When Love Becomes Tears

9th November 2006
Dear Diary,
I cannot believe that finally I'm getting married to my love. This journey was really difficult for both of us but finally we made it. For once I felt that we will never be together but you know what finally its happening.
Yes!Yes!Yes! I'm super excited for tomorrow. I just cannot believe  that tomorrow we will be one. Yes,  tomorrow I will be called Mrs. Saurav Bharadwaj.
Now when I'm closing my eyes all I can see is I'm sitting with Saurav on the mandap. I just want to dance today. I'm so happy that I'm not being able to sit still at one place. And you know what we are meeting after one hour at the same park. I know according to the Hindu customs we are not allowed to meet each other, but still I want to meet him because this will be for the last time when we will be meeting secretly. We are meeting at the same park where we met for the first time an it all began. I still remember I was taking a walk in the park with my grandma when I saw him for the first time, six years ago. He was playing football with kids. He was soaked in sweat. I still remember for the first time when our eyes met my heart skipped a beat and you know what he missed a goal. Yes! he was unable to stop the shot of a ten year old boy for which I tease him even now.
hey, its time I will have to leave now because I don't want to be late. Bye.

10th November 2006
Dear Diary,
Today finally I'm married and I'm so tired now but still I can't wait to tell you everything. Today When I came down in the hall to the mandap from my room, my friend Asha came to me and she showed me a message. It was a message from Saurav and it was something like that,

"Hi Asha
This message is for Preeti, her mobile is not with her so please show this message to her-
Hey love, you are looking wonderful today. So beautiful, so hot and so sexy. I just can't wait to kiss you. If I was allowed than I would have just picked you up in my arms and I would have locked both of us in my room.
I just cannot until night!"

'Don't you have, even a bit of shame, this is my friend's mobile' I wrote back.
After sending the message from Asha's mobile, I looked towards him. He was already looking towards me. Our eyes met and instead of saying sorry he gave me a flying kiss. I smiled and soon both of us sat down on the mandap.
When he was putting Sindoor our eyes met for the first time. And after putting the Sindoor he winked at me in front of pandit ji. Yes I was shocked but I smiled again.
Finally after the ceremony, now I'm sitting in his room. You know what I'll miss dad, mom and of course my cute home.
I hope everyone will love me here as my mom and dad used to love me.
You know he is in the lawn with his friends. Now I'm thinking how Saurav will do it. Will he touch me today?
It's bad thinking such things right?'
But I think I should tell him that I'm very tired.

24th January 2008
It's now almost one year of our marriage and I just don't know why there is so muh of change in Saurav's behavior. This one year with Saurav was so awesome. There was not even a morning when Saurav have not been woken me up by a morning kiss. There is not even an evening when I have not kept my head on his shoulders and have listen about his day at office.
But I don't know why Saurav is changing so much.
He have even started talking with me rudely. I don't know if I have done anything wrong.
He is away from the town for a meeting but I think I will ask him what's wrong when he'll be back because I love him so much and I even can't imagine my life without him.


28th February 2008
I don't know what the hell is wrong with Saurav. He was drunk when he came home today and he started abusing me. It is strange because Saurav never drink. He threw his office bag on the bed and he started moving outside again but when I tried stop him he slapped me and he moved outside.
I really don't know what's wrong,but I want to cry and I just want to cry.

30th February 2008
It's been two days I've not talked to him. He have apologized for almost million times. My inbox is filled with his messages and even he apologized uncountable times in front of me. But tonight he brought a gift for me and he said sorry again.
He said he was in stress, his promotion was cancelled so he drunk and he was not in his sense.
I don't know but I just hugged him tightly today.
He have promised me that he will never behave like this again. He gifted me a necklace and he even took me out for dinner.
I hope so everything will be better once again.
P.S. He is my oxygen and I even cannot think of being away from him.

15th March 2008
No nothing is fine. He started talking rudely with me again. He started shouting on me on little things. This evening when I served him a cup of tea he even threw that cup away because the tea was not good. I don't know what is wrong with him but he apologized for it. We made love tonight. I felt good in his arms after a long time. I felt good when his lips touched mine. Finally it happened after a long time.
He picked me up in his arms and he made me lay down on the bed. We kissed for a long time. We hugged
each other tightly. I surrendered myself completely to him. He entered inside me, we kissed, we cuddled and finally after making love he dozed off to sleep.
I'm not getting sleep so I thought of telling everything to you. He is in sleep, he is laying on the bed next to me and you know what he looks even more cute while sleeping.
I think he is behaving like because of stress and soon everything will be fine.
I think our life will also be filled with life by the dawn.


20th March 2008
He cheated me! Yes, he is a cheater. Today I got a call from a girl and she told me everything. She told me that they were going to marry soon.
He was not in a stress but he was behaving like this with me because of that girl.
He never told me anything about his relationship. He betrayed me.
Our marriage is over today. I left his home and you know what he neither tried to stop me even for once  nor he tried to explain anything. I'm back to my sweet home again.

6th August 2008
I don't know how I spent these days. I locked myself most of the time. I was having a hope that Saurav will come and he'll anyhow say that what that girl told me was not true. But no he didn't. He never came. But instead today I received divorce papers through post. I think I've lost him forever. If that makes him happy than I should sign the papers. I love him and even I want him to love me and be mine forever but I never want to force him to be with me.


10th September 2008
I'll meet him tomorrow in the court for the final hearing for our divorce. Tomorrow is the day when I'll lose him forever legally. I think tomorrow I'll be in the court for few hours but I wish if anyhow this divorce would be cancelled or if anyhow I could stop the time in the court so that I could spent rest of my life just looking at him.

15th November 2008
Today when I logged into the Facebook, I was shocked to see his post in the news feed. He married that girl. I tried control myself but I don't know how tears started rolling down my cheeks.
I want to kill myself, diary.


15th June 2009
I'm leaving India today. I got a job in London. I have decided I'll never return. Mom and dad told me thousand times to marry again but I refused because think I still I still love him. Still he is some where in my heart and he'll always be and  I don't want to betray someone as he betrayed me. So finally, Bye-Bye India.

20th October 2010
It is almost a year since I last talked with you. I'm so sorry diary. I hope you'll forgive me. You know there is two good news today. I got my promotion today and second the court has given me permission to adopt a girl. Yes, I'm adopting a girl. I can't believe I'll be her mom very soon. I don't know how is the life being a single mother. I'm so happy today.

Kiss me forever.

