And It Happened

The evening could not have been darker than this. It was a prelude to the night of a new moon in my life. The chill of the wind was a plight in itself. I gently put on the hood of her sweatshirt. Scattered were the memories of the last time we met. It was 3 months ago. In the meanwhile, I'd lost all hope and this relationship too seemed like any other infatuation. Right from the moment I held her hand to introduce myself, I could never shake her off my mind. We had the privilege of working together for only 4 days but I always knew there was something more to it.

Today the universe finally heard my silent wishes and here we were. No matter how enveloped we were in our woolens, the chill penetrated through us. Sometimes, the mind doesn't respond to those jitters. Being sleep deprived, exhausted by working on a Sunday, down with fever, she wanted a nap desperately but it seemed an unfathomable task to pull-off. To be candid, neither one of us wanted to leave that moment. We were walking in the aisle of the Yashwant Complex, Chanakyapuri (Delhi); a place weighed down by time. Chanakyapuri houses all the Foreign Embassies so it is relatively less crowded than other places in Delhi. It was 6 pm and I knew time was running out fast. I had to drop her at the nearest Metro Station and she had a long journey ahead of her. Moreover, no one at her house knew about our secret little adventure. She had conjured up the excuse of a conference call in office to cover up reaching late. I couldn't digest the fact that I was so lucky to have a girl who went the extra mile, just to keep our relationship going. 

With each moment passing by all I could think of was to clutch her in my arms and never let her go. That was something not possible because we had spent most of the time walking, holding hands and sipping the hot coffee. Finally, time had run us out. 

We resigned to our fate and humbly went to the car. It was time to move. The silence was deafening but serene. We could only hear each other's slow breathing. It was as if we wanted to say a million words but something had choked us. No matter how hard I try I won't be able to describe those moments. Before turning the engine on, I looked at her exhausted eyes, one last time. I could sense that her heart was beating fast and only wished to pacify it. She wasn't having the best of times at work and I somehow tried reassuring her that everything would eventually fall into place. 'God! she's so damn pretty. Those innocent eyes gleaming with hope and fear was one of the best things I had seen in life'. Her effervescent smile was an icing to it. We could see the moonlight and stars but I was damn sure, her face would have put the glitter of the stars to shame. I caressed her forehead. I don't know why but gently I took off her big glasses and kept it on the dashboard. Now her eyes became tender as she looked directly through me. I don't know from where on earth did I have the audacity to do that. Suddenly I went a little closer. I don't know what it was, the moonlight, stars, or the fear to drop her at a metro station that pushed me. For the first time in life my mind was blank. We'd gotten close, so close, closer than ever that I lost myself all over in her boundless eyes. We kissed. I don't know for how long it lasted. My heart rate was going insane. Time had paused. It was like astral flight taking us into another world. That feeling was sensational. I could tell that she felt the same way.

A year has passed since that magical aura and those sensations are still as fresh as the wet dew drops on a cold winter morning. The number of calls have only increased. The number of meetings have only increased. The best part is the journey since has been phenomenal. Touch-wood.

All this while I'd tried to find logic in love. I'd tried to elude from the fact that I could ever be in love. I read a plethora of books to find the right definition of love; but in the end, I realized I was simply sinking in the universe; without an end. Love can only be felt if you go with the flow rather than questioning it. 

Sometimes, it seems to me that the best relationships, the ones that last are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than the last night. Like a switch that has been flicked somewhere. Mine was flicked that day...