The Day The State Split Asunder-15

Aarti entered her flat. After having her supper she then laid down flat on her bed and closed her eyes. The thought of the letter given by Adarsh flashed in her mind. At high speed, she jumped out of her bed and reached out for her handbag in the hall. She took out the envelope and slit it open. Her hands shook a little as she took the paper into her hand. 

This looks like a letter. She sat on the sofa and began reading the content of the letter.

 

Dear Aarti,

 

First of all, I really wish to convey tonnes of thanks to God for sending a person like you. If my life can be split into two halves, it is going to be before you and after you. I lost my parents when I was just ten. My life was completely grey and colourless until you entered into my life. Until the day I saw you there was no colour.

I can't say how much I struggled to write this letter. In a dark time, you were sent to me. Who would have thought we would become more than just friends? Honestly, I never felt like that. I had written this to tell you what I couldn't say standing in front of you. Never in my dream, I thought that I would meet a person like you. Every moment that I spend with you, I feel so happy and so glad that it's spent with you.

I really marvel at how it has turned out this way. I am at a loss of words to explain it. Do you remember when we met on the first day? And how can I forget as you spilt coffee on my shirt? I admit I chuckled a bit. But do you know one thing? Every day I used to be very eager to meet you. For me, you are the most special person in the whole wide world.

I feel lucky and blessed to have met someone like you. And blessed to have a friendship so special and true. In your gentle presence, I found the smile and happiness that I thought I lost along with my parents. I found your eyes so full of care. It healed my bruised soul.

No words could ever tell the way I feel about you. You're the entire world to me. The only thing that I regret is not telling you all these things by standing in front of you. I was so scared that you would start hating me.

Aarti I can't say what you have done to me. You've set my heart on fire. Yes, it's true. For many days pressure has been building up inside of my heart. And my heart is not as big as yours, it is just the size of a fist. It is unable to hold the love which is multiplying with each passing second. Every time I see you, my heart skips a beat. I am dreaming about you all day, thinking about you all night.

I didn't believe in love at all before I met you. My heart is and will always be yours. I am sorry if these words have hurt you. But I solemnly swear that I will never leave you alone until death sets us apart. I can't force you to love me but in case you love me please do try to call me within two hours. I will take it as the acceptance of my love.

Aarti there is no one special in my life except you and I cannot imagine my life without you. Each and every day my love for you only increases. If you don't like me then there's nothing to worry about. I am not going to bother you to love me. It's your life, your wish. But I can't imagine my life without you and I will quit the company.

 

The cold wind from the windows gave her sudden goosebumps. She stood still for a minute, trying to absorb the news. Could it possibly be a mistake? But it wasn't. She pinched herself and read the letter again. Despite her best efforts to curb it, the initial shock wave refused to ebb. With her mind in overdrive, she started pacing the length of the hall.

She then sat on the sofa, looked up above the ceiling, and closed her eyes. She could recollect the moment when Adarsh wanted to get closer to her while they were standing on the footpath. The realisation of it sent a shiver down her spine. This is not the first time she received a love letter. She wondered at herself for not getting angry. The paper on her hand is still smooth and not crumpled. She glanced at the time on the wall clock. It showed ten. It means she has only two hours to decide between yes and no. 

There will come a point in life when you will find love to be a confusing feeling when you will realise that you are unsure of your feelings. You do not get it if you are in love or if what you are feeling is simply infatuation and it is going to be hard to figure out which is which.

Aarti got into her bedroom. Turned on the light and looked at her reflection in the big mirror on the dressing table. She began talking to her reflection in the mirror.

Just an hour ago I thought he was one of the nicest guys. I never expected this from you Adarsh. But do I hate him or like him… By this time I should have slapped him a hundred times but why am I not feeling angry with him… Did I fall for him? No! No! Aarti! What are you talking about? You are not that weak. It is not easy to win your heart. But he is so tall and handsome and yes he can make anyone fall for him… Wait… Wait… why am I thinking like that…

Devon Ke Dev Mahadev.. what a difficult situation you've put me into. And who is he to give me a deadline till twelve? What is he thinking about me? But he is a motherless lad… Maybe I got too close to him… But is this my mistake or his?

What will he do if I say no? If he resigns then again he needs to find another job. I think it's better I talk to him before things go out of control…

Aarti took her mobile into her hands and dialled his number. He answered the call in a single ring.

