The Call Of Love

The ringing sound of Kabir's cell phone, has distracted the complete silence and presentation at his office meeting. With red face, he put his hand inside the pocket of his formal yet modish jacket, in which he was looking debonair.

With polite apology for interrupting, he asked for few minutes. Quick as a bunny, he raced out of the conference room and picked up the call.

"Hello"...and he heard her mellifluous voice asking the same magical question, which has the power of capturing Kabir, even if he refuses to be spell bound.

"Kabir, can we talk for some time, please?"

His mind wanted to deny her request defiantly but he has no control over his heart.

Though he formed a covenant between her memories and his feelings that they would never collide but it's always this heart that plays foul.

He managed all the conundrums by telling that he's busy in some meeting and will return her call soon.

Quietly he moved towards the conference room but found his mind totally engrossed with that one question. It's the same line, which has always worked as an aperture through which he used to get an entryway to her life. And today, he shut that entrance, partially.

In the conference room, the light from the projector and the screen was sprawled all over, which made the hall gloomy but his eyes were coruscating with her thoughts. The Business Diary in front of him got filled with the words from past and he started dwelling in the school corridor where he saw her first and couldn't take his eyes off her. She was a vivacious girl. There was something about her, which has always made him so fond of her.

They remained classmates for two years, until they finished their secondary education but in those years they never got into conversation. He hid his feelings from everyone as he himself was very confused.

It was only during the farewell party, he realised that he has secured a special place for her in his heart. When the party came to an end, he mumbled, "If not now, then never." And that word 'Never' left a prodigious effect on his mind. So without giving it another thought, he rushed towards her.

For the first time, he called out her name in front of everyone... "Diya" and his heart strings started vibrating, the shyness in his eyes was clearly visible...and the nervousness was noticeable. He moved a step ahead and said, "Diya, lets not bid adieu....I mean...lets be in touch as friends." She smiled and without asking anything, she shared her phone numbers."

Kabir, the wanderer, found his home.

And slowly their conversations over phone turned into meetings at cafeteria, watching movies at multiplex and many a times, Kabir paid a visit to her parents too.

Diya's friendship and Kabir's love grew stronger with time. Both were looking at this relationship from their own perspective. For Diya, he was her well of secrets, her problem solver, her laughing dose, her biggest support and her eveything. She always looked for Kabir, whenever she was dispirited. And her one question, "Kabir, can we talk for some time?" meant, that she's in great need of his support. Diya, was always his first priority.

Meanwhile, Kabir completed his MBA and got his first job offer, demanding him to move to Bangalore for joining.

Diya was more excited than him. But Kabir knew, their lives would change after this. So before leaving he wanted to express his feelings but was very nervous. That one sentence "If not now, then never" helped him to get some confidence and he called her, though incertitude, but he asked "Diya lets not bid adieu....lets be together... Forever... Will you marry me?"

Silence from both the sides and Diya put down the phone. Next day, Kabir left for Bangalore, with the hope that she would call her someday.

Diya never called and Kabir kept waiting.

One morning, while he was on his way to office, he found a missed call from Diya. A feeling of exhilaration swept through him and he called her back. In a very melancholy voice, she informed that next month, she's getting married to Aakash.

Aakash was their senior in school and was famous for his happening and sybarite persona.

This time without uttering a single word he disconnected the call. His pain was inconsolable but he moved ahead by convincing himself that she was NEVER made for him.

This word NEVER, always has a prodigious effect on his mind.

With a mild jolt from his past, he returned back to the conference room. The LEDs from the ceiling enlightened the hall and the associates were applauding for the wonderful presentation. But now his eyes and heart were filled with tenebrosity.

Later, he returned home with racing thoughts in mind. Atleast, 30 times, he unlocked and locked his cell phone. He didn't want to start the things again. He wanted to maintain this distance and why not, when it was created by her, only.

But in the back of his mind, he was sure that she needs him. He grew restless and called her. She didn't pick. And he kept calling after every half an hour. He got frustrated, switched off his phone, threw it on the bed and slept.

Next day morning when he woke up, he looked out for his phone, switched it on and cursed himself for behaving immaturely. He called her again and this time her mom picked up the call. In her wailing voice, she gave the most unfortunate news, "Kabir, Diya is no more."

Devastated and shattered, he seeked his friend's help to book the tickets. By afternoon, he reached there and saw Diya for the last time and bid a sorrowful adieu.

Her mother hugged him tightly and said, "Kabir, I wished you were here. Diya had gone through a torturous life after marriage... She never informed us about her sufferings... And she finally gave up."

Kabir stood insentient. Her mother told many things about her but he couldn't hear. There was only one thought moving in his mind which was ripping his soul, ...."If I would have answered that call, she would have been alive."

In a torpid state and with faltering steps, he left from there with that magical question echoing in his ears, "Kabir, can we talk for some time, please?"