When We Met

Tujhme rab dikhta hai

"Hey, I've heard this area is home to an old temple." While examining the traditional embroidery on a cloth that the craftsman had provided her, Miraya remarked, "It's never crowded, so you can get the peace you like in a temple."

"Oh, you remember about the temple thing?", Ruhaan grinned nervously. Thinking back to the day he had accompanied her to the temple for the first time. Even though they didn't know each other well, there was something about her that drew him closer to her.

"Hello?", she said, snapping her fingers in front of his eyes to shake him out of his reverie. "Do you want to go?"

"Oh yes. Without a doubt, let's go", he grinned.

"All right, just let me get their contact information so I can check through some more pieces.", she said sitting down by the lady who was working on a charkha.

.

The temple was set atop a hill. The path to the temple was adorned with vibrant wildflowers, and the distant sound of temple bells added to the mystique of their expedition. As they climbed the path together, Miraya draped the dupatta over her head. The fabric flowed gracefully with the breeze, casting a subtle shadow on her face.

The sun painted the sky with warm hues as they reached the temple's entrance. The intricate carvings on the temple walls and the fragrance of incense welcomed them into a world of tranquility. As they entered the temple courtyard, the scent of incense lingered in the air, and the soft murmur of prayers created a soothing ambiance.

In the hallowed space, they stood side by side, each lost in their thoughts. She lit up a Diya in front of the idols. Miraya, with her eyes closed and hands folded, was murmuring a prayer, while Ruhaan observed the play of sunlight on her face as her face turned serene. She was lost in her prayer, not knowing Ruhaan was looking at her, as if she was his prayer. His eyes didn't leave her face for even a second.

All of a sudden, the song "Tujhme rab dikhta hai" seemed too fitting for the moment. The extent of his love for this girl was beyond his comprehension. To him, being apart from her even for a moment felt like a punishment.

She opened her eyes slowly and caught Ruhaan's intent gaze on her. It felt as though time had stopped for a moment. He quickly looked away, embarrassed that she saw him, and pretended to be lost in his own prayers. She smiled and shook her head, looking at him and his antiques to avoid an eye contact with her.

She cleared her throat to grab his attention. She said, "Saari life ki prathna ek saath hi karni hai?" with the thought that the situation was amusing. He blushed but couldn't help but laugh at being exposed. He opened one of his eyes to peek a look at her expressions. Finding her smiling, he opened both his eyes and scratched his neck nervously. He stepped back from her a little while attempting to change the subject by asking, "Chalo ab, prasad nahi lena hai kya?" (Do you want to pray for lifelong prayers in just one day? Let's go now, don't you want to get the prasad?)

She regarded him with narrowed eyes, but said nothing. She just walked to his side and asked him to lead the way. They made their way to the courtyard in search of the temple priest, but all they found was an elderly couple seated on the bench, their hands intertwined like the roots of a tree. Intrigued by the couple in front of her, Miraya halted her steps admiring them.

She noticed how the wrinkles on their faces spoke of a lifetime shared and their eyes sparkled with the allure of love. Ruhaan glanced around, when he didn't see her on his side, only to see her admiring the elderly couple who were too preoccupied with each other to be concerned about the outside world

He noticed how a polite smile flickered on her lips as she watched them with intrigue. She smiled with them when they laughed at something. "She's too pure for this world. Being happy in someone else's happiness! How does she even do that?", he thought to himself as he returned to her side.