Seraphic Love

Shyness is sometime misunderstood as attitude, Similar was the case with Preet. Arrogant, stubborn were the words generally used to describe him by his mates. In reality he was just an introvert. He was concerned with his own thoughts and feelings. He had enough of me in his life to think of anyone else. He had friends, a lot of them, but none was too close to know him completely.

For the world he seems to be a strong person but he was the only one who was well aware of his identity. Emotionally he was craving for a strong unknown support with which he can lead his life. Actually it was not a thing, but a pre-conceived image of his soul mate that his innocent eyes generally used to search everywhere.

Preet had a fixed routine. It was like any other normal child who goes to school. He used to wake up at 7 in the morning then he headed towards the school, around 1 he used to come back, had lunch and then a short nap. At 4 he was again ready for his daily tutorials. After returning from tuitions he engaged himself with the virtual world of social networking site.

One day while he was going through his regular routine of surfing, he saw a message notified in his inbox from a girl named Jenne. He scrolled the profile of Jenne and found her to be his Batch mate.

“Hello”, Jenne messaged.

“Hello, How are you…?” he replied back

In the meantime he heard his mom calling for the dinner, “Preet come, dinner is ready”

“In a moment mom”

He could not think of anything else but of Jenne. Her name was constantly buzzing in his ears. He was clueless, who Jenne was, what she looked like? With all these things in his mind he headed towards the dining table. He thought of opening his account before going to sleep and when he did so, sees a reply in return of his message.

Days passed by chatting on facebook. They used chat about everything, their liking, and disliking, daily happenings. Time fleeted away and in no time she was an inseparable part of his small world. Jenne was a sweet and sensitive person. She could always feel the pulse of Preet. Being a student of different stream they never had a chance to come across each other as Preet was a student of science stream and Jenne was from commerce. Preet was itching to meet her. By now he could even think of anyone else as his life partner. He was desperately waiting to meet the girl he loves the most.

A night before exam they both were chatting with each other, busy in their creative world. She was ill that day. Preet gathered all his courage and thought of revealing his feelings. By the time they was sharing their daily happenings with each other as a part of their chat, suddenly a message came from Jenne’s end.

“What do you think about me…?” Jenne questioned.

“Why is she asking me that..?” Preet thought in his mind.

“You are a good natured girl, caring and whosoever will become special for you, he will be the luckiest man in this universe…”

“ I have found that luckiest man…..Just have fear to tell him about my feelings…”

“What is the fear in this…. just tell him…” replied Preet melancholically, thought it to be his misfortune as he was about to lose the girl he has started loving. In his heart he regretted his inability in expressing his feelings for her.

Before he could get over his feeling, “I…  want to relate your name with that luckiest one…” came the reply from Jenne.

Before he could even read the message properly, his mobile slipped out of his hand. He heart was throbbing relentlessly. With his quivering hands he switched on the phone. The feelings that inundated him at that point of time cannot be described in words. He could not believe his eyes. He replied, “I could not believe that it is happening, had you been here, I would have asked you to pinch me.”

Preet thanked his stars profusely. He could not have asked for more. After 17 long years he has a friend, who can understand him, who loves him. He has a person who yearns for his love. He was clueless how to celebrate the moment. If moments can be preserved, he would have preserved it forever.

“This is real Preet. I do not want to lose you. I do not know when I have started to love you. I love to talk to you. I love to spend time with you. I cannot afford to lose you. You are the one I always think about. It has become really tough for me to think of anything else.”

Jumping out of joy J Preet typed “u won’t believe me, I was about to say the same things to you… now I am really very happy.”

“hmmmm…… Same Here J”

“Jenne may I ask you for something..?”

“Yeah… surely”

“Can we meet someday?”

“ammmm….actually I too want to see you..Soooo can we meet tomorrow after the exam..? “

“Obviously I will be waiting outside your classroom after exam and I think we should go to sleep now as you are not well”

“O.k. sure bye take care….”

“O.k. bye and I will see you after examJ”

He kept on waiting for the morning thinking about her all the time. Few remaining hours of that night was moving like years for him. He can’t wait anymore to see her.

It was a splendid morning for him. He started with the exam but kept on looking at the time after every 5 min and thinking of her made him more eager to meet her, same was going on the other end with her. He left the room before half an hour to the final bell. He was waiting at the designated place, continuously looking towards the room where she was sitting. As final bell went off his heart started throbbing palpably. A fairly tall girl, fair in complexion wearing specks with brown eyes reflecting the colours of love, straight long hairs waving into air with a very cute smile was walking towards him, when he had a glimpse of her he pinched himself to be out of his dream as till that time he was assuming it to be a dream.

