Gift Of Love

Till the age of 18, Vinu never tasted the essence of love, perhaps he didn’t know how to love. In this young age, most boys have a crush on their batch-mate girls or on their teacher ma’am. As narrator of this story is a boy, I also don’t know if the girls of Vinu’s class were single or not, Nobody can be correct about girls, they are tough to understand but in this story our hero Vinu is also going to be tough at climax. Just be with me for few minutes.

Today was farewell of Vinu’s batch from school. Some were crying, some were talking each other for last time but Vinu was busy in eating samosa with his best friend shubham. Shubham was only companion of him in his entire school life. They grew together, played together, and took science subject together. The only difference between them can be seen at their stomach and marks. Shubham have a big stomach but less marks in exams but this difference never made any difference in their friendship instead it grew with them.

New session started, Shubham and Vinu both took admission in engineering college but due to difference in rank, they couldn’t get admission in same college but yes, their colleges were in same city.

On the very first day in college, Vinu was excited. He chose mechanical branch and hence his class was full of boys, no single girl was there to even watch. It took very less time to his classmates to interact with each other and they all become friends. Like shubham in school, Vinu found his new companion in college who was not that fat as shubham but in marks, both were same. His name was Vikash. Handsome, charming, funny and talkative, for Vikash it was easy to impress a girl but it was amazing to hear that he is still single. 

Like the rays of sun, the only source of girls was computer science class and these beautiful rays can be seen in canteen while lunch break. Till now no rays was fallen on Vinu but Vikash! He was not like Vinu, he made rays to fall on him. Sitting in canteen and while eating dosa Vikash saw two beautiful girls coming towards them, his eyes forgot to blink, before he could say any word to Vinu who was sat opposite to him, those girls came very near, pulled an empty chair kept nearby and asked, ‘Is this taken?or can I take this?’

“Only if you sit with me” Vikash said and all laughed.

Time flew like wind but hunger didn’t, two weeks later at the same canteen and with same dosa, Vinu and Vikash were sat. After few moments the same two girls were coming towards them. This time Vinu was on facing side and shubham was showing his back to them. For Vinu it was a deza-vu. Before he could understand anything one of the girl tapped Vikash’s shoulder and said, “Hi buddy!” then she sat with him. They talked for 10 minutes, Vikash introduced Vinu to her. Her name was Smriti.

After the girls went, vinu gave a surprised look to Vikash, he had too many questions in his mind. Perhaps Vikash understood my situation and after giving me a creep smile he finally spoke, “Dude! I found her name from his classmates, then I searched her on facebook, sent her friend request and within 5 minutes she accepted it. We started chatting and from last one week we also talk on calls. She is my one of good friend now.”

“Friend or girlfriend?” Vinu winked and laughed. Vikash smiled too out of blush. “you are amzing dude” Vinu said. In return Vikash paid the bill of dosa as a party.

Everything was going good until diwali vacation. All were going home. Vinu’s train was tomorrow and he was busy with his cloths to fold and put it in his big red bag. suddenly Vikash came to his room by running and said, “ we gotta go dude! Be ready in 2 minutes.

‘But where?’, Vinu asked.

‘Smriti has to catch train in an hour and we have to go with her to drop’,Vikash tried to explain.

‘She is you girlfriend, you go. Why the hell I will go with you’, Vinu rejected the deal.

‘She will go, then with whom I’ll come back’, Vikash put his point.

‘Can’t you come alone? Are you a kid Vikash?’, Vinu tried harder.

‘Whatever! You have to come and don’t waste time just wear a shirt and come in 2 minutes, I am waiting for you at college gate’ Vikash shouted and ran out of Vinu’s room.

Now Vinu doesn’t have a choice he had to go. Vikash booked a cab and them all three reached railway station half hour before the departure of train. While chit chatting Vinu was feeling like a bone in kebab until three of smriti’s friends from her class also came and they all started talking like birds in cage. Vinu couldn’t understand how Vikash was not getting frustrated by their unstoppable talk oppositely he was also laughing and talking with them like a male bird between females.