I was standing on the terrace. I didn’t know why but that day tears started flowing down my eyes. I don’t cry that quickly generally but that day when mom said ‘Rhitika, I feel that you will never be able to fulfil your dad’s dream. Have you seen your marks?’ tears started flowing down my cheeks uncontrollably. What I should have done? I want to run away from the world, maybe this world was not for me. I was tired from my day to day life and to reduce some tension I came up on the terrace. The evening was becoming denser the sky was filled with reddish colour. People say that we can see mars from the earth sometime, till now I was trying to see mars, whenever I see reddish colour of the sky my eyes used to automatically start searching the mars, today also when I reached up, my eyes started searching for the mars, mars which looks like a tennis ball from the earth never came in my eyesight. I don’t know how much it’s true but I know this fact that we can see mars from the earth when I was three years old. A boy of my age who was my best friend that time had told me that thing. I don’t know if it was true or not but I still remember when we were small we used try searching for the mass whenever the sky was red.

 I started looking down from the terrace towards the lawn, old people were performing peculiar exercises and kids were sliding down the slides and falling down on each other. Children of my age were occupying the swing which was their hang out adda and I was standing on the terrace. I don’t know how many times I have tried to join their group, I want to become like them, I want to laugh like them but I was failed. The whole group used to say that I am abnormal and I was no less, even I have given a name to the group “The Idiot Group”

Again a drop of tears fell on my hands, this time I was totally tired, I was fad up with my disciplined life.

‘Rhitika’ I heard my name. I turned back, Om was standing there. He started walking towards me. I turned again and I wiped my tears this time. He was also among one of the studious person on this earth but I think it will be quite a lot better to say that he was one of the perfect people on the earth. He used to top every test and examination and also he used to be in every group. He was not in my school but he was quite famous in the society.

‘How were your half yearly examinations?’ he asked.

‘Fine, but I didn’t top the exam like you’ I said with anger in my voice.

He was trying to say something which I was clearly able to make out from his voice but he was not being able to say even a word because maybe he had sensed the anger in my voice. He closed his eyes for few seconds and then he looked towards me and said ‘I want to say something, but I am afraid that you might become angry, please don’t be angry’ he paused for another few seconds and he spoke again ‘you know I have looked into your eyes many times and every time I feel that your eyes are tired, just don’t try to take pressure, try to enjoy everything. Just don’t keep studying every time, try to do everything you like, try to live your life, try to do what makes you happy, try to achieve your dreams. Work hard but consecutively learn to live life and be happy, learn to love. Try to do what your heart says. I know they call you abnormal, but you are not. You are very intelligent and very pretty.’

Within few seconds he have said so many things which I had never thought of till now, I will not say that I have never thought of but it will be better if I will say I was running away from these things,  I was running away from my happiness. His words have touched my heart. I was just looking towards him, generally I feel irritated even after hearing his name but I don’t know why today his words were music to my ears. Most probably he was the only person who had understood me.

‘If you want, I can help you in any subject’ he spoke again.

I was just looking into his eyes and he was looking here and there, trying to avoid eye contact.

‘I know you are angry and before you will start shouting at me, better I should leave. Sorry if I have said anything wrong’ he said and started walking back.

‘Can you help me in social studies?’ I finally said.

He turned back and walking towards me again ‘Sach?’ he asked.

I nodded and smiled.

‘So now we are friends right?’

‘No, now also you are a stupid for me. If you want than you can help but no friendship’ I folded my arms and I said with enough proud and anger in my voice as if he was asking my help.

‘Okay, than tomorrow at my place in the evening’ he said and started walking back.

I smiled, I was feeling better. I don’t know why it happened today. I don’t know why I was happy after talking with a boy with whom I never used to talk properly from six years.

It was completely dark; there were stars in the sky. I tied my hairs with a elastic hair band, I folded my arms, I took few round on the terrace, than I came down.

Mom was in the kitchen, generally I used to go and I used to say sorry but I don’t know why today I went inside my room and I sat on my bed. I didn’t switch on the lights, there was completely dark in my room, I lied on my bed and his each and every word started coming in my ears. I stood up and switch on the lights suddenly. I went in front of the mirror and I started looking at myself.

‘Am I really beautiful?’ I questioned myself and soon after few seconds I covered my face with my hands and started laughing on my question.

It never used to happen but I don’t know why that day there was smile on my face while having dinner.

‘What happened Rhitika? Looks like you are very happy today’ dad had asked me.

I stop smiling and answered ‘nothing dad.’

I don’t know last time when I had slept with peace as I slept that day. Next day in the morning when I woke up I went to mom and said ‘mom, I am sorry, I will try again and I will give my best in the finals.’

From that day we started studying together every day, at his place. After every three hours we used to take break when his mother used to enter the room with tea and snacks in the tray. Sometimes we used to read comics together; sometimes he used to entertain me telling about his funny friends.

He always used to say ‘Rhitika, this year we will celebrate your result together on the terrace.’

 Few months passed away, I started loving his company, and I had improved a lot in social studies.

It was Diwali that day; the whole sky was sparkling with the lights of the crackers. I was standing on the terrace, today the lawn was decorated with Diyas, every flat were decorated with multi colour lights, kids were playing with the crackers in the lawn and as usual the swing was occupied by the idiot group. Today Om was even joining the group, he was dressed in sherwani. I was looking towards him; I want him to be with me.

He looked up towards me and signalled me to wait by his hands and very soon after saying bye to all of them he moved towards the stairs. I turned back and I started looking towards the stairs, and within few minutes he was there in front of my eyes.

‘Wah, kya baat hai. Today you are looking hot’ he said looking at me.

I smiled at his comments. He came near me and said ‘Happy Diwali.’

‘Same to you, Om’ we started looking towards the lawn. ‘Hey, look it is so beautiful na?’ he asked pointing towards the Diyas in the lawn.

‘Yes it is.’

We stood there in silence for next few minutes, he was looking at the Diyas and I was continuously looking towards him.

 He broke the silence and said ‘I want to say something.’

‘Yes, say.’

‘Not here, come let us sit on the stairs’ he said.

We settle ourselves on the stairs. I looked towards him; he took my hands in his hands and said ‘I love you, Rhitika.’

I was shocked, at his words. I didn’t remove my hands from his. I looked into his eyes. I could see love in his eyes but I don’t know why my heart was broken at this moment. I was almost frozen like an ice. I don’t know why I was scared, he leaned forward to kiss me, I don’t know why but I pushed him back and I slapped him.

I started crying, I ran towards my flat and I locked myself in my room. I cried the whole night. I don’t know what has happened to me but I was just not being able to stop myself from crying so I let it be. I don’t know how I spend the whole night. I have found a good friend but I don’t why this happened to me?

I was from a disciplined family, my mother had never allowed me to watch even a movie than how could he say such things to me and even he tried kissing me.

In few day FA3 test were going to be started and unfortunately they went bad but social studies was very good.

The whole day in the school, I used to think about Om, sometimes I used to be angry on him and sometimes I do even used to miss him.

Final exams were very near, somehow I diverted my mind and I started studying. I remember his each and every word. I started enjoying my studies, I started loving my work. Finally the exams were over, after ten days the result was to be declared. Sometimes I used to stand in my balcony and I don’t know why my eyes should start searching for Om but after that day I never saw him.

