DESTINY'S PLAY

Destiny’s Play – A Game 

'O, that infected moisture of his eye,
O, that false fire which in his cheek so glow'd,
O, that forced thunder from his heart did fly,
O, that sad breath his spongy lungs bestow'd,
O, all that borrow'd motion seeming owed,
Would yet again betray the fore-betray'd,
And new pervert a reconciled maid!'

'Thus merely with the garment of a Grace
The naked and concealed fiend he cover'd;
That th' unexperient gave the tempter place,
Which like a cherubin above them hover'd.
Who, young and simple, would not be so lover'd?
Ay me! I fell; and yet do question make
What I should do again for such a sake.

 (By William Shakespeare)

Prologue: Beginning of the end

How could God be so cruel? How could he play with his destiny? Destiny word itself had some malign intentions hidden in it as it could never generate only one side of feelings. The word represented the combination of feelings – happy or sad. How could life be simple if word couldn’t be simple enough? Given a chance, God should be asked to define a destiny.

His destiny was already entangled with her two years ago. How could someone dare to come in between? He wanted to snatch away every star from the sky so that sky could understand his emptiness, the same emptiness which he was suffocated with. Sky was fallen with the fear of not witnessing the Sun again. There was no pity sitting in the clouds. Breeze was bluffing him with the delusion of happiness. His doleful soul was surrounded by fake happiness.

It was the biggest day of his life, his wedding day. It was supposed to be the happiest moment of his life but it turned into the lifelong punishment for him. This wedding was nothing more than a forceful chain for him.

 Khurana Mansion, today it wasn’t less than a palace. Entire mansion was decorated with beautiful candles and colorful lights. It was the wedding of well known Chartered Accountant (CA) of Mumbai, a younger son of Khuranas, Maan Khurana. Mansion was decorated so beautifully that each light was capturing Moonlight and reflecting on the walls of Mansion like the way sunflower captured the Sun rays in its petals. Flowers were nicely scattered around the mansion like the heaven was moved in to Mansion. Laughter had penetrated the mansion, kids were running everywhere, women were happy with their gossip sessions, and men were happy with their fashionable drinks whilst enjoying business talks.

It was all nothing more than …………………..camouflages. Inside the mansion, someone’s heart was dismal which wasn’t apparent, it was hidden somewhere inside this decoration. Decoration definitely worked like a shield against those emotions which were purposefully kept hidden. Maan was definitely talented in maintaining shield of happiness so that nobody could reach out to his inner soul. His own shadow would not dare to touch his soul.

He didn’t want all these worldly things and happiness; he wanted only penance for himself. He knew what he did with her was wrong. He could not forgive himself for his deeds.

A month of darkness…………………….he was exhausted with this pretentious life for a month. He was numb, he could no longer feel the pain, his tears dried out but his outer form was immersed with joy. Many times, tears had threatened his eyelids and sometimes threats won against him. Walls of mansion was laughing at him and making fun of him. The most successful and intelligent person of entire CA community, who had changed destiny of many people but he couldn’t change his own destiny. There was no pity left on the dry walls of mansion. Moon was also dishearten and hidden somewhere, paralyzed with the shock of reality.

Maan, who was sitting in his room, staring at her picture, it was his only love.  Destiny had played a trick on him and he was far from his love, his heart was somewhere beating in someone’s heart, but his physical proximity got vanished in thin air. He could no longer be with her, and that thought was killing.

He looked at her picture, she was wearing pink Punjabi suit, looking damn gorgeous, with wet hair and wet body, her suit was tightly hugging her body, her dupatta was flying in the air and she was dancing with the joy. The picture was taken when he looked at her for the first time. It was the first rain of the season and she was dancing in the rain, trying to match up with the tune of rain drops. It was enchanting moment to capture when raindrops were cascading down her body. Her body was like sky and rain drops were covering her like stars. He wanted to lick all stars from the sky at the very moment but He’d to stop himself. He was nonchalantly staring at her, like nothing exist beyond her in the world.

He was mesmerized by her beauty and to add to that he got lost in the beautiful rhythm of her anklets. It was like soothing violin which he could listen forever. Whenever he remembered her, he could still listen to that chanting of anklets in his mind and it refreshed his mood.  

He fell in love with the rain for the first time. She was the most beautiful form He’d ever seen. Rain in Mumbai had witnessed both sides of coin, good and bad. Rain had witnessed loss of loved ones caused by flood and it had witnessed two hearts became one. Rain had captured this moment also, he was lost in his trance and in the same trance, he took her picture in his cell phone, the picture which he could never eradicate from his memory. He didn’t want to miss this beautiful form, he was afraid that he would never be able to have her glimpse again. His each nerve was forcing him to make her his own. He knew that she was only made for him. A cold shiver ran through his spine, like his each drop of blood was screaming for her. Each single second seemed like waste of time without her.

Rain drops had conspired to create this moment eternal for him. Watching this angel dancing in the rain was an eternal moment for him. His eyes could just go blind by the awe of her beauty. Rain was whispering in his ear and telling him an enchanting story of her. It was the secret goal of the rain to make him fall for her. Rain definitely got successful in it.

Rain entwined them in a way that nobody could ever break them apart. If he was cloud then she was raindrops, if he was the Sun then she was sunrays, if he was the Moon, then she was moonlight, if he was sea then she was sea waves, if he was heart then she was his heartbeat, if he was eyes then she was blinks, if he was body then she was its soul, and if he was God then she was prayers.

Chapter 1 Second chance

By the time, he woke up from his trance, she was already gone. He pinched himself to make sure it wasn’t a mere dream.

He regretted that he didn’t ask her anything. How would he contact her? Maan who was always engaged with balance sheet and tax laws was suddenly busy with inexplicable emotions he was going through. He never knew what love was, he always made fun of his friends who had been in love but now all the worldly things became futile. All the things for which he spent time in last few years seemed of no worth. He wanted to surrender himself to her. His entire being got vanished in her beautiful form.

He heard knock on his door and he came out of his reverie. His elder brother, Neil was on the door.

“Maan, are you ready? We are supposed to leave now. Bride’s family must be waiting for us.” Neil said.

“Yes, bro, I will be downstairs in a minute.” Maan replied peevishly.

He wasn’t able to move further. Each further step meant he was going away from his love. He wished that world would stop right now and he wouldn’t have to go downstairs. Each step made him far from his soul. He wouldn’t mind losing his life rather than getting married to someone else. Nevertheless, He’d to do it.

Her sweet reminiscence crossed his mind. He couldn’t sleep for two weeks after watching her dancing in the rain.

Flashback

Two years ago,

It was a perfect day, as he saw her again, second time. It felt like a day dream. The only obstacle barring his view was the glass; he wished that he could just shatter all the glass. She was one of the two interns who joined KA (Khurana Accountant) today. Her blurry image was like water drop in the sea. She appeared like camouflage to him.

After finishing his CA final, He’d joined his dad’s firm Khurana Accountant (KA), he got involved with closing month, filing for tax, settling balance sheets. He was excited for implementing his knowledge to practical use. It was overwhelming experience, even though it was his Dad’s firm, but he was not on his Dad’s mercy, he wanted to build his own reputation with his hard work and intelligence.

He was staring at her beautiful form and her first image flashed in front of him, a dancing angel in the rain. He definitely hated the glass window barrier. He was in the office so he couldn’t just run to her. He was a well known CA after all; He’d to maintain his status.

“Hell with the status……” He thought. Although he couldn’t afford to forget after all it was his Dad’s office at the end. He’d to carry his heritage and responsibilities. Her presence was enough to feed his hunger for the time being.

