You're The One for me

"You don't think I know whom you hangout with?

I was with Taani for only 3 hours and that was also because she is my college friend! So we had an affair for few months but that was long before I met you.

Why are you being so pigheaded about it!". Yash swore when he heard beep. He heard his grandfather calling him from his room. "What!" "No need to shout Yash, i can hear fine". "I am sorry Dadu, I was talking with Natasha and we had an argument" His grandfather nodded, "Then call her and apologize if its your fault or wait till morning to call her if its her fault. You don't talk to anyone with that kind of language, especially one whom you are in love with." Yash pursed his lips and thought why had he ever told his grandfather about Natasha. "Dadu you don't know what happened, I was with Taani for only few hours and she's accusing me of having an affair and cheating on her. His grandfather narrowed his eyes, "You are what? 26 now? And that's how you behave when you find out your gf is angry at you?" "But Dadu its not my fault. She-". "Really? Go and call and apologize to her". "No Dadu I wont. Each time we have a fight, I always apologize. This time I wont. And please don't interfere in my life. You don't know a thing about love! In your time everything was arranged for you. So please stay out of it" . His Grandfather laughed quietly and said, "Yes, I know you must have apologized quite enough over the years but at this point I must say, you owe an explanation to her and apologize for your words and behavior. I think Yash its about time I tell you a very personal story. Take it as you will. Your father died at quite a young age and you are all I have left so I don't care what you think of me after this tale but I think you need to know the importance of love as I cant see you destroying your life". Yash looked at his grandfather and thought the only way out of this conversation is to let his grandfather say what he wanted to say. So he nodded "Please Dadu continue with your story".

"I was 19 years old and living out my college days like all the young boys of that age. Drinking, smoking etc. Ours was a boy's college and nearby there was a girl's college. One day I was drunk and was almost about to fall off into a gutter, when a quiet girl with books in her hands came and steadied me. She looked at me and shrunk that pretty nose of hers in quite funny fashion" 

Yash saw that his grandfather had a far away and fond look in his eyes with a hint of smile on his wrinkled face. "You know Yash, its quite an insult to a boy when a girl, a pretty girl, scrunches her nose at you. So, I apologized without looking into her eyes and left as fast as my drunken legs could carry me. After I woke up next day with ,obviously, a hangover, I couldn't get the girl out of my mind. So after getting dressed and showering I went in search of the girl who rescued me from falling into a gutter. I was waiting nearby the girl's college when I saw her coming out alone and walking past me. She must have noticed me somehow because she looked at me and I waved at her, she smiled and came over to me, I held my hands out in a way of shaking it. She looked at me and folded her hands closer around her and said, "Looks like you recovered from your yesterday's ordeal quite nicely. Hope you are well? You were quite unsteady on your feet yesterday" I smiled and dropped my hands. "Thank you so much for saving me yesterday. And yes I am well and sorry for the state I was in yesterday when you came upon me" She again smiled "Its okay but why are you here today? Aren't you a student of Sant Jogilal College of Arts and Commerce for Boys? Don't you have classes?" "I came to see you and thank you for yesterday and don't worry about classes, I have it covered". 

"You know Yash? without thinking, I winked at her." Yash saw his grandfather laugh and shook his head "Then she looked at me angrily and stalked off. Obviously, you know winking at girls wasn't considered a good thing back then" Yash laughed and said "It still isn't Dadu" His grandfather laughed, "True enough. Back to the story."

So, of course i followed her and asked her what happened. she politely mentioned, "You are a stranger to me, please move aside so that I can leave. I don't know you and you don't know me. So please let me leave". "I am sorry if I gave offense, it was just a joke" she looked at me and said "Do I look like I am laughing?". "No, that's why I am apologizing. Sorry. Please forgive me? My name is Shlok Kant Sahay and I am studying to become a lawyer someday. I basically belong to Roorkee and I am in Delhi for the studies. Now your turn?". "Well My name is Likhita and I am pursuing BA and I live here with my parents." I smiled at her and nodded "So, Likhita do you think we can meet again?" She shook her head and smiled "It wont be wise, if my parents knew, there will be hell to pay. Most probably I will have to leave studies and marry someone." she pursed her lips and tried moving away "Okay, we can meet somewhere privately if you like to meet me? Please? To be honest I like you and I think you like me? like a little?" She snorted lightly and finally said ,"Tomorrow behind that old building? We can meet. Same time too and try not to be drunk, I don't mind people drinking but I mind interacting with them on daily bases" 

"On listening the word daily I was so glad you know? She also likes me. She wanted to meet me. Ahh I think it was first time I felt something for someone" Yash looked at his grandfather and saw how sad he looked. He frowned but kept silent. He wanted to know the whole story because he knew his grandmother's name was Asha not Likhita. HIs grandfather continued...

