Sunday 23 February 2014

NOT EXACTLY A LOVE STORY-II

NOT EXACTLY A LOVE STORY-II

He couldn’t do it a year back. He just could not. May be it was not the right time, maybe he was not yet ready or maybe it was just not meant to be.
It was February 14th- the day when the whole world celebrates love. The day before, he was all over his phone trying to prevent his friends from spilling beans over his crush on her. It was a rough day for him, the only solace being, the secret remained. But now, he had changed his mind. He wanted to give her a red rose on the Valentine’s Day, not because she had demanded it quite nonchalantly from him numerous times, not because each one of his friends had tried to “motivate” him to propose with the red rose, but because it was his heart’s calling.

He went to eight florists to buy a single red rose. Few shops were rejected because he found out that his mom knew the florist and rest did not have any more red roses left at 8 in the night. He had to give a rose, he had to do it. She was on her melodramatic best that day, “come on!!! Can’t you do this much for me?? I’m just asking for a rose, that’s it. You know I could have asked for the moons and the stars, but I would settle just for a rose.” She said all this with a broad mischievous smile and ended it with a naughty wink. Girls always have this bad habit of confusing guys with their expressions!!!! Was she serious or was she just kidding??? She had already got more than a dozen roses. But she just desired for one, a rose from her guy, or so she pretended.

So, on a cool valentine’s day evening the guy somehow managed to procure a red rose by a certain herculean effort and finally got down to the girl’s house. The next half an hour was probably the longest time of his life. He wasn’t that nervous even during his board exam results. Getting a rose after searching the whole city was easier than this. What would he say?? How will she react?? So, there he was, all dressed up in a white shirt and an elbow-sleeved blue blazer and jeans. He had kept the rose in his inside blazer pocket. His bike was parked in front of her house and he was just doing rounds around his bike, mumbling words to himself. His eyes were shut as if he was meditating but with frowned eyebrows and both his hands were on his ears. Just then he felt a slight tap on his shoulder. He turned around and there she was, dressed in a white T-shirt and short capris. She had this worrying and confused look on her face. She was saying something. The guy had no idea what her words were. All he heard was a loud “dhak dhak”, which grew louder with every passing moment. It was as if the bright moon suddenly seemed faded, as if the crickets and the tree leaves were playing music, as if everything else in this world had vanished, there were just two souls, just two hearts…beating for each other probably. When his moment of trance finally came to an end, he heard what the girl was saying. “Dude, are you alright?? You are all dressed up and you’re here at this time?? Were you on a date with someone??” Her voice had a hint of jealousy, the kind of jealousy a girlfriend would feel if her boyfriend went on a date with some other girl, that too on Valentine’s Day!! “ummmm…..errr….no no no!!! I came here to see you. Umm… Can we go out somewhere?? a food joint or something??” “Now?? All of a sudden?? Okay, let me check with my mom.” She made a call and then they were off to a food joint in the locality.

As usual, she kept blabbering and he kept listening and nodding. that day, he didn’t actually listen to anything. He was authoring a book titled “1001 rejected ways of giving a red rose on Valentine’s Day”!! “I’m full and it’s 10, let’s get back.” They were back in front of her house. The guy still hadn’t given her the rose.

Girl-so, see you tomorrow.
Guy-Hey. Wait. You look beautiful today.
Girl- awww, thank you!!!! She said that with a glint in her eyes
Guy- so…….
Girl- so…..??

The conversation had hit a dead end. It was the perfect time!!! He just had to take the rose out of his pocket, maybe should have gone down on his knees and just given it!!!
Guy- nothing. See you tomorrow. Happy Valentine’s Day sweetheart.
The girl managed a fake smile replied with “same to you”, turned back and went. He stood there, took out the rose, extended his hand as if she was present in front of him and stood like that for a few seconds. He did not, he could not, somehow!!! He slapped the back of his head, ruffled his own hair, started the bike and went to his home.

He couldn’t sleep that day, kept looking at the rose for quite some time. It was meant to be his red letter day. He was meant to declare his love to the world, to her. But he could not. When all this finally sunk in, he bought his diary and kept the rose between the pages with a thought that he would give her this very rose the next year on this very day.

for those who have not read the part-i of the story (both these posts are not connected in any sense except that the characters are same), here's the link- http://psrmidnightblogger.blogspot.in/2013/08/not-exactly-love-story_11.html

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda