His memories still lie within me

It was a sunny summer evening. I was just about to sit for my studies. My room has a beautiful desk covered with books including many authors and all girly stuff stationary things lying on it. There is also a big window exactly in front of my desk which fills my room with the rays of the sun. 

One Sunday evening I entered the room and hit the door behind. As I was about to sit, I heard a gang of boys laughing and cracking jokes outside the window.My eyes caught on the boys and I wondered whether these boys  had anything fruitful to do in their life?  Just as I  was about to sit, I saw a boy with a white t-shirt and black denim on a dashing cool bike named Karizma joining that gang. I couldn’t get my  eyes off from him. For a moment I was just frozen, just as in the movies when one looks at a girl and the world stops for a moment but suddenly, there was a knock at my door and I was hit back in reality. My mother entered the room. She said, beta take care of the house I will be back soon in some time. Okay Muma, I replied. As soon as my mother left, I couldn’t wait to look back at that guy from my window and there I found he raised his grip and got disappeared in his cool dashing bike and the stupid gang kept on chattering again. 

Days were moving on so fast just like the train Rajdhani Express, where except big stations there was no halt in my life too. I am pursuing my CS where I hardly used to spare any time with myself or with my family members because I always used to get surrounded by my books. Once after many months I finally was relaxed a little bit from my studies where I thought of to spend some time with my neighbour cum friend named Adi. Adi is pursuing a degree from distance learning so he is mostly found at home. I quickly texted him.

Sadhavi: Hey!

Adi: Hi!

Sadhavi: What’s up?

Adi: Nothing interesting.

Sadhavi: Okay! Come let’s spend some time together at eve. What say? 

Adi: Wooo! Sounds great.

Sadhavi: See you at six.

Adi: Cool.

It was almost six where Adi called me. I picked up his call and he told me to quickly come out of the house to have a quick meeting. I went out in the corridor to talk to him. Adi was already waiting for me. 

Adi : Hey! I am so sorry. I won’t be able to be with you today. 

Sadhavi(being sad): But why? 

Adi:  One of my friends is in town today and he is all the way from Nagpur and within some days he will leave so I need to accompany him. I hope you understand. 

Sadhavi: Ya it's totally fine. Go ahead. Will catch later. 

Adi (smiled): Thank you, you are really a sweetheart. 

Sadhavi (smiled back): Bas haan. Stop buttering.

And here all of a sudden that guy again came with his dashing bike honking. Today he seemed a bit more handsome than yesterday. All of a sudden, I am just stunned at his appearance. Adi hit me back in reality by saying Hey! Here’s my friend. 

Adi: Chal dear. Bye! 

I am totally numb again, as and when Adi mentioned his friend. Until they left, I had observed him very precisely. He was wearing a black watch, blue denim and a white shirt with half fouled sleeves which made him look more hot and handsome. I kept on looking at him until Adi left with him. 

I was now super excited after knowing that the handsome guy is Adi’s friend. I kept on feeling happy and excited until the day ended. 

At night as I laid on the bed, I remembered that guy. I quickly took my cell out and texted Adi. 

Sadhavi: Hey!

Adi: Hi!

Sadhavi: Busy?

Adi: Ya with friend. 

Sadhavi: Okay!

Adi: Anything urgent?

Sadhavi: No. Call me when you get back home. Need to talk. 

Adi: Sure dear.

I tossed and turned but couldn’t sleep because now I was super excited to know about that guy. My cell phone rang and he was Adi. I got up in excitement from bed and sat. I quickly picked up the call.

Adi: Hey! 

Sadhavi: Hi! 

Adi: Hmm! Say what happened?

Sadhavi: Nothing. Just wanted to talk.

Adi: Really? That too, so much late?

Sadhavi: Ya why?  Now can’t even I talk to you so late?

Adi: No no you can, anytime.

Sadhavi: Hey! I want to know more about your friend.

Adi: Hah? What? Which friend? 

Sadhavi: Your friend. That Nagpur wala guy.

