Never say goodbye.

Its been two decades since they broke off from each other. They managed to stay out of each other's radar though they lived in the same city. They were to each other, their first love, their first holding of hands, their first kiss and first acknowlegement of  soul-mate.   Yet, on this day, destiny bowled a googly.  They bumped into each other at a street corner food stall. This stall wasnt anywhere close to where either lived. Yet they ended up here at this stall, on that day, at the same time, without a prior appointment, without ever calling each other, without ever really thinking of the other, without any expectation of this ever happening. The world suddenly is quiet within Her and within Him.  All they hear is the heartbeat of the other standing across them.  All they see is the reflection of themselves in the others eye, as they were when they had first met, all those years ago, in their youth, when the word, Impossible, did not exist within their existence, when Forever was not unachievable, when Love was their only nourishment.  In those few seconds, each met the other in a world invisible to others around them.  Neither said a word, as they quietly ordered their food. They eat in silence and walked together to the Taxi stand.  Each very aware of the other's breath, walking through pictures of each other memories, like a movie through time. Each enveloped with a the chill of Regret and the warmth of Love that never went away all these years.  Each with the "if only's and what if's"  sparring many rounds in their minds.

He puts out his hand for the taxi, which stops for him. Opens the door, as she climbs in.  Without a voice, a sentence starts within his mind "If this leaving was only...." finishes in her mind "to come back to you again."  He hails another taxi and gets in.  On the sidewalk where the taxi stopped for the two them...a Lingering Mist Stayed where each left their invisible self to never say goodbye.