Memories Of Love

February 14

BMC was entirely filled with red and white colours and was overflowing with gifts that day. Yadav and me watched the lovers and all those red roses around like a movie. We walked between the crowds of lovers. Since it was a second Saturday there was no one to control the huge crowd and so everyone was enjoying beyond the limit. We looked around for a space, somewhere so we could talk to each other, but the entire population of BMC seemed in attendance. 'Can we go for a ride?' he asked straight away looking into my eyes. I smiled which showed my readiness to go. He started his bullet but, as usual, he did not tell me where we were going. He drove his bullet to a very special place which I had not visited earlier. It was the Olive Beach, one of the popular restaurants of Bangalore. If there's a place that will take your mood to romantic paradise then it's sure to be Olive Beach. With perfectly placed candles around, the beautiful scent of the flowers and the soothing sound of the light music, the surroundings will make you fall in love with your partner all over again. The wine collection is divine, making for the perfect accompaniment to your evening. An early reservation could ensure a quiet secluded corner sofa seat, or a breezy outdoor setting, making the date ever so memorable. The wide range of Mediterranean and European dishes are lip-smackingly yummy. We sat there savouring the beauty of privacy and locked our eyes for hours.

A well uniformed waiter came to take the orders. We ordered butter Nan, mushroom masala and their special valentine drink. Yadav suggested we should go for a walk since it takes time for the food to be prepared. We walked around the beach and the well decorated trees quietly. The atmosphere around us was completely silent. We stood on one of the balconies where the view of the beach was complete. 'Happy valentine's day, Arohi' he called my name in his own very special way which I loved so much. 'Mmm...' we looked at each other for a second and resumed to enjoy the beauty of the night where the sky was kissing the beach. 'Let me tell you something, Arohi?' There was a naked fear in his gaze. 'Mmm...' 'I think you know that already...' he paused and continued...'I love you ' My face suddenly changed when he proposed. No one spoke for a minute and it was he who spoke first. 'You know that I love you and I know that you love me. Then what's the need of this drama, Arohi? I loved you from the moment we first met at school. I couldn't stop falling in love with you. It was for you that I joined medicine. ' He looked serious this time. 'Sorry, I can't consider you that way. Let's be good friends like always.' 'Why should you consider me as a friend? Do you have a relation with anyone?' 'No' 'Then what's stopping you from loving me?

February 14 'See Yadav.. I know you since my school days. You mean a lot to me and thanks for that care you showed. But I can't fall in love with you. Please...understand my situation. You will get a girl better than me one day and she will be lucky enough to enjoy your care.' I knew he had things to share and feelings to express. But I pretended as if I couldn't understand him. 'Why can't you enjoy that care? Don't you want to be lucky? Don't tell me such old dialogues Arohi... Every girl in this world tells the same dialogue. I don't want to hear that. Do you have any other reasons to give? Or else just shut up.' His voice was rising after each word. 'I'm sorry. But can you tell me truly whether you love me or not? 'He said. 'Yadav, Please stop this..! ' 'Mmm... Then come. Let's have food.' We walked back to have food. After dinner, we walked back towards the parking area. All without saying anything. After we reached the parking lot, he took my hand in his and said: 'What I said was true. I loved you since our school days. I feel light and positive when you're with me. The way you help me to get out of a problem... the way you care for me...the way you flip your hair back...the way you smile... I love it all. I don't want you to say anything now and make you tense. Take time and take a wise decision.' He smiled in a sympathetic manner. 'I love him. That's right. But why am I not able to express it? Why can't I love him? What's the barrier which stops me from loving him..?' I asked myself 'Never ever forget your past...all those memories.' This is what my mind replied.