He couldn’t take his eyes off of her; luckily he was peering at her from his cabin, so that no one could notice how dreamy his eyes looked when he looked at her.

She was wearing white churidar, perfectly fitted to her body. Her brown almond shaped eyes were so attractive that he could swim into it. Her movement of eyes was like some classical dancers were dancing incessantly. Her long curly hairs were fluttering against her face and those small strands of hair were tickling her. She was pushing it away with her fingers. He wished if he could be those hair strands and could get lucky to be played by her fingers. Her luscious lips were making him vulnerable. He wanted to forget everything and wanted to taste her juicy lips. His intensity was enough to break him in multiple pieces and bundled it into flowers which could be decorated in her hair. Her curls were like deep twister he could never come off.

Lately during crazy nights, his eyelids were adamant and didn’t want to sleep before having her last glimpse. He’d many sleepless nights after watching her dancing in the rain. He visited the same place again and again during different time of the day to watch her one more time but she didn’t show up. Today he was showered with happiness. Hundreds of desires conceived in his heart as he saw her again.

                                              **********************

Chapter 2: A cage

Geet Handa, 23 years old, completed her CA intermediate stage, waiting to finish her Final exam. She engaged herself with CA articleship as it was the important cornerstone for her career. She was smart and intelligent student from beginning. She was completely nerd when it comes to accounting and numbers. It was her first love. Luckily she got into one of the most reckoned CA firm, KA to complete her Articleship. Her biggest dream of life was to have CA Certificate and handling her own CA firm. She was the only daughter of Lalit and Gayatri Handa. Her dad owned small textile firm. She didn’t belong to an affluent family, to compensate that; she was blessed with intelligence, beauty and traditional Indian values. When it came to beauty, she wasn’t less than some Greek Goddess and when it came to spirit, she wasn’t less than some warrior in the battlefield.

She was here to win the world, to gain experience from the most talented CA firm. It was KA firm policy to provide equal opportunity to all interns. At the same time, interns were expected to give their hundred percent.

Maan was handling KA firm successfully. Geet wasn’t aware that joining KA firm was going to be a life changing event for her.

Coming back to present,

Crazy environment………………people were dancing, as they didn’t know about the darkness, the darkness of someone’s heart.

Maan stepped down from his white horse, like any girl’s dream, a perfect prince was waiting for his princess. Maan was embellished in golden-white sherwani, with fake smile. His princess was definitely somewhere else though. In the world’s perception, he was happy; He’d that pretentious mask of happiness. Baarat was waiting at the door of Bride’s family, they had welcomed them lavishly. Entire family was standing at the door, welcoming Baarat with flowers, musical instruments, and smile with full heart. People were dancing, screaming, rushing, and laughing.

Their dancing movements were matching up with the music bits. Loud music and chanting of songs had filled the air with screaming happiness. Was this really happiness for him? His soul was lost somewhere, far from all festive. His all dreams shattered today amidst all happiness. He wanted to break this handcuffs and wanted to run away from this reality.

He was lonely among many people. His solitary soul was craving for her. His hungry eyes needed her.

What was more difficult to tolerate? His pain? Or the pain He’d given to her? He broke his all promises. He wanted to give her world happiness instead he gave her world’s loneliness. He knew she wouldn’t survive without him. He knew her every droplet of blood was craving for him. He knew everything still he broke her heart. He shattered her heart in hundreds of pieces.

Deception…………………bluff………………………dishonesty………………………anger………………….abhorrance should never come in between love but in this case, it did. Whether he wanted it or not but it did happen. He made her starve for his love. He walked off her life like nothing had happened or she was nobody. He abandoned her from his life like she was some thorn and he wanted to cut it from his life.

                                                 ********************************

YOU WERE MEANT FOR ME, PERHAPS AS A PUNISHMENT.

Chapter 3 Epitome of love

Present:

A gush of wind was flowing and took away tears from her cheeks.

The biggest mistake of her life was LOVE. He was nothing more than a punishment in her life.

He wasn’t there to take away her tears in fact he was the reason behind her tears who once promised to kiss away her tears.

She remembered when she was young, she made up her mind not to fall in love with anyone but she forgot about it whilst growing up. She never believed in love as she saw many love resulted into pain. She decided not to fall in love; it was just waste of time. Alas…………………she fell in love. She felt the most beautiful expression of life………………though she disgusted that expression now.

Her all time favorite novel was Romeo and Juliet, this could speak for herself. She never believed in love. As she read great love stories never ended with positive endings. Her thinking must have been molded whilst reading this sad epic love story.

As we know, hate always exists with love.

If she loved Romeo and Juliet, it meant inside deep in her heart, she’d always soft corner for love. Who could not like feelings of LOVE especially after reading this classic? It was her denial mode.

Her favorite quote from the book was,

"My only love sprung from my only hate! 
Too early seen unknown, and known too late! 
Prodigious birth of love it is to me, 
That I must love a loathed enemy."
-Juliet

She hated LOVE; of course she’d to fall for it.

As people say, “Love is not a decision, it just happens.”

It happened with her also. He came into her life with a lot of love, the kind of emotions which she’d never experienced before.

Love………….the expression of heart, the language with no words. He taught her what love was, he taught her what love could be, he taught her this beautiful language of love and he taught her what hate was.

She was a lifeless soul, and whatever pieces were left in her was his memory. She tried but she wasn’t able to bury those memories, the last piece left with her.

She wanted many answers from him but the only answer she got was silence, a heart-wrenching silence.

A sweet though sour remembrance ran into her mind. This incident happened after six months from her first meeting with him.

By this time, they have already known most about each other. They already knew their feelings for each other. They had silently confessed their feelings for each other. As in their world, words were overrated. They preferred to talk through their silence most of the time.

Reading novels was her deep interest. Amidst all the busyness, she always read novels before going to bed; it was her lullaby for sleep. Once it was her break time at her office, and she was exhausted from her work, she wanted to refresh her mind and the best refresher for her was reading a novel.

She was somewhere in between, lost in reading Romeo and Juliet. She must have read this at least ten times though she was still interested in it. She didn’t notice that he was stealing glances at her. He never liked to read any novels. Fiction reading was not at all his genre. Especially he was far from reading love stories. He never liked to watch love story movies also. It didn’t mean that he never believed in love. For him, all love story movies and novels were too far from reality. Those movies and books were more towards artificiality and he always believed in reality.

Finally, he came up to her and asked, “Why do you read this classic? Especially when it has sad ending instead you should be reading some positive cheerful love stories.”

She replied, which he didn’t see it coming, “To give myself reality check, as life is not about only happy ending, and I don’t want to get used to with so much of positivity.”

It touched his heart, and he leaned towards her ear, and softly whispered in her ear, “You don’t need to worry about it as I will be always with you.”

She instantly replied, “How can you be so sure? Romeo had also promised that to Juliet, but this great lover also couldn’t stand for his promise.”

He was taken aback by her reply. He wasn’t sure how to answer this question.

In some ways, both were mysterious characters. It could be this mystery which had connected them together. Deep in their heart, they wished for a person who could understand their mystery. If person was mysterious in himself then of course it became easy to understand the other mysterious person. They complemented each other in this world of puzzle.

He thoughtfully replied, “I could promise you one thing, you will be in my heart and in my thought till the last breath. Nobody could ever change that. I can’t control people or situations, same way; my heart would always beat for you, I can’t control that either.”

Her statements made him think and kind of forced him to consider reading this classic. He was so touched by her love and understanding for the characters of this classic hence he decided to read it. It was totally not his nature to read love story and especially when it was a classic story.