“HELLO”, said the girl coming towards him.

Preet who was completely lost into her eyes forgot to reply for a moment, as she extended her hand and said” Hi PREET..!!”

“Hello…. Jenne naa?” said Preet shaking hands with her.

She confirmed his statement with a nod of her head.

“Sooooo… How are you…”

“I am fine but do you know that the distance from the room till where I’m standing is 28 steps and I have repeated this distance 30 times.”

“Oh! I m so sorry I just got late. ” Jenne replied in a smiling way

When he met her, he felt that she was equally eager to see him. She was silently looking into his eyes and he was talking a lot. He recalled all the conversation they had the night before. Many of her messages were flashing into his mind. He was sure that she was also feeling the same. Their weak eyes were reflecting lack of their sleep.  Preet holds her hand and then they both started walking together towards the bus.

“How are you now?” Preet questioned her on the way to bus

“I am feeling better today”

“You don’t seem to be better; don’t try to hide from me as I know you very well”

“How can you say that?”

“I can feel that”

“achaa Ji….”

“hanji”

“Okay Preet, I need to go now”

“Okay sure bye take care.”

He was not in a mood to leave her hand; he holds Jenne in his arms inducing no fear of all the students standing near to them.

“Bye take care…. LOVE YOU….” Preet whispers in her ear.

While she was heading towards the bus he was waiting to have a last look of her and was  sure that she will turn back to see him. He just kept on waiting but she didn’t turned back and when she started to enter the bus she turned back and showered him with a disarming smile on her face.

Returning home he was still lost in the dreams of Jenne. By the time he was recapitulating his memories of that day, Jenne called him. He picked up with a wide smile on his face.

“Hello”, Preet said

“Hey, what’s up?”

“I was just thinking about you.”

“Oh! Really what you were actually thinking?”

“I was just thinking that if you go into anyone’s marriage, there the bride must get jealous of you”

“ammm…but why..”

“As you are sooo… pretty…”

“No it’s not like that there are far prettier girls than me”

“Then certainly they are not from this universe”

“Oh! Really…. thanks…. Love You…J”

The love for each other had taken birth in the core of their heart. Within years their love had grown so much that they promised each other to spend their life together. They can’t imagine their life being separated from each other. As the years rolled down, Jenne capped up her graduation with a very good placement in her dream company. Her life was on track but Preet was still jobless. After completing his graduation, he had applied for job in many companies and was still waiting for a response in return.

She used to call him every now and then to share all that was happening in her life but Preet was tired of his jobless life, he used to curse his stars. Life was suddenly so frustrating and irritating for him. She used to encourage him always asking him to wait for the best, as one day he will surely make name and fame for himself. The anxiety of a jobless life used to gnaw him up, but he always tried to hide his disappointment from Jenne. He cannot afford to see her dejected. Her smile meant a world to her.

The proposal of her marriage had started to pour in but Jenne was still not prepared for it. She rejected all the proposals. She always kept the promise she made to Preet.

One day she was sitting depressed, thinking of the moment when she will have to answer her parents for her life. In the meanwhile she got a call from Preet, picked it up.

“Hello”, answered Jenne with doleful voice

“Hello”, Preet replied

“I was just thinking about you…”

“What were you thinking and why are you so sad?”

“Hmm…. I was little depressed as I was thinking that one day I have to answer my parents for my life but I can’t because I can’t imagine my life with anyone else except you…”, She started crying.

Preet can do anything for her but can never see the tears into her eyes.

“Don’t worry you will be mine”

“My parents will not allow me to marry a men who is unemployed and I can’t even put forward the proposal of marrying you”

She disconnected the call.

It pinched him very badly and from that very moment he left waiting for response from companies and started working as a mechanic in a garage just to make her smile. Now that he was busy in garage, he had very less time to talk to her. Days passed by, but his busy life never allowed him to communicate with her properly.

One day while working in garage he got a message that his father has been hospitalised as he just went through a heart attack. He was totally aghast with the news and started moving towards the hospital with tears in his eyes. As he reached the hospital, he asked the receptionist.

“Can you please tell me in which room is Mr. Singh admitted?”

“Let me just check the record sir?”

“Please make it fast.”

