The Chemical formula behind her smile.

A Story by The ArK

A story about my first crush!

When was that? I don't remember! I thought of making a memo on my phone. But unfortunately, I didn't have one then! And about the pen and paper thing (it was before technology started to spoil me!), honestly, I forgot my intention much before I got a chance to lay my hands on a pen.

I think it was March, and too hot. Approximately 2 years back. The day we last met... The atmosphere was festive. Which festival was going on...? The closing ceremony of higher secondary education... it was March, you could've easily guessed. My friends were spoiling my light blue shirt with their autographs. The No.3 school bus, the one with which I spend 2 hours of my 24 hours for 2 years (that is a large no.of hour I guess! Oh I hate that bus! ), honked its horn like a train about to depart. The last day of the school... who would give up a long walk with friends for a 1-hour journey in that vehicle made from junkyard materials? A final horn (unusually loud!), and I saw the wheels start rolling. Then due to some unexplained forces, I happened to look up through the window just to meet her gaze! It lasted only a few microseconds.. but it was a gaze...! I don't know why I'm so sure she was looking at me... there was a hell lot of people around me. But I'm still positive about the gaze (don't ask me why). I felt there was something hidden beneath those eyes. And it would take ages to decipher. But she didn't even give me a second's time to think. Even before I could think of a method to decipher, she moved her gaze to some other s**t but me. What was there to watch? The long row of rubber trees? Or the cloudless clear sky? is it something worth watching? At least at that moment of life? Whatever, that pair of beautiful eyes never looked back. I waited, as the bus started moving... as it started to slide away from my eyesight, hoping to see the spark in those eyes again. But she kept her head at 60 degrees and sat there on the window seat like a statue of a Roman goddess. At least for a moment, I thought I could drop the idea of the long walk I mentioned before. But it was too late. That goddamn yellow bus almost merged with the greenery of the rubber trees. I watched until the last shade of yellow disappeared!

* * * *

Today I opened that black painted iron gate hoping to see that spark again. Two years would've changed her a lot, but I believed I could find that familiar flash in her eyes once again. I tried my best not to make a sound while opening the gate. But the bolt was too noisy and my hands were too excited also! I couldn't help it. After a successful noisy attempt to open the gate, as I entered her property, I saw a pair of eyes staring at me. The familiar pair of eyes, behind a window pane this time. I couldn't quite catch the power of that gaze because the glass reflected the coconut trees behind me. Just like the last time, the gaze only lasted a fraction of a second- those eyes disappeared behind the blue coloured curtain.

I didn't wait too long to get that door open, but I felt like it did. Maybe it was the excitement, the adrenaline working on me slowed down my time. Otherwise I should've been moving at a speed closer to that of light. However, after that wait (how long? It's relative!) when she opened the door I knew I was wrong... Wrong about my first assumption I mean. The spark on those eyes... I couldn't find it there. That beautiful pair of eyes I admired madly has become strikingly ordinary! The shape of her face as a whole has changed. I was too embarrassed by the changes so that I failed to remember how her face looked like 2 years ago! She lost her long straight thick black hair too. I still remember that wavy hair she has and that little purple coloured flower she used to wear. I could see a traditional Indian women every time I looked at her except this time, and probably everytime from now onward. Was she trying to be modern? The other one suits her the best I believe. I wanted to ask her about it but failed to mention it. Her sound has changed too. In fact I rarely had chance to listen to her sound but today I heard something different- different from her chirping-like sound I'm familiar with. A sound made harsh over time! And the black mole, the most noticeable thing on her face. The funny thing is that I failed to notice it! Maybe I could've found it if I spend a few seconds scanning every corner of her face. But that doesn't make it the most noticeable feature on her face. This was more than I imagined! What time did to her was unforgivable!

It took me some time to find out something that hasn't changed much. And when I found that out, I was very glad. Because it was her charming smile that hasn't changed a bit. The same smile which I believed has a power to make my day brighter. Does her smile codes a chemical formula still unknown to scientists! I doubt it does. That heavenly smile was the only thing which remained, which resembled the face I saw two years back on a hot March afternoon.