He wasn’t sure about the reason but he never told her that He’d read that book. Somehow he felt that he never wanted to bring this mournful story in their conversation. He also fell in love with this love story. He always wished that any mournful thing would never come in between their love. He might possess fear in him if he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his promise and he also had to live without his Juliet. There was some kind of strange feelings he got and he was never able to tell her that he read the book for her. The fear of losing her was so intense that he wasn’t able to bring up any kind of sadness between them. He felt that he wouldn’t be able to confront her once he would tell her. He wasn’t sure about his behavior. Probably he found the same mysterious feelings in his own character as he found in the character of Romeo. The passion, the nervousness, the fear of losing love was all same for him and Romeo.

SHe’d asked him several times to read it for her sake but he never answered that he did. He always changed the topic or always made fun of her for liking this novel so much.

She couldn’t forget the last word he said whilst finally parting from her after the deep silence they shared. He told her whilst having unshed tears in his eyes and masks of atrocious attitude in his voice, “Good night, Good night! Parting is such a sorrow…. That I shall say good night till it be morrow.”

His deep voice, unshed tears and confirmation that this was ended was apparent in his voice and in his eyes.

That was his last words, which had so many implications without even using words for those feelings. It was the confirmation that he read the story; it was the confirmation that he would love her till the last breath; it was the confirmation that he also believed that love was eternal; it was the confirmation that he loved her to death; it was the confirmation that he was hoping a good future for her even though he wouldn’t be with her, it was the confirmation that he wouldn’t be able to live without his Juliet and it was the final verdict of their love.

His last words reverberated in her minds hundreds of times. It was the world for her. It was enough to cherish his words for her entire life time. She knew she could never move on. She could never hate him; in fact those words had generated a different feeling and respect for him. For loving her so much that he read her favorite book and not only that he remembered dialogues from it.

The book itself was epitome of love, and in her love story also, it became epitome.  

Chapter 4 Haunted Memories

Maan’s last words travelled in her mind zillions of times. The reality of her teenage memory flashed in front of her as many number of times as she remembered his last words. She was trying to be away from this past. She tried to escape from this memory. In fact she’d almost buried it in her heart where nobody could reach out. Today somehow she wasn’t able to control the ajar door of her heart. That tightly closed corner of her heart swung open.

She’d a cousin sister, who was ten years older than her, though age difference didn’t matter. They were like sisters. Her cousin sister, Priya, always helped her with everything. Priya cared for her so much that whenever Geet was with Priya, she could forget entire world and she could play with her. She was her teacher, her friend, her shoulder to cry, her everything.

Geet had always supported her with everything, Priya was in love with someone and Geet always helped her to sneak out from the house. Geet used to share all school stories with her and Priya used to share college stories with her. There was a high drama when Priya’s family came to know about her love. It was a battle like Mahabharata in her house but eventually everybody had accepted Priya’s love and she’d a grand wedding. She got wedded to her love.  

Geet was lonely after Priya’s wedding. She didn’t have more friends to share her life. She discovered what loneliness was. There was a lot of similarity between her past and present. She was afraid of loneliness but today again she was standing at the door of solitude. She learned to be happy by knowing that Priya must be happy with her new life. Geet missed her blabber, her pranks, her gossips, her support, her advice. Geet smiled whenever she remembered Priya’s jabbering. Practically Geet couldn’t spend a single day without her blithering. Therefore, she made sure to call her daily. In reward, Priya also called her whenever she could sneak out from her husband. They used to talk for hours and Geet was Priya’s backbone whenever Priya wanted to complain about her husband and wanted some advice. It was all good though. Those matters were small that it didn’t matter. They used to go to shopping together, eat together even after Priya’s marriage though of course not as many times as in past.

One day something happened, and Geet got the heart wrenching silence from Priya. It was completely opposite of typical Priya’s behavior. Geet tried to intrude but she couldn’t get any answer. It was completely strange. Priya whose mouth was always filled with zillions of words, today there was not a single word garlanded to her mouth. Once whose eyes were filled with happiness, and liveliness, today it was like the ocean of darkness.

Priya stopped calling her and stopped meeting her. Geet couldn’t tolerate it. She wanted to know the reason. She wanted to find out. She visited her but Geet couldn’t detect any answers.

Geet sensed something wrong in her life but Priya never answered anything to Geet’s questions. Geet tried to gauge information from her using different ways but Geet never got successful in it. She didn’t know what was stopping Priya to answer. Geet was worried for her. After two years of her marriage, Priya got divorced and she came back to her family. It was a biggest shock for Geet, she couldn’t believe it. Priya was married to her love then what could go wrong.

Geet tried to cheer her up but it was in vain. Geet tried to find out the reason behind her broken marriage but Priya never told her anything. Her broken marriage was a big mystery. Priya didn’t tell the reason behind her broken marriage to anyone. Geet lost the respect for love and Geet was afraid of love after watching Priya in pain. Watching Priya suffering was a big punishment for Geet. After all, she was her sister; Geet couldn’t watch her sister in pain. She tried everything to keep her happy, but God had made some other plan for her.

After a year of divorce, Priya committed a suicide. Priya couldn’t recover from her broken marriage and her broken love. Geet cried for months after Priya’s death. She decided not to fall in love; she lost the respect for love marriage. Geet had seen her sister in the haunted world of love, the agonize world of love, Geet couldn’t wish to enter into the same shoes. Geet hated love marriage after this incident. She knew that nobody could achieve anything from love. The only emotion love could give was suffering and torture.

Geet couldn’t forget the sad wrinkled face of Priya. She was young but pain and suffering had snatched away her vigor. She was no more than a clenched soul. Like a stone with no feelings left in her heart to cry for. The inexplicable fear on Priya’s face, the suffering in her eyes, and longing in her voice was so deep that Geet couldn’t recover from it.

These nightmares still suffocated Geet many times in sleep. It didn’t matter how hard she tried but she lost the respect for love. Even though Geet had seen few successful love marriages but Priya’s strange behavior and gloomy face had never left Geet’s heart. Hence whenever Geet thought to fall for someone, new feelings were never able to reach to the inner side of her, beneath the skin, hidden somewhere. Whenever she heard any knock on that door, she pushed those feelings further inside where nobody could swing. There was nothing left in her squashed heart.

Over last few years, she overcame her past in a worldly perceived way, only she knew that she was still choked up with those emotions and nightmares.

She didn’t realize when she fell in love. The one emotion which she was afraid of, the one world which she never wanted to enter now became her life. She couldn’t believe that she was also the victim of God’s gift, the gift to forget the past or to recover from the past. She overcame her past especially when she fell in love. She forgot everything, about Priya, about her own decision to not to fall in love, and she somersaulted in the abstracted world of love. 

She committed a big mistake of her life by falling in love

Today, her past again haunted her and she regretted the day she fell in love with Maan.

Chapter 5: Cruel Truth

Coming back to present:

“How could he marry with someone else? How could he see his future with someone else? How could he move on? How could he forget their love?”She wanted to know. She wanted all the answers from him. He never cared to answer her. How can he do that?

She knew that he was the only one for her and she knew that he also felt the same for her. She knew that they were destined to meet and no one could complement each other like the way they could. The vehemence of his eyes made her vulnerable all the time. She’d trusted him blindly like she could surrender herself on his one request. Nothing had existed beyond their love on the earth.

Even though she’d been a shy girl, but she could break all the barricades of inhibitions to reach out to him. The only barricade she was afraid of was her own shield. She was an introvert person and she’d always taken more than enough time to open up to anyone. Once her shield was open, the entire world couldn’t stop her to act upon her desire.

