Meghalaya

She tossed and turned in her bed, unable to get even a wink of sleep. Insomnia had got the better of her despite all the rigorous meditations and sleep therapies she went through. The antique mantel clock on her bedside table showed three twenty in the morning. Suddenly the mobile phone rang slicing the silence of the night. As she sat up startled and picked it up from the bedside table, the screen glowed in the dark - "unknown number."

Her sleepless night kept her inquisitive, but she wondered whether to take the call. While she thought about it, the call dropped. She sighed. It had emotions both inquisitive and investigative. She wanted to scold herself for not picking up the call when it rang again. The number seemed to be the same one from the last missed call. She quickly responded to the call. “Hello?” “Aha! Many happy returns of the day Megha! I wanted to be the first one to call you. Am I?”

Megha sat silent for a while. Is it her birthday today? No one has wished her for years, and she tends to forget quite a few things these days. Date of birth is one of them, but it came back to her that there was a time when she was wished at midnight by a particular person who actually woke her up to wish her. Back then a midnight wish was not an accepted style, which made him a man with a difference. A difference that was not appreciated. Was it this day? She wanted to search for a calendar, which she could not find, so she decided to try this the other way. “Who is calling? And what date and time is it?” “Ah! I had thought you would recognise my voice, but I see you don’t. No worries, I’m Alay. It's going to be 31st August shortly, and I wanted to wish you at midnight, like always. Sorry, I am a few minutes early, because I didn’t want to be late. You do remember me, don’t you?” “Alay, yes I do remember you. You did give me a reason to not forget you or your name. And thank you for reminding me the date. But it's not a few minutes that you’re early. You’re late by hours! What made you call me so late? Is this your new style?” “What do you mean? It's just about midnight here. Aha! Silly of me. It's almost midnight here, but it should be around half past three at your end! I’m so sorry Megha, I didn’t realise this. I’m used to following my own watch as I do not need any other watch to follow. I’m so sorry I woke you up! Please forgive me.” “Alay, what watch are you talking about? And where are you, where it is midnight now? And no, you didn’t wake me up, thanks for reminding me that!” “I’m in Kyiv, don’t you remember? I had shifted after graduation to pursue my career in photography. I had told that to you I remember, just before leaving. But I'm so sorry I didn’t wish you for almost 10 years now! My career kept me so busy that I lost touch with so many people, including family and friends. And you.” “Alay, just to let you know, no one has wished me in the last 10 years now that I remember. And apart from my parents, who have passed on to a merrier life, no one wished me on my birthday, apart from you who did it criminally by waking me up at midnight! And today you didn’t even do that! I’m sorry to say, but I missed that feeling. But thank you for your wish!” “What do you mean, I didn’t wake you up? Were you awake? Are you working night shifts? How are you, my dear?” “I’m fine, thank you. I wish I was working night shifts. I wish I was working at all. But I’ve not been working for almost two years now. I’ve given up working because the ramp industry didn’t find me attractive anymore, at least for their profit lines. Thankfully, my investments and advertising deals have kept me going, but I don’t know what to do for the whole day! Sometimes I do have to go for a few photo shoots, but even that is not going right, because according to the lensmen I need to make a lot of changes to my face and…. Anyway, why am I even talking about myself? What about you? What are you up to these days, and what about your family? I mean, I hope you are already married?” “Megha, it seems you aren't what you loved to be like, take care of your health and looks, by avoiding junk food and late nights, by maintaining discipline of life….” “Alay, all that changed with my industry. I loved being healthy, happy, and good looking because I wanted to be a model. But when I got into the industry and started living its life, I realised that these are all temporary and never stays on forever! Time changes, as does feelings of health, happiness, and looks. And work pressure makes people do things that they once did not like doing. I had to eat whatever came across my hands at one point in time, just to save time and be fed. Anyway, how's your photography going on? Good models you are shooting?” “Megha, I did start with portrait photography, but soon realised that there are more living things to shoot than humans alone. The geography of Ukraine, Crimean and Carpathian Mountains, fertile soil, tropical weather, and variety of diversity here made me pursue natural photography, which I have been doing for five years now. Humans didn’t seem to respect me being behind the camera and wanted me everywhere else. Nor did they thank or appreciate my work. Nature on the other hand doesn’t have a human voice, but talks to my heart and soul, and wants to be with her all the time. But I would like to click you too, something I always wanted, and you never let me do. Now that you are free, can we try, and see?” “I’m not clickable anymore. I haven’t been sleeping well for some time now. I don’t know if you’d like to see me or shoot me. But you didn’t answer the question I asked about your family, Alay.” “Megha, I can’t tell you why, but I don’t have a family, as in I have not married. I’m not a person to maintain a discipline and keep moving around in the country as my dreams call me. I don’t think I could bring up and build faith in a family in this way.” “I think I know why didn’t marry, Alay. Because I didn’t ever let you click me, take me out for a cup of coffee, or to a movie, and hated your midnight calls because it woke me up from my beauty sleep? But don’t worry, things aren't always the way they look like, feel like, or act like. Everything I wanted in this life, have come to me, and have left me, and what I didn't want has stayed away from me, but never attempted to come to me. Am I not blessed?” “Megha, I shall see you this weekend. Will you please have a cup of coffee with me? We could go for a movie, though I would want to watch a Bollywood movie rather than your Hollywood ones. And then would you please let me click you? It's been years since I clicked humans, and I would love to break that rule with you.” “Please don’t tell me you’re coming to India to spend that time with me alone, Alay, are you seriously sure?” “I’m serious, Megha. I would love to spend some time with you. Now I don’t want to keep you awake at such an odd hour. I shall call you later this evening, India time I mean. Please do take my call. Wish you a good night and sweet dreams, Megha.” “Alay, good night and sweet dreams to you too. Thank you for calling and wishing for me. Do take care of your health, and I look forward to meeting you.”

She finished the call and jumped into her bed, clasped her pillow, closed her eyes, and went into the world of unseen dreams. Therapies and meditation would no longer be needed to tuck her to bed anymore. A dream never dreamt of was about to come true. Better late than never.