How it all started

A Story by Payel

My own story of how I fell in love and continue to be in love

And it was just another day, like everyday. The dilapidated C type quarters as IIT called them! God knows how we survived there! Good, its all past now and life, no sorry, "IIT" bestowed its blessings on the unfortunates like me and gave us heaven to live in after a year of sheer disgusted meaningless struggle- single, newly and beautifully constructed rooms! Ahh...happiness had known no bounds then.

So going back to my "normal" day, which, wasn't so normal (or else I wouldn't have written about it) apart from the fact that it was "woman's day" and I don't know if its right to have such a day and whether people should celebrate it in grandeur, but that day changed my life. Like it completely flipped the coin of destiny, or I should say flipped the coin of love. And it was exact 12am at night, as if the Universe was waiting for it. The boy meets the girl, they become friends and fall in love eventually. Typical, bollywood love story. Just with a bit of modifications in this case (like in every other case). I had known him for a semester then i.e. I knew he "existed". But as my past records say, I usually don't end up talking to right "men" and eventually go into never-ending depression till the blood cells of my body get exhausted because they are nutrient deprived and stop producing blood and my family (especially my mother) go insane completely. Not just them, my friends start thinking and are almost convinced that am an idiot, a hopeless romantic who cannot judge between right and wrong.

But here I was, ready to write my destiny one more time. I was apprehensive at first because of my "past" and the fact that my friend and me giggled at his name whenever we pronounced it loud, made it all the more awkward. Nevertheless, I enjoyed having my first ever conversation with him, it seemed I had hit the dart at the centre. Not to mention, I was scared too. Lots of thoughts raced past my mind and made me nervous, but the excitement of talking to him suppressed them all. It was 4, when the conversation ended. I was still trying to figure out what exactly happened. And why! Why was I so overwhelmed? It was just a freaking, normal conversation with a senior. Or was it? I had not felt that kind of restlessness for a long time. I still remember my heart was running a marathon. I laid wide awake looking at the carbonated fan and missing my roommate who was happily enjoying fish and chicken curry at her uncle's place. I was alone and I had no one to share my racing feelings with. And moreover, rest of them were halfway through their dreams. Poor me! Exhausted, my brain finally shut me off to sleep.

The next day when I woke up, for a moment it seemed I had been dreaming the entire night but I was soon thrown back to reality when I found myself reloading his messages on phone. The other day I had planned to study sincerely on bioenergetics, but the subject didn't seem to have any meaning to me at that point of time. I was helplessly trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle which wasn't even a puzzle. In short, I was over-thinking. I tried telling myself that its just usual to talk to someone and that it had ended, but my heart kept defending itself assuring me that it wasn't the end. Oh, how much I had missed my best friend that day, at that very moment.

I had a meeting at night, and I thought it could be the reason to keep these weird things away from my mind, but I was so wrong. He ended up in the meeting, which I, like a stupid, had not expected! How can the Chief Editor not be there? I was damned. I felt like running away or hide behind a chair or table so that he couldn't see me, or rather I didn't see him. I started hoping that my best friend would miraculously appear from Nerul to rescue me. The tension on my face was so obvious that he asked me thrice if I was okay. I simply nodded. Back in my mind, I was shouting, "how can I be okay when you are sitting right beside me, you idiot?" I breathed a sign of relief when he left. It seemed so peaceful. But life is a b***h. Back in my room, I was greeted with the ultimate question from him, "what was wrong with you today", the question I didn't want to face or answer. And I have no idea why, but I told him my deepest agonies that my past relationships brought on me and my fears. He seemed understanding and not-so-judgemental which I liked. In fact, I had already started liking him more than I should have then. I knew I could count on him as a good friend.

As days went by, our friendship deepened and I got more emotionally attached to him. There used to be butterflies in my stomach whenever I talked to him. And then the thing which I feared happened- I had a fight with my best friend regarding this, she didn't support my decision of befriending him. I was scared to tell her the entire truth that I had already fallen for him. But I knew she would soon discover. I could not hide things from her for long. And things worsened when he assured her that it was just friendship we shared. To be honest, it broke my heart to realize he did not feel the same like I did. But whatsoever, I did not stop trying. I went ahead against my best friend. No one knows what drove me crazy for this particular guy who was completely different from me in every possible way. I was hopelessly in love with him. And every gesture he showed made my love stronger. How could I forget the morning breakfast he brought all the way from his hostel which was 2.5km just because I was feeling nauseatic! No one had ever showed so much care to me apart from my parents. It had meant so much to me. I hadn't been able to stop smiling that day.

It was his birthday. He had brought raw mangoes for me. I had hugged him for the first time and he had kissed me on my forehead. I was taken aback. It didn't end there, he had bowed down on his knees to say that it was his best birthday. Oh how beautiful that moment was! No word can describe the joy I was filled with looking at him and hearing him speak. My emotions had known no bounds then and I ended up telling him that I love him. It wasn't long before he confided that he loved me too. Ever since, we have been together. My love for him increases several folds with each passing day. He is the best thing that has happened to me till date. It was the best unwritten love story! Not that there weren't Ups and downs in our relationship, but we have fought them all together..the hatred around hasn't been able to destroy the bond we share and that has made us realize we would be together no matter how bad the time or this life is. Still a long way to go before we ultimately become one, but this journey is worth it and am ready to walk on the thorns of life and bleed, if required, with him.