Monalisa Kumari clicked her SLR twice just to ensure she got the kiss in its pristine beauty. The couple in front of her were blissfully ignorant of the unwarranted intrusion into their public lives. The Alps in the background – slightly aglow because of the setting sun, Monalisa Kumari could not have asked for a better picture.

Once she had the picture perfectly canned, guilt overcame everything. She walked to them and pleasantly called – “Excuse me”

They were startled. The girl blushed. The boy blushed too. Monalisa blushed. And none of them spoke anything.

The boy offered a smile finally. “Hi, I am Prashant. This is Shikha.”

Monalisa presented her Da Vincian smile, “I apologize for spoiling your lovely intimate moment. I am a photographer and your kiss in this setting was really fabulous. I caught it on my camera – It’s gonna be stunning. Black and white and just the yellow glow off the Alps.”

“No No No” Shikha buried her face in her palms.

Prashant looked at Monalisa, slightly embarrassed. “You should have asked us first.”

Monalisa sighed, “Probably! But it will not be natural. And the moment would have gone never to return. If you insist though, I will not publish the photo. Allow me to at least develop the picture and send it to you too.”

They consulted each other in a very low tone. After what seemed like an eternity, the smiling couple waved off Monalisa.

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

This is me, Prashant Maharajakumar – the groom whose bride is a wealthy Gulf national’s daughter and an aspiring model, Shikha Deshpande.

We met in an airplane, chatted on the net – fought over a cup of coffee and kissed in front the Father twenty two minutes ago.

By the powers vested in me by God, I now pronounce you man and wife.

By far the sweetest line I have ever heard – put an effective full stop to my life as a bachelor and let Shikha into my life.

Me, Shikha and my life.

It just can’t get better than this.

Some advantages of having a wealthy father in law – We are flying to Switzerland for our honeymoon – The Alps are calling – calling me; calling Shikha; calling both of us – at the same time – together.

I still can’t believe that. Me and Shikha – We will spoken together – within the same sentence, our names together – joined mostly by “And”. People will refer to us collectively – Prashant and Shikha or Shikha aur Prashant.

We are Shikha Prashant and Prashant Maharajakumar – And this is our story.

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

“Nice picture” Almond Raj commented – munching a couple of roasted Almonds.

Monalisa nodded. “I can’t use it though. Don’t have the permission. I am just gonna send this to Shikha and Prashant.”

Almond Raj took one long look at the photograph. “Seriously, publish this photo saying the guy is Tom Cruise and the girl, Katie Holmes. People will buy it. I can’t see any facial features. How does it matter to Shikha and Prashant?”

She shook her head, “Unfortunately Raj, promises have to be kept.”

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

I am the Shikha, Prashant has so far talked about. His every word is true though we did not fight over a cup of coffee. It was Hot Chocolate. I still remember the day – we hated each other; we fought bitterly; we fell in love; we accepted each other.

I do!

The best decision I’ve made till date. We are together now and no one can separate us. In fact every one is happy with us. My parents, his siblings, my cat, his dog, our relatives – They all accepted us. Us being together.

We are one. Inseparable. We’re going to love Switzerland – It is fun unlimited. Just the two of us – snow clad mountains – rivers frozen – golden rays of sun – petty fights – I love Prashant. I just do. Hence I did.

This is Shikha Prashant, signing off – And welcome to our breathtakingly beautiful but small world.

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

Monalisa Kumari unfortunately forgot all about the photo and it relegated itself to the deepest corner of the bottom chest of drawers.

Two years later, she decided to sell off her chest of drawers. That was when she unearthed the photos.

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

I stared at the picture. Monalisa has kept her word though it has been over two years. The envelope has the loveliest photo I have ever seen along with the negatives.

Why is life this way? I thought we could be a lovely couple. Shikha and Prashant – one of a kind – happy and content with what we have or don’t have.

What went wrong? Where is that spark? I still love her. I do. There is no romance left in this marriage. We have just been fighting – letting ego come between us and separate us.

And here we are finally. Divorce papers here and our kiss there!

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

Monalisa parked her Swift between two imposing Ambassadors and cursed all Indian drivers before she got out of the car. She traveled nearly four hundred kilometers to be here. To meet Prashant and Shikha – drink Chai as per their invitation in Switzerland – and to apologize profusely for the unwarranted delay.

The servant maid answered the door. “They are not here.” She told Monalisa.

“OK. Where are they?” She was disappointed.

“Prashant sir is in Bangalore. Shikha madam in Hyderabad.” The maid replied.

When Monalisa got back to her car, her head was spinning. Prashant and Shikha not living together? Could this be really happening?

She drove out from the apartment complex and weighed her options. She could drive back to Bangalore to meet Prashant. Or she could leave the car there and go to Hyderabad to meet Shikha.

Or she could just watch a movie in Satyam Multiplex, visit another friend and get on with her life.

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

I can feel tears rolling off my cheeks. Everything is blurred. I don’t know why Monalisa is standing in front of me now. And I recognized her the moment I opened the door.

The photo in my hand – I don’t know what to do. Should I look at how beautiful life had once been? Should I simply tear it off and be done with it?

No I can’t do that. I can’t damage the picture. It is us. The two of us. It is the only proof that Prashant and Shikha had something magical going between them. Look at us! Oblivious of the surroundings. Just enjoying each other.

Thank you Monalisa, Thank you very much. It is just that the photo arrived just at an inopportune moment. I don’t know what to do. I can’t believe my life is screwed.

I did. I did. He did. And the court undoes it.

Why is this happening? Where are you Prashant? Why have you left me behind?

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

Almond Raj clapped and contributed his two cents to the deafening roar from the audience. The CEO of Livid Moments, a magazine dedicated to photography, walked away from the dais.

Monalisa adjusted the mike. “Thanks everyone. I dedicate this award to the guy and the girl who unfortunately could not make it to this meeting. I am sorry I cannot disclose the identity of them.”

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

Prashant gave her an envelope.

“Do you want to go there again?” She asked Prashant not opening the envelope – still looking at the picture. He didn’t say anything.

“Let us visit Alps again” She begged him.

He didn’t reply.

“What is in the envelope?” She asked him.

He wouldn’t reply.

She opened it. Swiss Air First Class – Zurich – The coming weekend.

“Prashant, you dog! Thank you.. Thank you very much.” She hugged him.

“Happy Anniversary Shikha” he kissed her.

And they both stared at the picture.

“I feel guilty.” Shikha told him, “We should have let Monalisa publish this piece of beauty. Our features anyway are not discernible.”

“As long as our names are not mentioned, I think I am OK with the idea.” Prashant agreed.

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

That’s it. The story is finished. What more do you want from this?

I love her. She loves me. Whatever be the differences of opinion we had had, we decided to start afresh – Give our marriage a chance. We could have done this earlier… but it was the photo which changed our perspective – the way we looked at life – or the way we ignored each other. The photo presented an opportunity – a rare moment of clarity – and in that moment, we realized that we were still in love – that we could still be together – that the spark was not lost.

This is our story – our celebration of being together. I, Prashant Maharajakumar and my wife Shikha Prashant – signing off now. Alps are waiting!