Memories of HER
March 8th 2000: I am doing my tenth standard. The HSC exams are hardly weeks away, my revision exams are going on. Mom informs me that my mama’s grahapravesham (House Warming Ceremony) is on March 9th and that I have to come. I take the bus and travel to my hometown after a gap of 6 long years. Upon reaching the place, I am surrounded by my relatives remarking that they’re pleased to see me after so many years. Amongst all of them, my eyes fall on this beautiful lady who captures my imagination, a shy, but charming girl. I speak with her for just 2 hours and fall in love.
April 2002: I haven’t seen her for two years. Once again, I visit my hometown to attend a function. This time around, she’s there. I try umpteen times to gain her attention, but to no avail. I, along with she and her cousins, go to a telugu movie. While other people are watching the movie, I keep watching her face. She looked so beautiful that day. And I guess she also exchanged some glances. After 5 not-so-eventful days, I leave my hometown hoping to have better luck the next time around.
May 2003: I have completed my first year in college. It’s the summer vacation and I visit my hometown yet again. The first thing, I do on arriving is locate her. I see her sitting in the balcony. With a NIIT course book in hand, I go to her, pretending to read the book. I strike a casual conversation with her. She is amused!
Two days pass, I hardly seem to make an impression. When I am just about to give up, one fine evening, she calls me. I ask her if she is indeed calling me, she nods her head and asks me to sit near her. I comply. We spent two and half hours speaking with each other. Ah! 150 minutes in heaven. I leave the hometown after 2 days with fond memories of her. I have a doubt that she got a hint of my feelings for her.
February 28th, 2005: I am doing my final year at college. Haven’t seen her in years, out of desperation, I send a happy birthday mail to her via her cousin’s mail ID. To my surprise, she responds back. I start mailing her frequently. She gets suspicious and then one fine day, I break the ice proposing to her online. She immediately rejects my advances and says she wants to be just my friend. I just continue mailing her about general matters. The Online Relationship just goes on…….
September 21st 2007: It’s been two years since I started working. Life seems to be pretty beautiful. I am a part of the company’s rowing team. The rowing tournament is just weeks away. I take a few days off to go to my hometown just to see HER. But this time around, she is rather quiet. I suspect that she made a deliberate attempt to avoid me for known reasons. But in between, she does speak a para or two, much to my delight.
April 5th 2008: For the first time, I visit her place. I am very much excited at the fact that I will now get a lot of time to speak with her. For once, I prove to be right. She spends a considerable amount of time with me. We visit her sister’s house where we spend time cleaning it together. We also visit a famous temple and of course, a restaurant at an exotic place. I buy her a chocolate ice cream. I can still remember her munching through the ice cream with relish. “What’s running through her mind, does she like me?”, I ask myself.
But the answers are hard to come by.
May 12th 2009: Just a month after I visited her place, I see her again, but not at my hometown. We are attending yet another family function. She starts showing off her popularity. Nearly everybody adores her. Many relatives ask her mom for her horoscope. Many admire her beauty and compliment her. I just sit and wonder whether she would ever come and share a few words with me. Sigh!! That never happens. After all, beauty comes along with a bit of arrogance, doesn’t it?
She has been playing a hide-and-seek game for years now. I understand that she has every reason to reject my proposal, but for some reason, I feel she likes me. I am sure she does. Time and again, I am placed in a moral dilemma on whether to quit vying for her love or not. Guess only time will answer. I pray to god to answer my queries. Will I get her love or not?
Hope the answer is a big YES.