(Dated: November 19, 2008)

Sipping over a hot cup of Mocha and sniffing in the comforting aroma it offered, she spoke to herself virtually,

"Speak to me, My Knight".

The sunset cast the skies a purple tinge, darkness was on its way.

Redefining Love and struggling to maintain the perfect balance between providing space as well as an everlasting companionship for her Knight, she couldn't help ceasing the little droplets of salty liquid trickling down her cheeks.

As fiercely she wanted to maintain her Atheism, she wished there could be something or someone she could pray or make a wish to, with the belief that the prayer or wish would be heard. She wanted to pray for the safety of her Knight, who was apparently in a battlefield of unknown realms that managed to evade her speculation.

84hrs with no news or word that could count to be informative regarding her Knight, she played with the thought of stepping into the pages of The Alchemist’s protagonist, and looking for omens. And what an apparent omen showed her 28hrs ago was a November Rain; A November Rain in Mumbai; or maybe just a drizzle; But, in November; In Mumbai. She couldn't possible fathom much meaning out of this except that it was unusual, was something unpredicted. So?

All she was concerned about at the moment was her Knight. Was He all right? Was He happy? Was He alone? Was He in too much of trouble? What was the situation? What exactly was it that was bothering Him? Who was He against in this battlefield in realms unknown?

She would keep revising happier times they had shared not very long ago. She had now known Him for the past 5 months and 19 days. They had come together in A Union roughly 3 months back; A virtual union. Yet it appeared to be so important for sustenance.

Glancing at the spot in the purple-pink haze in the skies where the sun had been a few minutes ago, she realized there was a sweet pain in patience; something similar to the comfort in the addiction to caffeine; Similar to the happiness and contentment in the inertia in being loneliness and sorrow. It wasn't hope. Perhaps it was a hope for a hope.

Another day had passed, taking decades in it. But almost three centuries were to go before she could be clear of worries.