After making sure that all the doors and windows of the home were properly latched, she called it a day and went inside her room. It was midnight.

She made her bed and opened the ventilator window, allowing the calm breeze to seep inside the room. The tranquilizing breeze when breathed gave her immense contentment and rejuvenated her weary soul.

She glanced at the wall clock which struck 12:30. She knew it was a waste of time to wait now, so without squandering one more second, she lay down on the bed. Though it was a hectic day, sleep was miles away. She played meditation songs on her mobile and waited for at least one thing to happen: either she gets to sleep or she gets the much-awaited message.

Even the soulful music failed miserably to make her sleep. She was turning and tossing in bed when the phone beeped.

It was 1 am. A smile escaped her lips, her eyes twinkled and she hastily picked up her mobile to check the message.

“Slept”

“Not yet, was waiting for your message”

“I had informed you beforehand that I have a late-night meeting and I may not contact you”

“I know and I was trying my level best to sleep but you know, I have got addicted to this ‘our- time’, and see, even you couldn’t sleep without chatting with me”

“So, how was your day?”

“As usual”

The two chatted about anything and everything for the next half an hour after which, appeased, they bade goodbye for the night. She slept complacently.

Both the ladies, after discharging their duties the whole day as employees, daughters-in-law, wives, and mothers, craved some uninterrupted time for themselves. They found solace and happiness in chatting with each other at the most serene time of the day – midnight.

Their husbands called them midnight lovers. They both indeed were very much in love with this time of the day when they could talk peacefully with each other. With the new dawn, they waited for dusk to set in and eagerly awaited for the world to sleep so they could chat incessantly.

-Rekha Mittal Gupta