Cloud of Smoke- 11

He stood in the hospital waiting area, waiting. He wondered if his happiness could be that short lived. They had gone out for a walk when the bullet had hit her, piercing her heart. The doctor stepped out of the ward and he straightened, his dread intensifying. He had finally lost her to the world she worked so hard to survive in. This world was like a cloud of smoke, temporary yet high above, teasing the ones below it come up catch it. It ultimately consumed her within its dark folds. He felt the walls close in before he hit the floor. 
End
Note: OK, this one was all sad ending. I am quite obsessed with writing random, out of the thin air pieces now a days. Give me your feedback if it was good. I posted the whole thing in one go except the first part, which was actually quite unrelated. And I was also too lazy to think up of a title. ;)
To see all posts of this series together, press Clouds of Smoke or series in labels. :)

Cloud of Smoke- 10

It was like waking up from a dream to a dream. His presence was still an amazement. Bearing his name was even more unbelievable. Why he tolerated her illogical passion for her work, her smoking, drinking and silence was something she could never fathom. She moved to the kitchen to prepare breakfast when she felt his fingers close around her wrist. She gladly fell back into his arms.

Cloud of Smoke- 9

She saw him in the crowd the moment he stepped out of his car. For some reason, she did not feel angry as he made his way to her. She felt too numb to move as he gently placed an arm around her shoulder. She rested her head against his arm and closed her eyes.
"Lets get married" she spoke after a few hours as they lay in his bed.

Cloud of Smoke- 8

He watched the daily news as it reported a fire in one of her factories. Her face flashed across the screen, her expression impassive and hard. She had asked him not to come to her under any case.
He banged his fist against the sofa arm. He was tired of being sidelined for his own "protection".
Exasperated, he picked up his car keys and left for the site.

Cloud of Smoke- 7

"Marry me" he whispered, threading his arms around her waist. She closed her eyes, marveling the moment. Instead, she saw the faces of cold people determined to bring her down. She could not imagine her life without this man who held her, her sole weakness.
"Not yet" she muttered, making herself another drink.

Cloud of Smoke- 6

He packed up his laptop and files after the presentation and exited the hotel conference hall. He saw her pushing the buttons calling for the lift. He almost ran to where she stood and tapped her shoulder, grinning like a child. She turned around, surprising him. He saw the pools of her eyes full of tiredness and loneliness. He caught hold of her hand and led her towards the stairs.

Cloud of Smoke-5

The hint of tears in her eyes was not surprising. It only enraged him further. She heard silently as he shouted a couple of times before collapsing on his chair. She still stood near the table, clutching a napkin. He covered his face with his hands and after fifteen minutes of silence she turned around and walked away to the balcony.
The food lay forgotten on the table.

Cloud of Smoke- 4

She set up the table, arranging everything perfectly. Although cooking was not her cup of tea, she felt she was not entirely disastrous. It conveyed a nice message, she thought as she heard the door click. She quickly wiped her hands on the napkin and waited him to make his way into the dining room.
He stopped short for a moment as she smiled, expecting a similar gesture. Instead she saw him close his eyes in an effort to control his rage. It had been 3 months since he had talked to her. She had gone underground after pulling off a deadly stock market stunt and all his efforts to reach her had gone waste.
"You cannot walk in and out of my life as you wish, woman." he bellowed.
She hung her head. He finally said what she had feared all her life. 

Cloud of Smoke- 3

She smiled as the radio played her favorite song and sped up the car. She did not want to be late. After dozens of meetings, this one was the one she was really looking forward to.
She saw a blinding light and swerved sharply, coming to a halt at the end of the road. Business rivalry had out stepped board meetings and spilled onto the streets.
She sighed and typed the text.
"I cannot make it. I am sorry."

Cloud of Smoke- 2

He bought a bunch of lilies, her favorite, and checked his watch. She was not the kind to keep men waiting for her and it had been a long time since they had met, or even talked for more than a few minutes. His phone beeped suddenly.
"I cannot make it. I am sorry."
He sighed and gave the bouquet to a small girl sitting alone on the park bench on his way back.

Poof!

She leaned across him and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter from her handbag. He looked on, a little disturbed as she lit it nonchalantly. She caught him and offered him a puff. He refused, distancing himself from her unconsciously.
"Sometimes I fear that I will lose you in a cloud of smoke." he muttered in a low voice, touching her heavy hair. She grinned and said
"Poof!"
Note- I did not intend this, but this becomes the first part of a series I am going to post. To view all parts together, select "Series" or "Cloud of Smoke" in labels. I hope you find it a little sensible as I wrote this whole thing in one go, unlike the previous one and realized that they are linked.