Chapter 9- Water- their element of nature

People like us...we don't...need that much...just some..

One last spark...starts a fire...in our bonfire hearts... 

Birds chirping...now sounded like a beautiful song from the sky..

The wind flowing....felt like a soft touch from the sky....

The drizzle drops of rain....filled dry hearts into oceans of love...

A smile dedicated...for the first thought that came...

Was his...and then no more...

Her feelings for this newly found relationship grew only stronger....She smiled and thought "How long am I going to have this for?" But she knew how to blow off that thought....She found happiness...n content... It only seemed like the road that led her further was only for the better...She had nothing more to ask for... nothing more to worry about and his hand she had...forever to hold....

Every morning...every single day.... she walked in late to the classes....He sat there... at his regular place... Made sure he had enough room to look at her while she walked past him and then he stared... A smile they shared... a shyness then swayed...their mere presence always remained... A few texts exchanged... to tell her how beautiful she looked... he never missed one single day... to tell her how she looked....

They wanted one step further... to take their hearts in this together... a place far away from here...where they weren't judged for sitting together...where they could walk knowing they could be themselves.... and their first trip together was planned.... "PONDICHERRY" it was... 

After a few disagreements, a lot of thoughts into spending time together, knowing they weren't sure, did they really need time away? They spoke and discussed, asked and then misjudged.... a series of alternating "yes(s) and no(s)"...there they were.... at the central bus station in a place where no one spoke their language.... Chennai.... absolutely no familiarity yet they smiled with their anxiousness reaching their hearts.... heartbeats loud enough to hear through that raging crowd of people... They got into the bus... "Chennai to Pondicherry".....their journey together had just seen the best beginning....

The water seemed to run along their side... all through their journey... a few coconut trees they passed.... sand as beautiful as the sky above....

She rested her head on his shoulders.... told her through her eyes.... she was happy...she wanted this and she wanted to do it for them... 

His smile reassured... her eyes then closed into a world of her own... she knew this is where she wanted to be.... right beside him... it dint matter where... when and how.... that's where she belonged and that's where she felt right at home... He never failed to give her that comfort.... 

They walked hand in hand.... through the open French colonies.... the white houses and the huge trees were a breath of relief from the hustle bustle of the crowded bus.... the air smelled as fresh as their love for each other and their sight reached this huge body of water.... silent and calm... 

In conversation at the rock beach...

Her- "Its beautiful isn't it?, I haven't seen anything like this ever!" 

Him- (Looking at her)- It is... I haven't seen anything like this either" 

She wasn't sure if he was talking about the beach...but she played along.... 

Her- "I think its time for me to let you know a few things about my life"

Him- "I am here to listen, tell me everything you want"

She spoke for hours together, familiarised him with everything that made an impact on her life...both positive and negative...She spoke about her family, her friends....her not so great experiences....if she had to summarise her entire life in a couple of hours....this was the best that she did...

He smiled through it... held her hand all through... comforted her when she lost her words and spoke for her when she failed to express....

Her-"So that was it, I couldn't have done better!" she laughed 

Him-" You always knew how to talk, but this is the best I've heard and known"

It wasn't long before he gave her a whole look into his life.... this time she din't have to ask him to talk... He was an open book... he spoke about things that mattered...things that shouldn't.... things that matter now and things that will remain.... This was the most she heard him talk...but that dint come to her mind once...she loved being a part of his life...and now that she was given a chance to read the whole story she dint hesitate a bit... 

Their walk back to the hotel was something words will fail to describe....

They both felt the exact same thing... they knew each other even more tonight....

They still felt the same....they were in love...with each other...for the person they were....

The past dint matter....the future held true...all that they wanted...was to be in love with U...

Chapter 8- The flow of feelings into words....

While walking with you under the drizzling sky...
I would close my eyes and think of you...
Would hold your hand and make you shy....
Stay beside and close to you...
While walking with you under the drizzling sky...

I would sing for you like I always do...
Would grip your waist and lift you high...
Feel the falling drops and the settling dew...
While walking with you under the drizzling sky...

I would tell you all that's in my heart...
Would smile and look into your eye...
Stop till then and then we start....
While walking with you under the drizzling sky...

