The other half of the Earring!

5 years have passed since we first had met in the parking lot. Do you remember that day Kannan ?

Ahh.. very well!!

You were going to take our class that day and you were a bit nervous.

Nishtha picked up the loft of hair that was disturbing her ,tucked it beside her right ear lobe.

In a soft , genteel voice , she whispered ,”I had never imagined , we would be such good friends “

True.

Can i ask you something ?

Anytime!

Do you think we should get married?

I expected my question to be a bouncer.

HE took it calmly. so, This is the thought that has taken away the sweetness in our friendship .

this has been bothering you since a while.. Is not it?

i nodded in affirmation.

Before you jump into any conclusion, let me first answer you.

No.

This was surely a bouncer for me. I had not expected a stern no. A bit of comforting story -building could have very well healed my wounded soul .

Why is he like this? Why does he always have to weigh things on the scale of logic. Does not love fall in the category of being illogical.

Where is he from? Surely his favourite planet , Mars.

He nudged me softly.

“I do not want to marry under the societal or parental pressure. Love is so pure ; how can the institution that promotes love be built under pressure.. Surely, it would collapse. I do not want to repeat what happened with my parents. I shall marry but when the right moment comes”

How will you decide that the right moment has come?

When your eyes will speak and your lips will smile.

The evening was turning on its hues and the breeze was gentle yet cold.

You are shivering. Here take my jacket. And let me drop you.

I looked at him. His hazel eyes were speaking to mine.

I saw that spark , that sparkle of love which i had missed when i had proposed to him ; as i was looking down.

He loved me !

But now i understood, why he had said no. He wanted me to fall into love first .

6 months later…

No! I have not fallen for him.

But I have started giving him the respect and care I should have given in the first place. His cute antics do make me laugh. And my heart has given him an inch of space.

My phone rings..

Hey , this is Harish. Kannan’s friend. We are planning to go to airport and surprise him. He is going for his MBA

Ohh yeah.. Sure. Thanks for inviting.

Anyway, I was planning to go . This would be better .

The thought pinched me. He was going to be away for 2 years. I would not be able to go for walks. those coffee outs ,, I am going to miss him.

There were 4 of us. Two from his engineering day’s and Harish, his roommate.

We had bought a photo frame — his pic surrounded by our pics. Mine was in the extreme right.

The photo in the frame was symbolic; he was drifting apart from me.

Can you hold this bag for me?

I obliged.

As i am managing the cute little girlie bag(i was suspicious too!!), i see him bending down on his knees , stretching his right hand for my right hand. Magically, he hands me a rose flower that has not yet fully bloomed , but is not a bud either.

I love you..

But but…

He stood up and softly said- yeah, I know baby.. You still do not love me..

But your eyes have started speaking to me..Just now, they told me .’Please do not leave me.. I want you’.

This rose is just like you! It has bloomed partially but I am sure it is going to bloom in its perfect grandeur.

I hugged him. He hugged me more tightly and whispered in my ear..

I have always loved you. I wanted you to give time so that you can love me back.

What if I had never loved you back?

That means you love me now..

Yes, I do. I love you. I startled at my answer. Had I been oblivious to my feeling all the time?

I love you too .

Now, will you free me from your tightening grip.. My friends are waiting to hug me..

He was right. He was in my grip. I released him, at the same time, ironically, I felt i have in my grip forever.

He hugged all his friends. bade them good byes.

He waved to his friends and winked at him..

Suddenly , I realized I had to return his bag which i had kept on the ground in excitement.

I shouted..Kannan..your bag…!

That is for you..Enjoy madi.. :)

I kept looking at him…

How could i not love him since the last 5 years..?

I smiled and answered myself ..Love happens when you least expect it.

For those who want to know, what was in the bag..

The other half of my ear ring wrapped in multiple layers of gift papers. Prankster he is..

Those were my favorite earrings and i had thought i had lost them in the dance party. But he had found them but never returned me..

There was a note also, that read..

Chhasni si hai teri dosti,

chanchal aur utni hi mithi.

masum sa hai tera dil,

bas hai pyaar k kaabil.

lekin sabse haseen hai tera pyaar

khusnaseeb hu main jo hua iska hakdar