Adi: Oh! There is something fishy in your mind.

Sadhavi (blushing): No there’s nothing like that.

Adi (laughing): Okay! What do you want to know?

Sadhavi: What is his name? What is he doing? Everything?

Adi (laughing loudly): Everything?

Sadhavi: Adi please na yaar.

Adi: Okay! Don’t get despo.

Sadhavi: Huh! I am not getting despo.

Adi: Oh! Really?

Sadhavi: Adi please.

Adi: Okay baba.  His name is Joy. He is my childhood friend and after our 10th grade he left just for his further studies to Nagpur. He is pursuing Sound engineering. 

Sadhavi: Hah! What’s that degree for?

Adi: Dumbo. Sound engineering to become a sound producer.

Sadhavi (mouth opened:) Wow! That’s amazing. 

Adi: Anything else madam? 

Sadhavi: No. Thank you my dear.

Adi: Humm.. Humm.. Something is wrong.

Sadhavi(blushing): No nothing.

Adi(laughing): Okay! Chalo then Good night. I am tired. Catch you later.

Sadhavi: Okay! Good night.

I was happy after hearing his name. I kept on blushing and wondering how coincidentally his name Joy itself tells happiness and I slept soundful.

I am a totally opposite girl from early to bed to rise. Next morning, I just opened my eyes and I saw the rays of sun falling from my window to my desk and bed. I was still lying and recalling everything about Joy that I heard from Adi the last night and was blushing when I again suddenly heard the honking sound of the bike. My mind stroked with the sound that it was Joy calling Adi. I quickly jumped from the bed to the window and went to see him where until I saw, they were gone. Oh! I said I missed seeing him.  

Days passed and now I had to appear for exams soon. One afternoon I  received a text from Adi. 

Adi: Hey! I know I shouldn’t be disturbing you as your exams are nearby but still please be ready at six in eve. Wannu take you out for some time. Please don’t make any excuses about your mom not letting you come. I bet you will miss a golden opportunity. See you sharp at six sweetheart. 

I was  wondering for a while what would be the  golden opportunity, that too during the time of my exams but then somehow I managed to convince my  muma to let me go for a while. I was ready sharp at six and Adi took me along with him. While on the way I kept on asking what was so urgent to take me out in spite of  the exams on my head but he hardly answered and kept on teasing me. Finally, we reached a place where it was so quite nearby to the sea area and was the most beautiful place I ever visited. While looking at the beautiful place I saw someone standing showing his back. We two reached at the same spot where that guy was standing and as that guy turned, he was Joy in front of us. I was just stunned to look at him. I looked at Adi and he laughed loudly.

Me: What?

Adi: So sorry dear. Hey Joy.

Joy: Hey!

Adi: Meet my friend Sadhavi.

Joy (smiling): Hi!

I (wide smile): Hi!

Adi: Hey! I am so sorry dear. The day you asked me about him the same day Joy asked me about you while we were talking outside in the corridor.

Sadhavi giving smile to both

Adi: So, I thought, why don’t you guys meet and talk.  

Adi’s cell phone rang. Excuse me guys he said and went a bit away leaving us alone for a while.

There was a bit of silence for a moment where my heart beats were raising and  I was wondering hope my heart beats are not heard much loud while Joy broke up the silence. 

Joy (smiling) : So, your pursuing CS?

Sadhavi(smiling back): Ya. 

And then our talk kept on going about how, what, where the things are in our life until Adi returned.

Adi: Sorry guys. I have to leave its urgent.. 

Sadhavi: Ok. Let’s move.

Adi: Sorry sweetheart! I am going to my relative’s place so I can’t drop you back. 

Sadhavi: But then how will I go back?

Adi (smiling): But your new friend is there with you to drop you.

Joy: Ya! I will drop you. Don’t worry. 

Adi: Sorry sweetheart. See you Joy. Will surely come to see off you tomorrow.. 

Joy: Yo! Dude. 

Adi left and my mind stuck to the last words he said. 

Sadhavi : Are you going anywhere?