I would take you to a lovely place...
Would wish here that time stopped by...
And then we kiss and we embrace...
While walking with you under the drizzling sky...

I would touch you in a special way...
Would keep all my words and never lie...
Would wanna spend an entire day...
While walking with you under the drizzling sky...

I would talk to days both old and new....
Would tell you that without you I'll die...
Hug you tight baby like I always do...
While walking with you under the drizzling sky...

I would hope one day this dream comes true...
Its just you and hope on which I rely...
For the amount I love you, you have no clue...
To walk with you under the drizzling sky....
                                                                
                                                                      ---Kishlay

Days fly by...when am with you....
They seemed like an eternity...when you flew...
Ever moment... each minute..
Its not just treasured...
But deeply measured....

For that second I saw you...
All I saw was you...
Am still crazy...
All in love...
Years have gone by.... yet its so fresh...

Your touch...your love...
It still holds magic...
Its this one special bond...
This connection holds us strong...

I wanna live this way...forever and ever...
No matter how long I remain...
Don't need a special day...
A special moment to tell you..

Today I have the chance....
I wanna let you know...
That truly madly and deeply...
Am all in love with you....

                                                                ---Neha 

Chapter 7- Their first walk together....

Minutes flew... hours checked...days passed... weeks went by and months came to an end.... 

Friendship seemed to blossom at its best... 

A chapter in life closed.... time taken to heal... support found in friends... smiles found their way back into lives... and one realisation stood as strong as ever... 

"Tough times that don't kill you only make u strong"...

That's exactly what happened to the two main characters in my chapters.... They say going through the same thing at the same time with someone else who can hold your hand all through it even through those difficult times is what works magic... 

Did she believe in magic? do dreams come true or were they called dreams for a reason? After all being hurt is not the best thing to happen to anybody.... it takes time to recover... but when she found someone as amazing as him...she knew what she needed... 

One fine morning... when these thoughts seemed a far off pursuit... she woke up to a bright sunshine... turned away from it as she hated that one moment where her eyes opened to the reality of life.... as hard as it was... something kept her strong that one morning... she smiled...to herself... she learnt to tell herself... "everything will be alright... today will be a great day and I will be able to come back to this warm bed and cozy blanket with this same smile on my lips."

She dint fail to keep up to her words... she found her comfort... she walked with her carelessness yet again... smiled not being afraid of being hurt and knew she would love without having the issues of trust...

It was a spontaneous decision to wake up and see each other... They met at the food court... sat wondering about what could happen... kept thinking about what had already happened... It was the ease and the familiarity that kept them together... strong and forever...

In conversation

Him- "It's a lovely morning, do u want to take a walk?"

Her- not sure if she had the energy....there's one thing she learnt...she never said no to him...so her words immediately followed "Yes, sure"

The beauty of the campus had never gone unnoticed... Little birds always chirped... happiness never seemed their concern... A pleasant breeze of wind touched everyone's heart giving them a message from home...and the path that lead to the various places in the campus remained shaded and guarded.... She never knew she would find peace in walking with someone so quietly...she enjoyed talking...she loved talking.... until today...when she realised the beauty of silence... she now understood the meaning of "reading between the lines" Her numerous thoughts were then brought back to life...

Him- Do u want to sit here for a little while? 

A huge tree protecting a little concrete bench giving it a view of the basket ball court was where he pointed to... 

They sat there... right next to each other... stared into void... and then his eyes met hers...

"R u ok?" he asked... 

"Recovering" she managed a slight smile..

"Cute" he said...

She wasn't sure what he meant... it was his first compliment...

"I love it when you smile" he said.... 

:-) She managed her best yet again.... her usual smile it wasn't... she realised she was looking down when she smiled... new??? was she shy? for the first time in her life??? 

"Thank you" she managed to say between that curve that felt like it ran from one ear to the other... 

"U'll be fine, and so will I" he said... 

She felt an assurance... she knew he would keep to it... she believed every word she heard... she wanted to say how much it all meant to her... but she chose to let it stay in her instead... They started walking back to where they started from... 

Tere muskurane se har jawab mil jaata hai...

Tere sharmane se khwab ban jata hai...

Teri palkein jhuke to sama tham jata hai...

Tere paas aane se ishq cha jaata hai...

