When We Met

Tum bin jiya jaye kese?

With a hint of a smile, she said, "Then brace yourself and let me tell you a story. It's about a chapter of my life that's etched in memories. A story of friendship, love, and loss."

Ruhaan looked at her while she began to tell him about her life, her fingers gripping his handkerchief.

"Veer and I, first met at Ishana's house party. Ishana and I had just become friends in college and she had invited me to this house party. He was Ishana's older brother and a  big crowd-puller. Got a lot of attention from girls and was always in their company. And I was this bashful girl who was too nervous to speak with anyone in the room. I was standing in the corner of the party, sipping from my glass. His back collided with mine and I spilled the drink on myself. I couldn't even raise my voice to confront him. He was attempting to apologize, but I wasn't prepared to hear him out. I just stormed out of the home in a rage. I was crying over how helpless I felt as I sat on the chair outside her house. 

For me, college was an entirely new world, and I was having trouble adjusting. He came to me, holding a damp towel, as soon as he heard me crying, while standing in the doorway. He wanted to apologize to me since he was so embarrassed. I brushed away my tears as soon as I spotted him and continued to look away, trying not to look him in the eyes. He initially made an attempt to get my attention, but as soon as I turned away from him, he merely started to apologize. 

When I did eventually look up at his face, he looked like something, straight from a movie. As he offered me the towel to wipe myself off, my nervousness rose. I couldn't take my eyes off of his face as I traced every feature there. But I had an epiphany. I didn't want to be one of those girls who were racing behind him since I knew he would never go for a girl like me. I therefore made an effort to divert my attention from him, but I completely failed. There was more to his attractiveness than just his looks. He was also a really kind man. Thoughtful, supportive, and kind. 

Once I forgave him, we became friends and we started hanging out a lot. I used to wait for him every day when he dropped Ishana off at college, just to see him once. My friend's brother was just a crush, and I had no intention of doing anything about it. We soon grew to be such close friends that those small sentiments didn't really matter. I didn't want to lose the wonderful friend I had earned in life by telling him this. I knew he wouldn't reciprocate my feelings."

Her words started trailing like whispers in the wind, "But things aren't always sunny and bright in life. Making decisions about our life and jobs marked the onset of adulthood. He longed to pursue his goals and departed the city to start a new job. It was hard to discover ourselves among unfamiliar faces and new situations. We were faced with the scary possibility of change and the uncertainty that awaited us as we stood at a crossroads. That was the time when he realized how much he loved me and that he couldn't live without me."

She continued, "He was determined to confess his feelings to me when he came back. By then, I had started down my career path and was attempting to establish myself in the industry. However, I was constantly aware of how my body appeared and how much heavier I was than the girls at work. So, when he actually confessed his feelings to me, I didn't believe him and laughed it off", she grinned to herself, remembering the lengthy text message he had sent her, in the middle of the night to profess his affections.

She interrupted Ruhaan as he was about to speak, "Before you say it, I know I'm beautiful the way I am but I didn't believe that, when I was young."

He gave her a look that he wasn't buying it and she laughed it off, "You'll agree with me if I show you a photo of him. He was such a handsome man. Every girl's fantasy guy. Tall, dark, and charming, with a smile that could melt hearts. I was in no way the right fit for him."