LLC05: Mail by chance

‘One thing you haven’t told me Aayush, that how did you guys meet?’ Mahesh asked me, while sipping his cup of Café-latte, in our Office-Cafeteria.

It was his second cup and he wasn’t in any mood to let me go this time, without telling him the details of my love-marriage.

Mahesh, my best friend in office, was one of those hundred people who were surprised (shocked actually) to know that I got married to a girl like Shanvi, two months back. They couldn’t think that someone could even fall for a guy like me and subsequently, marry me.

I started to recount my love-tale with my Dream-girl Shanvi, to Mahesh.

*

Words fell short, when I describe Shanvi to someone. She is a poet’s poetry, an artist’s fantasy, a common man’s dream. She stands a good 5ft 7 inches, an average height of a female model, in front of me who is barely a 5ft 8 inches tall bespectacled, nerd with an average features.

Whereas, she has a perfectly sculpted face, porcelain skin, well-defined features. Her bedazzling aquamarine eyes and curved rosy lips are something to die for. She has an angelic aura and charismatic presence that I cannot seem to forget since the day one when I had first met her, accidently.

I could clearly remember, It was Thursday the Christmas’ eve in 2009 and I was about to leave from my office in ten minutes or so. I was going through my office and personal mails for the last time before shutting down my laptop. Three consecutive holidays were falling in a row for us, when Christmas had fallen on a Friday, followed with a weekend.

While I was going through the mails in my Gmail-inbox, my eyes got stuck at one particular mail. I wondered for a few seconds, and then finally opened it. It was sent on the previous night, i.e. 23^rd Dec at 11:30: p.m. by Shanvi Kohli from id shanvi.kohli12@gmail.com.

There was a beautiful Google profile picture of hers displayed, whenever I moved the cursor over her name. I haven’t seen her before. In-fact, I haven’t seen a girl like her before in my life. I quickly went through that mail where my heart was pounding so fast and literally, jumping inside my mouth. Her mail read like this:

Sweeeetoooo…………I am very sorry for the yesterday evening :) Please, please; pick up my calls. I have sent a lot of SMS to you. Baby, don’t be angry with your Sweetheart.

I know, I shouldn’t have reacted in such an unruly manner with you and shouldn’t have spoilt our wonderful date.

You know very well baby, that I literally get pissed off when I see that witch, Tina around you. I don’t like her at all and her presence even in the radius of 1 km from you. She really hits on you. And it seems to me, as if it’s quite immaterial for her that I am your girlfriend and sitting right next to you. I don’t understand the fact that why the hell, she has to land up everywhere we go? I told you this earlier also that I think she is obsessed with you and follows you everywhere.

Okay leave her….I couldn’t even wish my darling properly, on our 2^nd Anniversary; it’s been two years of our togetherness… and yet, you are so far from me now. I am dying to see my baby’s cute face and hear his lovely voice. I want to celebrate our anniversary and Christmas in a grand way, so I have planned something for us. Let’s meet at 7:00 p.m. in the Geoffrey’s, on 25^th.

Honey, I can’t imagine a day, without meeting you. So be a good boy and pick up my calls or call me.

C’ya……. Lots of Love, Hugs and kisses…. :)

Best Regards

Shanvi Kohli

 

At the bottom of the mail were her permanent signatures reflecting her name. At first, I thought it to be a spam. But soon, I realized it wasn’t as why would a person sending spam display his or her profile picture, in the first place and address in this way to strangers.

I thought that mail has come to my inbox, by mistake but I did not know then, what to do? I found myself, getting attracted to that girl instantly, who was supposedly world’s best looking girl according to me. I was falling in love with that girl, in the first sight.

I was falling for the way of addressing her to me (the person in the letter) as, baby. Nobody has ever called me baby. Even, my parents never called me baby. I thought and smiled foolishly, while staring at Shanvi’s mail and wondering who was she and how does she had my id?

It could be like, she must be sending a mail to her boyfriend and it landed in my inbox, but how? I was busy thinking this and tried to see my Gmail address-book and found that I had her in my address book already, but how, I could not recollect.

An hour passed, I re read Shanvi’s mail and watched her picture, again. It was 7:55 p.m. I gave up finally; as I was getting late for my home.

It was the Christmas’ eve plus a foggy winter night, it would take another two hour or more to reach my home in Faridabad from Noida. With lot of discontentment, I shut down my laptop.

*

All thanks to superfluous traffic that night that after a good 2 hours journey by my Alto, I reached my home. I quickly changed, washed my hands, and had my supper.

After that, I reached inside my room. I quickly opened up my laptop and checked Shanvi’s mail once again. My eyes beamed up, as I saw another unread mail from Shanvi in the previous thread.