She’d been always quite observant person. Sometimes her eyes spoke and sometimes her expressions spoke. In any case, she’d been silent on most fronts. She’d observed very soon about his feelings for her. She’d observed very soon how their souls were connected with each other. She’d observed very soon that they shared different personality. She’d observed very soon, despite of having different personalities, how deep they were connected with each other.

She’d observed his love and his helplessness when he left her. She wished if she wouldn’t be so observant. It was like he was an open book in front of her and she could just turn pages of his life. It was the reason she wasn’t able to move on from him. She couldn’t just forget him because she had sensed his helplessness. She’d observed that his every nerve was screaming with pain when he left her.

He was classy in his approach towards the world and she was gentle in her approach towards the world. His atrocious and disciplined nature was always apparent. To her, she got into the inner of his soul, where his soul was vulnerable to her soul.

It didn’t matter how much hatred she endured from him, but she gave him only LOVE.

Even if God would come to her and asked her to move on, she would say NO. Her love was not some marketable product which she could trade with anyone. She knew she couldn’t fall in love again. She was only made for him. Her each nerve, each blood drop, each heartbeat, each body part was molded for him only. Deep down in her heart, she knew that he was also made only for her.

She was hungry for his love. She was still waiting for her love. She had deep expectations that he would come back breaking all barriers like some Bollywood hero does all the time.

How could he marry to x, y or z? Whatever the name of that girl? It was Sameera. Sameera could never enter to his soul. It was only Geet’s right. It was Geet’s love if she wanted she could ask for her love with right on him. Could she try to act upon her rights on him? 

At the same time, the popular sentence reverberated in her mind, ‘If there is no love then there is no right.” He said that he was no longer in love with her. Did she still have right on him?

Chapter 6 Confrontation

She was completely mesmerized by him when she saw him for the first time. She could never forget that sight

Two years ago,

It was her second day at KA, she was excited about her new job, and she took all notes meticulously from her first day. She knew she’d to work with Maan. All interns were randomly assigned to one of the experienced CA of KA. Geet was assigned to Maan. She wasn’t aware that Maan chose her to work with him.

She’d heard that he was very strict and disciplined person. From people talks, he seemed very authoritative and workaholic person. She assumed that he must be in his forties, lost interest from life and he knew nothing than work.

She carried this innocuous assumption about him with her and she walked in to his cabin at second day of work. She walked in with confidence and pride.

Maan pretended not to notice her and nonchalantly, he replied, “Coming” when he heard knock on the door.

It was difficult pretention game for him, as he couldn’t take his eyes off from her for a second, if he could, he would like to spend his entire life in her embrace.

Her face was filled with shocking wrinkles. She couldn’t believe. He was completely opposite from her assumption. He was definitely not in his forties at all; instead he was young and dashing. He could beat her favorite hero Ranbir Kapoor. His personality was magical. She got completely mesmerized by him. She was trying hard to hide her shocking expressions. She balanced herself; otherwise she was almost at the verge of stumbling.

Maan had the balance sheet in his hands which he was staring at for last half an hour to figure out something but as soon as she entered, that balance sheet slipped from his hands.

He couldn’t believe that she was finally standing in front of him. His dream girl was in front of him. He was puzzled but he instantly changed his expression and wore a mask of professionalism. He avoided her gaze. He knew that if he would look into her eyes, then he wouldn’t be able to maintain his status quo.

She snapped out of her trance as soon as she heard, “Have a seat.”

She didn’t know that he was already in love with her. She didn’t know that she’d already impacted his heart so badly.

She settled down on the chair.

She introduced herself and for the first time he came to know her name “GEET”

How musical? He muttered under his breath.

He gave her a plan of action which KA firm had already laid out for every new intern.

She was all excited for her new job and a new cabin which was just outside of Maan’s cabin.

She was smiling when she came out from his office as she remembered what she thought about him and he wasn’t like that at all, he was pretty warm with her. She got really attracted to her new boss. The first step for her was probably attraction, as she was still not aware about the LOVE LAND like some Yash Chopra movie. She held a long lived belief in her that all those love things happens only in movie or books.

Second week at KA,

She was nervous as well as excited today. She learned a lot during her first week from Shasha and Adi, both were senior accountant at KA and both were married for last three years. They were happily married couple. They fell in love with each other when there were in college and both had chosen the same field, CA, both got into the same office, the biggest CA firm of Mumbai. They had been the backbone of KA. They already had a one year old daughter, Pari.

Their angel Pari was a perfect combination of both, she’d pale white skin as Shasha had and she’d perfect cute features as Adi had. Shasha had always respected girls who wanted to stand on their own feet. She’d a leadership and entrepreneurial attitude. You could literally say that she was literally the example of female chauvinism. Adi always liked it though as he’d always respected females in his life whether in the form of wife or sister or mother or friend. She’d been always supportive to interns and she was the one who had laid out this intern daily action plan. She was best with management style. When it came to female intern, she was all the more excited.

Geet accomplished good amount of training from Shasha during her first week. Today she’d been given a biggest project of her life; she was given a project to work on a tax filing for one of the biggest firm of Mumbai with Maan. Shasha was already impressed with Geet’s intelligence and hard work. Hence she’d chosen Geet to work on this project.   

Geet was excited as well as nervous. She was excited because she was going to work with Maan, the hottest hunk of KA. She was nervous because it was her first project and she didn’t want to mess it up.

Geet entered to Maan’s cabin. Her feet were numb and a shiver ran through her limb as she saw him again. She didn’t know but whenever he came across her, she felt her skin was turning ice cold and her heart was jumping out of her body. She wasn’t able to handle his “I AM THE BEST ON THE EARTH” personality.

Again for a second, like world had stopped and he got lost in her. This time it was not only him, she got also lost in him, and she forgot her nervousness and shiver. He nodded her to seat and she settled down on the chair.

Her position was sheltered under the light and that gave him a distinct view of her whole figure and countenance. She was slender, and looked like she’d scarcely past her teen age: an admirable form, and the most exquisite little face, small features, very fair, flaxen ringlets, or rather silky, hanging loose on her delicate neck, and eyes, had they been agreeable in expression, that would have been irresistible.

She was also lost in his thick brows which were rough and uncultivated, his whiskers encroached bearishly over his cheeks, and his hands were embrowned and his bearing was free and haughty.  

Maan gave her a cost sheet to analyze and he explained her things needed to be done. She was sitting with her laptop in his cabin just in front of him. He was stealing glances at her whilst she was working but he wasn’t aware of the fact that she was also stealing glances at him whilst he pretended to be lost in his monitor.

Once in a whilst, their eyes met, but instantly they moved away their glances and pretended to be involved in their work.

She snapped out of flashback with the touch of rain drop on her body.

Chapter 7  Haunted Memories part 2

One Year After Priya’s death

There was something strikingly fallacious with weather. Thunder storm was definitely marking its path towards the dark night. The sound of thunder was really scary like it was telling some horrendous stories to the night. Dark night had stored this hidden truth under the pages. The pages which were never confronted anyone’s eyes before. It was still mystery that Geet never came across this book before. Probably it was stored for this dark night to reveal.

Unwavering breeze had made her room chaotic. Geet tried to close windows of her room, but it was in vain. Suddenly the pages of one diary fell open in the middle of the room. The diary flew from her cupboard to the ground. The diary which was probably never intended to be read swung open with the flow of air.

The diary was like some forbidden fruit which was never supposed to be eaten but she found it today. That diary was written by Priya, in her year of grief after Divorce. Priya’d opened those pages of her life in that diary which was written after her divorce when she wasn’t talking to anyone.

Probably this diary was the only support she held on to let out her pain and suffering.