'Hello, Aarti! I hope you have read the letter?' said Adarsh.

'What is this Adarsh? I never expected this from you,' she shouted at him.

'It is entirely your fault,' he said.

'Have you gone mad? What do you think of yourself? You're fortunate that you are not standing in front of me, else I would have…'

'What would you have done?'

'I would have done the same to you what I did previously to those who wrote these filthy letters?'

'I am even ready for that. I love you Aarti… and I know you love me too…'

'No! I don't love you… and I don't love you...'

'Aarti! Tell me what is stopping you from loving me?'

'Adarsh. Why don't you understand? Love is something that should come from the heart. It can't be forced.'

'Tell me what to do to get a place in your heart. I swear in the name of my mother that even if the whole world falls apart, I will be right by your side, I promise I will never leave your hand. I promise, my love will always be with you until I die, I promise to wipe your tears when they fall. I promise to make you feel valued every day no matter what. You are the hope that keeps me going. As long as I live, I will never stop thinking about you! I love you more than you can imagine. I swear all these promises in the name of my mother. I have conveyed all that I can… Always remember one thing. Whether it's friendship or love. All bonds are built on trust. Without it we have nothing. Now the ball is in your court. The time now is 11:30. Please tell me your opinion before twelve. If I don't get a call from you by twelve, I take it that you: don't trust me. I will walk out of your life and I will never show my face to you. Think well before you decide... I will be waiting for your verdict,' and he disconnected the call.

'Adarsh!' she could hear nothing except the beep sound.

What can I do now? He loves his mother so much. Will he take good care of me?  But he is an orphan. I am not sure whether Dad is going to accept him. O come on! Why am I thinking about marrying him? Why am I feeling like that? Did I fall for him? No! No! No!

She slept on her bed and was staring at the ceiling contemplating the sudden unexpected turn out where she had to choose between two options: yes and no. If she says no, Adarsh is going to resign from the company. She glanced at the time on her mobile. It showed 11:45.

O, God! What can I say to him? It's ok whatever will happen let it happen... She took a deep breath and called his number. 

Adarsh answered her call in a single ring. 

'Aarti! I know you will call me. Forever I will always treat you like a queen…' he said as soon as he answered, not allowing her to say hello. 'I will be your eternal slave in the kingdom of happiness. I really can't say how happy I am today. You're a blessing of God, the incarnate of an angel, the brightest star among the millions-'

'Hello! Hello! Hold on for a minute when did I say I love you?' she interrupted his poetic flow.

'Aarti, can you tell me one thing frankly? Do you love me or hate me? Just say you hate me, I will walk away from your life, always and forever. I will never show my face to you. When you love someone, they deserve to know the truth. Tell me right now. Do you like me or not?'

She fell silent for a minute. What could she have said anyway then at that point of time? For every moment of truth, there's confusion in life. 'Adarsh, you are not understanding. This is a matter of life. I don't like you and it doesn't mean I hate you. I like you... but I hate you... I hate you but still, I like having you. I-I-I… am…' her voice trailed off, 'I just can't explain it…'

'I know! You are not trusting me.'

'No! it's not like that, it's just a sort of unsettlement in thoughts. Why don't you understand?'

'If it is not 'no' then it should be 'yes'. Yes and no can never coexist. Aarti, please tell me what can I do to win your trust? I am ready to do anything for you because I love you…' his voice was assuring and promising.

She smiled. Somewhere in the corner of her heart, a spark got kindled. 

'Aarti!' Adarsh continued, 'If you don't mind, can you come to the corner of the street. I have been standing over here ever since I dropped you. I didn't feel like going to the room. Come down! Let's have a face to face discussion.'

Stupefied with his words the mobile dropped from her hand. For a second she felt as if the weight of the world had been placed upon her shoulders. She immediately picked up the mobile and placed it near her ear. 

'Have you gone mad? I can't come now! Let's talk about it tomorrow…' 

'You call it madness, I call it love! I beg you please… please… please… Come down, let's discuss it face to face! I will be waiting for you. Please come, I don't have much power in my battery…' and he disconnected the call.

She called him again but his mobile was switched off. The next second a bedlam reigned upon her mind. It was absolute pandemonium. She picked up a pillow from her bed and threw it towards the wall. 

