Destiny

Since childhood he was given all the liberties and freedoms to enjoy and live life the way he wanted to. He, Rahul, was a bright student and had a quite charming personality and thus uses to be center of attraction among his group. This story of his life is not a one with happy ending but the incident really left great impression on his life.

While in school, Mr. Popular was in relationship with one of his batch mates. He loved her sincerely and trusted her blindly for everything. He uses to say, ‘I trust you with my life sweetheart. Please never break my trust.” But I guess it’s a tradition of the society that we do what we are supposed not to do. His sweetheart betrayed him and his life was lost in the darkest forest he could have ever imagined of. Shattered, ditched he tried to live his dull life for them who loved him unconditionally, his parents.

Being confident that no one is made for him, no one is there whom he can call his own, no one is there to cry, worry or look for him, except few of his own blood relatives, and after losing complete trust on the relation of love, he moved on in life.

Maybe his fate wanted something else from him.

One day Rahul accidently saw a girl, in the same commercial complex his shop was, and thought, ‘I can love again if she will be my girl.’ The thought was stupid and absurd for sure but who knew what would be happening in future. We all are slave of time. But, once betrayed takes many cautions before moving a step ahead. He did the same. Even without knowing her name he patiently waited to know her; he gave time to his feelings before approaching the newly entered beautiful girl. He just figured out that she is a friend of the owner of boutique shop, which was in the corner of the same complex.

“Anju memsab, till when you are going to be here?,” her driver asked her. And a sudden smile covered his face; he knew what her name was. ‘Anju’, he repeated her name several times in his mind.

Next week, all of a sudden she visited Rahul’s shop and asked, “I want to buy an i-pod. My friend asked me to see this shop and look for a guy called Rahul.’

Rahul kept standing there, like a mummy, horrified, terrified, petrified by her. “Excuse me, I am talking to you,” she said and suddenly he came back to his consciousness and held his hand out, “I’m Rahul. How may I help you? And by the way which friends of yours send you here?” He asked as if he didn’t know who might have sent her. She told him about her friend from the boutique shop while shaking hands with him and told him her name was Anjali. He helped her in buying the best i-pod of his shop and at last gave her his business card and gave an old Bollywood movie dialogue, “Feel it like your own shop, visit whenever you want.” A smile was all which she gave before leaving the shop.

His affection for her increased and he thought this is maybe the moment to stretch out his hand again but now for friendship. He started visiting the boutique shop for some accidental meeting with Anjali over there. He even succeeded quite a few times and they started talking to each other quite friendly. He was happy with it but wanted to know more about her.

To come more close to her, he organized his birthday party in the complex, which screwed his past savings, and called her too. Still he wasn’t sure if she will come but to his surprise she showed up with a beautiful bunch of yellow roses. She wished him birthday with a sweet smile on her face, Rahul was flattered. He said with a wink, “I guess we are friends now as I got yellow roses.” She laughed and said, “Yes, of course we are.” 

Closeness increased. They start sharing about their past. They started sharing their everyday life routine with each other. By the way and talks of Rahul, Anjali got to feel that there is some feeling inside him for her.

One day while talking to him she asked, “You like me or what.” He replied positive. He said he liked her even before the day she came to his shop. He said everything about whatever he felt for her, save one important thing, i.e. he didn’t only like her but also was in love with her. Although Anjali wasn’t in any relationship at that moment yet she became serious after listening to all this but didn’t say anything which would break the boy’s heart. So, he still had the hope that one day or the other she can be his girl.

As time passed by, they became best of friends. He was available for every single time she needed a support. A selfless love, he showed.

Anjali’s father, being central government employee, use to get transfer on regular basis from one part of the country to other. He got transferred in a city on the other side of the country and the sprouting love, seemed to have met a deadline.

Contacts were lost between them. He tried calling her cell but it was out of order. There wasn’t any address of where she moved so that he could even write to her. He kept sending mails via internet but didn’t receive any reply from her. The boy thought this was written in his destiny. Not to be loved by anyone, ever in his life. He was sad. Broken completely after all the quality time he spent with Anjali, there was nothing left to be done from him.

He started concentrating on his business, which was falling with the fall in his personal life, and it also helped him in keeping his mind busy. He made quite good rise in business and extended his shop in the same complex. Still I guess he wasn’t completely over her. He went to Anjali’s friend in boutique shop for inviting and tried his last luck by asking her if she had any idea of where Anjali was. As expected, she didn’t has any idea of her where about.

