Love Short Story – And the winner is Love
Photo credit: Penywise from morguefile.com
We are camping on top of the mountain. We are singing and dancing around the fire. Some guy is singing old melodies. Few guys are standing at a distance enjoying a smoke. Its bit cold, enough for couples to hold each other in arms. Stars above are playing around with the bright moon light. I am holding his hands, sitting in his lap. I can hear him breath and feel his soft touch. I am almost lost in his embrace. He smells my hair, caressing me. I can feel his pulse and he is holding me as if he never wants me to let go.
Everyone has started sharing stories: some real ones and some of them made up. It’s my turn and my heart has started racing already. Everyone believes us to be couples and we look like gudda and gudia(dolls) from doll house, that’s how we are. Although out temperaments are very different. We learned long back that “great relationship is not about perfect couples but it’s about imperfect ones enjoying their differences together”.
I could hear folks calling our names and few of them were shouting out loud “common Niki, common Rohan”, they were clapping and whistling. I was blushing a bit.
I was bit excited to share our story. I was the only fresher in the team. He was in different team and we used to share an occasional hello or smile on the floor. It was nothing like a movie. We did talk to each other but it never felt like we were meant to be soul mates. He used to play all sorts of silly pranks, all day long on the work floor, although he was senior in his team but he used to behave just like a kid. He always used to make us laugh. On Fridays he always used to bring either cakes or chocolates or mouth watering biryanis for all of us. People liked to see him around. I don’t know but somehow i used to feel confident and comfortable around him.
One day hell just broke on me, my bladder was going to explode and I had meeting to catch but where were my shoes? Washroom was bit far; I could not walk around like an idiot without shoes and not catch the stares of everyone. I was furiously looking for my shoes, I clearly remember removing them and pushing them under my desk. I was looking for them like a crazy person from one desk to another, in dustbins, behind system cabinets. At last I could not resist myself I ran like a dog and crashed in washroom. I rushed back to attend the meeting and to my amazement it was cancelled. Although it was good that it got canceled otherwise I would have to go to meeting room without shoes.
My biggest problem was no other girl was there at that time of night on work floor, so could not ask for chapels or shoes. I could not go to canteen for dinner and it was getting late for me. Why will someone do this to me? Rohan used to play all sorts of pranks and now he had started to play few on me as well, occasionally hiding my ID card, hiding my Tiffin box, taking away my jacket and hiding it elsewhere but those were always sweet and short pranks nothing serious. I thought about him for a while but I was confident that he won’t do it.
While I was busy cursing this unknown person, my desk phone rang, it was Rohan on the line “Sorry Niki, I just wanted to play a small prank on you and somehow I forgot to tell you before I left the office that I had kept your shoes hidden in Priya’s drawer. Sorry once again”
But before he could finish I just erupted like a volcano and I bashed him , cursed him and what not, after few minutes with a loud thud I just banged the phone and left for my home. Once I crashed on my bed, I started feeling too bad; it was really bad on my part to act like that. I should not have reacted like that. He just forgot to tell me but the way I behaved with him was not good. I was feeling guilty and at the same time I was bit scared as he was the senior in the team and I was fresher what if, others come to know about how I treated him, they will all stop talking to me. I could not sleep.
Next day I was not able to muster courage enough to go to office, unwillingly as if I was being pushed, I reached my office. I was scared. I wanted to avoid all sorts of people at the front desk and then on stairs and on floor. I sneaked and rushed towards my work desk. as soon as I booted my PC , thought rushed through my mind , I should go to Rohan’s desk and apologize but then other half of me was saying why should I?
While I was going through this inner tussle, i felt some one poking finger on my shoulder. I was petrified to see Rohan with a small smile on his face and my favorite milk chocolate in his hand. I could not believe it, how could he act like this, I had been so bad to him and even then he was standing there with a mesmerizing smile on his face. Niki chaloo chai pene chalte hain(lets go for a tea). I was blank; I just nodded my head in affirmation and started walking with him.
We sat in a less crowded place in a canteen. I am sorry Niki and the way you behaved was alright. I expected something worse than that. I thought you would kill me or push me from the roof of the office. He was almost presenting it in a funny way, in just few minutes he made me laugh; I swear I laughed so hard that tea from my mouth just sprung everywhere and to my horror on his face. I was profusely saying sorry and he was just being cool and saying it’s alright. He said it was his long pending wish to make someone beautiful like you, laugh in such a way.
Those few minutes just made me feel too good and before we left canteen he said that “I liked the way you behaved, being natural and straight and direct. I would have acted the same way but maybe I would have used less cuss words”.
I was blushing and he was all giggling. He waved and went towards his work floor. After this episode people watching me looking for lost ID or Lost Jacket or Lost sandals or lost shoes became a common site for all. We were like Tom and Jerry; always fighting with each other, yet there was little cuteness to this, both of us had started enjoying it all but I always pretended otherwise, sometimes even threatening to report to HR manager.
We had become good friends and we used to spend lot of time together in office. In evenings we used to take a small walk around the office garden. It was more of teasing, pushing and pulling each other. I was growing found of him and day by day, I was making a special place for him in my heart. Diwali was just after a day or two and we were taking a usual walk around the garden in evening.