Today was the result day and I was holding my result in my hand. I was the topper; I had scored 99.8% in the exams. I checked my marks in social studies and I jumped as I saw my mark, I had secured 96 marks out of 100 in social studies. On the way to home in the car, I just wanted to thank Om, but he was gone. I remember his words ‘Try to do what your heart says.’

I closed my eyes and his face came in front of me. He was the person who had given me some hope. I was completely filled with love, I was filled with motivation. I closed my eyes again and his first speech on the terrace started reaching my ears.

That day I just want to listen to my heart keeping away all the disciplines. I want to kiss that stupid, I want to hug him tightly; I want to slap him again because he was responsible for disturbing my mind so much in these days but at last I want to say him sorry.

It was a month of December and it was almost evening, the sky was reddish. Once again I wanted to go on the terrace and I want to try finding mars. As soon as the car came to a stop, I step outside and I ran towards the terrace. I was almost running and there was only one question and one wish in my mind ‘I doesn’t care if I will be able to see mars or not but I just want to see my love.

I reached on the terrace, I was tired, and I was breathing heavily. He was standing there looking towards the lawn. Before I could say something he said ‘I said na, it will be good and I am sorry for that day.’

He turned towards me, I didn’t say anything but I ran towards him and I hugged him tightly. Tears started flowing down my cheeks. I kissed his forehead, I kissed his cheeks and after few seconds he hugged me too.

I said ‘I want to say something, but not here.’

He smiled. We settle ourselves on the stairs. I took his hands in mine and said ‘I love you too Om, from now your hand, your kiss and you are mine forever, so don’t think of giving it to someone else, Warnaa!!!’

He smiled and kept his hands on my cheeks and asked ‘Warnaa kya?’

I smiled and I leaned to kiss him. We closed our eyes and finally our lips met each others.

I don’t know if I will be able to see mars or not but I think I have found my mars, my love.

Like a love story.

 I had published my first book lately and it was a moderate success. When you pour out your heart into something and if it does not pay off, it starts killing you slowly. Dejection had taken over me and my editor, Mr Mehra perceived it. He invited me to dinner and to a genial discussion about my prospects as an author to give a lift to my low spirits.

I reached his home at sharp 8 pm. It was the month of November and there was freezing cold outside. I was shivering, so to warm myself, I was rubbing my hands against each other. I rang the bell and after three minutes, Aradhya, Mr Mehra’s daughter opened the door. And she offered her hand for a handshake and we shook hands. She let me in and said mom is not at home and dad is in the washroom. I sat down on the sofa and she settled opposite me. She had been an intimate friend of mine for a while. Garruslous by nature, she started talking and I sat there gazing into her pretty face and listening to her sweet chirping. I was feeling that eternity should start now. But Mr. Mehra turned up in a few minutes and cut in on us. Before long, I found myself talking to him about my new novel completing forgetting his precious daughter with her blue eyes.

Being close friends, Aradhya and I would often meet and share the burdens of each others’ hearts. One day, we were sitting in the serene atmosphere of a park. All of a sudden, she became sentimental and told me that her parents were compelling her to agree to marry an affluent young businessman she didn’t like. She recounted how her parents had been pestering her. Her words were a mixture of fears and frustrations. I was just gazing at her and my heart was immensely troubled at her plight. I couldn’t believe that the Mr Mehra I knew could do that. As soon she finished I blurted ‘‘I think I am in love with you.’’ I don’t know why and how I did that instead of trying to compose her. I was flabbergasted at my own behavior. She sprang from the bench still with tears in her eyes. But these droplets rolling down her maddeningly beautiful cheeks could no longer be called the tears of sorrow. Her face lit up and crying harder, she said, ‘’Really? Still shocked by my proposal to her that came out of nowhere, I absent-mindedly said, ‘’Yes’.  Then she hugged me crying harder and said, ‘’I love you too.’’ I was still unable to make out what had happened. Is it for this reason that people call it falling in love? It’s not voluntary but you fall into it. Whatever it was, it was great. Something was surging in me and I was feeling I had melted from the feeling that I was experiencing. It’s indescribable. After a long intimate conversation, we had to part.

While driving back home I was experiencing strange things. My heart was hopping. I was feeling fulfilled.  Nature was adding fuel to my passion. The sound of the chilling wind was music to my ears. For the first time I was feeling so good in life and all was the magic was of love. Soon our meetings turned into dates and their frequency increased. But who knew what would happen next.

Soon I was profoundly involved in writing my new book. From early morning hours till late night , I was either thinking or writing.  My passion for my book seemed to have supplanted my passion for everything and everyone else. Why and how  I cannot tell. Every night, after drafting the final copy of my daily portion of writing, I would check my mobile to find 50 missed calls of Aradhya. Too worn out myself and assuming that, she would have gone to sleep, I would evade calling her at night too. I couldn’t explain my apathy to my newly found love. Probably my passion for my book had consumed me.

One day when I was taking my lunch I got a message on my mobile and I checked it, it was from her, she had written ‘‘just came out from the psychiatrist’s clinic, very depressed, want to meet you in the same park, urgent.’’

I immediately drove to the park. She was sitting there in a pink suit. There were tears in her eyes. I went near her and asked ‘Aradhya, what happened?’ She replied ‘I am suffering from Bi Polar Disorder.’

She said ‘My parents are forcing me to marry that opulent businessman. But I love you and can’t live without you. But you have totally forsaken me. You don’t even answer my call, let alone meeting.

This time, her tears did not seem to move me much. I replied ‘’No darling, I ain’t forsaken you. I just want to finish my book and then I will devote my whole life to you. This book is gonna be a best-seller, I tell you.’’ But, can’t you even talk to me?’’

I added ‘Okay, I promise, I will talk with you every day on the phone.’

It was Wednesday, the time was around 11 pm, and I had not slept for more than two hours in previous two days. I was typing on my laptop when I got a call, it was her call. So I got up from my chair and answered her call.  ‘’How are you? What are you doing?’’, said she.

I said ‘I was just typing.’ My sister came inside without knocking at the door with a glass of milk and I shouted at her not knowing why. Aradhya said ‘Why are you so exasperated? Why do you talk with your family like this?’

I said ‘I am a bloody writer I can do whatever I want to.’

She said ‘but still, they are your family.’

I disconnected the phone call and I came back to my desk to type, my phone rang again but I didn’t answer and it kept ringing. After the interval of a few minutes, it was the fourth call when I answered and snapped ‘why are you disturbing me? What do you think of yourself? Have you called to teach me how to behave with my family? If it’s so, thank you very much, now get lost.’ And I hung up on her and  switched the mobile off and I started typing again. In a little while, I came back to my senses and it flashed on me that I had done her a great wrong. She was suffering from Bi Polar Disorder. How could I do that? I switched it on and I dialed her number but it was switched off.