Celebration went nice. Rahul’s parents were very proud of their son and were proudly telling their friends and relatives his success stories.

It was over two months, since Anjali’s dad got transferred. While chatting with a dealer suddenly a new window popped up on the screen of Rahul’s computer with the name Anjali on it. It said, “Hi, u der?” his fingers froze over the keypad and eyes kept still without any natural or artificial move in any part of his body. He replied to ask how she was. They chatted for long. He came to know how it was too difficult for her to settle in a complete new city. She even told him about the illness she got because of the change in water. He listened to every explanation she gave and trusted her for she must be telling the truth. He was happy to get her back. He thanked God for it.

Time passed, they came closer than ever. Once while talking Anjali said to share a truth they haven’t shared yet. She said about some funny incident from past and asked Rahul to say as it was his turn. He tried avoiding the moment. But she forced him repeatedly to say some truth. To her reply he said he loves her and confessed at the same time for not telling her with the reason that he wasn’t sure if she will accept him or not. He asked for the reply and she said she wasn’t sure. He accepted the answer thinking she might not have seen me as a lover ever so it might take time. He said to himself, “I should and must wait”.

He waited. Season changed from monsoon to winter and to next winter. They still were best friends and a one sided love was always there. But he never tried to show it. Even she never particularly said that she love her or even like her in that sense.

It was a really chilling winter night. He wished her night and went to sleep early as he was tired after meeting with a company which was trying to make him the dealer of the city for its product. It would be around three in the morning when his phone rang with Anjali’s name on it. He picked up and heard her sobbing. He asked her the reason to which she just replied, “I miss you.” He was sad listening her crying and was feeling helpless because of the distance between them. He asked her to calm down and kept talking till she was normal and then asked her to sleep. She wished him goodnight and thank you.

After talking he realized why she called me? Why she said she misses me? Does she love me? Or is it some guy who is disturbing her over there?

All these questions arise in his mind all of a sudden altogether. And the answer could be in the way he wanted to interpret the situation. He loved her so didn’t wanted to accept or even think of presence of any other boy. So he thought she might be having some feeling for him and thus was so excited that he literally jumped of his bed but after realizing the cold outside he again slipped into his blanket and slept.

From that night onward his feelings for Anjali reached to its height and he started taking her in his life for sure. He thought finally his fate was in favor as he was going to be with the girl he loved the most. Whatever she would say he started finding her love for him in it. She felt this change in Rahul and was even happy for it. She once said, “I like your way of talking. You are just awesome.” This was enough for Rahul to take him to the dreams of heaven.

Time passes just like that. Her birthday was coming. He asked her what she would like to have for the gift. She said she wanted nothing. He asked her to give her address and told she will be receiving her gift on door. She resisted. In comic mood Rahul said, “Don’t worry, I won’t come.” And to its reply Anjali said, “I would be happier if you would have came. But I don’t want any gift.” He of course was happy listening this but still forced her for her address. She gave him.

On the day of Anjali’s birthday, Rahul woke up early in the morning, said his mom he have a meeting and will return by late night. Left his house and went to the airport. He wanted to give Anjali a surprise visit as her birthday present, after what she told to him that day. Last night she told him her parents were out of the town for some function and thus she was sad because she was going to be all alone on her birthday. This made him bolder to go to her house direct. He reached there. Called her, from the way but she didn’t respond to it. He called again and there wasn’t any response again. Rahul had a plan to keeping talking while entering her house, just like any Bollywood movie superstar, with a bunch of red roses in his hand surprising his love.

But dreams are made to be broken. Wishes are made not to be fulfilled.

At least in the case of Rahul this was like the only truth. He entered through her door with a bunch of flowers in his hand and finds Anjali in completely happily and delighted mood in a boys arm.

He stood stunned, just like a mummy, same as he was when she first met him. They saw Rahul on the door and separated quickly. He kept the flower on a nearby table and moved out without saying a word. 'Was everything a lie? Every single thing she told to me? Was I just a tool of entertainment for her whom she can and she did use anytime she wanted to?' all these thought ran into his mind suddenly. She ran behind him to stop him or to might give some explanation which he would have trusted as he trusted everything she told, but as she reached her gate she saw his car turning around the corner.

I still wonder what impression this incident would have left on Rahul’s mind or what his life would have been after facing it. But one thing he must have learnt from this. Doesn’t matter how much you love someone, how selfless your love is or how much time you give to your love to love you, what happens at the end is what’s written in destiny.

(originally published on my Live Journal Blog.)