Love Short Story – The Sunrise
The Sunrise – Love Short Story
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I never could wake myself up from dreaming about him. It was an idyllic trance that I seemed to step into. Karan and me were in perfect harmony. The frequencies were perfectly in tune. But did I love him because he was so lovable or because he found me adorable? Beats me!
There I was again. In my office premises. To be in IT meant something these days. The money is great but so was the pressure. No wonder why we find the respites heavenly. The most recent one was to this Forest place on the hills.
Mussorie was a real breather. We were a very different gang. Every one of us was ambitious. ‘The Dreamers’ was what we were referred to. There was Sangeetha, Vicky, Anil and Tulika. And Anil did his utmost to get me to say yes for marriage. He was a good match in several ways. We were good friends. In fact our years together only seemed to strengthen this special something between us. Anil was 3 years my senior and he was already way up the ladder.
Honestly, I could never be in step with that kind of accomplishment. He gets offers by the minute but he seemed to stall them all for some strange reason. And that day in Forest hill when we stole ourselves away from the gang, he told me. And it seems I was the reason he was still around. My yes will get him going. As for me, I will be where he is. There wouldn’t be any problems in our marriage. There was no reason why our parents should not oblige. But was I attracted to him? Maybe ours would be a very convenient relationship. But is marriage all about a convenient partnership? Moreover I was only now warming up to this institution called marriage. The only reason I was hesitating was Karan. I was meant for Karan. And was waiting for the day that I would be in his arms forever. But what about Anil?
Tulika and me were great pals. Right from our school days. The sounding boards for each other. The only thing we were not open about was our career ambitions. We were very rigid about competition. Between equals, this is nothing surprising. But we were very religious about not letting it affect our personal life. Work was a different planet. This struck everybody as odd.
We were indeed an odd couple. But we were very comfortable in each other’s company. The most striking similarity or rather the only similarity was our interest in guys. We almost always liked the same boys. Anil was no exception. For the others we were a threesome. The truth was known only to us. Anil was very open with his feelings for me and Tulika was nothing more than a friend to him. In fact he confided his feelings for me to Tulika even before he told me. That was something I will never forgive Anil for. Because call it the usual love triangle but Tulika had a soft corner for Anil. She dreamt about marrying him but could never make the first move. She was still traditional at heart.
Karan never left my thoughts. There he was again. Interrupting the normality as usual. Karan had a striking resemblance to Anil. That was indeed the first thing that I noticed about Anil. But immediately thereafter I started noticing the differences too. Where Karan was very light hearted, Anil was very sensitive and serious. Karan was aggressive and ambitious. Anil appeared composed. Karan could easily sense my moods and adjust but with Anil the role was slightly reversed. Karan was a romantic at heart. Everyday was a new day to be enjoyed. But Anil was matter of fact. Romance for him was all about compatibility.
I was shaken out of my reverie by Tulika. This was our special day. Only the two of us. The entire evening was dedicated to our personal thought sharing. I was not quite sure if I should tell her about Anil’s proposal. Was I standing in their way? Maybe if I step aside, Anil and Tulika could get together. Tulika was somebody who had to get what she most wanted. And here we are talking about a lifetime.
We got to talk about relationships. It was a strange thing these relationships. No one can comprehend the psychology behind relationships. And mine was unique because it was intertwined with the real and the illusory. There was a sadness in her eyes. Relationships were not like logics. They can never be cracked. And when we do, the program fails to run. This is in violation to the fundamental rule of existence. Vagueness in certain things is a requisite quality. I finally had it out.
I told her about Anil’s proposal and told her about my predicament. Anil she said was not the end of the world but it also remains that maybe I wouldn’t find a better person. I loved the way she did it. Totally composed. No sign of distress. I told her that there were no emotions at play. No feelings involved, at least from my side. And there was Karan to think about. Tulika had nothing to say. She said this was something that I had to crack myself. She could only assist, not decide.
There it was. The ball was in my court after all. But I seemed to be the lone player. Life now felt like a game of squash. The most complicated decision in life. Marriage and companionship. Since I was left with no resort I had to turn to Karan again. He was a cool headed guy and could be totally unbiased in such matters. But somehow Karan was no longer reaching out to me. Strange! When I needed him most, he was not to be found. I called out to him and all my requests unheeded. Tears were pricking my eyes. I could bear it no more. Why was he being so elusive?
I suddenly found myself crying out aloud. And those arms around me felt most comforting. I found myself relaxing. The tears seemed to dry down. I looked up and found myself staring into the most compassionate and caring pair of eyes. Like always Anil seemed to know when I needed a shoulder to cry. Let go of him, he said. And I suddenly saw a blurred image walking away. Sometimes dreams could actually block the best things in life when they come your away. I let my dream guy go and kissed my partner for life.
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