Joy: Ya! Going back to my place.

Sadhavi (sounding low): Oh! 

Joy: Hey! I know you might be thinking that we just met today became friends and now I am leaving. But don’t worry, I will be in touch and will come back soon in the Diwali break.

Listening to this I felt as if I was now going to be all alone. I felt as if I was knowing him since long and now, he was going away very far from me. 

Sadhavi(still sounding low): Ya!

Joy:Hey! Why are you upset?

 Sadhavi: No, I am not.

I felt as if someone had grabbed all the happiness, I got a moment before when I met him.

Joy: Really? He held my hand and gave me a warm hug.

I felt so good that I couldn’t insist on leaving him. 

Joy: Hey! I don't know what you might think of me but I want to share something with you.

Sadhavi (puzzled): Ya go ahead.

Joy: I think I like you. 

Sadhavi: Hah?

Joy: Look don’t take me wrong but from the day I have seen you, you keep on flashing in my mind. Maybe, I am wrong but I want some time to think whether this is really love or attraction but till then I want you to be with me. 

I kept listening to him patiently and said nothing for a while. 

Joy: Hey please don’t take me wrong. Whatever I felt I thought to share with you.

I blushed. I kept on blushing.

Joy:Why are you laughing? 

Sadhavi: Oh! No. I am not laughing. 

I held his hand and said hey I don’t know what’s this but ya I too feel the same for you. We both smiled at each other. We spent almost two hours together and then it was time to leave. Before leaving I couldn’t hold myself back, I gave a tight hug to him and he too held me in his arms. 

Joy: I will soon be back.

Next day Joy left for Nagpur and I felt as if life was frozen. I could hardly concentrate on my studies. I shared everything with Joy regarding what I now felt for him. He too felt the same. We now knew that we were madly in love with each other. Joy made a schedule for ourselves that we would only talk once on weekends. I too agreed on this so as to equally focus on our studies.

Days flew just like the pages of the open book. It was then Diwali break and I was eagerly waiting for him to return. I never thought life would then totally change. Finally, Joy was back in the town and now I used to talk late nights on call. 

It was then Diwali night when all were enjoying the festival with pomp. We also met and behaved as if they were friends, in the eyes of others but now our bond had become very strong. We really love each other. Sometimes we meet in the darkness of night under the bedsheet of the beautiful stars or sometimes in dark rooms and dark nights.

Days too went so fast just by talking to him day and night. Diwali time got over and again he went back. We were in this long-distance relationship where we hardly used to meet once in a year or two. 

Days changed into months and then in years where we both were so stuck up in our own life where now our life went upside down. Then, Joy had completed his degree and now it was his struggling time where he hardly had time for this relationship. He believed everything had a time but I equally needed him at times.  But the truth is the bond between us, the love never reduced within us. 

Our lives have been totally changed in these many years.  Today it has been almost fifteen years where I broke up with him but our love always remained forever. Still we are in touch as casually and we do meet once in summer time or Diwali break. We still have that charm of  love in us. 

Today,we are still in touch with each other, we love each other beyond words and limits but now our destiny is different. We still have the same feelings which once we had for each other in our lives. We are really fortunate enough to have had each other in our lives and the love we have had for each other.

Reviews

[alanwgraham]

I enjoyed reading your love story Sushma. I felt that it was a great glimpse into the Indian way of life and how it is different from our western British outlook. It seems strange that you can have such strong love for 15 years and not move onto marriage. I understand how family has a much stronger influence.
Well done for this. It flows and reads very naturally.
All the best
Alan

[Sushma Chaudhary]

Glad you could felt a glimpse of the Indian way of life. Thanks you for the review :)

[Caroline B A Maguire]

"Sometimes we meet in the darkness of night under the bedsheet of the beautiful stars". such a beautiful line - such a beautiful story. so innocent yet knowing. Love is never lost but sometimes timing has to take priority. A "joy" to read ;)))). thank you Sushma.

[Sushma Chaudhary]

Thank you for the review :)