Silence is speech of love

The view from the revolving restaurant at the top of the tall building was panoramic. Shalini and Shekar in their twenties were in happy mood sharing leisurely a bowl of the creamy pasta with mushrooms and roasted garlic. They were more engrossed in their conversation than on the food that remained unattended for most part. They were seen giggling and covering their mouth with their hands as they were speaking in low tone, almost a whisper, of what possibly were sweet nothings. As they appeared newly married it could be about their dreams for the future or about her culinary skills. They could also be exchanging their views on when to raise their family and how they would manage the kids with both working. But the chat and the banter must have been sweet as they were interspersed with frequent laughter and holding of their hands.
When Shekhar started talking on his mobile phone, Shalini saw across the table an old couple sitting in a corner. The old man must be in his early seventies with silver white hairs dressed in velvet like corduroy docker and T Shirt with coloured stripes. The lady elegant in her blue silk sari must have been a bewitching beauty in her younger days. Both were quiet and not talking to each other for long .Shalini could see the large masala dosa on their table that they nibbled slowly. She could see one of their hands was intertwined with that of the other. She started wondering how a couple could be so distant and silent when she and Shekar were chatting non stop. They do not seem to be grieving to explain the emptiness at their table as they were smiling at each other. She saw the same waiter who served her table placing a bunch of deep red roses on their table and taking a small slip of paper time to time from the old man. Must be their wedding anniversary they are celebrating quietly and missing perhaps their children away at foreign countries. But then this was an occasion for merriment and thankfulness to god for blessing them with a long life together. She expected gaiety and loud cheer instead of the strange stillness and serene calm that enveloped their table.
She shared her thoughts with Shekar who also felt it odd for the couple to remain uncommunicative that long. They had finished eating and called the waiter for the bill. When the waiter came with the pad containing the bill and Shekar had paid with a generous tip Shalini could not suppress her curiosity. She asked him “Forgive my inquisitiveness. I am just curious to know whether anything is wrong with the couple at the corner. I haven’t seen them talking to each other for a very long time. Obviously the bunch of roses signifies a happy occasion.”
He said” Madam. I know them for a very long time as they frequent this place and insist on my table. They are the most loving couple I have ever seen. Today is their fiftieth wedding anniversary and they had a quiet celebration. Their children are abroad.”
“I have seen the old man giving some slip whenever you went to their table.” Shalini asked.
Oh, you mean that. They are just orders of the dishes they want. It is a sad fate that the madam is dumb and cannot speak while the old man lost his hearing completely a decade back. They are still the most loving couple I have ever seen.”
This brought to Shalini’s mind the gentle caress of each other’s hand that she had witnessed. She felt behind their silence there was the deep love and concern for each other in the twilight of their lives. The world was silent between them with not a word spoken or a single gesture shown by hand to communicate. But they obviously worshipped each other. For them silence is speech of love. As Shalini and Shekar passed by them, they bowed their heads in reverence and silent admiration.