Tears In Silence

It is late afternoon and evening approaches fast. Autumn has come and the days are getting longer. The park is deserted except for a woman, who is coming towards the far gate. The last rays of the dying sun play upon her dark hair making it appear brownish.

The woman is young, certainly not more than twenty five and good looking. She reaches the gate of the park and steps in, not very sure of herself as if she has come to the wrong place. She looks around the finally reaching a decision walks towards a bench under a tree. Every steps that she takes on the thick carpet of brown leaves seems to take her back in memory.She is filled with reminiscences. How soon things change, she thinks. Summer has passed, and the warm days are already a thing of the past. The bright flowers that had once bloomed in the park have all disappeared, the trees stand bare of their summer attire of green, their long gnarled branches reach towards the sky like hands in prayers.

By now she has reached the wooden bench. Her steps are steady, but her head is in a turmoil. The woman stands near the bench as if expecting somebody to appear. "This is the place", she says to herself, "But it is so different now". The big tree is there and so is the bench, but summer is gone and so is the bench, but summer is gone and so is he. She finally sits down dejectedly, knowing that he will not be coming. Sadness hangs like a cloud over her. Her delicate features have become tragic with hurt she feels deep down in her heart.

The park holds many sweet memories for her. Memories which have lately become very painful. The nostalgia of her days when she would come with him to the park in summer. They would sit on the bench and with their eyes drink the lush green beauty of the park. Every part of their being would seem alive, their nostrils filled with the sweet scent of the flowers and the fragrance of freshly cut grass. In their ears would be the hum of bees and soft swishing of leaves in the breeze. Their hearts racing with excitement and their minds filled with plans of the future. But then had come the accident. From a two months old bride it had left her a widow.

She is overwhelmed by a feeling of deep self pity and helplessness. She is not crying but there is a peculiar shine in her eyes and a tremor in her lips. There is a gust of wind and last leaf on the tree, a veteran of the war of seasons, finally leaves its perch on the tree to join its brothers on the ground. It flows down into her lap, suddenly the flood of tears in her eyes no longer contained bursts forth, the first tear mimicking the falling of leaf. She puts her hands to her face and starts crying bitterly.

The park is deserted and there is no sound except the sobs of the young woman and the soft whisper of the breeze as if trying to soothe her.