A Walk Up the Hill

It was a long walk, but they had done it several times before. Not in the recent past, come to think of it, they hadn't come to this place in years. But today was different. Some might say it was special, but all he knew was that it was unlike any other day he had lived through.
They reached the top of the hill and started walking towards the edge. The sky was devoid of clouds, the river below was peaceful, and a gentle breeze was blowing. They sat down on the grass, and he spoke. 'Its been fifteen years since we got married. Happy Anniversary.'

He was used to talking a lot. Heck, people paid him to talk. But on this occasion he was lost for words. But he decided to go for it anyways. 'We haven't been here in a long time. Remember when you first got me here? I never told you, but I was scared out of my wits. I didn't want you to think I was a wuss, especially on our first date. And I thought you brought all guys here. But you told me I was the first.' He started thinking about the past. It started out as a fling in high school, but they got admission into the same college, and that was it. But it wasn't all a fairy-tale, 'Was it? We fought so much after marriage. We had to go for marriage counselling. And I thought you might be into someone else. I'm so sorry. My life wasn't working out the way I wanted it to, and I took it out on you. But you knew me too well. I remember the day you fired the marriage counselor, walked right up to me and said that my problems are your problems as well, and we could figure them out together. And we did Ellie, didn't we?'

As if the place had been booked especially for them, there was no on else for miles. One could hear the birds chirping, and if you listened really hard you could even hear sound the leaves made, blowing in the breeze. And when he started playing the song, Bonos voice and U2s music filled the air. He smiled, 'With or without you. The song we first danced to. You know what, I still have no idea what the damn song means. But we were both drunk at the first college party, and the idiot of a DJ started playing it. And that was it.' He knew it was time to tell her, tell her what he hadn't told her for all these years. 'You know how I told you I always wanted to do business studies, and thats why I applied to college. I lied. It was never about what the college could teach me, and it never was a fling. I knew it the first time I looked at you, the first time you smiled and I knew it the first time I spoke to you. My best friend called me an idiot, but he hadn't fallen in love with you on first sight. Do I regret not doing something I love, to pursue a girl I barely even knew? I hate the fact that I couldn't be a writer, I hate it when we fought, when we almost got divorced. But there wasn't a single day of marriage that I ever regretted following you. Being with you was the best decision I ever made. '
He realised his eyes were wet, and he knew that it was time. He opened the urn which he was carrying, and held it in the direction of the wind. The ashes started flying away and just like that his wife was gone. 'I love you Ellie. Thank you for...thank you for everything'.