His, Hers , Theirs

Hers

She loves to cut onions. To her, it is the best thing in the kitchen to do. Its not that she is a bad cook but she probably loves to eat onions we guess. As she slices the onions to finer chops, she watches her husband roaming around her, trying to take the knife from her and help her out. As she chops more and more, her mind drifts to the days when he was different. He, a free spirit, a footloose to the core, was not only an introvert, but also seldom you would have had found him in places young guys hang out. Yet, all people and friends who know him, love to stay in company with him. There is a comforting factor in his presence which still to this day she has not been able to fathom. In those days he had this deep burning fire in his eyes and stride. She never would have imagined that this tall lanky unsocial guy will one day become her husband. Until one day, when she fell down the college stairs, suddenly a hand came to her help and she looked up to see him. Still today she bets that she saw a halo around his head that moment, though she has never revealed this to anyone. Then began their togetherness punctuated by countless treks and vacation. And one fine day she proposed to more reluctant him. She made him understand that he can go on with his being footloose, she will never hold him back. Because she loved him. And thus began another chapter in their life.
   Now its different. That old him is no longer there. Everything seems to be burned out now. All that is left is the fire in his eyes. Which sometimes pops out whenever he sees national geography or some adventure stuff.
She does not blame him for this. It has been ten years of their togetherness and something happened in their life that changed the whole equation. Loss was so huge that now, they have each other and nothing else. She has to be strong. If she shows weakness, she knows he will breakdown and that she could not bear to see. She has cut down her work schedules to spend more time with him. So that he spends less time alone. Pain is so huge, that it pains even to cry. All that is left of him is the seldom smile which he brings upon his face sometimes. She craves to see the straight dimple on his cheek. She misses them so much. But there is no reason for him to smile. It seemed to her that he is trying to protect her from something. maybe pain. On that fateful day when they both lost all hope in life, she imagined that she will loose him forever. She imagined that he will pickup his rucksack and leave forever. And she would have had not stopped him and actually wanted him to go. She loved him and he is a free spirit. But it never happened that way, contrary to her belief, he settled himself and started to spend time with her.
      Now its no longer that way, how it used to be. As she watches his questioning eyes she goes on slicing onions.

His

He loves to cut onions. He always have been a great cook. Better than her. He probably loves to eat onions we guess.Now as his wife slices through onions, he lends his helping hand. But she wont allow him. She has changed a lot, he thought. She is still the same, still looked the same silly little girl, the day she fell down the stairs. Still beautiful, smart with streaks of gray hair here and there. He never would have imagined that a smart girl will fall for him until she proposed him. He had no intention of settling down. And conveyed the same to her. But she convinced him otherwise and stated that he will have license to go wherever he wanted. Strange proposition. But he fell for it. After all, she is so beautiful. She is the best in business in terms of her work. Bubbly, full of life and laughter. And he, just the opposite, maybe. He could not have asked for more.
And thus began another chapter in their life.
       Now its different. After that fateful day, everything changed. Now all he cares about is her. He wants to ease her pain in whatever way he can. He knows, no matter what he does. it will not do any good. But at least she will have him beside her. That is the reason he cut down on his trips. His heart aches for them. He also knows, that if he leaves now, he will be gone forever and his heart will never want to come back again. And he will never be able to forgive himself for abandoning her. His heart aches too. Pain is so great that it is even painful to cry. How could such a thing happen to good people like them. The life, which used to bounce about around them, is lost. As if, the juice has been squeezed out of the sugar cane, all that remains now is fibrous dry pulp. They are that pulp now. He watches her wife closely. Her expert hands slicing the onions. But it seems her mind is not here. It has drifted so far away, that when he calls her name she almost fails to listen. She, for some odd reason gave him a smile. How he misses them now. He misses the straight dimple in her cheek. Yes. they have that thing in common. In college days that dimple was a permanent thing on her cheeks. Now its seldom seen. He wanted to touch her and comfort her. But he knows that any sign of sympathy will break her down. He knows that she thinks of him the same way. But she does not know herself that she needs more care than him. She feels she is strong, but it is not so. He knows that. So she needs support rather than sympathy. So he silently keeps watch on her. Like an invisible hand, always comforting her. His heart Aches. Suddenly, it seemed to her, she saw that halo again. After so many years, it occurred to her again. She stopped for a second. He smiled and took the knife from her hands and began slicing the onions.

THEIRS

....So they both love to cut onions. Because it helps them to hide their tears.