‘Miss you……….baby, please do pick my call :)’

Best Regards

Shanvi Kohli

 

At first, I thought of replying to her, but gave up the idea.

Shanvi’s beautiful face and her picture kept on revolving around my eyes the whole night and I could not sleep a tad.*

The next whole day on Christmas, I was busy getting ready for my first ever date of my life. I got a haircut cum massage from one of the best Salon in the city. I purchased a Bouquet of fresh flowers to gift it to Shanvi.

I took my best clothes from my closet to deck up myself for the evening. It was a Navy Blue Blazer and a white linen shirt and a pair of my favorite Chinos, which I wore in every office party.

It was the max, which I could think of, in dressing up; as I never understood of dressing up too formally. In-fact, I had never had put such an effort in dressing up in my entire lifetime.

*

I waited for some odd 15-20 minutes on a corner table in Geoffrey’s for Shanvi, as I reached around 6:40 p.m. I was desperately waiting for Shanvi to finally arrive there; believe me, those were the longest 20 minutes of my life.

At last, at 7:02 p.m., the restaurant door got opened by a waiter. It was Shanvi. I could recognize her effortlessly; she appeared more beautiful than her picture.

Undoubtedly, Shanvi could be mistaken for a Celebrity, as she had that kind of aura and personality. She resembled a film star in her little black dress which ended just above her knees, which she had paired it with black gumboots and a black Trench-coat. She had let her hairs loose and a hint of burgundy was evident on her lips. She appeared a princess to me.

Every single head turned towards her, when she had entered inside the restaurant. It took me few minutes to realize that she was virtually standing in front of me and I am not day dreaming about her like the previous night. She stood at the entrance and her eyes kept on searching for someone.

I got up from my table and moved towards her. I waved my hand from a distance, to greet her, when her eyes met mine for a microsecond. She looked at me and then behind her, in order to verify whom I was waving my hand to?

I was perhaps, a foot apart from her when she moved aside to give me a way. She must have thought that I was there to meet someone else.

I reached right next to her and said ‘Hello Shanvi, nice to meet you.’

‘How the hell do you know my name?’ She frowned.

‘I am Ayush, you have sent a letter….. I mean, a mail to me a day before, if you remember…?’

‘Mail….To you…? And hang on a sec, Mister…what did you just say your name?’

‘It’s Ayush……Ayush Raina.’

‘Ayush Raina? What the F? I am here to meet Ayush, my Ayush…. Ayush Rana, not Ayush Raina, alright! And I have sent a mail to him, not to you?’

‘Wait you said, Ayush Rana, right?’

‘Yes.’

‘Oh, now I got it. Would you mind, can we sit there and then I’ll let you explain everything? Trust me.’

‘Listen, cut the crap. I didn’t even know you. Has Ayush send you here to play a prank on me? Where is he?’ A sign of discomfort and anxiousness were reflecting on her face.

‘I said, people are watching us, if we could sit there, then I would be able to help you understand everything, properly.’

‘Whatever….’ She frowned again, showing her displeasure and walked ahead of me, by throwing her feet in irritation and making a noise by her stilettos.

*

‘Now would you care explain me Mister, this whole thingy…’

She looked so cute whenever she was exasperated on me.

‘Well, Ayush Rana is my friend and a colleague in my office. He sits right next to me. What I could infer right now is your letter…. I mean mail, have been wrongly delivered to me, according to you…and me of course (it was too hard for me to believe that).

Few days back, if you remember you must have received a mail, your Flight tickets to Bangalore on your Gmail from my email id ayush.raina@gmail.com, isn’t it?’

‘No, I don’t remember any mail from you…my ticket was booked and mailed to me by Ayush …I mean my Ayush through his email id ayush.rana@gmail.com.’

‘No, it isn’t like that. Actually, after our lunch that day, Ayush….well, your Ayush was going on a Client’s meeting, so he had given me your Mail id and details, and had asked me to book the tickets to Bangalore for you; and to make sure to deliver those tickets urgently to you. I had done the same and had mailed them from id. Now, I could realize the very fact, that why your name does sounds familiar to me.’

‘But how come I could not realize this thing that I am receiving and sending a mail to a stranger?’

‘Well, it happens….it does happen in our office several times, when our mails, letters or couriers get exchanged, often. It’s very common. That day, after your fight, when you wrote to Ayush, you might have inserted ayush.raina, in spite of ayush.rana in a scurry from your address book, when it displays contact to insert in the mail.’

‘Oh my god…! It must be true. So, you are here that’s why only, you presumed that somebody have mailed you just like that, to have dinner, and to have a date with you.’ she smiled by looking at the Bouquet that I had brought for her.