The image of Priya flashed in Geet’s eyes, her teary eyes and wrinkled face. Tears had covered Geet’s eyes and which made her vision blurry. She wiped her eyes with her dupatta as she was impatient to read Priya’s diary.

The first page of Diary,

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. 

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. The statement of lover was “I fell in love” it defined the deep down fall and only few could rise from this fall but those who got successful in rising, probably the most fortunate people on the earth. I discovered though very late that I wasn’t one of those people. I just fell but never learned to rise from the fall.”

That brought tears in Geet’s eyes and again blurry vision worked as a barricade against her reading. These two paragraphs were enough for her to somersault her emotions for getting over this scary night. With heavy heart, she was waiting for the Sun to rise with the new rays of hope as she fell asleep whilst holding this diary in her hand which was lying over her chest now.

When she woke up, she heard her mother was calling for her so she instantly hid this diary under her pillows and she began her new day.

After finishing the busy day of her life, she again ended up with the same diary in her hand and she read the page two of diary.

“I never believed that love word was so whimsical but now I have to believe it. The excitement of love made me entrust love more than my own life. I flew through those emotions and never realized that it was capricious in nature. The same belief which I held for many years for love was broken one day; still my heart never lost faith from love. I tried to convince my heart many times that love was fickle and I should accept the reality but who knew that emotions could take over life. I wasn’t even sure that I lost the game of love or I won it. My soul had already been sacrificed for the love and now just this bloody body left with me. In that case, I actually won the game but of course it was the matter of perception. I believe that someday, someone will understand me and they wouldn’t regret my decision and my life.”

Each line was filled with emotions and totally at Achilles’ heel of love. Probably tears would never leave her eyes if she continued reading this saga of love and hidden philosophy in it.

She was about to flip through the next page and her phone rang. It broke her concentration and she returned to her daily chores.

A very next day at night, she again flipped through pages, and read page number three.

“I always thought that prince charming and Cinderella stories would happen with me. It did happen or at least I thought that it did, when I found him, when I fell in love with him. I was mesmerized by the concept of eternal love but never thought that nothing is eternal in this world.

I swam through the era of eternality and then through the era of darkness. I wonder which one was better. Now I think about it, I felt that both were similar in many ways. It was never a question of which one was better. It was a question of which one you chose for yourself. Mostly people choose era of eternality as they think that it is the romantic feelings which you cherish for forever. But they forget that era of eternal love also comes with the baggage of responsibility, and a baggage of commitment. And only few could fulfill this responsibility and commitment. Nonetheless, I never considered that it was a mistake of lovers when love didn’t work. It was a wrong decision probably to begin with. I don’t possess any power to make this statement.”

Chapter  8 Rainy Lunch

Present:

She was sitting in the same temple where he proposed her. The tears mixed with rain very well that nobody could predict that she was crying.

Rain carried a soft corner in her heart. It was raining when she was born, it was raining when she went to school for the first time, it was raining when she fell from bicycle for the first time, it was raining when she decided to pursue CA career, it was raining when she went for lunch with him for the first time and it was raining when he proposed her.

She couldn’t forget the day when he took her to lunch.

Her mind reached to the different world and there was a weak smile on her face whilst thinking about that event.

Flashback:

Second week at KA,

They were working on this crazy project for about four days but still it was nowhere near end. She was getting frustrated as it was her first project and she wasn’t able to finish it on time.

She was supposed to finish it in a week and it is already last day of the week.

Lone tear made her eyes moist, she was unhappy with herself, she was unhappy with her performance; she tried everything which was within her range. She couldn’t sleep during this week; she was working from home over nights. She lost her appetite. The only thing she knew was work.

She was disappointed as she couldn’t complete her task.

He sensed restlessness in her, he saw the lone tear and he noticed that she was fidgeting.

“Geet, what’s going on? You look worried?”He asked her softly though avoiding her gaze, pretending to be concentrated on worksheet.

She didn’t speak and she wiped her tears and composed herself instantly and started working.

She replied, “Nothing”

He said, “Geet, you look so pale and weak. You should eat something. Have you had lunch?”

She replied, “No”

He suggested, “Let’s go for a lunch.”

She was little surprised by his behavior but then she also wanted to go, they never talked anything except work during this week, this was the first time where they talked something else.

Many times Maan thought to talk something else but their schedule didn’t permit. He was happy with one reality that now he got a chance to see her daily. He got a chance to stare at her daily whilst she didn’t notice. He got a chance to get lost in her beauty. He got a chance to dream her daily….a day dreaming whilst finding her in front of eyes.

She grabbed her purse and they left in his car. He opened the door for her and started car engine only when he was sure that she was settled down on her car seat. She gave a light smile to him whilst he was driving.

Rain started suddenly, like it was meant to rain. It wasn’t a rainy season hence it wasn’t expected. It was supposed to be surprising for them, but it wasn’t. It felt like happy rain. It felt like rain was suggesting something to them. It felt like rain also wanted them to remember this day and to make it special.

Though they were inside the car, she opened the window glass and slightly stretched her arms out to feel the droplets on her skin. She was kind of feeling free, far from the entire world, being herself. Whilst driving, he was stealing glances at her. He couldn’t believe that this beauty was actually sitting right beside him. He wanted to touch her but he couldn’t. Luckily her dupatta was on the gears and he touched her dupatta and felt a sensation. Rain worked like a premonition for them, something was going to happen. Some seeds were going to be planted for a good beginning.

Chapter 9 Rainy Lunch Part 2

At lunch, they talked about various stuff – her school, her CA preparation, her work, his work, his CA experience so far, his goals, her goals. It was quite interesting that they were laughing and enjoying their conversation like there was no tomorrow. They could spend the entire day talking but of course they had to go back. They enjoyed lunch but they wished it never ends.  

There was an instant comfort zone between them. She was already impressed by his charm from her first meeting and he was already mesmerized by her aura. There was an instant connection between them. They felt comfortable with each other like they never felt with anyone else.

They didn’t realize but they were staring at each other during entire lunch time, both noticed spark in the heart, somewhere hidden, some different feelings were immersed. Both could read those feelings in each others’ eyes but of course they didn’t say anything to each other.

Sometimes it was not needed to say everything; it was just heart to heart talk where words were overwhelming.

Maan was not good at describing his emotions from beginning but it didn’t mean that he didn’t have emotions. He was pretty family oriented person from beginning. He loved her mom like anything. His mom was almost at the verge of death during her labor pain but some magic had saved her. That could be the reason; he was naturally so close to her. He never denied anything to his mom; he could bring down heaven for her. He loved his entire family; he was close to his brother and sister in law also. His dad was his ideal. He’d the perfect family, he knew that only missing person from his family was her. He’d decided in his mind, she was the only one who could fill the emptiness of his life.

He wanted her as his wife. He was very clear about it in his mind from the day he saw her dancing in the rain. She was meant to be for him. Her entire being was molded for him to love her.

There was some instant courage grew up in his heart which forced him to say something which he would never say otherwise. “I like you Geet, you are a nice person.” He said. Of course he couldn’t speak further. Those words were simple, but it had deep meaning in it.

Apparently Geet wasn’t shocked even though they just spent a week together, but whenever he talked with her, there was a different beam in his eyes, he was always smiling whilst talking to her and he was always warm with her, and she was not blind, as she felt the same for him. She could just read his eyes. It was enough to look into his eyes and she got all the answers.

She was happy around him. She smiled when he was around; she smiled when he wasn’t around by just remembering him. He wasn’t gone from her thoughts for a second. Hence she wanted to prove herself, she wanted to make him happy by her work, but she couldn’t meet the deadline. It wasn’t a big deal but she couldn’t tolerate disappointment in his eyes.

