14th February, an evening on the bank of Ganges...Sun descending in the horizon paving its gleaming path on the azure water...the birds were flying away along the southern sky to their nest and me lying all alone, aloof away from the hustle and bustle in the serenity of cool air that had borrowed the freshness from water...I was waiting for Sonal...We often spend time here rambling on the sand and talking each other for hours together...She had promised me to meet here...As the dawn grew older waiting, I couldn’t stop myself remembering those sweet pastimes with her in our college days that were strongly fastened in my heart...
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It was 8’O clock in the morning...I lit my cigarette, took shower with the deodorant and washed my face in order to avoid my slovenly appearance...wearing black jeans and denim jacket I rushed towards the Dance club room...As I reached there I fling the cigarette from my mouth...I gazed at my watch...I was fifteen minutes early to the club...I headed into the room as I saw Sonal sitting on the last bench alone, looking out of the window...Her hairs were dancing along with fresh morning breeze... "Captivating look" , I mused...........she was the first one to reach for the practice…As I walked closer towards her, my heart started pounding...Collecting my energy and sounding as normal as possible I wished her ...........“Hi”
“Hi” , she retaliated with a sweet smile...
“How are u doing?” I asked
“Fine.........and you?
“Fine” , I said clearing my throat.
And then deafening silence ruled us for few minutes as I saw her enjoying the morning Sun out of the window...I finally decided to speak...One of the few safe questions I had thought while cycling on my way to the club...
“what’s your discipline ?” , I questioned sounding little more friendly this time...
“Mechanical” , she replied immediately turning towards me...
“and how long u had been dancing ?”
The answer to this questions was long one...She spoke how her father instilled the dancing talent in her right from her childhood as he himself was a classical dancer...Exuberantly she kept telling about her achievements in dance until all the other members arrived for the practice...
Sonal and I were selected in the Dance club audition and we had our first practice session today...The Songs were finalized for “TARANG” , our cultural festival and fortunately we were in the same dance...This was the first time I spoke to her...I felt the simplicity in her heart that I never found before in any one...She had the demeanor soft and childish that I always looked for in a girl...Her light brown eyes had the water and her eye lashes curly arrayed, amplified her beauty...She was very friendly right form our first meeting clouding the fact that we met for the first time...
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Days converted to months and our friendship grew stronger with every dance practice...We kept meeting and spending time together during and after our practice sessions...Sometimes we would walk together to temple in the evening, sometimes for the dinner and sometimes we just gossiped...Every Saturday we strolled on the bank of Ganges that flowed just by the side of our college...We sat their and kept talking for hours together until the moon peeped and gestured us the time to go back to our hostels...We talked about our families, friends, likes, dislikes, family stories, habits and what not? But I never told her that I smoked, for I knew she hated smoking and I did not wanted to loose her as a friend...
“Hey Rahul...You danced well today, it seems you practice a lot at your hostel”
“Yeah I do...But by the way what are you doing tomorrow on Valentine’s day?” , I asked sounding as normal as possible though with a surprise...
“Nothing much..........I am still single” , she told coyly as her eye met mine...
“And what about you Rahul, you never told me about your girlfriend? Not fair haaan”
Our eyes still looked each other reluctant to look else where…I could see her eyes deep brown eye reflecting the fading Sun on the bank of Ganges as we kept strolling...
“I am proposing someone...the one who is very close to me...I love her lots and am sure she loves me too”, I said convincingly smiling at her...
Sonal knew that I talked to very few girls in the college...Apart from Kriti, who was my city mate she was the only girl whom I was close with...whom I loved talking for hours...and with whom I was talking right now...
“Hey Rahul, Is it Kriti?” , She mumbled artificially trying to be oblivious of the truth...
“Kriti!!! No way.......Pllllz.......She’s so boyish and moreover she is committed to Abhishek” , I said almost instantly making the secret more obvious...
For the first time I, what seemed like forever, said to her something very spontaneous, something I never thought of telling her until this valentine...But she had comprehended everything by now...I knew...And now that I told her, I didn’t knew what would be her reaction ?What would she think? Thousands of such question whirled in my head...
Feeling the cool breeze on her face, she pulled her hair back from her face and slowed down her walk...