“He is in I.C.U sir, ward no 16. His is in a critical condition.”

Preeet could not control himself, tears welled up around the corner of his eyes and he ran towards the I.C.U to see his mother sitting and crying at the corner of the room. He went to his mother, held her hand, hugged her tightly, and wiped her tears.

“Please don’t cry, don’t worry he will be out of this situation soon, he is a very strong man.”, Preet said to console her mother.

“I know son, he is really strong.”

“Can I go inside to see him?”

“Yes sure my child he will get strength on seeing you”

Preet just had a look through the window before going inside and saw that he was sleeping surrounded by several machines and pipes near him. Preet wanted to meet him but he can’t go inside with tear in his eyes as his father will lose his strength seeing him in this condition. After collecting all his strength, he walks inside the room.

“You came my son?” Father asked in a weak and shaking voice.

“Yes Dad I am here for you, you were the one who always used to give me healthy advices and now you are here…!”

“Nothing had happened to me my son, I am still strong enough to defeat you”, father replied with a weak smile on his face.

“You will not change my dad, I love you, you will be well soon than we will go out for fight. “ Preet replied with a sadly smiling face

“Where is your mom?”

“She is waiting outside”

“Please  go and take care of her she is weak hearted, can’t see me in this situation it’s your duty to make her smile and tell her that I was saying I will be fine within few days nothing will happen to me.”

“O.k. dad I will take care of her, now you may take some rest”

Preet kissed his father on his forehead and moved out of the gate. The moment he opened the gate he saw a girl on stretcher being taken to the operation theatre. He recognised her as Jenne. He could not believe his eyes. He was numb. He did not know how to react. He just collapsed on his knees with tears rolling down her eyes. Seeing her child distraught, Preet’s mother came running towards him, he took in her arms.

“What has happened my son?” Preet mother questioned him

“Nothing mom, all I wanted to know was why god has scripted such a life for me?”

“No my son, God is always there for His children to keep smile alive on their faces”

“But I don’t think that I am his good child”

“Don’t say like that my son. You are definitely dear to Him.”

Wiping out his tears Preet’s mom hugs him tightly. Preet made his mom sit on the chair and he headed towards the operation theatre.  He sat next to Jenne’s mother.

“Hello Aunty I m Preet, Jenne’s schoolmate”

Listening to his statement she just put her crying face on his shoulders.

“What has happened to Jenne?”

“Today was her marriage and we found her unconscious in her room”

A wave of guilt overpowered him, he was well aware of the fact that no one but he was the only one who should be blamed for her present condition. A chilling wave of fear flowed down his spine, whether he would have to survive in a Jenneless world. No! it will never happen. I will never let it happen. His life was currently divided into two compartments, in one room lay his father, with whom he had spend his life and in other room was the one with whom he has decided to spend his life. After a while doctor came out of the operation theatre with good news that Jenne was now out of danger and Preet asked Jenne’s mom to see her. Preet escorted Jenne’s mother to the door and he went off to see his mother. He saw the doctor standing near to his father’s bed.

“How is he now?” Preet questioned the doctor

“He is totally well and now out of the danger, therefore we are shifting him to the general ward.”

Doctor shifted him to the general ward and in the meanwhile Preet brought the medicines and saw that Jenne was also shifted to general ward on the bed next to his father. Preet was standing out of the room looking through glass window meanwhile thanking god to bring both of them out of danger. He wanted to meet his father but when he just took a step forward something resisted him; it was the fear of facing Jenne. He knew that he did a mistake but Jenne was unaware of his reason. Collecting the strength in his heart he opens the door, go near the bed. In the meanwhile Jenne made her mother completely clear with the reason of taking poison.

“I love a guy without whom I can’t imagine my life and even we have promised to live together.” Say’s Jenne in low voice.

For Jenne’s happiness her mother agreed with their relation and wanted to know the name of that guy. As Jenne was about to speak his name, Preet just reflects in front of her eyes and she points her finger towards Preet.

Seeing her finger being pointed towards him Preet gets completely scared. Jenne’s and Preet’s mother together turns their head and gets surprised. Both of them said in unison… “Preet…”

Jenne’s mother and Preet’s mother looked at each other. Later on Jenne’s mother talked to Preet’s mother about their relationship. Than Preet’s mother throws a question on him asking that.

“Do you love this girl?” Preet replied looking into the eyes of Jenne

“Yes mom a lot, since 5 years”

“Why haven’t you told me before?”

