I knew that it was "never"

He went back. To the ice-cream parlour at Elm's and Moore. To sit and think. Of everything that had come to pass in his life. To all those years which he felt like hanging up on the wall with a "Those were the best days of my life."

It struck him that it was all a big mistake. Which he was paying for. And would continue to. It also struck him that it was exactly the kind of mistake he would look back on with pride. He shrugged and smiled as he thought of the escapades, hiding from parents, praying that nobody he knew would walk in while he was with her, the "Tom Sawyer-like cartwheels" to impress her!!

"Don't leave me."
"Of course not."
"Never?"
"Never."

He did not. She did not. But they did.
He thought of when she was upset, another rollicking fight against the "establishment" that just wouldn't let two people be.
The tears were just flowing. So was the anger.

"Do you watch Hindi movies??"
"What?!?"
"I said, do you watch Hindi movies??"
"Not much. Why??"
"Oh, they would have told you that you look much better when you are angry or crying or something like that. Don't believe them."
"Oh..."

They just walked out of each other's lives. Both had nicely mapped lives. They followed the signs along the highway. Where there were no signs, they just took the road everybody before them had taken. Never hesitated. Never stopped to wonder if the other road held a pot of gold at the end. Never really looked back. Reached their parking spots at the end of the day and never found each other.

"I..I can't. Not now. Later maybe."
"Oh, I see."
"Listen, I would love to make a difference to your life."
"I know."

Hope springs eternal.
His life was happy enough. The map had been a good one.
She did not mean much anymore. That phase was over. There was more to life.

What if his map took him away again?? From what he had today. What if hers did?? Well, he would get somewhere at least. I mean, so many had been through this before. Couldn't be a bluff.
This was Elm's. Things looked different, didn't they?? He stopped by a bootblack.

"Isn't there an ice-cream parlour here??"
"Ice-cream parlour??Here??What is this, the 20th century??"

He smiled. The guy was right. Things had moved on at Elm's and Moore.
He gunned the engine and turned the car around. He never went back again. It was too late.

*************

I thank thee, Lord, for.....
........and for such a winderful cartographer.

Things had never been better and would never be.
He had met her yesterday Things had gone perfectly.

"Don't ever leave me."
"I won't."
"Never?"
"Ne...."

The best days of his life were not behind him. They were up ahead.

*************

"Can you tell me which way Elm's and Moore is??"
"Sure. Straight down this way. Take a right at the gas pump. You new here??"
"Thanks. No. Just coming back after 10 years."
"Well, then, its no use. Place changed beyond recognition."
"Well, some things never change. Thanks anyway....."