“So, who is she Rahul? Is she from our college?” , She interrogated almost in a slender voice persuading me to open the Pandora’s box...
“Yes”, I shrugged coming closer to her as our shoulder’s briefly touched each other’s ...
“Hmmm, you cheater...You never told me about her” , She chipped in eclipsing the truth from herself...
We kept walking in the evening a little longer than we usually did...It was a walk to be cherished for lifetime...I had drifted more intimate and closer to her unlike always...I held her hand for the first time ever...Though she was surprised she never pulled it back...Her body touched mine several times and each time I felt her warmth like never before...The crescent moon had started peeing emanating its soothing light on the water making it look more ethereal...We understood it was our time to return back to our hostels...
As we were almost on the city roads away from the bank …she looked at me as her hairs nudged my shoulder.... "Hey Rahul, may I ask you one personal question if you don’t mind"
I felt my heart pounding in suspense... "Yeah!!! Sure" , I shrugged...
“Why do you smoke so much?”
Her question left me Numb and frozen as a gust of wind tossed my hair...
“No.......I don’t..........I mean...not much.........Only sometimes” , I tired to parry her question but in vain...I was caught by her innocence...
“Don’t lie Rahul, You still lingering its smell...”
Looking at my shirt...
“See!!! You don’t know the art of escaping...Piggy” , she smiled listlessly...
I looked at “Wills Classic”, the label was peeping from my translucent shirt pocket...
“Dickhead” , I mused cursing myself...
“I try avoiding a lot ...But...”
“But, you can’t...right!!! It’s ok...But I know you will be able to quit it” , She interrupted in between...I could see genuine concern on her face...
That day I decided not to smoke any more...for I could do anything for her...I loved her lots...I looked at her face again...She was staring at the moon...Her ear ring gleamed its light...Her simplicity defied the beauty of the moon perhaps that’s why the moon was crescent today...Her hairs and the wind played hide and seek with her soft neck and ears...I kept worshipping her beauty as we walked towards our College holding each others hand...
“Rahul” , she broke the silence
“Yes” , I acknowledged lost in my own thoughts...
“Your Hostel is towards left...Its time for me to leave”
I navigated the way...
“Yes we have to leave...Why the time runs so swiftly” , I mused cursing time...
I don’t know but I decided to buy a little time from her...I gazed at my watch...Only five minutes were left before her hostel’s gate would close...I recollected my energy...I prayed to God...I begged my Omen...for I couldn’t wait any more...
“Sonal, I love you” ,I held her hand and spoke spontaneously without much thinking...
“Rrright from day one, whheeen………..when I saw you in the dance auditions, I started liking you…………………..Earlier I thought it might be an infatuation… but later,…………..later as the time passed by…I came to know you better…I alwayssss waited for the dance practices to get over……… so that I could walk with you to the temple………I always waited for the Saturdays to come,….. so that I can spend time with you near Ganges……….Whenever the phone rings, my heart starts pounding thinking it might be you…I know……………I know I smoke but I promise I will quit…Trust me,………Trust me, I will never ever smoke again…You are so simple, charming and wonderfully created by GOD…Pleeeeease tell me ones……Plz that you have the same feeling as I do……..I love you lots….…I just love u Sonal…and am sure you love me too”
I just spoke these words almost unexpectedly because my heart urged me to do so...I could no longer wait for Valentine’s day...I just proposed her with a heavy breath summoning all my good fortunes and positive vibes that I could...
Silence struck both of us for a moment...The only things that I could hear was my heavy breath as I awaited her answer...
All of a sudden she pulled her hand and started walking towards her hostel...I still awaited for her response...She entered the hostel main gate not caring to look back even ones...I stood frozen...She was about to turn left towards her room and then all I could glance is the yellow painted wall of the hostel wing...I was almost shattered by now...
She turned back suddenly...I looked at her eyes, it was totally wet...She smiled at me and bid me a flying kiss...Incredibly I tossed my hair kneeling on the road...I felt euphoric like never before...I had got an answer...yes......................yes,she loved me too...I was right!!! I bid her a flying kiss too...Blushingly she zipped in, towards her room making me watch the yellow wall of the hostel wing...
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