“I thought that first I should find a footing in my life before I can decide about my life partner”

“Do you want to stay with her throughout your life?”

“Yes… I want to” Preet replies confidently.

His mother can do anything to make her child smile. So that day there was a new relation which was created into hospital. His father was also really happy for them.

Next day doctor comes with reports and announce the discharge of both the patients from the hospital. All were very happy leaving the hospital meanwhile Preet thought, “this was the place which showed me the worst day of my life when I arrived here and when I m leaving now I m having only happiness which I can never forget in my life.”

Preet lead his parents towards the taxi and made them to wait there as he also wanted to help Jenne to come out from the hospital. He rolled her arm over his shoulder and walked outside the hospital. Then he completed all the formalities of hospital than they both left towards their houses.

After few days when all was settled and now they both were happy living their life together, lost deep into their loving world. One day Preet invites Jenne and her parents to his home for dinner. All the members were sitting in the drawing room; Preet was sitting with his mom and on the other side of his mom Jenne was sitting. Everyone was lost in sharing their talks while Preet was busy looking at Jenne…. His mom made a lot of dishes for them, meanwhile she was serving the dishes, Preet noticed that Jenne was taking the empty plates from his mom hand to take them to kitchen and made her mom to sit with her parents.

“Let me take it to the kitchen aunty…”

“No… My dear you sit here, I can manage….”

“NO…NO…NO… you please sit here I will do that…”

“Preet show her the way to kitchen…”said Preet’s mom.

Preet was exactly looking for this moment. He was getting completely bored with family chat, so he suddenly got up to help her with the way. Meanwhile she was keeping the plate; Preet takes her into his arms from behind…

“What are you doing Preet…Gande..Leave me naah.” Jenne replied in panicked way

Preet really liked the way of using teasing words by her into his sentences…..

“Muaaah…” he kissed her cheek without anyone noticing.

Merged in the multiple feelings of fear and joy she did not notice when Preet went out.

While on her way out of kitchen she saw Preet sitting in front of her, gazing ceaselessly at her and even she wasn’t able to take away her eyes from him.

Her eyes were interpreting the feeling of her heart.

As their relation was accepted by their parents they get engage to each other. Now they were happy to spend their life together. After few days Preet received a response mail from his dream company for a job interview and he calls Jenne to share that news.

“Hello Jenne how’s doing?”

“Fine just I was going for shopping”

“Imagine what had just happened, I just got a mail response from my dream company for job interview”

“That’s great, Best of luck for the interview”

“Thanks, Have a great day.”

Preet was really happy in response to that mail and he thank god for his life as now his life was moving the way he always wanted. Once in a lifetime he was feeling himself to be a complete person. He gets ready for the interview and leads to the suggested place. After reaching there he calls Jenne

“Hello Jenne”

“Hey what’s going on…?”

“I m feeling bit worried for the interview as I am waiting for my turn”

“Don’t worry I know you will be selected for that”

“By the way where are you?”

“I had just finished my shopping and now going back to home”

While talking to Jenne he hears a shout of her through the phone and the phone disconnects. He gets worried; he tried calling her again and again. He was not feeling comfortable with the situation he was feeling something wrong has happened with her. Before he could get out of that situation he gets a call from the interviewee room to come for the interview. He just came into a situation where he has to decide between his life and career. He opted for his life Jenne and he left that interview. While coming downstairs he saw his phone displaying,”Jenne calling”.

“Hello”

“May I know who this is?”

It was not Jenne on the other end.

“I m Preet, fiancée of the girl whose phone you are using”

“Sir my name is Vivek and I just want to inform you that she has just met with an accident with a truck and have been taken to the hospital.”

The news was like bombshell. Nothing can be more devastating than this. “How can God do this to me?”, Preet cried out. He cannot wait to reach the hodcspital. He egged on the autorickshaw driver to drive fast. Time as if came to a standstill. Jenne … Jenne and Jenne reverberated in his mind. When he reached hospital, he was told that Jenne was in the operation theatre and the situation is not too bright for her.  He saw Vivek standing at the entrance of the operation theatre. Preet walked upto him.

“What has happened to her”, Preet questioned in trembling voice

“She was hit by a truck while crossing the road”

“What did the doctor say?”

“They said to wait till the operation is over”

By the time he was sitting on the chair near the operation theatre and crying, their parents arrives to the hospital. Tears were rolling down from eyes of Jenne’s mother. Preet console Jenne’s mother. After some time doctor came out of operation theatre with a bad news that she is in a critical situation and they need to wait for next few hours.

