There was something about those eyes. Something special. As if the whole world was waiting to get a glimpse of those eyes but I was the lucky winner who got the chance to see them first.
“You have your mother’s eyes,” I whispered in her ears.
Her new little fingers grasped my finger tightly. Holding her in my arms I felt as if I was holding my entire world.
I still remember the day I first met her mother. She was sitting there all alone.
“ Can I take your picture? “
“ Why? “
She said this without looking at me.
“ of all the things I have seen, you are the second most beautiful. “
“ and what is the first one? “
“ Your Eyes. “
“ Why should I believe you? “
She was still looking down stirring her cup of coffee.
“ I am a photographer. I capture beauty. No one knows about beauty better than me.” She looked in my direction but not at me.
“ Dead! “
“ What? “
“My eyes, they are dead. I am blind,“ Her eyes were trying to guess my position.
“ You said no one knows beauty better than you but I don’t know what is beauty. I don’t know the difference between beauty and ugliness. Do you still think that my eyes are beautiful?”
I couldn’t see her eyes because they were blurred with tears.
“ In our profession they say, If the picture is blur, you are not close enough, ” I moved closer to her. Her face just inches away from mine. She was still trying to guess my position. My breath directed her to me. I kissed her eyes and she got her answer.
I was looking in those eyes. Her eyes. I tried to uncurl her little fingers by pressing on her palm, she curled them back into a tight fist and I captured this moment in my camera.
“ Operation theater is ready.”
“ Coming Doctor. “
“ Are you sure you want to do this? “
“ What do my reports say Doctor? “
“ You have maximum 4 months. “
“ Then I am pretty much sure. “
“ But you will never be able to capture beauty in your camera anymore. “
“ Doctor my wife is the second best beauty in this world and do you know what is the first one? My daughter’s eyes, ” I felt as if she smiled when I said this. “ and I have captured both in my camera.”
Lying in the bed I closed my eyes. All images started to fade. Now everything was black and when I opened my eyes it seemed like millions of years had passed. I opened my eyes but…but it was still dark.
“ What is this Doctor? Switch on the lights!! “
“ Lights are on. Are you alright? You have taken such a difficult decision…”
“ No, no Doctor don’t worry, I was just checking whether you did your job perfectly or not.” I laughed but I sensed Doctor’s displeasure to my joke.
“How is my wife? “
“ Operation was successful but… “
“ I know, she need some answers. Please Doctor take me to her. “
The distance to her room was the longest distance I have ever travelled.
” I told you not to take this decision and you said you were just kidding, then why you did this? ”
She said. She was crying.This time she could see me but I couldn’t see her. I have given my vision to my masterpiece. Her image was not on my retina but my mind was drawing a blur image of her in front of me.
“ In our profession they say, If the picture is blur, you are not close enough,”
I was trying to guess her position.She moved closer to me. Her breath directed me to her. I kissed her eyes and she got her answer.
Sahil Lakhmani