"Next day on same time I met her at the appointed place. She looked different like she applied something you know? color on her lips, kohl on her eyes. I looked at her and kept looking and she became so self conscious she laughed nervously, "What?" "You look amazing" She blushed so prettily and we started talking. Same thing happened for weeks and months, we used to sometimes study together, sometimes just talk about nothing, everything. Even when we fight she used to smile and shake her head and change topics as if she doesn't like to even venture into fighting topics. One day, I think it was 3 months into our sort of relationship I asked why she always changed topics, she mentioned that she wasn't comfortable fighting with people. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion you know? What you think of the new law doesn't mean I have to agree and we have to fight over that" "But Likhita, if we don't talk about such stuff how will we ever get past this. Fights are an integral part of any relationship. I love you and I respect your opinion may it be opposed to my own. I don't care. I like when we have honest talks. Even fights are okay with me." She hugged me and simply said "I love you too" That was the first day in 3 months we kissed.

"Ohhooo!" Yash laughed and looked at his grandfather "What happened grandfather, after that?"

"Another few months passed and I graduated and she graduated as well. It was 14-15 months I guess in our relationship when one day she came and said, "We can talk freely?" I nodded "My parents are searching for a suitor for me. I think its time you have a talk with them, you have a decent job and own acres of property in Roorkee, I don't think they'll mind. They have very progressive thinking, after all they allowed a girl to go to college." For a guy of 21 years that was a very big commitment. I didn't say anything for few seconds and her smile dissolved. She looked at me and asked, "You do want to get married right? I don't want to marry anyone else. Please talk to them?" I nodded my head again and said "I'll talk with my parents regarding the wedding" She hugged and simply said, "I'll wait for you here a week from today at 9 in morning and afterwards we can go to my parents and talk about the wedding. That should give you enough time to talk with your parents and get consent. I extricated myself from the embrace and stood up,"Let's go" 

That day I again drunk myself for the first time in 15 months and visited certain ladies and that happened for few days." Yash looked horrifically at his grandfather, his stickler grandfather went to whores! Though he kept his mouth shut.

 "One day I was strolling in market drunk and with a lady and Likhita was there with her parents. It was a day before I was supposed to meet her parents. She looked at me and girl and shook her head and I saw the worst look I ever saw in her eyes, betrayal. Of love, of trust, of more then an year old relationship. She quietly ducked her head and left. I was still standing there staring at her like a fool when the lady whom I was with pulled me from the market and towards my rooms. I paid her and asked her to leave. That was the first day I cried. I kept picturing her horrified face as if I have slapped her and due to my foolishness, my childishness, my immaturity I hurt a good soul, who was so thoughtful to give help to a complete stranger, who never even looked at other guys, my friends who kept making passes at her, I broke her trust, I broke her. I never hated myself more than I hated myself that day". 

Next day I dressed and went to her home to talk to her father for the wedding. When I reached there I saw her in an amazing saree serving tea to a group of people in which there was my friend, who made loved her, I nknew about love beacuse Suresh will always try to be with me whenever he knew I was visiting Likhita, who lived in Delhi with his parents, sitting with her parents. I stared horrified and went inside. "What's going on here! Likhita what are you doing with Suresh and his parents." She straightened her back and stared at Suresh as if begging him to say something. He stood and told me, "Good of you to arrive so early Shlok". He came to me and whispered, "Don't make a scene here, We'll explain everything after this" I stared at Likhita and her eyes showed nothing. As if she didn't know me, as if we hadn't had a relationship. I turned my back and left but not before I heard Suresh mention, "Sorry uncle and aunty that was our common friend Shlok, he was upset at not knowing about our supposed wedding"