Preet left for the temple after listening to the doctor to worship for his life, Jenne. He kept on praying for hours. Meanwhile back in the hospital doctor inform that she is out of critical situation and we may go to see her. Jenne’s mother stepped inside and stands near the door crying.

“Come mom I can see you crying there”, Jenne said in choked voice

“Her mom headed towards her and started crying after seeing her burnt face”

“Don’t worry mom I will be fine, is Preet outside?”

“No my child he went out just after your operation”

“I am sure he has gone to pray for me”

Jenne tried to end her life, but just then the doctor entered and prevented her from taking such an extreme step, saying that her hand and leg was fractured and he recommends shifting her to a new hospital.

“Mom, can I ask for something please?”

“Yes sure my child”

“I want that Preet should be informed that I succumbed to my injuries. I don’t want him to spend his life with an ugly girl. I want him to spend his life with any another girl, who is beautiful and attractive.”, Jenne said with tears rolling down her eyes.

Preet was sitting in corner of temple praying for her, receives a phone call from Jenne’s mother that Jenne was unable to recover from the injuries and she lost her life. Phone gets dropped down from his hand and he lie on the floor crying loudly.

It took almost a year for Jenne to recover completely and was sent to another city to live a new life. Her face was gone through grafting treatment. She started working in a multinational company named “Navjeewan International Limited”. Her identity was completely changed but still there was one thing she can never forget which was Preet and his memories with the help of which she was living her life. She always thought of calling him and enquiring his health but her heart always resisted her because she never wanted to interrupt with new happy married life of Preet.  Preet was selected at a higher post in his dream company for a job. He was still unmarried as he can’t imagine his life without Jenne. He was having a picture of Jenne framed on his room wall with which he used to talk, share and live.

One day while working at work he got a call from his senior’s desk that they are having a meeting with executives of a multinational company in coming week and he was appointed with that task. While he was preparing to leave for the flight he was talking to Jenne’s framed picture in his room.

“Bye I’m going for a meeting. Hope to see you soon. Take care”

He boarded off the flight to new city where the meeting was scheduled. On the other day he asked the taxi driver to leave him to “Navjeewan International Limited” for his meeting. While he was waiting outside the conference hall, he noticed a fairly tall girl with fair complexion and spectacles on her eyes sitting behind a desk. She had brown eyes, straight long hair and a disarming smile which appeared to be very familiar to him. He could not resist himself. He just stared at her unblinkingly. She sat on her desk and Preet was continuously looking at her. He was feeling Jenne to be near him that particular moment of time. After that they had their meeting and were asked to leave but Preet wanted to meet the director of that company so he started heading towards that girl to enquire about the director’s cabin. As he reached towards her table, his heart was throbbing persistently.

“Excuse me”, Preet said

“Yes please”, Girl replied

As she had a look at Preet, for few moments she just became oblivious of the world around her. But she was quick to recuperate.

“How can I help you sir”

“Can you tell me where the Director’s cabin is?”

“It’s there downstairs”

“Thanks for the help and if you don’t mind can I say you something please”

“Ya… sure…”

“You look like my wife” said Preet in a smiling way.

After saying these words he walked off the desk, his words made her eyes wet. As he was passing by she turns back to see him for one last time, only to see that he was already looking at her with a smiling face.

“Hello Jenne how are you?” Preet Said

She remains quiet for a while and just looked into his eyes and started crying. Preet comes near to her and wipe off her tears.

“I can feel you Jenne”, Preet said

“How you came to identify me?”

“Change of face does not necessarily change the Jenne within you. I know my girl….But I want to ask one thing why did you left me alone? Don’t you love me?”

Jenne closed her eyes and started crying and replied in a soft voice “Sorrrrryy….. I just wanted you to live your life with a beautiful girl and not with a girl having a burnt face. L”

Jenne’s eyes were wet and were full of emotions and then they both hugged each other for couple of minutes recapitulating all those sweet old memories they had together. They were swept away by a wave of emotion. Those were electrifying moments; he was just soaking in the blissful moment. Preet never tried to bottle up his emotions in words, he just snuggled up to her, She opened those beautiful welled up eyes and fixed her gaze at Preet almost hypnotizing him into kissing her.

May be it was the sanctity of their love that induced no fear of those employees present around them. They knew nothing. They saw no one. They were aware of just one thing….. They loved each other seraphically.

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