                                                              Kishlay

Chapter 6- A reason to smile- in tough times

"Don't cry because it's over, SMILE- because it happened"

One of the most meaningful lines ever written, read and appreciated. Optimism seems a far fetched concept when someone's world is falling apart. It can't necessarily be our world like we thought, but it could mean so much that our world starts revolving around it... When it falls apart, it hurts. It crashes your palace right down to the ground and shatters your hopes in a way that your only solitude is in your tears. 

It takes strength to realise there is a bright end to that dark tunnel where life seems to have taken a long and suffocating pause. Her relationship was falling apart. She gave in all her little strength to keep it going. Why should she let it go when all she wanted was to keep it alive? Why did she have to explain when all she had was trust? Why din't long distance work on trust and faith and not on constant phone calls to check for her every step? Sometimes, no matter how hard she tried she felt like she was dropping straight to the gravitational pull of the ground and there was no climbing back. 

Her smile was lost, her trust was broken and her faith was shattered. Like every other relationship counselling that one gives themselves.... she thought... "Why is it not working?" 

Her answers seemed sealed in bottle somewhere far off in the ocean.... she wasn't going to find it... Life takes a path and she needed to walk that path in order to know why sometimes the best doesn't actually end up to be the best...

She found solace and comfort in her friends... they all had the same little statement to say to her... 

"Do what makes you happy" She said this to herself each minute, reminded her how important it is to be happy. Isn't that why people loved her so much in the first place? She knew how to be happy in her most difficult times... N nothing stopped her even now... 

On the other side of the railway track... where the boys hostel was meant to be kept far off from the land where girls in VIT lived... 

He was almost in the same boat... Lost, miscalculated and misunderstood... 

They say its easy for two people going through the same situation to understand each other completely... that is exactly what they both got... 

They complained, they fought, they discussed and thought

What they clearly understood was...

it wasn't just one...but two in a relationship to blame...

Lost in their respective worlds...

found clarity in each other's words...

Understood what needed to be done... 

was it too late? or did another try be condoned? 

They spoke day in and day out.... They knew exactly what went wrong but also realised how late it was to try to go back to what actually belonged to them... They were too broken but their friendship was nurtured...

They learnt to share and talk about the most difficult things in their life... no matter how difficult it was...they both gained back their smiles... 

Words of God, words of saint
A hollow heart but this feeling remains
Ur touch ur love ur face and that SMILE
Will I even forget them for a while? 
                                                            - Kishlay 

Chapter 5- Short Message Service (SMS)

Walking through the pleasant evening air midst the chattering crowd of students returning to their hostel rooms din't seem to disturb her flow of thoughts... Dinner at the hostel mess was the regular "ghar ka khaana" without the touch of mom's love and affection... Everything looked just fine... She was in her usual chat session with friends... an after dinner walk they liked to term it... girls would do the best to make themselves believe they weren't going to weigh an extra gram when they stood on the scales... this "after dinner walk" was their belief into assuring the same...

The whole world went to rest when her nokia 7610 alerted a text message... She held her excitement and said to herself 

" it was only today morning that he took her number, he wouldn't be this quick to take some action about it"

" Are you going to check whose message that is?" a voice interrupted her thoughts... 

"Ya, obviously i will" she responded

The words on her phone were bold and clear 

KISHLAY- TEXT MESSAGE

"Wow", she thought and then said aloud "that was quick"

Her friend knew exactly what she was talking about...

"So he texted already? That was actually quick, he couldn't sleep one night with your number on his phone"

"Oh, come on" she said "what's the big deal"

A million feelings passed her spine

Excitement and anxiousness seemed to mime

Friends is what she decided to be

Isn't this unnatural for two friends to be?

Her fingers anxiously typed in her 4 digit security key and the text box pop open

HAD DINNER? 

She smiled to herself at his obviousness. This shy guy seemed to be new to the whole concept of texting someone the same day he received their number. He kept it simple, din't give her a single hint yet assured he received a reply. She wasn't going to ignore the punctuation mark that ended his text. 

She was a pro at taking it easy...

she dint want to give in this easy....

she looked at her clock to give her a clue....

when fifteen minutes passed, it would be her cue..