Two weeks had passed since that incident and I was very close to completing my book.  A lot had happened in these two weeks. I had quarrelled with my parents also and was living in a new apartment. I called her many times but she didn’t answer and I was too occupied to go meet her.

It was a Monday, when I got a message and I checked it, it was her message, she had written ‘Please come and meet me at Starbucks Café, maybe after this I will never meet you.’ I quickly came out of my apartment, Starbucks Café was in Raj Nagar just five minutes drive from my apartment, I come down and I saw that there was heavy traffic jam on the road so I decided to run. I reached there in ten minutes as I reached near the cafe she was clearly visible to me from the window. She sat in the Starbucks café, sipping her coffee and staring out of the window. The blood stained knife lay next to her covered with blue silk scarf but still some portion of it was still visible. I went near her and sat on the opposite chair, everyone was already throwing odd looks at me. I said ‘Aradhya, what happened?’

She turned towards me completely she was crying and scared, there was a laceration on her face and it was fresh, there were many more marks on her hands, neck and cheeks. I kept my hands on her, she started sobbing, I got up and I went and sat next to her and I gave her a hug. My eyes fell on that knife which was half visible, I removed the blue silk scarf from it, it was a blood stained knife, I looked around, by now I was the centre of concentration of the whole café, and everyone was looking at me throwing me criminal looks. I wrapped it again and I hid it in her hand bag, I asked her again the same question but she kept on crying, I brought her in my arms and asked her again ‘Aradhya, tell me what happened?’ wiping hr tears.

She said ‘Murder!’ 

I said ‘What?’ in a horror look.

She said ‘I had killed my uncle.’ And she started crying more.

She asked a moment later, will they give me a death sentence? Or will they send me to jail for my whole life?’

She was sobbing in my arms, tears rolled down my cheeks, I added ‘Aradhya, just tell me the whole thing.’

She started saying, her voice was mixed with fear, cry, and she was shivering.

She said ‘After we have a fight that day, I became even more depressed, my uncle was newly married and his wife was a psychiatrist so I should go to her for counseling. As aunty was not having good relationship with uncle so she should always be alone and soon we became good friends, we started sharing our things, we started going for shopping together and we should also go for movies, but when today I went to her house for my regular counseling, uncle opened the door and he let me in. He said that Aunty has gone to neighbor’s house and she will return soon, he said me to sit on the sofa and he went inside. After sometime Uncle came and sat on my adjacent sofa and he started talking with me. After sometimes he kept his hand on my thigh and I removed it immediately. He said ‘Aradhya, I love you.’ I was shocked to hear that, I can’t believe that my uncle had said it. He shifted on my sofa and started kissing me madly all over my face, I was in an extreme shock, I was even not resisting. He threw me down from the sofa and he fell over me, he caught my hands in his tight grip, I was not able to free my hands from him and he started kissing me, and after sometimes he started tearing my top, my senses came back and I somehow threw him away and I ran towards the dining table but he followed me there too, he threw me again on top of the dining table and caught my one hand while his another hand was busy working on my rest of the body, my another hand which was free reached a fruit basket kept on the dining table, when that demon was kissing me it reminded me of the one which we once shared and I started attacking him with that knife until he died and fall away from me, I quickly got up and started moving towards the main door and I got a blue scarf on the sofa, I wrapped this knife in it and I had brought it here.’

Tears were rolling heavily down my checks. She said ‘I had informed police, they will be reaching here soon.’

I asked ‘but, why?’

She said ‘till when I will run from them, they will catch me one day, so why not today?’

We sat there in silence holding each other’s hand and looking at each other’s eyes. Soon the police vehicles came and lady constables arrested her, they put the knife in the evidence bag and took her away, my eyes followed them till the point from where they took a sharp turn and soon vanished from my sight. While paying the bill I could not believe it is a reality, I wish that it should be one of my bad dreams, but it was not. A waitress came to me and said that she had forgotten her handkerchief and she handed it to me. I sat down on my knees and I was just looking at her handkerchief.

 “If you will not care for your dear ones, they will definitely slip away from your hands like the time.”

I was just questioning myself that if I would have given little time to her than this might not happen if I should taken care of her than this she will not have to face this.

I was in the court and judge had already taken his decision, she had been declared six months imprisonment, as it was not an intentional murder but a self defense activity.

After a month I talked with my parents that I wanted to marry her after she comes out of the jail.

Mom said ‘beta, you will marry a girl who had been raped, do you even know what else her uncle had done with her?’

I said ‘no mom, that was the truth which she had told in the court, and I will marry her because I will not be able to give any other girl enough happiness that I can give it to her.’

And within a month they all agreed.

After six months.

I was waiting for her outside the jail with her parents as she came out she hugged her parents and then we hugged each other. I took her and her parents to the mall from where my book was to be released, as we reached their media persons started taking the pictures, I gave the book in her hands and they clicked our photos. She opened the book and read the dedication page, it was dedicated to her, tears came out from her eyes, and I was able to see the same innocence in her eyes, once I have seen in the court. I took out a ring from my pocket and sat on my knees and asked ‘Will you marry me?’

She nodded her head and I slipped the ring in her finger and the whole mall was filled with clapping and whistling sounds.

-Aditya Singh

Anandita- Our Broken Dreams.

Anandita- Our broken dreams

     Love. Sex. Career. Betrayal.

It was a Sunday, I went on the terrace after having my lunch and as usual I started taking a walk across the perimeter of the boundary. I saw the road that passes in front of my house and as usual it was also busy full of auto rickshaws, cars, bikes. I was on my yearly leave it was almost a year when I came home. This year also I was not having any plan to come home but on the phone call when mom started crying while talking to me I couldn’t control myself, I just booked a ticket to Chandigarh.

 I try to imagine what would be going on in the office right now. Ananya as always she will be missing the presentation deadline and I am sure that tonight she will be calling me and she will surely say to help her with the presentation which I was doing from previous three years. I was in the marketing department but still from three years I am helping her with her presentation of accounts department but today when she will call at night first of all I will say no and after her several pleadings I will agree, by the way these days where do you get a chance to hear a girl’s pleadings all they know is how to order ‘Akaash, please bring my laptop, Akaash please give me my phone’ and one day she even order me to bring a tea for her.

‘What did she think of herself? Is she my boss who can order me or I am a waiter or her personal servant’ I started talking to myself.

‘I am head of marketing department and she was junior consultant and she orders me. I never mind because I think her as a friend but still today when she will be calling me I will only agree after she will be pleading for a hour’ I was continuously talking with myself. When I realized I noticed that I have already taken complete six rounds of the perimeter. My eyes shifted on a woman on the adjoining roof, I was seeing her for the first time. This house was locked from almost a month but then I remember that mom was saying that yesterday a new family has shifted in that house. That aunty was holding a bucket in her hands most probably she was here for drying clothes.