Vinu turned his face different side but wait, he saw someone. He saw one girl just standing beside the smriti but she was not talking at all. She was just smiling with folded hands. She was in white suit, her hairs were clutched and her eyebrows are too narrow on which Vinu fall and landed at her thin, pink and smiling lips, his mind blew away. Such a simple and gorgeous combination he never seen till now, till now he never saw a girl for such a long period.

He forgot to blink, all chit chat sound became violin and platform was like red carpet. Love at first sight? ‘No, this can’t happen to me’ he thought. Suddenly the girl looked at him and he pulled down his face towards ground. He couldn’t make an eye contact, He didn’t want to stare at sun, he just wanted to feel that warm he never felt before. Train came, all girls stepped up, Vikash said bye to smriti while Vinu was still trying to have a look of that white suit girl in crowd. Finally the train went but left something amazing in Vinu’s heart.

“Who was that white suit girl?” Vinu asked Vikash.

“Which girl”, Vikash surprisingly asked.

“The girl who stood next to Smriti in white suit”, Vinu explained.

“Ohh! She was her friend, I don’t know much but her name is Shruti”, Vikash replied.

“Shruti what? Whats her full name?” Vinu put out his mobile from his jeans pocket and tried to search her on facebook.

“Oh my god Vinu, You get fascinated by her, Finally you found your girl”, Vikash laughed and tapped Vinu’s shoulder.

While Vikash was busy in pulling legs, Vinu found Shruti on facebook and immediately sent her friend request. While coming back to hostel room he was continuously watching her DP like a mad stalker. Next day Vinu and Vikash also went home for diwali vacation, friend request sent by Vinu is still pending, the growth of flower in Vinu’s heart was still pending.

It was 11pm and Vinu was scrolling his instagram feed on his bed, he was in his home. Suddenly a notification popped up on his mobile screen. The very next moment he was jumping on the bed, Shruti accepted his friend request. He controlled his emotions and thought, ‘Should I message her? What should I say..!” After thinking a lot for 2 minutes which was felt to years he finally typed, “Hi”.

Shruti – Hi! Do I know you?

Vinu – I don’t know, but I know you for sure. (Tried to be smart)

Shruti – ok!

Vinu – Actually I am Vikash’s friend, that day I saw you with Smriti, I am the one who was with Vikash. Do you remember? (Vinu explained everything so fast as he felt she is losing interest in talk)

Shruti – Oh! You are the one who was looking here and there and was feeling bored. Yes, I recognize you. Hahaha….

Vinu – Thank god you remember. I felt bored till I saw you. (Vinu tried to flirt)

Shruti – Good joke. By the way it’s too late now, I have to sleep. Good night.

Vinu – I will message you tomorrow. Good night.

 The game of text started every day, Vinu was very polite and nice while talking, perhaps shruti felt comfortable with him, they exchanged their mobile numbers on fourth day of texting. Vacation got over and they came back to college. Every time when Vikash met Smriti, Vinu also invite Shruti and their endless talk was continuing for hours.

It is a general talk among girls that boys are duffer but this time Vinu really did some stupidity and his stupidity was falling in love with shruti. For shruti, Vinu was just a normal friend of her, she never thought this will happen until one fine day Vinu proposed her.

One day after college Vinu, Vikash, Smriti, and Shruti went to an ice-cream parlour. While Vikash was busy with smrirti, Vinu found some moments to spend with shruti. Blue jeans, pink top, dry hairs and rose like lips shruti was always look beautiful to Vinu. He suddenly opened his college bag and pulled a red rose out of it, he couldn’t sit on knees but offered it to Shruti and said.” I like you Shruti since the first time I saw you, do you feel the same” he was very curious but shruti was stunned. She left the place immediately without saying any word.

