Love Is Not Blind

I caught him staring at me and blasted him about it. For a second he appeared shocked. Then very calmly he told me. "Sorry madam. I am just trying to read. " Read what? My face." was my blatant reply.

He started laughing and that sent me into fits of anger. I do not remember what all I told him. Finally, when I shut up, He held the book in his hands high up and gave the sweetest smile I have ever seen. It took me few seconds to realize that the book was in braille. The guy was blind.

When the damage was done, my manager walks up to me and informs me that he is the new lead of our team who got transferred from another location. I was stupefied. I had heard about him. Numerous rewards, an inspiration for many, a reputation of never slacking and never cutting corners. And what a first impression I had created in front of him. I did not even get a chance to apologize because my manager called everyone at that very moment for introductions. I scurried away and was just hoping he wouldn't remember my voice. But why would God be so merciful. Introductions started and finally it was my turn. I reduced my voice to a whimper and told my name.

"Ah..", he exclaimed, "there you are". I was wondering when I would meet you formally. "My colleagues stared at me looking for an explanation. He again started speaking and I was sure he would rat me out. But what he said shocked me. He told my teammates that I was the person who helped him find his cabin and that I was the sweetest person he met that day.

I just stood there and hoped the ground would open up and swallow me. This was worse than the truth. I had insulted him badly and here he was, praising me instead. I knew I had to go and apologize to him then and there. So I mustered up the courage and walked up to him. I don't know how he realized it was me. Before I opened my mouth, he started handing me some files and asked me to get the work done asap.

"Sure Sir, I just wanted to say I am sorry". 

"What for? What you did was not wrong. No one has the right to stare at someone." he winked.

"But Sir, you were not staring." I said sheepishly.

"Haha, yeah, but you didn't know that." He smiled. And there it was, the sweetest smile ever.

 

He was one of the most hard working people around.

Never in my life, I had met a person with such a positive and friendly disposition. He was not sorry for being disabled. In fact, he took it as a challenge. He never said that certain issues arose because they were just beyond his control. In fact, he insisted that everything was supposed to be done right no matter what.

He was never judgmental about anyone. He helped everyone around. It never occurred to us to even think of him as different. Be it any activity, sports, potluck, marathon, he participated equally in everything. He made us extremely comfortable with him. People respected him, a lot.

As for me, I never realized when I started falling for him. We used to spend most of our time together because of work. During those moments, we started sharing our stories. Before long, we became very close. Work led to coffee, coffee led to lunch. Not long after that, we were dating. The way he made me feel about myself, no one had ever done it before. It was magical.

I still remember the day we decided to be together forever. 

Unlike his usual nature, he was really nervous that day.

We were in the restaurant waiting for our dinner. Then suddenly he got up and left. I did not understand what was going on. I followed him out. Trust me, even though he cannot see, he is really fast. He does not have much difficulty in finding his way. It took me sometime to realize that he was out there, sitting on the beach. When I went towards him, I noticed tears streaming down his eyes.

It was terrifying, seeing him like that. I begged him to tell me what was wrong. But what he said, made me feel like someone had inserted a burning rod down my throat.

"You make me weak, Jia. I cannot even think of a life without you. But I cannot subject you to hell by asking you to be mine. I cannot be this selfish. You deserve someone who is not disabled like me. You deserve a prince and I am not one. So I have taken transfer. I am leaving tomorrow. I thought I won't inform you of this, But looking at you, I could not stop myself. I love you, More than anything in this world. Nothing will change that. But I am leaving. Forgive me for doing this."

I just stood there, numb. Then I started shouting. People around would have thought of me as some crazy person who was drunk. Maybe I was drunk, but not on wine. On this stupid man's love. And I was not letting him go. I told him the same. I informed him that I was never going to be someone else' and if he cannot understand this small fact, he should actually go. Finally, I went hysterical and that won over his stubbornness. He consoled me and promised me he would never even think of leaving me. We got married in a month's time. He won over my relatives very easily, but it was not at all surprising. After all, I feel he is one of the most beautiful souls to walk over this earth.

People usually ask me why I decided to marry a blind man.

I am young, successful, pretty and bubbly. I could have got anyone. Then why him.

It's not like he is the most romantic person alive. He can't even praise the beauty of my eyes, the fairness of my body or the sharpness of my features. Still, I chose him over so many other suitors?

Why would I do that?

I do not have an answer to these questions. Frankly, I do not think these are relevant at all.

I just know one thing. He completes me. We do not have any fancy story associated with our life. 

But we make new stories every moment.

Each time he offers to help me with washing the dishes or cooking or cleaning, he never lets his disability become an issue. He knows I would also be tired and he wants to help me any way possible. He even gets our kids ready for school and sometimes packs their lunch boxes. My kids are proud of their dada and I of my husband.

Whenever he asks me to be careful out there, I feel his love pouring out of his heart.

The times I crib and cry over things going wrong, he keeps my head on his bosom and asks me to pour my heart out to him. He listens to me and gives me valid suggestions. He is like my teacher, my friend, my lover, my inspiration. He is and would forever be, my eternal love.

I am not an expert in love or the feelings behind it. But what I experience with my husband is amazing. Oh, we have our own share of fights. But what is a relationship without fights. I have come to realize that there is someone out there for each of us. We should never judge them by their caste, creed, race, their looks or disability. If we love someone and they love us, our story starts that very moment,

We just need to find them and once we have them, we need to cherish them forever.