She wanted to reply him but she couldn’t. She wished that he would be able to read her eyes for her reply. It was clearly expressed through her eyes, her emotions. Her entire being was revitalized with him. His small touch could change her world upside down.

By mistake, whenever their hands touched each other’s hands, her heart started beating frenetically. At that time, she just wished one thing that he couldn’t hear this. She’d all the traditional values built in her but she wasn’t sure that she would be able to control herself after his sensational touch. She would just surrender herself and she would be proud of her withdrawal. His small touch could make her vulnerable. Luckily he wasn’t aware about his power yet.

Feelings were mutual, like God had made them for each other only.

She didn’t speak anything but she muttered under her breath “I like you too.”

Maan read her emotions through her eyes hence he wasn’t looking for an answer. He noticed that she held his gaze always longer than he did. He knew that she’d the power to make him vulnerable by using the power of her eyes only.

Chapter 10 Haunted Memories Part 3

It had been many days since Geet didn’t read the diary as she had to go out of town to attend her elder cousin’s wedding.

As soon as she came back, she got into her diary reading zone like she couldn’t waste a single second anymore.

Geet flipped through more pages and here it went,

“Once I have read that Love is the master key that opens the gate of happiness. I wish that this sentence could be more complete. I would add into it, Love is the master key not only for happiness but also for losing yourself. When you are in that deep fall, you are no longer yourself, probably you lose your every natural self, and you are only the image of your lover. Hence you are just one soul with two bodies. When these feelings subside, at that time, your self will try to emerge again, and then you won’t be able to identify yourself. I am not sure who lost what in my love, but I am sure about one thing that we both lost something very substantial which had connected us together. Therefore, I need to find my soul again which was lost in him. I was never able to understand how this could happen with me. Probably, it wasn’t stronger bonding as I thought it was. At the end also, I never thought that it was his fault, because love was pure feeling and I didn’t want to contaminate it with the game of blame. I don’t want this blame game in my love hence I accepted separation for our happiness. After all sacrifices make your love stronger and sacred.”

Without further delay, Geet read the next page, probably the revelation page.

“I am not sure why I am writing this diary, probably to convince myself that life is still waiting for me, or probably to write down my last thoughts before life and I become separate, in any case, this is the last feel of satisfaction I have. My last word of advice, love is a beautiful feeling, but it has to mix with little bit of reality check. Then the question happens, is it really “love”, if it is mixed with reality.
Rather than answering this question, I can describe my emotions without mixing it with anything else. Our love was pure and sacred; it is still pure and sacred. Love can’t change with circumstances; it will always remain as those moments which we cherished together can’t be removed from our past.

How could he make the biggest mistake of his life? He accepted that it was his mistake. He accepted that it happened accidentally. He accepted that he slept with someone else and it wasn’t intentional. He accepted that it wouldn’t happen again. I took time but I forgave him at least in words. My heart and my soul couldn’t forgive him. It was the fight of my mind and heart. I knew that he wouldn’t do it again. I knew that he was only made for me. I knew that he loved me. I tried, tried and tried but my heart over powered every logical thinking I held. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t see him with the same emotions anymore. Whenever I see him, I felt that his soulful eyes had lost its soul. I wasn’t able to read his eyes anymore. Our distance had increased. He tried to explain me zillions of times. I got convinced also zillions of times but at the end, I ended up with the same hell. I was really weak that I couldn’t forgive him. Actually it wasn’t the matter of forgiveness. It was the matter of pride. He was my pride. He shared himself with someone else. I lost the pride in myself that very moment. My entire being got vanished.

I failed in love as I wasn’t able to move on from his one mistake. I should have done it if I was stronger. Probably I wasn’t that strong. Probably I lost myself at that moment and I couldn’t gather myself. Theoretically, it could be easy to say that anyone can forgive one mistake, but practically, you never know unless you go through that suffering.

I just wanted to ask one question to God,

Teach me how to rise? How to rise from this fall? The deep fall- the fall of love as – I only fell in love.”

Chapter 11 Serendipity

Present:

“God, why did you do this with me? What was my fault? My only fault was to fall in love, I regret the day I met him, I regret the day I felt something for him, I regret the day when I went for lunch with him, I regret the day when I chose to join KA, do you listen? I hate him, yes I do, I hate him more than anyone on this earth, I hate him for ruining my life, I hate him for making me so vulnerable in his love, I hate him for making me go through this pain.” She was sobbing whilst staring at God with hopeful eyes like he would change her DESTINY within a second.

Sometimes it was better to live in a different world rather than facing reality. She needed some time to recover before accepting the reality.

He was there with her in her every breath. He was everywhere for her. He left her but she wasn’t able to leave him. He made her so fragile in his love that she couldn’t feel herself anymore.

His memory, his scent, his smile, his talks stayed with her every second. How hard she tried, but he was not detached. He resided in her every heartbeat, in her every breath, in her every blink, in her every moment.

Wasn’t it same for him? It was. She was his heartbeat.

The day he told her that “I liked you”, she’d seen hundreds of dreams.

The only person with whom she could share her pain, her love, her soul, her touch, her proximity, was him.

In that one moment, she’d surrendered herself to him. Her soul had accepted him as her soul partner. The trust she saw in his eyes was obvious. She knew from that moment that he was in love with her. She knew that she was in love with him. She knew that he was made only for her.

It was serendipity.

It was a happy accident for both of them to discover soul who could match with other soul.

If it was in her hand then she would have snatched away stars from the sky and she would never let Maan marry to someone else. But it was Maan who didn’t want to marry her. She would do anything to get her love back. What could she do when her love was not with her? What could she do when he’d abandoned her?

Chapter 12   Dream and Burden

Baarat was still dancing crazily on the tune of popular hindi songs. Fire crackers were lit and it had lit up the entire streets. Marriage celebration was definitely not less than celebrating Diwali.

Bride’s family welcomed them happily. They were on cloud nine as their only daughter was getting married to one of the best CA of Mumbai. Their dreams came true.

Sameera, ornamented in Bridal jewelry, embellished in red saree looked absolutely gorgeous and plus she was on seventh heaven as she was getting married to dashing Maan. She was a doctor and she always wished to marry smart, intelligent and handsome man and her wish was going to be fulfilled today. She was going to be his wife forever.

She was excited.

Of course who wouldn’t be?

Khurnas and Garewal were famous names of Mumabi. Sameera was the only daughter of Garewal family who had established their names in medical field. Her parents were also doctors. Sameera wanted to be a doctor from her childhood as she grew up watching her parents talking about medicine, patients, hospital, needles, disease.

Unlike other kids, who would hide somewhere after listening to those boring talks, she actually developed interest for it. She felt it fascinating.

Her all wishes got fulfilled today. Her first wish got fulfilled when she became a doctor and her second wish was going to be fulfilled pretty soon.

“Sameera, your baarat is at the door, look at them, and Maan, wow, he looked damn handsome.” Nandini said to Sameera whilst stealing glances outside the window.

“Nandini, stop looking at him, he is mine, so don’t you dare?”Sameera said authoritatively.

“hmm, possessive…, if you are in this state before marriage, I don’t know what will happen after marriage. I am so jealous.” Nandini teased her.

Sameera smiled.

“Sameera, look here, your hero knows how to dance also, I thought that this number guy wouldn’t know anything more than numbers. And they talk in entirely different language. I doubt after wedding, you will develop your own language. You will ask him question in medical terms and he will reply you back with some numbers like hey did you eat something otherwise you can become vulnerable to anorexia and he would reply, I have had two sandwiches since morning, ok two, don’t forget.” Nandini said with mocking smile.