 "I was so angry that I went to bazaar and spent the night there and when i reached home i saw Likhita sitting in my room with tears on her cheeks. I remembered her saying something like "I never cry Shlok, what will that achieve. I prefer to take corrective actions instead of hanging over past and crying over it." This time i dropped to my knees and hung my head. I croaked "I don't think sorry will cover it, Likhita. I hope you have a bright future with Suresh. If it's any consolation, he has always loved you, I knew that. But i thought he was infatuated. I am so sorry-". "Please don't be Shlok. The mistake was mine. I knew from the beginning the kind of guy you were, a drunk and an immature, who is not willing to talk about future. I was the fool who came in the middle of the night thinking you might be hurting and we can still have a future together. I am first to admit, seeing you with that whore in market broke me and I said yes to Suresh, whom I met in the same market and who saw you as well with that lady, to call on my parents for wedding but after that I felt sorry for you and guilty that I didn't give you a chance to explain, to ask what happened. That's why I came here to talk. I didn't know you wont be here. "Likhita, I-","No, Shlok, let me say what I wanted to say. I should never have changed the topics of conversation when we had an disagreement, at least that way I would have known the true you before putting my heart in your care. You are an ass who doesn't care about anyone, what you had with me was nothing like love because I know love will never have made you fall into other's arms on the first note of distress. I am sorry it took me this long to figure it out but good thing, right? At least we aren't married because if we were, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from suicide if this happened. Thank you Shlok for opening my eyes. If nothing else, I'll tell my children to choose to give heart to someone worthy unlike their mother who wasted it on a one like you." With her final words, she was about to leave. "Likhita." She stopped in the doorway, "I know you wont believe me, but you are always The One for me and just so you know there wont be anyone other then you ever." She smiled the saddest smile I ever saw and said "I wish it were true" and she left my life like she came, during my drunken moment and quietly".

Yash saw his grandfather crying and he put his arm around his shoulder, "Its okay grandfather" His grandfather looked at him and said "No it wasn't. That day I lost the love of the life. I never loved anyone like I loved her. I married your grandmother shortly after that as it hardly mattered whom I married after Likhita. So, yes ours was an arranged marriage but now you know how it came about. Within a year your father was born and your grandmother left us within days of the birth. After that I was so busy bringing up my son and work that I didn't have time for another thought. I never remarried, I had your father and that was enough for me because I knew I cannot love another person like I did her. I destroyed my life. I was the villain in my life and hers too. I cannot even blame God because he didn't ask me to get drunk and cheat on her. Please Yash, don't make the same mistake as me. If you love her, go after her. Don't let your immaturity or ego destroy one good thing God has given the humankind. She might have over reacted when she saw you with other girl but think from her point of view too. How will you feel if you saw her with another guy. I don't know you kids these days, you might be okay with her hanging out with other guys, if its so, tell her that. Communication is key. If you don't talk, have occasional fight, you will never know the real person behind the fake smile. Likhita and I never had a disagreement, maybe that's why I couldn't talk to her when she said she wanted to get married. I should have talked with her and told her I was scared of future, responsibilities and everything but I just couldn't. Guess being a man is hard, eh?"

Yash nodded and kissed his grandfather on his wrinkled cheek, "Okay Dadu, I'll talk to her tomorrow. But do you know what became of Likhita?" He smiled, "She married Suresh. By the time your father was born, she had a little girl of about 3 months. She was working as a professor in the same college she studied. After your grandmother died, I once went to Suresh, he hugged me and said quite frankly, "Thank you Shlok, if not for you, I never would have had Likhita. She is amazing and you should see her now, if possible she looks more beautiful. I know what I am telling you is not right but I know you never loved her right? I never noticed you speaking of her in very fond tones. It was as if she was your friend." You know Yash? That day I realized I never gave the impression that I was in love because maybe i didnt realize it till I lost it completely. Anyways, so after that day seeing how happy they both were, I left their life and concentrated on your father and my work. I always thought, your father's, grandmother's and your mother's death is my fault because I destroyed something so pure, so true, that God cursed me with the life of living freely for which I squandered my chance with Likhita. I left her coz I was afraid of the responsibilities and future and God made sure I had as minimum of them as possible. All my loved ones left me except you."

Yash wiped his tears and made his grandfather lie on bed and pulled the covers up to his chin and kissed his forehead. "It wasn't your fault. Never think that for even a second that what happened was because of you" His grandfather closed his eyes and a lone tear slipped from his eyes. Yash knew his grandfather wont listen this time. Maybe he'll try another time to make him realize the deaths weren't his fault. He never realized his grandfather carried such burden on his soul and why should he, he never saw his grandfather anything but smiling or scolding. Never sad except maybe at his parents funeral when he was 6 years old. "Please Yash, don't make the same mistake, you don't want to be like me, 74 years old and crying in front of his grandson. Please-""Sshh Dadu. I will talk to her tomorrow. I love you. Now sleep." Yash slipped beside his grandfather and thought about what his grandfather told him.

When Yash woke up he saw that his grandfather was out and having tea. "Good Morning Yash! Come have tea" Yash noted the wariness in his eyes but opted to stay silent about last night. "So." His grandfather said awkwardly. "So, Dadu, I think I'll bring Natasha over tomorrow." He winked at his grandfather and both of them laughed "Sure son. Sure."