Meri jaan

Like most of life's momentous episodes, this one too happened when I wasn't looking. Or least expected. Guess I was too young to realise that I was falling in love. And soon enough I noticed that she loved me back. It was a heady experience – a love affair that grew to be so passionate that there was no measure between love and hate.

She was beautiful, from the inside and out. Now when I look at old photographs, I realised how pretty she once was and how totally granted I took her for. I still remember the romantic walks by Marine Drive and the happy moments we spent at the Hanging Garden.

And then the inevitable happened. She began to ignore me and started meeting new people. We drifted apart. She got around with some wrong kind of crowd, and somewhere down the line, seemed to have lost herself. And although I still see a glimpse of her old self now and then, it’s clear to see that the old magic has gone.

I still miss her terribly, but she’s indifferent to me now. She has new friends now and new lovers. It’s hard to say whether it was me who was disloyal or her. But it’s not the same anymore – she’s even changed her name now. Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. Bombay…you seem to have lost your soul.