I came back home, it was 2 p.m, mom said ‘Akaash where are you roaming at this hour just sit with me and let’s talk. I said ‘Mom, how can I talk with you, you are watching serials.

She switched off the T.V with the remote, I sat next to her and she started moving her fingers on my hairs. She said ‘Akaash, you are 26 now, when you will marry?’

‘Mom, again!’ I said.

‘What I have said wrong, before dying I want to see my grandchildrens.’

‘Mom, I am going on the terrace again, why you watch serials so much? I am able to see the affects of the serials in you’ I replied.

‘But beta, you will marry someone later, so what is the problem now? You have a job, you are well paid.’

I didn’t reply anything, it was for the fifth time she have opened this topic in front of me from previous seven days.

‘If you love someone than you can say me, I will talk with your dad’ she said again.

‘Mom, I don’t love anyone and neither I will marry at this age, I have lots of work to do, I want to become famous, I still don’t have my own house and lots more.’

‘Beta you can do that after marriage also’ She replied.

I stood up from the bed and I said ‘Mom, I don’t want to talk about this again.’

I moved again to the terrace and I started taking walk, I again looked towards the adjoining roof and I saw a girl this time. She was drying her hairs with a towel, she was wearing a saaree, and she was of my age. I looked towards her properly, she was having a fair complexion, her eyes and her lips were covered with her wet hairs. I was continuously looking at her, after sometime she moved her hairs back and she looked towards me. I looked towards her blue eyes, her pink lips I was almost hypnotized. I looked towards her eyes again but this time she saw me staring at her and she started walking towards the stairs.

‘Oh Shit! She saw me staring at her’ I said to myself.

My eyes followed her till she was out of my sight. I stood there for another five minutes and then I came back.

I asked ‘Mom, I am going to the market, do you want me to bring something for you?’

‘No’ she replied.

I changed my dress and I moved towards the market, it was full of rush. After roaming for half an hour I took an auto to Elante Mall. It is a biggest mall in the Chandigarh. I decided to check the movies that were frequently released. I moved towards the third floor in the lift.

I started exploring the mall; it was such a beautiful mall. I was coming here for the third time. It was a mall having four floors and an underground parking. They were showing Guzaarish on the screen, after roaming in the mall for quite a long time I sat down on a bench. I closed my eyes and again the same face came in front of me, I don’t know why I was not being able to move my mind off her. Her hairs that were kissing the air, and flowing with a rythm, her blue eyes. I was again lost in her. It was happening with me for the first time that I was feeling a kind of attraction towards any girl.

That night after having dinner when I shifted on my bed and again when I closed my eyes the same face came in my mind. I started thinking about her and some question started popping in my mind.

‘What if she is already married?’

‘What if she is having a boyfriend?’

‘What if she is engaged?’

‘She was wearing a saaree, I recalled but she was not wearing a sindoor but it can also be possible that she have not put any sindoor as she have taken bath recently’ there was continuous arguments going on in my mind. For now I just wanted to see her again. I stood up, I wear my sleepers and I came outside and started moving on the terrace. I looked towards her house, and to my surprise she was there, she was busy on her mobile, the screen light was falling on her face which was making it shine even more. She was wearing Salwar suit, she was busy typing on her phone. I checked the time it was 12:30 a.m and at this time she was chatting. I was feeling a kind of jealousy, but that doesn’t mean that she have a boyfriend I started saying it to my heart.

‘Should I talk with her?’ I questioned myself, after several arguments I came to a final decision that I will surely talk with her. I started taking a walk along the boundary so that she will not think that I came on the terrace just to check her. While taking walk slowly I went near the boundary that joins both the terrace together. She was still lost in her mobile phone. She looked towards me but within next nanoseconds she was again lost in her mobile phone.

Again a battle started in my mind ‘Should I talk with her?’

One side of my heart was yes and one side was opposing, my mind said before she will leave just talk with her. I crossed my fingers and I said ‘hi.’ She turned towards me and replied ‘hi.’

‘I am Akaash’ I introduced myself.

‘I am Anandita’ she replied.

‘So whats going on?’ I asked.

‘Chatting with friends and what are you doing here now?’

‘I....I.......I just came here to take the fresh air.’

She kept the phone on the boundary and she came near me and she stood taking the support of the boundary.

‘So you all are new here?’ I asked.

‘Yes’ she replied.

‘From when you are staying here?’ She asked.

‘Actually I am born here but I do not stay here, my parents stay here.’ I replied.

‘Where do you stay?’

‘Delhi’ I replied.

She asked ‘What do you do?’

‘I am head of marketing department in HDFC mutual fund’ I felt proud saying my prestigious post and the company with whom I work.’

She said ‘Good, you are at a good post.’

‘What do you do?’

‘I am a doctor.’ She replied.

We started talking on various topics, while talking I scanned her fingers to check if there is any engagement ring but there was no ring.

At last she asked ‘Are you married?’

‘No’ I replied, she asked me the same thing which I wanted to ask her.

‘What about you?’ I asked.

‘Never’ she replied.

‘I hate marriages’ and she started laughing at her own sentence.

‘I am feeling sleepy, see you tomorrow’ she said.

‘Good night’ I replied.

A week passed away, we both became good friends, at the evening we started regularly after she used to come from the clinic. She used to share with me about her day at the hospital; we started sharing each and every thing with each other.

It was Saturday and as usual we were talking with each other on the terrace. She said ‘I want to go to a shopping, will you give me a company?’

‘Of course’ I said.

‘Tomorrow, when?’ I asked.’

‘Let’s go in the evening.’

That day we talked on the several topics and finally we both went to our house.

She called me at 5.30 p.m next day ‘hello’ I said.

‘Where are you Akaash?’ She asked.

‘I am coming down in a second.’

We reached Elante Mall in fifteen minutes, I paid the auto and we moved inside, she said let’s go to that shop. She pointed towards a shop and she started pulling me inside. After a hour she finished her shopping and then we both settled in the food court.

‘You girls are so boring’ I said.

‘Boring! What about boys?’ She questioned.

‘Boys, see we are so cool and handsome.’

‘Who is cool and handsome?’

She questioned.

‘I am cool and handsome.’

She started laughing loudly. She said ‘you, cool and handsome?’ and again she started laughing. After she finished her laughing she said ‘look at your hairs, they are not combed properly, look at your collar, look at your nails they are cut, and handsome? Oh! My god’ and she started laughing again.

‘Then why did you come with me?’ I asked.

She didn’t replied she was just laughing, I stood up from my chair and I started walking back, as I reached the escalators someone caught my hands from back, I was sure that she was Anandita, I turned back towards her.

‘What happen?’ She asked.

I didn’t reply. ‘I was joking’ she said with a tension in her voice.

‘Please come back, I am sorry, I was joking, I really don’t know that it will hurt you.’

I was able to feel tension in her voice and very soon a tear escaped from the corner of her eyes.

‘Excuse me’ a man said, I looked around, we both were standing in front of the escalators and the way was almost blocked because of us. She caught my hands and she took me aside. She put her hands on my shoulders, and said ‘you are the most handsome boy I have ever seen, you are cool, you are intelligent and you know I will love to come with you in this mall throughout my life, another drop of tear rolled down her cheeks. She hugged me tightly and said ‘please forgive me, I was just joking’ I hugged her back and I said ‘It’s okay.’

She said ‘let’s have something’ and she wiped her tears. We again shifted in the food court as we settled down opposite to each other. After ten minutes she broke the silence, she said ‘you know how much I love talking with you, after sharing my problems with you I feel so relaxed, after sharing jokes with you and most importantly after laughing with you when I go back home, I don’t feel that I am tired anymore, almost whole of my tiredness is gone. You know when I am in the hospital I often think that what you will be doing at this moment, I keep on counting time so that I will come back home and I can talk with you again. I really enjoy talking to you and you know Akaash these looks, these words (handsome/beautiful) is nothing in my view. You know our faces; our looks can be ruined one day and its law of the nature that after 60 years from now our face will be wrinkled for sure. I don’t care what people say about me, I don’t care what will people of my age will say seeing me walking with handsome boy or an ugly boy but what I care the most is with whom I am spending my time, if I love that person that person loves me back or not. According to me what is the use of that love, which started looking at the looks of the other person and after having sex love disappears because that other person will find more beautiful girl than me and he will leave me, I want someone who will always be there with me to hold my hands, to scold me at my wrong decisions, to get angry on me, to take care of me, I will love that person and most importantly I will love to be with that person forever. I want to live the person, who just don’t look at my outer beauty but most importantly he will look inside my heart, he will be loyal to me, he will love me how I am. I want to be with a person who is truthful and I am lucky to be with you. She kept her hands on my hands. I smiled and said ‘now wipe your tears and say what you will eat?’

She said ‘I will take MC Chicken and a cake.’

‘And what will you take?’ She asked.

‘MC Aloo ticci’ I said.

I went to the counter and I brought those in a tray. We came home after that.

At night while sleeping, I was thinking about her, I recalled all those words she said today my heart said I was in love with her.

Next day we met on the terrace again, I crossed the boundary and I jumped the other side.

She said ‘now you are not angry na?’

I said ‘no.’

We started taking a walk around the perimeter quietly, the sky was turning inky the sun was setting. I looked towards her, a wind blew, her hairs came on her face and she put her hairs on her ears. I was able to hear temple bells ringing. I caught her hands, she didn’t remove it we took another round along the perimeter hand in hand and finally we stopped. She stood taking the support of the boundary and she started looking towards me, I was standing facing her still her hands was in mine.

She broke the silence and said ‘you know today my mom created my account on matrimonial site, she wants me to get married.’

I was quiet, I looked into her eyes after few minutes and said ‘I love you’ a silence engulfed us I was still looking into her eyes and she was looking into mine. After a pause of two minutes I said again ‘I want to hold your hands throughout my life, I love you more than the stars in the sky, I want to always be with you, I want to woke you up by serving bed tea, I want to say you “good morning” after a morning kiss throughout my life, the day I saw you for the first time I fell in love with you.’ I paused for another minute and I said again ‘I know that you can get far handsome and better boy than me but please will you be with me?’

Her eyes were moist by now, she came in my arms. That evening we sat in each other’s arms on the floor taking the support of the boundary. There were starts in the sky, her hands were in mine, she locked her fingers with mine and she put her head on my shoulder and she closed her eyes. I removed her hair from her face and I put it back on her ears.

‘Please never leave me alone, I am a little crazy girl, I do crazy things, I become angry more often but please do come to convince me, you can become angry on me, you can scold me but please at the end please come to me, never leave my hands. I never want to lose you’ she said.

‘I promise’ I replied.

 The time was passing by, after ten days I went to my grandparent’s home for a day with my mom, I would just spent hours thinking about her in my minds, I would smile whenever her face would come in front of me. She called me at night, I informed her that maybe it can take one more day here as my grandfather have some work, and he wants me to help him in that and finally I disconnected the call after saying goodnight.

Next day grandfather told me that ‘beta, it’s all right I have called my lawyer and he is in the city, so if you want you can go back but I will be more happy if you will stay with me.’

I said ‘no, dadaji, actually I didn’t bring my laptop and I have to do some urgent work, so I will have to leave.’

He blessed me and finally I came back home with my mom, it was evening, I couldn’t wait to see Anandita again, I wanted to surprise her, I quickly went on the terrace but what I saw surprised me she was standing taking the support of the boundary with another boy, he kept his hands were on her cheeks, they both saw me she removed his hands and said ‘Akaash.’

Tears rolled down my cheeks, I went near her and I said ‘that day you were with me and today you were with him.’

That guy said ‘you just mind your own business.’

‘Shut up! Yash’ Anandita shouted at him.

‘Akaash, what you are thinking it’s nothing like that.’ She almost cried.

‘You know girls like you are bitches, they will sleep one day with one guy and another day with another boy’ I shouted.

I came down and I locked myself inside my room. Mom asked ‘Akaash, what happened?’

‘Nothing mom’ I replied.

I cried, I didn’t have my dinner and I slept. Next morning when I switched on my mobile I saw there were 56 missed calls from Anandita there were two messages, I opened it

MESSAGE #1

“Please pick up my call, please”

MESSAGE#2

“I love you, please call me.”

I stopped talking with her, it was almost 15 days since last time I saw her, these days most of the time I lock myself in a room and I should work on the pending presentations and during nights sometimes I should help Ananya. It was tenth day when I got an idea of writing a novel and very next day I started writing. New Year was approaching nearer. I was missing her terribly. I miss her for the first half second and I become angry for the next half.

It was 2 days left for the New Year when mom said that she is leaving with dad as her sister is admitted in the hospital. They left that night. Next day I spend all the time in my room, sleeping, cooking, surfing internet. Finally the day came it was 31^st December. After that day she tried to contact me for another 10 days and then slowly her message started slowing down.

I took my lunch outside and I returned in the evening and again I started working on my new novel. I checked the time after completing 35^th chapter it was 9.30 p.m. I prepare a cup of coffee for myself and again I shifted on my chair and I started typing. Almost after an hour someone rang the door bell. I checked the time it was almost 10.30 pm. I opened the door, Anandita was standing right in front of me. I looked towards her; she said ‘Can I talk with you for two minutes?’

I gave her the way to come inside and I locked the door. I said ‘what do you want?’

She said ‘Akaash please try to understand it was nothing like that as you are thinking.’

I said ‘I have seen you both from my own eyes.’

She said ‘What did you saw? That day when Yash placed his hands on my cheeks and when I was about to remove it you saw us and I have not told him to keep his hand on my cheeks, he kept it suddenly.’

I was quiet the truth was that even I am not able to live without her. ‘Is it truth?’ I asked.