Today our walk was bit different, I was bit nervous and I was looking for a secluded place. He had no clue at all. I did find a place and we sat there. He had grown suspicious but still could not figure it out. I was looking apprehensive and frantically I was looking all around. After a while I left for home and I made a phone call to him and asked him “do u know why I asked you to sit in that corner”.
He had no clue and I told him “I wanted to Kiss you”.
He started laughing and said who stopped you, why didn’t you do it. oh no! oh no! You could have made my day. Common you are very bold, why did you stop and then he said anyways “sh*t happens and with me it happens a lot” and I just laughed and for next few minutes I was not able to stop laughing. Our first Kiss took more time than expected and trust me this entire wait and time was worthwhile.
Both of us knew we had started nurturing soft feelings for each other. We used to share all sorts of jokes with each other. I still remember it was Thursday and I was bored of office work.
I asked him “do you have enough work?”
He said “you are always a priority”
I was too bold and I told him I want to hug you. He did not believe it and took it as a joke but he was pretending to be cool. I started my Scooty and asked him to hop on. I drove to my apartment building and I unlocked the door of my apartment. I could see nervousness on his face; maybe it is a bit odd story where girl initiates it all.
But this is how it happened. I asked him to get inside and closed the door. I was playing too bold but trust me even I was little bit scared but I knew what I was about to do and this poor chap had no clue at all. I went to kitchen and he asked me “Are you going to make a tea for me”.
I mumbled and said “what a dumb a*s”.
I started to boil water but next moment I just turned the gas off and grabbed his arm and took him to my bed room. I told him “come inside, I want to hug you and I can’t do that outside as neighbors can see us, I don’t have curtains in place”.
He was looking at me intensely, I just opened my arms and hung myself against him, it was magical, in an instant he just grabbed and wrapped me with his arms , he was holding me as tight as he could as if I was about to leave him. Both of us had turned red, I kissed him on his cheek very gently and said I am sorry that I forgot your birthday. He looked at me and our lips were coming very close, before it could happen he said “May i”.
I was floored; I always dreamt of this moment and always wanted him to ask for my approval. I just made a slight nod and then brought my lips very close to him and for next few moments both of us were very high on our first kiss which was mesmerizing, soothing, and magical. I would say not all the wine in the world can make you feel so happy as that breathtaking first Kiss made us feel and this encounter ended on Kiss as I asked him to stop after few minutes and he did stop, again with this gesture he just charmed me more and more.
When we returned back to office we were not able to look each other in eye. In evening we again met in office garden and this time both of us broke the silence with a big laugh. After that it was again calm and quiet , he said it’s for the first time in his life he had kissed someone and it felt like being in heaven. Thanks Niki for gifting me with such a wonderful moments as my birthday gift, I wish you keep on forgetting it every time. Next day he wrote few lines about it on FB and I was first one to hit like. In office no one had a clue about what was going on. I can still remember those lines, he did sound like a poet.
“ eek be-dhadak khwab ko hakikat hote hue dekha, rooh ko sakun mile aisa maine mujko, mujhe se do nazaar hote dekha. Zindagi chand lamhoon main bhi jee ja sakte hain, aisa eehsaas hote dekha. Mere paroon ko khusiyonn ke rang se surkh karne vale rangreez ko , mere rang main he rangtee hue dekha.
sahi-galat ke paree maine muj ko malang hote hue dekha, har lamhe ko uske dua samaj, usee kabuul hote hue main dekha. “
( I have seen my fearless dreams coming true, I have met myself in such a way that it has soothed my soul. Life can be lived in few moments; this is what I have felt. I saw the painter getting colored in my own colors and coloring my feathers with colors of happiness. Beyond the realms of right and wrong I have seen myself going into trance. I have prayed for such moments and my prayers have been heard )
Wahhh wahhhhh wah ! is what everyone is cheering and I can see Rohan is bit overwhelmed, his eyes have turned moist and so are mine.
Rohan had started getting bored of his work at office and was not happy with the management as such he had started to look for jobs offering in other companies and soon he received offers. We used to discuss all these things and I always used to encourage him and remind him that he should not change his mind because of me. He had resigned and with each passing day he was growing more and more emotional. Whenever we used to be alone in elevator, I could see his eyes turning moist and he used to hug me and say I don’t want to lose these moments.
I was feeling sad but I used to pretend as if I am alright with whatever was about to happen. His last day in office was just a day away. He was about to move to other city and other office which could mean we would meet each other may be once in a month or so. It was sober evening, sun had painted itself in orange, birds were returning back to their homes. We were taking a stroll near office pool, both of us were quite and we knew it was time to say good bye. He was looking nervous and at the same time I could see he is thinking about something intently. We talked for a while about old days, about shoe hiding mischief, about food, about others and so many other things, it was all becoming nostalgic.
Abruptly he just stopped, took a long look at me, although both of us were smiling at each other but eyes were speaking of something else there was whirlwind of sorrow growing inside us. We were going to be separated; it was all going to end. Without saying anything he just kept looking at me and then he just looked down and in very low voice asked me “Niki are you happy, don’t rush to reply, just be true to your heart”, I said “yes I am” with a slight smile on the curves of my lips.
He said “do you think you will be happier with me, do you think both of will be very very happy together”.
This is how he proposed and this is the way I had never dreamt of. This is our story and off course my reply was “Yes Yes and Yes” .
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