The Sweet Melancholy of Love

By Kartik Arora
India

Life starts with birth
I started living it only after you came.

I led a simple life
each day no different from the other
Because till that day
God would never bother

One fine day
When my turn came
Fate got mischievous
She played a small game

She got you in my life
And then it was never the same

She put you somewhere high
Where my arms would just reach
I would jump high to touch you
And then take the fall

I tried, I jumped
To touch you strong enough
I tried to cling to your outstretched hands
Finally you pulled me up

Life had never been so vibrant
Full of so many colours
Yes, It would now never be the same
But I didn’t know, that this was just a game

Lightning struck
And our hands separated
I tried to hold on
But you pushed me away

I fought the storm
And found my way
Your heart had outplayed fate
I saw you waiting for me
And now were to stay

Fate was beaten
She couldn’t accept the affair
She had sworn now
She wasn’t going to play fair

It was her game
She made the rules
With the universe at her disposal
Death just one of her tools

You had already been played
I was to played at dawn
I went in acceptance as death came
Unaware, he is just a pawn

The final move had been played
I realised, when he went for you instead

I begged, I cried
to take me along
I watched you rise from my side
As death sang his song

It hurt too much to be alone
And I said now no more
I punished myself again and again
causing pain to my soul

I was to go and on
Force death to show some pity
Make him pull me to its side
And take me to your Heavenly city

But Death didn’t come
To take me on the ride
For this was a game
There were rules
And I had to abide

I lost all faith in Him
I was about to turn my back

When,

“Wait” God said, “ For I have a plan”
I believed, I hoped.

I kept looking through the door
I saw you go further
Each day a bit more
I would think of you and wonder
Is life worth waiting for?

Finally the time came

I set out on the magnificent Journey
Holding hands with Death
I let go of all the agony
As I took my final breath

I came face to face with the Divine
I felt wronged for he had lied
He had promised to save me
To send some sunshine
I was kept waiting till my tears dried

I yelled at him and asked him

“You took her away from me
Was this your brilliant plan”

He replied with all the calmness of the eternity

“It was a game fate played
one I always despised
Matters of the heart
even leave me surprised

Death brought her here alone
He told me you still had time
“He can’t do it himself” he said
“It’s not in his time
But if life was too hard to live
Ending it won’t be a crime”

I had to make up for what I did
You had to be together
I had promised

I ordered Fate to let the dices roll
As I now took control
I asked it to set the wheels in motion
To keep you there
To push you to the hole
Fate was puzzled
It had no notion

I explained

To push him to the limit
And to pull him beyond is my plan
A mistake has been made
which needs to be set right
I have to bring them together
As soon as I can”

We may not have lived our lives together,
But the end is still right,
After death, my love, we unite.