A City Of Nothing

please note that this story is a figment of imagination and has no basis in real life. Any resemblance between any characters in this story and any person is purely coincidental. No offence is meant to any religion whatsoever.

Saturday the 12th of June 2023, 6:00 pm, the balcony of Zaphira's house.

It was a normal day at about five o'clock in the evening. On a balcony in a tumbledown building of the suburban city of Mumbai, sat a young girl of twenty-eight years of age.

"Coffee?", she asked the person sitting beside her.

He nodded and she walked into the kitchen to make it. She cluttered about the kitchen looking for the best cups and saucers she had in her house. She picked out her most elaborately decorated tray and placed the two steaming hot cups on it. She stepped back to admire her handiwork.

"To whom are you serving those two to?", said a voice from the doorway, "I hope you didn't go through all that effort for me."

She looked very embarrassed. His easy grin made her relax a bit.

"I'll bring the coffee", she said and made to pick up the tray.

He eased the tray from her hand and said "You don't need to pretend that you're a perfect homely person. I appreciate the effort, but you need to live your life the way you are. That's just how it is. I like you the way you are, the rock-jock, baggy t-shirt girl. So, stop modifying yourself just for a small thing like this. I'm going to marry you and you are only. No one else. Okay?"

She nodded, clearly smitten by his speech.

"So, you really want to marry me?", she asked in astonishment, "even after yesterday?"

"Nothing could keep us apart, could it?"

She nodded and gave him a quick fleeting hug.

Sunday the 19th of July 2023, the hall of Zaphira's wedding.

They both were at the place where their Nikah would take place. They would soon be married. The first stage of khitbah was already complete. Zaphira knew that Rohan's parents were unwilling to give their consent for the marriage, but Rohan had pulled through. They would have a Hindu wedding in a week's time. She glanced nervously at the wall clock. It was almost time. The Imam would arrive soon, but a little late. She was very worried for if even the slightest thing went wrong, it would be an utter mess. She got up and walked over to a mirror on the wall. She surveyed herself thoroughly and came away satisfied.

She walked out and saw…. utter chaos. Exactly what she'd been dreading. She just caught sight of Rohan's parents screaming at him. She began to make her way towards them but tripped over a pipe and fell flat on her face.

She looked up and saw Rohan leaving.

"I will find you again", she vowed, "I will. I know I will. I will look for you in every corner of the earth. Until I find you. Until I find you."

Such is the power of a human's love.