‘Seriously speaking, yes, I thought the same.’

‘Umm, well, I am really very sorry for my behavior with you, a few minutes back. I am sorry for that mail too.’

‘Don’t be sorry, it’s okay. Whatever it is, say a coincidence……but I got a chance to meet you and you called me sweetooo and baby unknowingly…… And I quite liked it.’

‘Actually Ayush…., my Ayush is not picking up my calls or replying to my texts or mails…since we had an argument… I mean a fight a day before. So, could you let me make a call to him from your cell-phone….?’

‘Yes of-course.’

She further dialed Ayush. After two or three dropped calls, a message came on my cell from Ayush “mid of a movie, I’ll call you back”.

A line of sorrow appeared on Shanvi’s forehead and tears started rolling down from her magnificent eyes. I, so desperately, wanted to wipe her tears, with my fingers; and wanted to kiss her luscious curvy red lips, but I stopped myself from doing such nonsense in our first meeting, like this. She was my friend’s girlfriend, after all.

‘Don’t cry Shanvi. Please. Look, I have brought these flowers for you. Merry Christmas! May Jesus Christ and Mother Mary fulfill all your wishes and make your dreams come true.’

She stopped crying and looked at me, innocently. At that moment, my heart had halted for a while and my eyes froze for a second, by looking at the most beautiful girl, who was looking deep into my eyes, innocuously.

Later, we both had a quiet dinner; yes, I had a dinner, my first unofficial dinner date with the most beautiful girl of the world. The prime reason was she could not meet her Ayush; secondly, she didn’t want to spoil this Ayush’s hypothetical date, at all. Nevertheless, it was Christmas.

*

Shanvi had called me 10 times in those two days in weekend to tell me that Ayush wasn’t picking her calls or replying to her.

In those conversations with her, I realized how ingenuous and a dedicated lover Shanvi was? It was her commitment and allegiance towards her love, her Ayush that despite being such a beautiful and attractive girl (for whom battles would have been fought amongst the boys, to woo her and to get her), then too she was so madly and deeply in love with Ayush and was expressing her regrets to him, on that fight.

*

On Monday, I reached my office half an hour before my usual time and waited for Ayush Rana.

As soon as he entered and saw me near his seat, he started giving all sorts of explanations to me.

‘Sorry, bro! When you had called me on Friday, I was watching a movie with a friend, so could not take up your call. Then, we had dinner and by that time, it was too late to call you back.’

‘What about the weekend…?’

‘Ahh, weekend, I was busy; I wasn’t there in the town. I had to go to my sister’s place in Gurgaon. Both her children had come from their boarding in their winter vacations, so they all insisted me to join them over, in the weekend. I hope you understand bro.’

‘I do. And, why were you not picking up Shanvi’s calls, she texted you and tried to call you umpteen times. What’s wrong with you? She was going berserk as she was constantly trying to reach you, you didn’t even care about her?’ I blasted on him and I don’t know why?

‘Hey….Chill bro chill. Let me see this. It appears Shanvi had spoken to you? Did she shed some tears and fooled you with her sob story and blubbering? You know what I don’t like this thing about her….’

‘What are you saying Ayush? Shanvi is your girlfriend, and you have no right to speak anything like this for her.’

‘So, you would tell me how to behave and deal with my girlfriend? Ayush, you just stay from my personal stuff and Shanvi in particular. She is an expert in all this emotional drama and shedding crocodile tears every time, in front of everyone.’

That day I had a long heated argument with him over Shanvi. I later realized that Shanvi did not deserve a guy like Ayush, as he was seeing a girl Tina from Sanket’s team and if rumors to be believed, Ayush was dating her and sleeping with her.

Ayush was plainly, doing double-timing with Shanvi and the sad part was that she didn’t have a clue about it. I felt very miserable for her.

Shanvi called me in my lunch time, to know whether I was able to meet and talk to Ayush. I could not gather enough courage to tell her that, that guy was cheating upon her; and she should forget him. But, I could not hide much from her and just told her that Ayush was very angry and did not want to listen to her or even me.

She wept inconsolably over the phone and I could not do anything about it, but just consoled her, at most.

I called her everyday then to check whether she was okay, as she repeatedly mumbled, while crying, that she wanted to die and she would commit suicide. She found too hard to live her life without Ayush.

*

On 31^stDec, i.e. New Year’s Eve, I called Shanvi to ask her for the Dinner so that we both could bring in new years in the company of each other, happily.

She refuted at first, but could not argue with me much, as I was hell bent and adamant over my decision to be with her on the New Year’s Eve. She was the root of the sudden exhilaration and a transformation in my daily life. I wanted her, to forget her sorrows, and wanted her to be happy, forever.