Yes, I ate. What about u? she replied

This is where it all began, this is where technology became her best friend

She thanked people for thinking about communication, for that network that gave her all her freedom

They shared messages everyday after dinner, it was difficult for her to get him to say much. He truly in her real sense was a shy guy. His replies consisted of either yes or no and in usual they were asking her whether she had dinner or finished her assignments. Sometimes he took the courage to ask her what her plans were, very few times he told her what he was about to do. 

Difficult she thought, to be someone's friend who doesn't talk a quarter of the amount that she does. There was something that kept her going, she wasn't ready to give up on something she thought could work. 

She asked him about his life and asked him to be open. She knew it wouldn't come easy so comforted him her trust. She told him all she could about her life, shared her experiences and time. It wasn't very long before he came up and then they found no end.

Texting each other became their life, sharing everyday issues were at its prime...

They laughed and cried, realised the need for a friend who tried...

They were sailing on the same boat when it came to their present....

They felt like they would drown...n that it would all become a lesson... 

They spoke when they felt low, they easily knew how to lift each other's mood. Making sure each one of them was smiling was their aim, they grew close and promised to remain... They knew they would be great friends... and that's the term that always remained...

Chapter 4- FRIENDS??? FOREVER?

There was just one thought that crossed her mind... once...twice...thrice... n then repeated itself... more than she could want...She knew what she wanted to do... She knew her heart wanted her to just tell him what those 10 digits were... But when certain boundaries need to be made...both the heart and the mind start to contemplate....

Decision making was her skill... She always knew what she wanted and she always got what she wanted... She was never unsure of anything she did, say or believe.... Then why was this seeming like the most important decision of her life? Giving him her number dint mean she was cheating...did it??? Her mind gave her a brilliant idea... atleast it seemed brilliant at that point of time...
Ask someone who knows him. They would tell her if she could trust him with her number!
Oh my God!! Why was it such a big deal? Wasn't it just a phone number. The thought confused her. Was she making a mountain out of a mole? Was it even as significant as a mole?
Out of nowhere... Mehak appeared... angel in disguise? She looked like an angel for sure...
"Perfect" she thought.
Mehak was the one girl who she saw this shy guy talking to on the very first day... They must definitely know each other...

Why was she still addressing him as "shy guy", she knew his name now... Well, she knew about it right from the start... she just preferred, moreover loved addressing him as someone she instantly recognized him as... That's one thing that she was great at.. making first impressions about people and holding it true for as long as she could...

In conversation with Mehak

Neha- Hey! U won't believe it, but you are just the person I needed to see and talk to!
Mehak- Really? What happened?
Neha- Well, its not that big a deal but you know that guy Kishlay right?
Mehak- Oh yes! Nice chap!

A sigh of relief, Neha thought. She dint sense any negativity in Mehak's tone and knew the answer to her question instantly.

Neha- So, he asked me for my number. I wasn't sure if its ok.  I mean I dint know if I can trust him with it so...
Mehak- Well, you don't have to worry at all. He is a really nice guy. I've known him for three years.
Neha- Great! I was just unsure.
Mehak- By the way, he has a girlfriend.
Neha- Sure.

So they both had their own relationships to take care of.

Her first thought the moment Mehak left

People in relationships are allowed to have friends, aren't they?

"Well, we will be friends" she thought...

Her doubt, her unsurity and her anticipation were all over at the same time.

Before entering the classes the next day she saw him outside the class.

Hey! she said, you said you wanted my number right? Here it is. Feed it in your phone and give me a missed call so I can save yours.
He took a black flip motorola out of his pocket and typed in those ten digits.
Thanks, he said and smiled.

Chapter 3- "Reality" check

The shaded path to the classes now stood like her mode of support to lead her to that room, it gave her comfort to know that the scorching sun wouldn't be able to kill her even if he wanted to... The warmth in the air kept growing stronger each day...But when she had that little gush of wind against her hair.. she felt no despair..

Settling in just felt truly right..

Going through the same charade every day felt light...

Parasites din't disturb her thoughts of feeling good....

Lectures din't demotivate her from any good... 

Everything is now like she wanted college to be...

Every person she met fit in perfectly like they were meant to be....

She learnt to smile at this "shy guy" she thought she hated...

He smiled back at her... each time... like he really meant it... 

A few glances of friendliness passed each day...