For two days she didn’t went college also didn’t pick the call of Vinu. Her inbox was flooding with Vinu’s SORRY but she was silent. After two days, it was Vinu’s birthday. At night he was laid on bed, none of his friend was aware about his birthday but somehow shruti knew it and she called him at exact 12pm.Vinu was upset from two days, he got surprised by seeing her name on his mobile screen. He immediately picked the call,

Vinu- hey ! I am really very sorry, whatever happened just forget it, I request you.

Shruti – I love you too Vinu.

Vinu – what! (surprised)

Shruti – You asked me, sorry I replied late. I love you too and happy birthday.

Vinu- Thank you so much Shruti. (With tears in eyes)

It was a delight moment for Vinu, they continued talking for 2 hours and the love story of Vinu and shruti get started.

Shubham and Vikash were only two friends with whom Vinu shared all his life, since Shubham was in different college but he used to meet Vinu regularly on holidays. Vinu told him every thing about shruti. Although shubham and shruti didn’t meet ever but Vinu shown shruti picture to shubham and this picture was going to make a trouble between their relationship soon.

Three months passed and only 2 days left for Shruti's birthday. Vinu was in hurry to think about the gift, he continuously taking suggestions from Vikash and shubham but was not able to decide. One day passed and he was still thinking, it was her first birthday with him so he wanted to give her something special.

Exactly 12pm he called her but she was busy, he tried 3 times but she was still busy. Finally at 1pm she called him back and took his wish for birthday. She gave excuse of talking to mom on which Vinu agreed. Next day After attending his class he called shruti to give her a present. He bought a bundle of red roses for her but she didn’t pick the call. He called again, this time she picked and said.”I went to hostel and couldn’t meet you now.

“Hey! It’s your birthday and I want to celebrate it”. Vinu replied.

“But…But! I am not feeling well so I came to hostel” Shruti said.

Vinu couldn’t reply, he was little upset but said, “Ok”.

“Ok! I will meet you at 7pm”, Shruti finally gave him an appointment on which Vinu got happy.

It was 6pm and Vinu was waiting like hell to meet shruti but still 1 hour left. He was in the thought of shruti when shubham called him.

At 4pm Shubham was in a pizza centre with his friends where he saw shruti with one boy, there was no problem till he saw that the boy was giving a flower to her and was kissing her hand. Since Shruti didn’t see Shubham yet, she didn’t recognized him. Shubham followed her for 3 hours to be sure that she was making out with someone else. At 6 she saud bye to that boy and went somewhere in auto. At the very next moment, Shruti went, Shubham called Vinu and told everything. VInu got stunned, he couldn’t understand what to do, he was continuously asking one question to himself, Why she is doing this!

Finally Shruti came to Vinu at 6:45pm. Vinu with no expression on face, gave her flowers and wished happy birthday.

“Finally you got time for me?” Vinu asked softly.

“I was not feeling well so was resting” Shruti lied.

“Resting at pizza centre and park with someone else” Vinu said with tears in his eyes.

Now shruti got stunned. “You were following me” Shruti asked in surprise.

“Why you did this to me?” Vinu almost broke.

“Ok! Now you get knew so listen calmly Vinu” Shruti further explained, “I love a guy from 2 years, we were in a happy relationship and one day you proposed to me. You are so nice to me. I couldn’t break your heart and said yes after thinking for two days. I wanted to gift you, your love on your birthday, I am sorry Vinu..” Shruti got tears in eyes while telling this to Vinu.  

Vinu couldn’t control his tears, he sat on his both knees with face down and hands on eyes trying to wipe up his tears. After the silence of 40 seconds, Vinu stood up and finally said,”You know Shruti I can bear everything but not a lie, thanks a lot for doing all this for me but you deserve the love and not a burden. Now you are free from me. You gifted me my love on my birthday, now it’s my turn to gift you your love on your birthday. Happy birthday again and good bye, I can’t be your friend either from now, it is not possible for me, Good bye Shruti.”

Before Shruti could say any word, Vinu escaped like the wind with a rain of tears. He gifted the most precious thing to his love i.e. her love. Shruti tried hard but could never talk to him again as Vinu believed “Once you fall in love, Love can never become a casual friendship ever.”