Pratidwandwi By Asha Bage

He remembered Anu, right from the base of his heart. Now he was approaching a step further everyday on the path of getting well. Very soon he will not be needing Anu, and he knew that. But it was something beyond his need. He realised that it was not her touch that he was craving for. It was beyond any longing. It was a beautiful picture. In it, there was his room upstairs, the ceiling, the walls, window, the terrace next door, the lady on the terrace, her daily exercise, her baby, the lively trees, and Anu… her timely routine visit for his therapy, the dialogues which never occurred. This picture was drawn not by the Kartik within him but someone else within him. He needed everything to be in the proper place precisely. He needed everything as it was even though there was no true bonding in them.