that didn’t seem to happen. Archana was always bothered with Sameer smoking and Sameer knew that. She never him asked to do anything he didn’t like. 

      Things turn out pretty ugly when you let your ego get the best of you. Sameer learnt that the hard way. He promised himself he would never let his foolish pride make decisions for him ever. Days rolled to years and there he stood reminiscing things he missed. He felt a comforting touch. “That’s strange. Cigarette in place and you are not smoking,” Nikitha, his wife. She gave him a tender smile. Sameer put his arm across her shoulders and moved her close to him. He leaned and kissed her forehead. Now staring back at the waves he said, “I’m gonna get over it.”  He threw the cigarette away,   “smoking that is…” He placed the lighter in Niki’s hands…