Easier

Chapter 3

"Gayatri I want you to read this" Syed said, handing her a folded piece of paper.
She felt disquieted as she fumbled with it. She unwrapped it slowly, one fold at a time. She could say it was hastily written, and she had a hard time reading it but when she managed, it read-
"Look at the camera and say cheese."
But before she could ask Syed about what it meant she felt a kiss on her cheek, Syed held his phone up high clicking a selfie with her.
"This will be an evening to remember" he said, beaming at her.
"OK this is too much now, tell me why are we here? There is nothing around, what did you want to show me?"
"Remember the time we went by that bridge?"
Gayatri observed as the look at Syed's face changed. She had seen that look before, intense, fervent, fuming yet calm and serene.
She recalled the time when Syed had talked her to agree, to bungee jump with him.
She had never been so frightened, but she knew doing this with him would mean a lot to him.
"I don't think I can do this"
Syed looked deep into Gayatri's eyes, deep, into her very soul.
"Do you trust me?"
The thousand questions that resonated in her mind faded away. The qualm on her face was gone. She said nothing.
"Close your eyes Gayatri."
And she did. She could feel his hands manoeuvring over her body as he tightened the straps around her. He pecked on her cheeks and said, "I am with you Gayatri".
Before she could say, "I know" she felt a strong push, in a wink she felt ethereal. Her heart raced, she could feel the adrenalin scurrying through her body. She couldn't hold it any longer she took a deep breath and screamed like she never did before.
"Syed"
"Hey Gayatri" Syed said snapping her off her reverie, "Remember the surprise you planned for me last month?"
"Which one?"
"The one in which you blindfolded me and took me to this open space"
"Hahaha yea you seemed so confused when I removed the blindfold and gave you that neem sapling. "
"We planted that sapling, we did it together didn't we? Now close your eyes Gayatri."
"What!? Why? What's the matter with you can't you just tell me already?"
"No"
"Syed no"
"Gayatri trust me it will be worth it"
Syed blind folded Gayatri and got her off the car, and they took a few steps together.
"Gayatri, take your blindfold off"
An empty piece of land lied ahead but before she could turn around and ask she heard him say, "Gayatri"
She turned around and there here was on his knee holding a Basil sapling.
"Growing up I had a picture of what I would be when I get older, things are different now, things changed the moment I met you, you made me a better person, you taught me how to love, you taught me that the true essence of love, gave me a reason to strive, to struggle, to persevere, you completed me Gayatri. Yes, moving forward now may seem uncertain, but there is only one thing I am certain of, you are the only one I want to walk with. I took my step forward to be with you, this is place you see here, it belongs to us now, for our house, my parents wouldn't have had agreed otherwise, I know this seems impossible right now, but I want you to start anew with me, I want you to plant this with me. With you, I know my life would be easier"
Fear bit Gayatri, she gazed at him intently but said nothing.
"I know you are afraid"
Gayatri stood there, paralyzed,
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes" she whispered bursting into tears. Taking the sapling from his hand she hugged him and said slowly, "I am with you Syed"