Lost Forever

He was dear to so many; a son, a brother, a friend and a man in love; young, bright, funny, intelligent, helpful and full of life, someone who had dreams and so many adventures to look forward to in his life . He was 19. When he found her, she was just another girl, trying to find her way about in life, lost and confused. She was a troubled soul; life had not been kind to her and her family. She was 21.

                                                            

They met at her sister’s.

 She found him arrogant and snooty, too full of himself, someone she would rather avoid.

 He fell in love with her the moment he walked through the door and saw her.

He had decided then that she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. She didn’t know this till much later as their story unfolded.

One can never be sure what fate has in store, she wanted nothing to do with him but it was decided otherwise. Why she wonders to this day? Why did he come into her life? Was it to teach  her something? Or was it a prelude to all the pain that was laying in wait for her? What was life trying to tell her? Sometimes you feel that certain things needn’t have happened, that they are quite senseless. But are they? Doesn’t everything in life happen for a reason? There are no coincidences in life. Things, good or bad happen for a reason.

They were thrown together by fate. What transpired was a beautiful friendship. First impressions should not always be your last, she realized. Perhaps that was one lesson she learnt from this chapter in her life. Behind all that bravado was a shy young man, sensitive and loving. Like a tender bud unfurling its first fresh petals, their friendship blossomed into something lovely. He had plans for his future and she was a permanent part of it. She felt happy though she had her reservations. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy, they came from such different families, that neither would agree. He was confident though. He would tell her that if his love is true everybody will have to come around. So she started taking him home and as days went by her mother and brother began to see him for what he was, a wonderful human being, someone who loved her dearly.

It was the month of December, they had barely been together but both knew theirs was something to stay the rest of their lives. He came home one day and spoke of his plans with her mother. He asked her for her daughter’s hand in marriage, saying he will make her daughter very happy. Her mother did not agree or disagree, she just left it to fate but her respect for this young man increased. She had always hoped her daughter would marry someone like him, someone confident and so devoted to her daughter’s well being. Secretly she was pleased and knew when the time came to be supportive of both of them she would.

Three days later he drowned, never to be found. He was lost forever.

It was one of those annual picnics. From what they heard was that a group had taken a boat to explore the water and it capsized. One other person with them was sucked in by a whirlpool and in his attempt to pull himself out of the water he pulled this young man down too but not before he helped the rest of the people to hold on to the overturned boat before help came. His parents watched helplessly as he went down under.

The nightmare that began still haunts her at times. It was the coldest winter that year. She would lay awake at night and shiver thinking he must be so cold. All attempts to find him were in vain. They never did. He was lost somewhere in his watery bed for always. She could not give up hope. Every time the door bell would ring she hoped it would be someone with news of him. Like in the movies she hoped that he was found by someone and that he was being taken care of and that he had lost his memory. What wishful thinking! Life is not like that.

 Somehow there was never any closure for her or his family. She has moved on, had to but still in some corner of her heart she hopes that he is out there, lost. Even today she searches for him in crowds, searching for that familiar face amongst strangers.