By Nitum Jain:
They met by the Eiffel Tower,
She had her intentions clear.
It’s not working, she told herself,
And slipped off the ring as he watched in fear.
Come back, come home,
We’ll be happy again, screamed his mind.
But lips trembled, arms outstretched,
Yet no words escaped those lips as she looked behind.
I was to come, call me, she thought,
And I’ll run into those arms.
Prove yourself, say it’ll work,
Don’t just watch from afar.
She waited, he waited,
She waited for his words.
But as none came along, not one,
To go forever, she turned.
But far didn’t she go, his words sliced the silence.
“Meet me by the Tower tomorrow; I’ll make it up to you”
No, her mind screamed, “Yes” she said,
As out all sense flew.
She’ll come; he told himself and waited the day next.
A smile graced his lips as she came.
But her words were an icy fire, scorching his mind
Chilling his heart when her lips uttered his name.
He tried with flowers and violins,
He did everything he could.
The cliches rang in her ears,
To his dismay, up she stood.
“Everything is wrong, we aren’t meant to be together”
With a rueful smile she said.
“Maybe someday you will meet someone,
Someone who’ll love you back, till death”
That was the last he saw of her.
She vowed never to look back, never to let herself ruin him again.
But silently, he vowed the opposite;
He’ll get her back and relieve her from her unknown pain.
Years went by in search;
Years went by in hiding;
As years went by, he tired;
As years went by, from his search he retired.
1927, as breeze blew at curls under the bonnet
And her parasol threatened to fly from her hand
She once again set out to the Tower,
Reliving the moment when she took off that engagement band.
As she stood on the top,
Looking back at times, she thought,
I had tried to find love so hard
Yet didn’t recognize it, when love I got.
But it was love not meant to be
And that I am going to firmly believe.
Like every year since that fateful day, with this same resolve,
Clarisse turned to leave.