*

We had our dinner and wished each other a happy new year. I gifted her bouquet and offered her lift to her home, as it was midnight and wasn’t safe for a girl to travel alone in Delhi, at that hour. (In reality, I wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. I felt fascinated with her more and more, in no time).

As we both reached in the Mall’s basement car parking, which was quiet deserted at that time; Shanvi stopped just before my car and asked me in delusion ‘Is there an earthquake coming?’

‘No.’

‘But, why that car is shaking so much?’ she paused and screamed ‘Oh my God….Its Ayush’s car…’ she saw the number plate of Ayush’s car, which was standing next to mine and ran towards it hurriedly.

I also followed her in haste and we both stood dumfound for few seconds by looking inside that car; as we saw Ayush and Tina in an intimate and a compromising position.

Ayush quickly wore his clothes and threw Tina’s on her. He stepped outside his car behind Shanvi who has, by this time, entered inside my car and locked the door.

‘Shanvi, listen. It’s not like that, what you think….Open the door.’

‘Now, it’s clear that why the hell Tina lands up everywhere, wherever we both used to go in the past; and why you had stopped taking interest in me from quiet some time now, why were you not interested in picking up my calls or to listen to me once. Everything is evident and clear to me now? But, you know what; I would repent every single day of my life, for loving a coward like you. Just, go away.’ she shouted in anger.

‘Go to hell.’ Ayush yelled back at her and gave me a fierce look and went back to his car, where Tina was standing and watching everything, by now.

*

Days passed, I heard in my office that Ayush has taken an onsite project in the U.S. and Tina was also supposed to join him there. This news made Shanvi more impaired and frayed into pieces, from Ayush’s side. She became lunatic and remained confined in her house for days.

*

12^th Jan was Shanvi’s birthday; I came to know about that through her Face-book profile. I planned a surprise Birthday party for her, and had called her friends to celebrate that.

Later, she told me that she was literally moved by my gesture, but she failed to understand as why I was doing so much for her; who was just a stranger or just a friend’s girlfriend, one month back.

I did not want her to take me wrong, as being the one who was taking the fringe benefit of her break-up with her boy-friend and trying to set himself as a candidate for her. So, I said, I liked her as a friend and wanted to see her happy (to cover up).

But, I could not cover up the things from my side for long, as I found myself, hard to resist Shanvi and her charm, whenever I used to meet her.  And in her absence, I used to miss her badly. I desperately wanted to confess my love and my feelings for her. So, I decided Valentine’s Day to be the best day for this.

*

I arranged a romantic candle-light dinner with music playing in the background for Shanvi, by taking the hints and ideas from the online portals. I purchased a Solitaire ring for her, which I thought I would give her while proposing.

Everything went perfectly, she liked and appreciated my efforts, till the time I proposed her and professed my feelings to her. Shanvi was very shocked and was not expecting this angle from me. In-fact, she said she wasn’t ready for another relationship so soon, as it was very hard for her to forget Ayush.

I told her that nobody was asking her to forget Ayush, as I myself was Ayush. A gentle smile played on her pink lips, by listening this; but she refused to accept my ring, that time. She said time will decide her fate, whether she could be able to love again…Whether she could be able to love Ayush again? I kept the ring back, inside my shirt’s pocket.

*

Days passed and so the months, my daily routine of going to Office, meeting the clients, chatting with friends, family, battling with Delhi’s traffic went on and on; but amidst this, I couldn’t think anything else, except her.

My love for Shanvi did not falter a tad. I kept on loving her like a silent lover and she considered me a “friend in need is a friend indeed” kind of friend.

On my insistence, we spent many evenings together for movies and dinners. Despite her concerns about her previous relationships, my love for Shanvi was true.

It was my love and persuasion, which made Shanvi a little ductile and she melted for me, eventually. It took her almost a year to say, a yes to me.

*

On 25^th Dec, the day we previously met for the first time, Shanvi accepted my proposal for marriage, ultimately.

She said, she had been pursued by numerous boys, and she had around 6-7 serious relationships, but the commitment and dedication that she saw in me wasn’t present elsewhere.

She was ready for a steady relationship and wanted to settle down and spend rest of her life with me now.

She always desired for a loving and caring husband and she found that in me. She realized the intensity of my love for her in that one year, and despite of being a below average looking guy, nerd to be precise; she found me trustworthy and suitable.

*

‘Okay, so do you still get some wrong mails?’ Mahesh asked.

‘No……I don’t know actually, I have given Shanvi the authorization to check my personal mails; because I don’t feel any desire to have misaddressed mails to me from a stranger or any girl, as whatever I had desired I had got already.

*

__END__