Sameera stood up to see Maan dancing and she slightly patted on Nandini’s cheeks, “Nandini ki bacchi, stop making fun and let me tell you I will be ok with having any numbers as long as he will kiss me more than that number.”

Both laughed and tears ran down their cheeks as they remembered all their happy moments, they were best friends; they studied together from school to college. Nandini was also a doctor. Today they were parting from each other and it was tough on both of them.

They were like two sisters who fought together, laughed together, played together, studied together, and ate together. In fact, they used to tease each other whilst they were kids that they would get married also together on the same day in the same mandap.

Of course, it was just a childhood joke. Nandini got engaged a month ago and she would be getting married after three months.

They both were happy for their upcoming new life and happiness. They wiped tears from each other’s eyes and hugged each other.

Nandini reached to the entrance door and she stood up at the door with other friends whilst blocking entrance for baarati.  

Maan’s friends also knew this drama very well, Maan was in no mood of playing drama, for him Marriage was just a work which he needed to finish.

He dreamt about his wedding day but with Geet not with Sameera, he knew whatever he did with Geet was wrong, and whatever he was going to do with Sameera was wrong as well.

He was so helpless. He hated this feeling of helplessness. He wanted to rip apart his heart from his body before it explodes with the feeling of pain and deception.

He wanted to see his Geet, in red saree, with bridal mehndi where his name was stamped on her palm and which would connect them forever till death does them apart.

She wasn’t aware about the pain he’d gone through when he broke up with her. Like every inch of his heart died with the unresolved riddle of his life. He put on the best fake mask on his face- the mask of pretention.

Didn’t she know him? Of course, she did. She knew him better than she knew herself.

Did that change the reality? Of course, not

In reality, he left her, he broke her heart, he ruined her life, he walked off her. He walked off her soul.

Chapter 13 Lost Souls

Abandoned, helpless, life less…………………………..she was. She couldn’t stop sobbing.

This was the same temple……………………where her every memory developed and died. It was the place where she owned him and it was the place when he disowned her. It was the place of their proposal and it was the place of their breakup. It was the place where she got her life and it was the place where she died.

He walked out. He screwed her life, her every nerve. She died the day he broke up with her. Only her body was walking. She was no longer more than pawn of his game – the game of love and destiny.

Who won? Of course, destiny

Only in bollywood movies, love wins over everything and every obstacle. In real life, the cruel winner is destiny.

Why did it happen? Why did he propose her? Why did she say yes?

How could she accept rejection from him? He was the one who proposed her. He was the one who wanted to mark his name on her. He was the one who wanted to own her in every way. He was the one who couldn’t tolerate any other man in her life. He was the one who was obsessed with her.

Yes, he was the one. Yet, he broke her heart.

Did she deserve to have this tormented soul? Hell, No

Did she ask more to him than marking her as his own? Hell, No

These wet leaves and crying sky, reminded her the doomed day of her life when he proposed her.

Chapter 14 A Devil Confessions

Exactly one and half year ago,

He called her to come to their regular temple which they visited together once in a whilst.

This same place,

She reached to the temple, it was raining like it never rained before, roads were flooded and sky was crying. Her mom told her not to go but she wanted to visit temple, that’s what she told to her mom.

She went and was waiting for him; there he was, in blue transparent shirt and black jeans. His hot chiseled muscles were beaming from his shirt.

He was walking slowly with bouquet of roses in his hand. She was surprised to see roses as he’d never given her roses before. She loved orchids more than roses though.

He was definitely conveying some traditional sign by coming up with blood red roses.

She waved her hands and he just smiled. She sensed a different beam in his eyes but she couldn’t figure out the reason behind that flicker.

His body was drenched in rain but he didn’t care. He made up his mind with something and no matter what happened with world today, he would perform his act.

He bent on his knees, with flowers in his hand and ring was in his pocket, and conveyed those things which didn’t mean anything to her today.

He said, “Love is an understatement if I use that word for my feelings. Beauty is an understatement if I say you are beautiful, I am an understatement if I compare myself with you, you are beyond everything and every feeling. Let’s not waste this life with such a understatement word Love and let’s go beyond than that.”

She was standing like a statue, like some movie was playing in front of her eyes and she was enjoying every bit of it. She was also in love with that damn killer personality.

He continued with glittered eyes, “You are everything to me, I was in love with you since the day I saw you first time, dancing in the rain, you stole my heart since that day, I was in love with you since our first lunch together, I was in love with you since our first project together, I was in love with you since our first teasing. I never knew that I could describe feelings well, but whenever you ran into my mind, I can be the world most renowned poet. I brought these red roses because I thought if I wouldn’t be able to describe my feelings than these roses will do justice to my feeling. You are like a fancy enchanting alcohol to me. Whenever you ran in my mind or in front of my eyes, I raced to the different world…………………the world of inexplicable emotions.”

Nonchalantly, she also bent down holding his hand in her hands. Her eyes were threatened with unshed tears.

And he broke the world by his final statement, “Will you spend your entire life with me? Think before committing, as I don’t want only this life but coming all the unborn lives also. I want every life of yours with me and me only.” Last word came out more authoritatively than request.

She wasn’t able to utter a word; just a brief whisper came out of her mouth, “YES”

He pretended that he didn’t hear and asked her what she said.

She hugged him instantly and whispered near his ear lobe, “Yes, I want to marry you. I only want to be with you. My heart and soul are only yours. I imagined this moment hundreds of times in my mind but I never knew that I could be so speechless when it finally happened.”

Chapter 15  A player

Present:

She came out from her stupor, as someone softly touched her shoulder and it was pandit (Priest) of that temple.

She didn’t know that her sobbing could be heard and her tears could be seen.

She quickly wiped her tears from her cheeks.

Pandit said, “If God gives you tears, then he always shows how to be happy again, so don’t cry and he will show you the way.”

Geet nodded in agreement and started walking off to her house.

Today she lost the most precious thing of her life, LOVE.

She never asked for love, he came as a surprise in her life, she never believed in love but he made her believe in it and now she believed in love, it wasn’t existed in her life.

She was better off without love. He was no more than torture on her being. He was torture on her heart, he was torture on her body, he was torture on her breath.

His each memory was engulfed with her every thought. He was enveloped in her each action. She couldn’t even sleep without his thoughts. By mistake, if she was able to get some sleep, he immersed as a nightmare in her dreams.

It happened so many times within last six months that she woke up with tears in her eyes. Tears and sobbing made her weak and vulnerable. In her dreams also, she was susceptible to his touch.

His eyes were always following her every move; she could never get off that premonition.

Many times she ran to the door, middle of the night, waking up from nightmare, with the hope of finding him at the door. It never happened.

Unfulfilled love could be seen well in books not in real life.

Even in blind world, her heart could reach out to him.

She knew in her heart that he was thinking about her, she knew that he couldn’t live without her. She didn’t know why he left her. She didn’t know why he abandoned her.

She had asked him hundreds of times, but he never answered.

Was she so unimportant in his life that he wouldn’t feel the necessity to answer? Didn’t she carry any importance in his life that he wouldn’t care to reply her back?

His every move made her believe that she didn’t. She didn’t carry any importance.

He turned out as a major player. He played with her heart, her emotions, and her life.

Chapter 16 Devil In a Midnight Mass

Please listen to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzxcFce2uVk&feature=related

“An image, a beautiful image, it was hard to digest who was more beautiful, her image or herself.” He said whilst finding this fragile beauty in the mirror. He was standing near the door.  

