The Moon In The Sky

"Hiii... Shristi. I have an important proposal for you and please I don't want to listen NO from you." Adwait screamed from behind while she was going inside the library hall.

"Don't shout Adwait. It's library and the librarian will throw both of us out. And one more thing why do you think that I will not say NO to your proposal. After all it will be my choice. You are asking or imposing?

Shristi said with a fun in her voice.

"Because you are the only one in this class with whom I can be open up, I can share my feelings and emotions and most importantly you can read my eyes and the strong emotional movie I was dreaming about. No body else can......" Adwait was trying to convince her.

"So this time one more story. Right!" Shristi answered with a smile.

"See! How perfect you are in judging me. "

Adwait smirked with excitement.

"So what's my role in your story ?"

"Shrishti, you will be my moon in the sky....."

A sudden trench of spring ran through her heart. An excitement, a joy, a warmth spread throughout her body as if something going to happen, as if her long cherished dream of being with Adwait is going to have the touch of reality. After all, she is going to be the moon of the sky for Adwait. Ahh! Can I really be?

Adwait and Shrishti. The two close friends for Adwait but for others in the college the two love birds. But for Shrishti, Adwait never asked what is the reality between them and Shrishti never tried to justify her in front of him. For Shrishti, Adwait was a miracle happened in her life. He is not just more than a friend but he is her smile, her laugh, her anger, her excitement, her jealousy, her everything and in fact her first love. It was her feeling since the first day at Revenshaw college when she had seen him. There was nothing much special about his look but don't know why the first look itself was a magnet. In every weekends when she was going to market her eye was always in a continuous search for Adwait.

But for Adwait there was no special attention and attraction for her.

After 6 months it was the day of cultural evening of chemistry department and Shrishti was playing the role of Radha in the play. That day may be Adwait noticed the actress character behind Shrishti and most importantly he noticed her for the first time. Since that day it started with a friend request in Facebook following number exchange and moving into the recently chat list in WhatsApp.

Every time a Hiii from Adwait lights a candle of love and excitement in her. But no.. Shrishti never tried to show any of the emotions. But those few chats always made her day filled with joy and laughter.

"Heeeeee ! Where are you miss dream girl? I am just asking you to be the moon for my story and nothing else. Why so much thought in your small engine?"

Shristi got baffled. Her eyes bowed down in shame as if she wanted to hide her eyes from Adwait.

"OK. Yes. But how can I be the moon in your story?"

"Listen, I will act as the hero Ayush and you will be the moon, the heroine of my story. I want to give the sense of living to my moon of the sky."

This time it was quite embarrassing for her. How can she be his heroine? What if her real feelings will open up in front of Adwait. He will feel so bad then. She will also lose the friendship. But she can't say no because she has never denied any of his wishes.

"OK, I will. But now I have some work. See you in the evening."

After that day, every chat in WhatsApp started with Hiii Moon. What's up?

So many incidents so many emotional talks so many feelings had already been expressed in words. Although in earlier days Shrishti was a little bit nervous of writing own emotions. But the reply from Adwait was gradually making her confident. Every day a new chapter starts and Shrishti gets enough opportunities to open up with all her slept desires.

"Moon, you know you are so beautiful."

"No Ayush. I'm not. There are always so many black spots on my body."

"But I don't know why your face, glaze, the way you talk, the way you see, the way you dance are just like wow. I'm speechless in your beauty."

"But Ayush I'm not that beautiful. You are making ashamed of me."

"You will never understand. Your eyes, your lips and when they brush past each other while you speak, the blush on your cheek, I can't stop admiring your beauty Moon. "

"What do you mean Ayush. I'm not getting ." Shrishti messaged with a surprise.

"Shrishti, I'm not Ayush. I'm Adwait. Adwait Mohanty. Will you be the moon in my sky? Will you be the only glaze on my darkest body? "

"What ! What are you saying? Don't behave smart Adwait. I know you joke well."

