Romanza In Rome

|09|

•Alamgeer•

It was utter chaos in their part of the home. No one had any recollection of how things had turned as chaotic as they were at this moment, but he was sure none of them cared. Their bedroom had been toppled over, from top to bottom sheets turned over falling off of the bed. Their lamp had lost its shade somewhere along the way and across the large lounging area their suitcases lay open. Outside their bedroom were stacks upon stacks of gifts that had been prepared and would be shipped out the next morning. Clearly leaving everything to the last moment was not all that good.

The sun was setting and the rose trees on their balcony caged the remanent rays amongst their branches. The air was perfumed and sugar sweet, their shadows cast over the large glass doors and onto the wooden floors of their bedroom. As the sun lowered, they sky turned a spruce blue an occasional star popped up on the clear, cloudless skies. In the distance they were like a lone gemstone laid to rest on a dress of a person unavailable. They could observe it but never have it. With the onset of Autumn, the bright green foliage had dulled. The spread out branches, largely bare of vegetation and the little that remained had turned the many shades of orange and brown, an occasional yellow popping up here and there.

Alamgeer sunk his hands into his trousers pockets. He walked through the storm that had hit the floor of their closet. In the midst of which stood his wife, sifting through the piles of cloth on display. Her shoulders were hunched and a tight lipped frown graced the usually grinning lips. Silently he walked over to her, his hands running the length of her bare arms his lips placing soft kisses at the side of her neck. Lyana sighed and he grinned on watching her body instantly melt into his hold. Even after being married for more than two decades, their love was larger than ever. Sparks and glitters flew still at just a single glance. His greying hair having no effect on their affections for each other.

"Relax for a minute Lya," he cooed.

He could feel the waves of stress and anger rolling off of her body. It was valid of course — how she felt, their flight had been accidentally booked for a week after the actual date they were meant to fly out. For the first time they had missed out their youngest child's birthday. He was calm on top for Lyana, who needed his sanity in this moment for if he let the cracks widen and his fury show openly, all hell would break loose.

"How can I?" She turned to him, with an eyebrow raised.

Alamgeer clicked his tounge, wrapping his hand around her waist he pulled her into his embrace tighter. Swaying their bodies with the softness of a zephyr he kissed her hair. His cheek resting on top of her head, a hand stroking her back in soothing motions.

"I know, I'm as furious as you are but what can we do?" He sighed.

It was true. He was pissed at his assistant for making such a mistake. The disappointment in Lilah's eye on realizing she would be all by herself had ruptured his blood vessels. He knew she had held on with the hope that she would see them soon, and on seeing the light dim out of her expecting eyes, he felt ashamed. As if he had committed a criminal offense for which no amount of groveling was enough. He was the culprit in his own eyes so how could he even question someone else? He reprimanded himself for not having booked the tickets himself.

"We could have changed our tickets but no — it just had to be a time when everyone wanted to visit Italy!" Lyana groaned out in frustration.