She was wearing red saree with golden embroidered work and her pallu had covered her long curly hair, the image of her transparent milky skin covered under blood red saree. She was watching herself in the mirror and making sure that she looked perfect in his gift. He was leaning at the door like he would fall if door wasn’t there by the awe of the image in the mirror.

Her heart skipped many beats as she saw him in the mirror. The look in his eyes was so intense that she could lose herself completely. It was hard to control the new found feelings. Her every part of body was aroused with new passion. He was making small strategic moves towards her. His each move made her lost her breath. He always knew that he could make her vulnerable at any time. He knew that he could take her advantage at any time. He knew that if he wanted he could rip off her innocence and she wouldn’t be able to renounce. He knew his power on her. Her gaze was down on the ground and her eyes were covered under her wild eyelashes like the oyster was covered under the shell. She was trembling with his each seductive move. She wanted to cover her body under the cover of sky out of shyness. She couldn’t tolerate his intense gaze for one more second.

He was exactly standing behind her. Tail of her saree was touching his body. She could see him through mirror but she was avoiding looking into his eyes. She wasn’t sure she could control herself after she would look into his eyes. She was peeking at him. She could almost feel the heat of his breath on one side of her shoulder. Shiver ran through her spine each time she felt his breath. She was like a mere plastic toy- which could be disintegrated with his only one touch.

He could feel the rapid rise and fall of her chest and he knew that he’d generated sensation in her. He was in mischievous mood. He trickled her back with his one finger to accentuate her sensation.  She’d closed her eyes as she just wanted to feel this sensation within herself. She couldn’t open her eyes as she couldn’t predict his next moves. She thought world was perfect when eyes were closed. She lost her senses to figure out what was right. She was just living in a moment.  

She was breathing at accelerated pace like a car was moving at the maximum speed. He was smart to push the accelerator button in her. His fingers were soft and tender. Probably the most soothing feelings she’d ever felt.

Watching her consumed in his love, succumbed to his touch and her rapid chest movements, he wasn’t sure that he could control himself, he wasn’t sure that he wouldn’t cross his boundary. Her eyes couldn’t dare to open as she wasn’t sure about his next move. She preferred to shield her all desires under her closed eyelids.

He moved further away from her towards the mirror, watching her shivering body in the mirror. She couldn’t budge from her place and she couldn’t open her eyes out of anticipation of his movements. He smiled to find her in this condition, like drinking her every part through his eyes.

She could sense that he was away from her, she was surprised. She opened her eyes slowly like scanning each single thing on her way and finally she saw him standing near mirror watching her. His eyes were still intense filled with desire to make her his own. She couldn’t stir from her place. His eyes were still on her. He was scanning her every part of body with his intense gaze. He ran his fingers on mirror reflecting his touch on her body. His fingers were moving on her reflection. His fingers were moving on every part of her reflection. She shuddered by his reflection touch. She let out the sigh and closed her eyes again as she didn’t have any courage. She was also losing her control. He was driving her crazy and he enjoyed it. He knew his power. He could make her vulnerable in his love. She could cross any horizon. Love was always intense when it was filled with the game of power. Knowingly or unknowingly, power was always the part of love.

Watching her shivering with his invisible touch, he lost the last sense he had. He ran towards her and pressed his hard lips on hers. She was moaning with his touch. She was out of breath but he didn’t let her lips go. He was forcing his lips heavily on hers like each second without her lips was useless. He sensed her out of breath state and he gave her a second to recover. Again he jumped on her lips and this time she responded to his needs. She felt the most enchanting moment of her life. It was like the most soothing music. Her lips like the soft rose petals and his lips like the smell of roses. Both couldn’t be apart. Their hearts were beating in complete synchronization. A shiver ran down her spine as he trickled her body with his touch. Her hands were moving in his hairs to hold him tight in her hug so that kiss wouldn’t break. His one hand was circled around her neck and other hand was moving on her back, trying to reach out to the restricted domain. His fingers were trying to enter back of her blouse. She moaned to stop him but he couldn’t listen to anything at this eternal moment. He induced pandemonium in her entire being by his touch. Her each delicate muscle revitalized by his touch. She choked up with uncontrollable emotions. Finally she broke the kiss and she was panting densely.

As she broke the kiss, and letting a sigh go from her mouth, it was most sensuous moment to watch for him. Her panting, rise and fall of her chests were enough to make a next move.

He moved slightly to face her back. His chest and her back were touching each other like two magnets were connecting. Her soft skin was against his hard chest. He moved her hair on one side of her shoulder, she automatically tilted her other shoulder to give him more room. He kissed on her neckline, and shoulder. He was trailing kisses down to her hand from shoulder like stamping each corner of her arms. Her eyes were closed and her senses were sealed. She wasn’t able to think anything. She was just flowing with the moment. Once her hand and fingers stamped with his kisses, he again faced her back and trailed kisses on her ear lobe. She whispered his name “Maan, please………………..” He could feel her starvation for his love. His each droplet of blood was screaming with satisfaction – satisfaction from his power. He was tracing kisses on her back – the open part which wasn’t covered by her blouse. She knew she could melt by his sheer touch. His hands covered her waist with a jerk from the back and made her closer. She rested her head on his one side of shoulder giving him an access of other side of her shoulder. He traced his fingers around her half neck line. He slightly pushed the pallu of her saree away using his teeth. She couldn’t take it, She stopped him before she could lose herself completely. It was so much to handle for her and she moved instantly away from him. She broke the trance of their eternal moment.

For a moment, it was an awkward silence as both weren’t sure what just happened. They smiled lightly when living that moment again in their mind.

She didn’t know what got into hers, at the very moment, but his smile, his lustful eyes and his scent made her lost her decency. She ran towards him and without thinking anything, she reached out to his lips. He was shocked, he wasn’t ready to see her devil side but he was happy as power game had shifted to her now. It was always challenging to decide in the game of power that receiver had more power or giver had more power. What could be better than this that she wanted him more than anything else? He was trying to control his urge and desire but she opened the door to the different world for him.

He didn’t waste a single second and invaded her mouth like it was an ocean with different length of waves.  She grabbed him from his hair and he grabbed her from her back. When they ran out of air, they broke from this divine embrace of lips. It was the kiss which was marked on them through their blush. It was the memorable moment for both of them. It was the response to their soul to soul. Their bodies were like magnetic clasp which responded each other without reaching to their senses.

It was the day when he gifted her saree, a very first gift from him. She was on cloud nine. It was her first gift from her. He insisted her to wear it. It was the remarkable moment of their relation. After sharing this wonderful moment, they had to leave. Night was stopped there, waiting for more to come in their life.

That night, both couldn’t sleep. This beautiful moment reverberated in their minds for entire night. She could still feel the tender touch of his lips on hers. She had to pinch herself to make sure that she wasn’t near him. She could see him everywhere. His touch was like drug to her. In her dream also, he empowered her. She couldn’t even try to get away from his embrace in her dream.

That day, she could have surrendered herself willingly, but his genuine nature and respect for love had stopped him from closing the distance. He never wanted to take advantage of her innocence and selfless love. He knew his power or he knew her power.

Present:

She disgusted those feelings which made her so vulnerable in his love that she could lose her senses. She detested his touch. She wanted to forget the feeling she felt when he touched her. If she could go back in time, she wanted to erase all the memories which connected them together.

Given chance, she would have gone back to past and erased all her memories with him. Oh wait, would she be able to do that? Being loved once was still better than never being loved. At least she had all the memories which she wanted to hold for forever. She could spend her entire life with these memories in her heart. Love could never mean getting loved in return. She should have accepted all these realities before falling in love or if she didn’t, it was her foolishness.  

Lover never comes with a condition of fulfillment. Life never comes with a condition of happiness.