"No Shrishti. It's the only truth. It's the reality I was long wished to tell you."

This time Shrishti was so nervous. She has no patience to type a single word. She was getting mute. Is Adwait really in love with her. She was feeling so happy for getting the same feeling, at the same time so nervous. How will she face Adwait tomorrow.

Suddenly her phone vibrated. It's Adwait. What will she say?

A complete silence was governing all around.

"But Shrishti I really love you since the admission day. You were in your purple white salwar looking just like a purple lotus in between all white lotus. So gorgeous and different. From that day a bond was developed and every day I started searching for a reason to talk to you.

That culture evening where you played the Radha cast I got a chance to talk to you by admiring your acting. After that day I searched and tried many operations of proposing you, but every time that was ending up being friends forever.

I was always afraid of losing you. So I have never expressed my inner core of heart to you. But for how many days? I am getting burnt in that fire Shrishti. Please pet with your soft touch, with your peaceful soothing light and extinguish the fire. I m desperate Shrishti. The story was fake but my love for you is completely real. "

Shristi was totally dumb stuck. What is she listening? Is it real or a movie playing in earphone.

"I will talk to you later. I need some time" Shrishti hanged the phone down.

The whole night ended up with her eyes opened towards the rotating blades of fan. Till today it was OK because it was just she in love with Adwait but now...... What a big dilemma. The heart inside wanted to say YES, wanted to dance, wanted to sing as loud as she can but.......

This feeling of but has always stopped her. If Adwait loves me, will he marry me? Will he wait for that special moment? May be after some years he will find someone better than him and will forget. May be.. There is no guarantee of life. Every curve in the path of life teaches a new lesson. May be someday the new lesson will change Adwait.

These were all subsidiary problems. The main point was the society barrier. Will the society accept their love? Will her parents be agreed for Adwait? What if not? What if her parents will suffer after her marriage with Adwait. That day Shrishti realised the pain behind a love story. For every girl, their parents gave them birth, grew them up with all love and sacrifice, made them stood up on ground and one day she will leave them all of a sudden just for a boy like Adwait. Will Adwait's family genuinely accept her as bride? Will they be equally happy if they had married a girl of same caste.?

It's India. Here a marrying a totally unknown person is good but marrying a known person makes chaos in society. When it comes to an intercaste marriage the whole earth stands against it. Even parents forget the need of their child to live with respect in society. And Shrishti belonged to such an orthodox family where the main gate is made of that orthodoxy attitude.

Yes, she will elope with Adwait. Both of them are educated enough to find a job. But can she be such rude to her parents.

No he will deny Adwait for his proposal.

When the darkness of night ended up with the bright sun rays she didn't know. She has to answer Adwait with a No.

**. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** * **

"Adwait No. I can't. I have no love for u. You are just my friend. I have never thought you in that way. We are just friends not more than that. " -Shrishti spoke with a non stop voice.

"And you are expressing a lie in front of me. I know Shrishti you love me too. In fact you love me more than I love u. The way you answered the situations in the story, the way you narrated the role of Moon, a girl not in love can never express. Those feelings hidden behind your words are not just mere story but those are your feelings your emotions. You can't hide it yaar. I know."- Adwait told with a strong confidence in his voice.

Now Shrushti was speechless and mute. She hugged Adwait with a tight hug. The whole world was falling behind. The society was calling from back but she was deaf. She was feeling the warmth of love in his arms. She was going into a deaf dumb world where only love is the language, where only love remained. She was getting lost in his wide chest thinking of sacrificing everything for him and with him.

"Now I don't need your answer Shrishti. I know you are afraid of society, afraid of losing your parents, their love. But I promise I will never snatch those precious gifts from you. But you will always be mine. Now and forever. And I am always yours.

Sky is the only place where moon shines. And you are the Moon in my sky."

Tears were rolling down from her eyes. And she was smiling with the sense of being complete with his touch.