Sometimes a hello just found its way...

The month of August went by, like it had no reason to just stand by...

She was now feeling like she had heard the best news ever.... She was given a room where all her friends hovered... 

She called and called till her balance was exhausted... The first call she made...

"Mummy, guess what???!!!!" Those exclamation marks will never justify how excited she was... 

She finally got to move into a block where her friends stayed, a single bedded A/C room. That's all she wanted! That's all her poor mom fought for when she came to drop her daughter into an unknown world of terror. These little things made her so happy that she din't realise... she was about to be given a gift... A gift every girl asks for, dreams about and lives for... She just needed to wait to watch that this dreaded place was going to become her dream... This warmth in the air would give her what she always wanted... It wouldn't be long before she got it all... she just needed to be patient just like the readers (That's you all :-) )

Another regular day she thought...

Teacher's day... One celebration every student seemed totally excited about... not for the teacher's of course... but for the holiday you would invariably get... It might not be a general outlook but a personal opinion that is felt...

The classes seemed more lively, the moment every lecturer entered the room, 60 of them stood... like a bunch of excited teenagers... "HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY" and then clapped for no apparent reason... clapped until the lecturers knew they had nothing else to say except a polite "Thank you"

The class wasn't done yet... the 60 of them, again.

Kept screaming till they were heard, loud and clear "NO CLASS". The teacher's din't really have much of a choice other than to agree to the student's demand..But wasn't it teacher's day? Aren't things supposed to happen the way a teacher wants it to? (Who are we kidding? We won't let that happen!)

Since, things were actually going their way, they decided to make the teacher's happy. Someone suggested we show off our talents... Dance? Sing? Mimic someone?? Cliche' yet entertaining.. 

Some songs made her snuggle under the tables so she could laugh, some songs touched their heart, some took the stage like a superstar but no one could do what he did... 

After a lot of pressure from the class, this shy guy made his appearance

He stood with his hands folded..stared at the floor like that's where he could look and after almost a minute of anticipation... he sang :-) 

"Oh Sanam, Mohabbat ki kasam" by Lucky Ali

Slight smiles in between, shyness reached its extreme

He sang to win everyone's heart...

He smiled and believed in his own heart... 

Every word in the song made sense...

Magical was his voice...that made the experience intense...

The moment he finished, she clapped, she beamed with her best smile and the entire class followed. She cheered him to make him feel confident, he looked at her and smiled to convey his thanks... 

She wasn't someone who kept quiet after she heard something so good...

"So, you are a singer huh? Great voice, lovely song"

"Thank you"

And the end to a teacher's day! 

Microbiology labs gave her a feel of what she was getting into with this course...That sweet yet unbearable smell from the bacterial cultures, that pressure cooker serving them as an autoclave that was never available... She always enjoyed her practical classes.... there was so much to do and no boring lecturer to listen to... streaking bacteria on a petri plate.... isolating cultures and giving them their right place... 

A voice then distracted her... from her regular chores... she turned to look and then there was this music flow... 

"I never really got a chance to introduce myself properly, Hello"

(Did he say hello??? So he knows how to start a conversation, she was excited but held herself back)

"Hi! I am Neha, Neha Singh, the girl from OU! "

(His smile was then the broadest of smiles she had seen, cute but she wasn't here to be fooled by it)

"I am Kishlay, I think u know that from all the introduction sessions in the classes."

(She clearly remembered each time she heard that name in the classes, it was so unique! she had never heard that name before, obviously she remembered but girls love playing hard to get)

"Oh! ya I must have heard of it"

(He knew she noticed but knew she had someone so din't push it)

"Can I get your phone number?" 

(She wasn't sure, so she blurted what came to her lips first)

"I don't remember my number, just took a new sim. Can I give it to you tomorrow?"

(He looked a little disappointed, probably cursing himself for being too open after giving her those shy smiles)

"No problem" he said

Last set of smiles for the day were exchanged....

Anxiety reached its peak...

Excitement simply beamed...

Thoughts ran day in and day out....

She knew she needed someone to talk...

What was she going to say? Why did she even pretend she din't know her own number? No one is that stupid yet he smiled like he believed it. Too many thoughts to process for a day....

She went to bed... thinking whatever happens...it's gonna be another new day...