WHAT’S THERE IN A NAME?

The girl who came to meet Snehal wasn’t the one he had loved and was expecting. He was on his first date. Mahak and Snehal had been connected through social media for the last two years. They belonged to the same age group and had similar interests and hobbies. Being writers they loved to express their feelings through poems and quotes. They had the same zodiac sign and shared friendly numerological numbers. They had become so close to each other digitally that they began coordinating their dress colour and accessories. Their beliefs were the same; their future plans were similar as if they were two parts of the same heart.  

Mahak and Snehal decided to meet each other in a restaurant on Valentine Day. The only problem was that they never shared each other’s personal pictures for they were nature lovers and nature was displayed in their profile pictures. To recognize each other they chose to wear the same coloured dress. Snehal reached the venue and waited eagerly for Mahak. He couldn’t sleep the last night out of excitement. He had never seen Mahak in real but had created her image in his mind. He was eager to know how close his imaginary Mahak was to the real one. 

Snehal was hurt when, after waiting for more than an hour, instead of Mahak, a stranger approached him. She introduced herself as Mahak’s sister. When he inquired about his beloved, she informed him that Mahak had sent her to deliver the message that she was unwell. He couldn’t believe it because in such a case she would definitely inform him prior and they would fix another day for the meeting. She was not the kind of girl to ditch him. There must be some other reason because they were both curious to meet face to face and take their relationship one step further from the friend zone.

He immediately dialed Mahak’s number for the first time as she was uninterested in long phone conversations. They always communicated through text messages. The phone was ringing but remained unanswered. He was stressed so sent a message to pick up the call. The call was picked and listening to her, Snehal had the biggest shock of his lifetime. The voice which said, ‘Hello’ was not of a female but of a male. Both Mahak and Snehal were men thinking about the other as girls. The gravest misunderstanding is due to their gender-neutral names. 

Mahak reached the meeting venue a little earlier than the decided time. He was waiting for his first ladylove Snehal with her favourite roses, and chocolate, and had placed the order of their favourite dishes. He had booked a room in a hotel for Snehal as she had come to meet him from another city. She informed him that she had checked in the hotel and within half an hour she would be with him. He fixed his eyes on the main gate to have her quick glimpse. Time was running but he couldn’t get her trace. Almost an hour had passed. 

The long waiting hour worried him. Being impatient, he looked around and found a guy who was also waiting restlessly for someone with the roses, and chocolate that were Mahak’s favorites. It raised doubts in him. He requested a waiter to ask the guy’s name and let him know. In deep shock, he told his sister the truth and pleaded with her to meet Snehal. She immediately arrived to assist her brother who was not in his mental stability after the revelation of Snehal’s identity.

She was Mahak’s only confidant knowing about his love story. She had her full-fledged support for him. She bought gifts for Snehal and instructed Mahak on how to behave on his first date. She too felt the pain for him. She wished their love to grow and turn into a long-lasting relationship. She had only one question from God, “How can destiny be so cruel, so unpredictable, so painful?”

Mahak rushed to his car and cried bitterly. His phone was beeping. He picked it up and said ‘Hello’. The call disconnected. He typed with a trembling hand,’ Everything is over. We can never be together as we are men. We assume each other as girls. Our destiny has played with us the cruelest prank. The girl is my elder sister. She knows about our mistaken relationship. Goodbye forever!” 

They replaced nature’s pictures with their latest photographs in their profile display. They had terrible first heartbreak. Both of them wished to forget their short love story.