"I Love You?"

“Yes, sir we will have it served to you right away. Kindly leave your luggage here only and collect them an hour before your boarding.”, said the concierge.

Nikhil left his belongings there and entered the business lounge. The lounge was perhaps one of the most exquisitely designed areas of the Mumbai Airport, consisting of meeting halls, a library, an open bar, cigar rooms, spa, fitness center, nap suites, and showers. The furniture was an eye snatcher but all this was oblivious to Nikhil. He had a bright clean-shaven face with eyes that were sulking, the attire which he wore was a shirt, jeans, and coat which really suited his thin physique but he had such a negative air around himself that all these factors contributed to nothing.

The lounge was fairly empty with a dozen people and there was a professional silence in the atmosphere that added to its glamour. Nikhil walked towards a corner of the living area and deposited himself on a sofa.

He opened his phone and then his gallery and although there was no one in the living area where he was sitting, he slanted his phone downwards, seemingly delusional or a little self-conscious. He scrolled down every photo in a particular album slowly and steadily as if remembering every detail of when the picture was taken, what happened that day.

The photo obviously contained a female with him.

Eyes that have had been moist for too long but never let out a sob, seemed to again follow the daily routine. Suddenly he heard the door of the living room opening, a gentleman who seemed to be in his mid-50s entered. He went ahead and sat two sofas ahead of Nikhil, facing him.

Nikhil quickly ran his fingers through his eyes so as to not show his vulnerability to this stranger and shut down his phone quickly.

A waiter entered the living room and went to Nikhil and poured him a glass of whisky, and carefully dropped three cubes of ice. He then turned towards the aged gentlemen and after pouring him a ’72 Red Wine left without saying a word.

Nikhil stared at the drink in his hand for a minute and then tried to gulp it in a single go but his body didn’t agree and he let out profound coughing.

The aged gentleman quickly rose and patted him on his back until Nikhil returned to normalcy.

“That is a very hard drink for a man as young as you.”, he said.

Nikhil didn’t answer and smiled for a moment.

“Well, I have heard that gentleman with a drink in hand should not sit alone. How will you cheers, eh? May I?” smiled the stranger.

Nikhil indicated his hand towards the empty sofa in front of him.

The man sat down. He had a greyish beard and wore a t-shirt and overcoat which made him look quite young.

“So, what’s bothering you? Studies? Job? Girl?...”, said the stranger.

Nikhil remained silent and unperturbed.

“My name is Akash, Akash Mehra. I am a writer. I am here for an hour or so. We might not meet again after today and you look really disturbed so if you want a man-to-man talk, I am a great listener.”, said Akash in a calm and composed tone.

Nikhil was looking down the whole time rubbing his hands together. He remained silent long enough for Akash to assume that he had not heard him at all. Then he said slowly, “It’s a girl.”

“What about her?”

Nikhil let out a huge sigh and said, “I really liked her and then we dated for 3 years but in the end, things got a little rough and she gave up. To sum it all up in short, that’s what happened. I just don’t believe in true love at all because there is never ever a guarantee that it will work out till the end, is there? You tell me, have you ever had a good memory that has turned sour?”

“That is a ridiculous question, how is that possible?”, asked Akash who is taken aback.

“Love makes it possible! Every moment that I spent with her in the past three years be it good or bad has turned sour for me now. Is this the beauty which romantic films talk about?”, asked Nikhil?

“Wait for a second, let's put all the reasons associated with your breakup aside, what has happened, happened. Do you still love her?”, asked Akash.

Nikhil fumbled and said, “No, why should I? It will only give me the pain from all these memories. Like wounds that will never heal. I need to move on but I don’t know how.”

Akash heard all that Nikhil had to say and thought for a while and then said, “This is what I don’t like about your generation. You all have taken the word ‘love’ so lightly. Tell me what is love? Do you love someone just for the reason that they will love you back? No. You love that person because that person gives you butterflies in your stomach whenever you think about that person. Love is something that blossoms when it is shared but shouldn’t die when it's not. Now I am not saying you to keep hope with that girl or don’t move on from her, but, don’t change or deny your feelings just for the sake of moving on. Maybe you will find another girl that will again give you butterflies in your stomach when you think about her but until then don’t sulk or get depressed! Think about all the beautiful memories that have happened with her, think about the sacrifices you both made together, think about the things you shared with each other, think about her!

She was a part of your journey on this blue planet, relish it until you can find another, don’t tarnish or deny it, because you won’t be able to.”

Nikhil broke down.

The tears which had been moist and had always remained in his eyes finally flooded down his cheeks.

He cried, “I just…… I just……love her so……….so…..much.”

“And isn’t that great?”, smiled Akash.