‘Akaash you know how much I tried to contact you? How much I love you? We hugged each other for five minutes, I saw her face after sometime, and there were tears in her eyes. I said ‘hey, I am sorry, it was simply a misunderstanding please forgive me.’

‘Please don’t say sorry, it was my mistake, I shouldn’t allowed him to come at my home.’

She came in my arms again, I wiped her tears and said are you okay now?’

She said ‘yes, I am fine.’

‘What you were doing?’ She asked.

‘I am writing a book, come I will show you.’

We came inside my room and she started reading the page on which I was working.  After reading the last word she said ‘It is freaking awesome, you write fantastic.’

I said ‘leave it when it will be finished I will give it to you for reading.’

She stood up from the chair and she sat on my bed, I sat next to her and I moved my fingers on her hairs. Our eyes met, I asked ‘Do you love me?’

She didn’t reply for few minutes, we keep on looking in each other’s eyes and she kissed me our eyes met, we keep on kissing for three minutes. She said ‘I really love you, please never leave me alone, it was your right to be angry. I am yours but I have not done all that intentionally. I switched off the lights using the side table switch, we shifted on my bed, we started kissing again and after kissing for a long time we broke the kiss, I removed her aanchal, she stood up, she helped me removing her saaree. I said ‘Who told you to wear saaree today? Can’t you wear anything else?’

She said ‘I like to wear saaree, and I am removing it na.’

She kept her saaree on the chair; I started kissing her generously from the back of her neck till her lower back. I embraced her tightly, I removed her blouse and her bra and finally we settle down on the bed. I started kissing her passionately while she was reciprocating with equal intensity. We rolled on the bed, we cuddled. I started kissing her neck, her shoulders, her breast, her stomach. I removed her undergarments and I removed my pant and underwear too. We both were lying on my bed without a piece of clothes on our body.

She asked ‘Do you have a Condom?’

‘Yes, I have a stock in my home’ I replied.

She started laughing and said ‘okay baba, we don’t need a condom.’

We both get into a sexual act, within minutes we started making love as if we were born to make love. We were kissing each other, licking each other’s body. She came on top of me swabbing my upper body with her breast, while intensely caressing my crucial parts with her hand and locking lips all at once.

We heard noises of the crackers, Anandita checked the time it was 30 seconds left for the new year, she started counting and finally the moment came ....3......2.......1 ‘Happy New Year’ she said. We locked our lips again.

I loosed my momentum after an hour, I lied down next to her.

She said ‘Why did you stopped?’

‘I am tired’ I said.

That night we remained awake for rest of the night just holding each other in a tight embrace. It was 5 a.m in the morning when she said ‘Will you marry me Akaash?’

I kissed her and said ‘of course I will marry you but after few years.’

She asked ‘Why?’

I said ‘Anandita, we both have our career, we both have our dreams so after completing it we will marry.’

‘But we can make our career after marriage’ she argued.

I said ‘No Anandita.’

‘Do you love me?’ She questioned.

‘haa baba I love so much.’

‘pakka?’ She asked.

‘Come’ I said and again we started kissing each other passionately, we rolled and I came above her we got into the sexual act again but very soon after reaching the climax she said ‘stop now, see it already noon. She stood up and she started wearing her panty. I was lying on the bed without clothes just looking at her.

After ten days I left for Delhi, we talk with each other very frequently but very soon I got busy with my novel so the frequency of our calls dropped. One day when I called her at night she informed me that she is four months pregnant.

I said ‘What the fuck! Why didn’t you told me before?’

She said ‘What happen? Why you are talking like this?’

‘You should go for an abortion’ I shouted.

‘But why, you said you will marry me, you said you love me, than why?’

‘He is your child Akaash’ she added to the conversation.

I said ‘I don’t want a child now, I have my career and I have my goals.’

She said ‘Please Akaash, I really love you, I can’t live without you’ she started sobbing on the phone and she disconnected the call the next second.

I called her again but the phone was switched off. Again for the next few months I got busy with the publishing and the launching of the book. Six months passed away, I was too busy with my book. I just got a message from her during these days

“Will you marry me? What is your final decision?”

I replied “I don’t have time for all these now”

During night when I should sleep I used to remember her face, I was missing her terribly, I wanted to hug her, I wanted to kiss her. I love her more than anyone else on the earth; I wanted to marry her after the success of the book. I knew she loves more than I love her; I knew it was that difficult for her as it was for me but I was doing it for our future, for the bright future for our chid. Just few days were left and after the launching ceremony of the book I wanted to marry her, I wanted to marry my Anandita, I wanted to make Anandita mine forever.

Finally the day arrived, I was getting ready for the book launching ceremony and tomorrow I was leaving for Chandigarh, I was eager to see my Anandita, to see mom. Thinking of tomorrow a smile came on my face, I wanted to gift her book. My mobile phone buzzed I picked it up and I opened the message.

“I just cannot live without you; I am leaving our baby with my mother as I don’t have enough guts to take a life. He is a boy, ya, boy you know. His face is totally gone on you but eyes are gone on his mamma. During his birth I was in real pain, my eyes were searching for you, I wanted to see you, I didn’t inform you because you said that you don’t have time for all these. But I cannot live without you Akaash, you can marry someone else your type (ambitious or an author like you) I was waiting for your next book eagerly, I wanted to read it but unfortunately I was not able to read it. Be happy. And never cry my baccha. I don’t know where I will go but I will surely pray for you. Unfortunately I am not being able to be your wife. If you want you can meet your son, he will be happy seeing his father.

With a sweet kiss (you know lip lock type)

Ummmmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Bye.

I immediately called her number ‘hello’ her mom said.

‘Aunty where is Anandita?’ I asked.

‘Beta, she is no more, she hanged herself from the fan’ saying this she broke down into tears.

I took a next flight to Chandigarh, they have already burned her body. Her mom took me to a room where a child was lying on the bed.

Tears were rolling down uncontrollably from my eyes, I took my son in my arms and I just cried hard.

‘Why did you do this? Please come back to me’ I screamed.

No one can replace you from my life, you will always be there inside my heart, I will look after my son, and I will miss you. I will never marry again’ I said to myself.

Was it a Break up day or a kissing day?

Was it a Break up day or a kissing day?