What kind of a guy he is! If not today, maybe tomorrow or the following day I need to face him. I should talk to him and end this as soon as possible. Dragging it will invite more trouble but I can't go out in this nightgown Oh My God! I need to change my dress… 

Unwillingly, she started racing down the fleet of stairs instead of taking the lift. She walked out of her apartment and from a distance, she could spot a person at the corner of the street, who was seated on a motorbike. He got down from his bike. She was certain that it was none other than Adarsh owing to his tall appearance. Being late at night there were no people wandering the streets. 

She was almost scared to death, and her legs began to tremble. She began walking towards him. Upon seeing her, Adarsh ran towards her, parking himself at a distance of six feet from her.

'I love you!' Adarsh said, struggling to look straight into her eyes.

Aarti apprehensively looked around, to ensure there was no one watching them. 'Adarsh, let's not create any scene over here! Please leave, let's talk about it tomorrow-'

'No! I want to start tomorrow's day with the warmth of your love. I want the answer now itself!' he demanded, taking a step forward. 

Shhh… please try to understand. It's okay…' she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 'Come to my home. Let's discuss it there, instead of on the road.'

Adarsh neared her and caught her by the shoulders. 'No! I am not going to come… Tell me you love me. I will follow wherever you go, even to the graveyard. But I want the answer now itself!' 

'What are you doing? What if anyone sees us?' She was struggling to free herself from his arms.

'Aarti! look straight into my eyes,' his voice was suddenly calm. His magnetizing tone compelled her to look straight into his eyes. 'Finding you was the biggest surprise and best gift I have ever gotten. You're the only one who doesn't leave my mind for a single second. You know what, there were times when I forgot about my parents at least for a second. But as my heart started loving you, I couldn't stop thinking about you even for a single second. My happiness increases by tenfold, with every moment that I spend by your side. I am ready to give my life away for you, I can't promise to solve all your problems but I promise you will never face them alone. My heart will always be your shelter and my arms will be your home. My love will always be with you until the day I die.  I love you... I love you... and I love you always and forever…'

Adarsh released his hands from her shoulders. Aarti had tears in her eyes. She turned her gaze away to avoid eye contact with him. She felt helpless and wanted to run away, leaving everything else behind her, but she couldn't. He went back towards her, held her hand and turned her around.

'I know that you love me a lot. I cannot say how you changed my life. I have started noticing the happiness that exists around me. I really don't know how or when you became this huge part of my life, but I do know that I want to be with you, always and forever, ' he inched even closer to her and pushed a strand of hair away from her face. 'The decision is yours now. Say yes, I will be your slave, and you, my queen. Say No, I will go away always and forever…' He conveyed whatever he wanted to say. 

She looked into his eyes again, she could easily see his eyes, overflowing with love. Without any hesitancy, she hugged him. They were so engrossed in hugging each other that they didn't even realize that they were standing on the road and it had started to rain. 

Each raindrop that fell on them brought them closer and Aarti was able to hide her tears behind the raindrops. They hugged like they are not going to meet again. As he held her, he brought his lips close to hers, slightly rubbing his nose against her. He was about to touch his lips with hers, the horn of the vehicle from the distance startled him. He immediately pushed her away and looked around to ensure that there was no one watching them. Adarsh and Aarti were bounced back to alertness. They moved away from each other and could not look into each other's eyes directly. They felt embarrassed. 

Even though Aarti was shy, the magical smile on her face was still glittery. She felt too uneasy to stay there anymore. She was about to turn and run towards her apartment. 

Adarsh stopped by holding her hand. 'Before you go just tell me I love you… Please… Please… Please… I am not going to leave you until you say it…' 

'I love you…' She gripped his hands and then pushed him away.

'I love you too…' he jumped high and ran towards his bike.  

It happens sometimes like at first you don't even know it will happen like this one day. It may begin with a simple hello and you never would have guessed things would turn out like these. This is the magic of love. 

One of the great joys of falling in love is the feeling that the most extraordinary person in the world has chosen to trust you, to share life with you, and to start a family with you. When you fall in love, you're given a very precious gift. It's like a big box filled with all the amazing things you've ever wanted and wished for. And it's all yours. But there is one thing that we tend to ignore. It's that writing on the box: Fragile. You'll be able to enjoy it as long as you take care of it. But if you shake it too much, you kick it around, and you neglect it, then you'll break it.