“One’s past memories are stored in man’s mind, subject to endless revision.”
Somehow it’s a universal law that we miss most the people we love, but memories always bring incidents and situations back to us. We, however, have beautiful gardens where we plant these memories to rewind and replay and smile at. Now who said these 15 words, I have no idea. Success should not be intentionally delayed but should always be sought after. Success should be the need, provided you achieve that with honesty and uprightness.
I sit in my hostel room watching it rain, a soft shower pampering a tired earth… And a few pages flip backwards and an invisible rewind, replay button pressed takes me back to a memory-“Once upon a time”, a long time ago to another rainy evening. I don’t know how to describe that evening, but I know for sure…it was beautiful and so was she. My second year in college, I met her for the first time. A tom boy, that was her….nothing like love at first sight happened, not even close to it, a very nondescript meeting. Our common friend introduced us to each other.
Over the next few days, it was very clear that she liked me and we used to talk endlessly over the phone, text till we ran out of topics, and still not comfortable to meet in person. Within a month, still unsure of our equation, I asked her out and my proposal was accepted.
It was our first date and she was in Coffee Day near our college, waiting for me. She seemed tired of waiting but the joy shown on her face when I stepped in. Her eyes lit up and I noticed that her eyes were tired yet warm and understanding. She made me smile.
There was something completely different about her, something endearing. I watched her quietly, observing her, smiling at the fact that she was a little uncomfortable. We talked about nothing…sweet, little nothings. I could gather she was not very comfortable with me because of her height and I was towering over her!! When I moved my chair closer, she flinched from the closeness, apprehensive of the intimacy, talking things I had never heard my other girl friends talk about.
We left after I made her pay the bill, because I was broke. As we walked back, it started to drizzle and the cold gave her skin goose-flesh. I gave her a tight squeeze… and she smiled…that smile I realised was special…it was only for me. We walked the lonely stretch of the road for a while…getting slightly wet in the rain.
I watched her tremble slightly in the cold, breathing heavily, and in a slightly quivering voice…whispered to me those three magical words “I love you”. There was an amount of truth in the voice and I believed her right away, bent down… She stood transfixed for a moment, taken aback by my gesture. I extended my hand and she quickly grabbed it, gave it a small squeeze. As we walked back, I realised I didn’t feel the cold at all. I fell in love with her… I really liked her… The day ended with a goodbye… it seemed very short yet very complete.
It has been four years since that day…every now and then, every time I extend my hand, she has grasped it reassuringly… to celebrate what we share -the love we have…as a reminder of what we give each other.
About the Author: This short story was written by Manu Mohan P. He is an alumnus of ICICI Manipal Academy.
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