Rahul and Priya were sitting in the wards lake, but today they have not came for a date but instead they have came here for a break up. Both of them were looking towards the lake, all they could see was the small lake which was full of love. It was almost dark at this time only couple were taking the boat ride. Rahul look towards her face, as usual it was beautiful, she have tied her hairs neatly, little Kajal in her eyes, lip gloss on her lips and the orange sunlight which was falling on her face was giving her extra charm. Rahul was not able to move his eyes of her, he kept his hands on her shoulders but she removed it immediately. The same thing was going on inside both of their heads but none of them were talking with each other. Priya closed her eyes and by looking at her he too closed his eyes and both of them went back into their past. Rahul still remember the first time he saw her, she was a new girl in the school, on the first day itself almost all the boys of the class started flirting with her, he still remember when the class returned from the assembly his bench mate, Vikash told him that ‘Bro, she is so hot yaar, just imagine how she will look with me as my girlfriend’ and then Rahul understood that it was not also an hour since she have came in the class and by now most of the boys have also started imagining her, as their girlfriends. When Rahul looked towards Vikash he was closing his eyes, Rahul was not able to control his laughter. He has not even seen her properly till now but now listening to Vikash, he looked towards her to check is she really beautiful? But when he saw her properly for the first time, he found that he was not being able to move his eyes off her. She was having an extraordinary charm, her eyes, her lips and she was looking so beautiful even after wearing school dress. He don’t know but all he was able to say was ‘wow’ and he really don’t know how she saw him at that moment, she understood the word he said by his movement of his lips and she gave him a angry look and she started looking other side. Rahul was scared. As she started looking towards the blackboard he turned other side and he opened his bag and he took out English book from his bag again he wanted to look towards her, he wanted to check what she was doing but anyhow after the first incident he controlled himself. Finally after the attendance, when teacher started her lecture Rahul found that it was the safe time and now he can look towards her as much he can. He don’t know why he was not being able to control himself, he checked her again from the corner of her eyes and after confirming that no one else was looking towards him he started looking towards her properly, her eyes were glued towards the teacher as if the whole story was written on her face, she was moving a pen along her fingers, her Barbie box which was lying on the desk, he was continuously looking at her, he was hypnotized but suddenly he got a hit with a chalk, everyone’s attention was shifted towards him and his attention towards the teacher who have threw the chalk on him. He looked towards her and in reflex he stood up. She said ‘What were you looking there?’ and she pointed her fingers towards Priya. He was staring down all the class started laughing at him as they all understood. She finally said ‘now get out of the class.’  As he came out from his desk he looked towards Priya just for a nanosecond but what he saw was a miracle, she gave a cute smile to him, it was not an insulting smile but a cute and lovely smile. He came out of the class and he kicked himself for just now what happened due to him. Now he was thinking how will he even face the whole class, his friends but simultaneously he was also happy because for the first time she had a given a smile to him. He know very well that he was not so handsome like other boys but still he was not so ugly, he knew very well that it was almost difficult for him to get her but still he said to himself ‘try karne mai kya jata hai?’

A week passes away, now she have got many friends, she was having lots of friends by now as you all know girls are expert in making friends, still during the lunch break Rahul founds her surrounded by boys who used to try their luck on her, still sometimes he used to look towards her secretly, many times Priya should catch him bare handed looking towards he but she never used to react but one day during the lunch break, Rahul was standing alone in the school corridor when he saw that Priya coming back into the class room with her best friend Archana, both of them were busy talking with each other but Priya saw him looking towards her. She stopped in front of him. Immediately Rahul started looking here and there and started proving himself that he is innocent, and he was not looking towards them. This time Priya said ‘look towards me’ he looked towards her, both of them were looking in each other’s eyes but no one was speaking than suddenly Priya said ‘Why you never talk with me? I will not bite you.’ Rahul didn’t reply, he started looking towards the floor but she spoke again ‘Will you be my friend?’ Crackers started exploding inside his heart, he was almost flying in his imagination, he tried to control himself and just replied ‘ya sure.’ From that time both of their life was filled with colors, very soon they became best friends, they started spending almost all the time with each other, they should do lunch together, they should sometimes walk to the canteen hands in hands, rumors started spreading inside the class about them, sometimes they should found their names were written on the blackboard in the heart shaped box but they never cared, they both used to met each other in the park, in the golf link, in the police bazaar, in the cinemas and the lake which was Priya’s favorite hangout spot. Whenever Rahul should ask her ‘is it a date?’ she just used to give him a naughty look but on one Sunday they were sitting the wards lake and Rahul finally proposed her, he just said those three magical words simply, she didn’t said anything but she just came in his arms and they hugged each other, they sat on the grasses like that in each other’s arms and started talking. Rahul told her how everyone have reacted to her when she first came in the class, when he told her that Vikash have already imagined her as his girlfriend she was not able to control her laughter, she laughed uncontrollably. From that day they should talk with each other, at nights they should chat till mid nights and after giving each other online kiss they should sleep. Half yearly exams were coming very near, they both decided to study and not to chat at night. They both decided that they will study alone as they should start talking while studying together. Rahul was good at Math; he should study with his friend circle in a group Vikash, Shreya, Amit. Four of them used to sit and study together on the last bench but very soon Rahul and Shreya started coming close to each other, they started spending almost all the time discussing Mathematical Problems, Rahul knew very well that this was constantly making Priya unhappy but even he cannot say this to Shreya, almost three days were remaining for half yearly exams, it was Friday and lunch break was almost going to get over, everyone were outside, Rahul and Shreya were inside the classroom, Shreya was standing taking the support of the wall and Rahul was sitting on the desk near her, both of them were discussing about their dreams, the classroom door was closed and soon the door opened, Priya walked inside the classroom, she looked towards both of them and without giving any reaction she straight away walked towards her bench and she put her head down. When the teacher arrived inside the classroom Rahul looked Priya, her eyes were red, as she sat down a tear rolled down her chicks, she didn’t looked towards Rahul and soon after the holiday of two days half yearly exams started, Rahul tried to talk with her a lot but she didn’t replied, once her caught her hands to stop her but she removed it in disgust and just walked away. Rahul have send more than 105 messages to her on facebook, she saw the message but she didn’t replied. It was the last day of the exams, Rahul decided to talk with her today also but she went away. In the evening Rahul got a message on facebook, she replied that she want to meet him in the lake.

Both of them were sitting in the lake on a bench, Rahul looked towards her, her eyes was still closed, again he kept his hands on her shoulder but this time she didn’t removed. Rahul explained her everything, she was not replying she was just listening to him but after wards when he finished his explanation she just said ‘Do you find her more beautiful than me? Do you love her more than me?’ Rahul replied ‘No, we are just friends.’ He added again ‘Do you trust me?’ ‘Yes, I trust you’ She said and closed her eyes. Rahul took her in his arms. She kept her head on his shoulders. It was almost dark, the moon was visible. There were no boats in the lake, only people were taking walk along the perimeter of the lake. The red and yellow lights of the cars were visible on the road. They both were silent, only the sounds of the horn of the vehicles were reaching to them. Rahul said ‘we should leave now it’s almost dark’ they stood up and started walking towards the exit, hands in hands but after walking few steps Priya stop walking and gave him a hug and said ‘please don’t leave me again’ Rahul just kissed her forehead in reply. She said those final words ‘Please kiss me’ and very soon Rahul’s lips met Priya’s, since both of them were not professional in kissing, but it was a sweet kiss.

The End?