19 Dates

Chapter 31 (part 1)

Rajat (with a smile on his face), "you should fall in love."

Dev, "not a conversation that we should be having Rajat."

Rajat, "why not? You are a handsome guy & the not so bright side of it is that each day passing by you are not getting any younger. You are hearing this from someone with the experience."

Dev, "I don't really understand how this love thing works & besides recently I have tried & failed miserably (laughing)."

Rajat, "what? Am I hearing this right? You tried falling in love?"

Dev, "I cannot believe I just told this to you. OK fine we are not having this conversation."

Rajat, "hey hey come on now. Don't you trust me?"

Dev, "it is not that Rajat but then there is no point in having this conversation."

Rajat, "why not? Oh I get it, you think I am too old & too long out of the game."

Dev, "what do you mean by the game thing? You fell in love with my mom & you married her. You found your love, a lucky man."

Rajat, "Oh God, good that I am drunk. Yes you are right, I fell in love with Sangeeta & that was it, never ever desired another women but then my journey in reaching there was too complicated."

Dev, "This sounds interesting, shed some light on it please."

Rajat, "promise me you won't judge me until you listen to everything that I say?"

Dev, "OK I promise."

Rajat, "fine then I will tell you. Back when I was 23, I had this crazy crush on a girl from my college. The very first time I had seen her, she had left a very deep impression on my heart. Morning, evening, day & night I used to be lost in her thoughts but she was not aware. I did not have the courage to go & tell her that I liked her so much but then I guess my feelings for her were so strong that the universe communicated this message to her on my behalf. Now she was a very popular personality in our college unlike me, a goofy back bencher lost in his thoughts. One day I got late in leaving from college, some silly project that I had to complete & submit. I was working in the library when I heard footsteps approaching. I looked up & was shocked to see her coming towards me. I looked to my left & to my right there was not a single soul there except me, I thought to myself, she is definitely coming here to talk to me. How right I was, she came & sat right beside me, held my hand & handed over a note & left. I cannot describe how amazing that feeling was, like the best thing ever happened to me from my birth. I somehow completed the project & rushed home, straight headed to my room & jumped on my bed. I opened the note & started reading it: 'I have no clue who you are & why you exist but I have noticed you staring at me in a very creepy manner couple of times. Before this gets any worst for me, I want to put a stop to it. I have a reputation in this college which is because I keep away from the likes of you. I have a boyfriend too, so stop staring & dreaming about me. Keep away.' After reading that, every cell in my body wished death in that moment, it shattered my heart into pieces & God I can never forget how bad it hurt. I crushed that piece of paper in my hand & threw it outside my window & I took an oath to myself, I will never ever fall for this trap called love." (smiling, as he looked at Dev) "how silly & immature I was to think that was love."