War had struck again and the army was taking every single able-bodied man for the war.
He didn't go forcefully. He volunteered to go and protect his motherland.
Today was the day he was leaving for the war. He had just come back yesterday from the training and was leaving today.
He looked at me and said,
" I guess our time together has come. I have to go now. I'll come back when we win this war. Till then, I want to ask you something."
I motioned for him to continue.
He grinned and went on his knee and said,
" Girl, I know that this is the wrong time to say it and I might not return from this war, but I know that I can't fall in love again nor have anyone else's thoughts in my mind.
Even though this is the wrong time to ask and I would leave you widowed forever if I don't come back,
Will you be mine? "
He asked the last line by taking out a single unadorned band of gold ring.
I said yes. We both had tears in our eyes. I leaned in forward and kissed him. First soft tender kisses then strong hard ones to reassure me more than him.
We slowly pulled apart and I said,
' I'll love you, till the end of my life.'
He smiled tenderly, and left.
.. He never came back. Today, we have won the war and he was declared a national hero.
People are living a happy life because of him and I still regret that I was living because of him.
He never came back, and today, fifty years later I am still single.
Because I had already given my heart to him and if he couldn't come back, neither could my heart.
The day that news arrived, a fee words skipped my mouth when I saw his grave and I still abide by them.
The words were,
" I made a promise on that day if this situation were to arise. I'll keep it today and tell you what the promise was."
"I'm not moving on, I'll love you long after you're gone."
That's a promise I intend to keep
~Till the end.