The conversation did go well. Mostly about our new life, new friends and the study load (forgive me). She's learned to talk- I noticed. Now, that's a positive change!

When I walked back to the gate, I didn't felt disappointed. May be she's changed a lot, time might've looted the beauty from her, but that doesn't change who she is...

She is still the owner of that mesmerising smile which inspires me to write...

© 2018 The ArK

Author's Note

This is a sequel to a story I've written before, named 'Why do I hate Chemistry?'.
It was published on Amazon Kindle. Please check it out. :-)

link:
https://www.amazon.in/Why-do-I-hate-Chemistry-ebook/dp/B07CG5617F/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526047451&sr=8-1&keywords=why+do+i+hate+chemistry

My Review

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Featured Review

barleygirl

This seems to be different from anything I’ve read of yours so far. I like the change. It’s more uninhibited & conversational. Some people try to do conversational, interjecting asides into a piece, as if you’re questioning the reader or showing your honest exasperation, etc. But many times this does not work (distracting, instead of enhancing). I’m happy to say it works well in your piece, tho. Your conversational asides sound realistic, not forced, & you don’t overdo it. I feel your use of profane language in the first part sounds forced. You, as a personality coming thru to us, sound like a very nice & caring person & the swearing doesn’t belong in this story, an affectionate case of admiring another person. I have nothing against swearing, but it just sounds out of place here. This is too sweet of a story.

Here’s my big gripe. You are revealing what a superficial person you are in this story. That’s OK, if that’s what you want to do. Many guys are this way. You spend a long paragraph or two explaining what a letdown it was to see how this woman had changed PHYSICALLY in 2 years (come on! How much can a person change in only 2 years! You should see how it is to meet someone after 20 years!) . . . but you only spend one measly line, like an afterthought tacked onto the end of your story, to say that her looks don’t change who she is as a person. So you’re showing us that most of what you care about is physical. That’s pretty sad. But if it’s truthful, then so be it. Many people are that superficial.

I saw a guy for the first time again, when we were in our 50’s (& I had had a crush on him when we were in our 20’s – he was so gorgeous back then!) I was shocked, in the same way as in your story, at how he looked. But even more so, I was shocked at how stodgy he had become as a personality. He lost his fun, kidding, upbeat ways. He was so serious & judgmental, it caused him to seem much older than he was. I think your story could be vastly improved if you included more about whatever you might’ve shared with this person in conversation? It’s OK to be shocked by a person’s appearance, but in your story, that’s the only thing you spend a great amount of time sharing with us. You barely mention her as a human being with a personality & a spirit. It doesn’t even sound like you took the time to ask her anything or find out anything about her. It sounds like you’re guessing about the part where you say time doesn’t change who she is. Pardon me for going on & on about this. Your writing & your storytelling are very appealing & compelling, so I don’t want you to come off like a shallow jerk. Thanks for understanding my honesty (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

Posted 5 Years Ago

Here’s my big gripe. You are revealing what a superficial person you are in this story. That’s OK, if that’s what you want to do. Many guys are this way. You spend a long paragraph or two explaining what a letdown it was to see how this woman had changed PHYSICALLY in 2 years (come on! How much can a person change in only 2 years! You should see how it is to meet someone after 20 years!) . . . but you only spend one measly line, like an afterthought tacked onto the end of your story, to say that her looks don’t change who she is as a person. So you’re showing us that most of what you care about is physical. That’s pretty sad. But if it’s truthful, then so be it. Many people are that superficial.

I saw a guy for the first time again, when we were in our 50’s (& I had had a crush on him when we were in our 20’s – he was so gorgeous back then!) I was shocked, in the same way as in your story, at how he looked. But even more so, I was shocked at how stodgy he had become as a personality. He lost his fun, kidding, upbeat ways. He was so serious & judgmental, it caused him to seem much older than he was. I think your story could be vastly improved if you included more about whatever you might’ve shared with this person in conversation? It’s OK to be shocked by a person’s appearance, but in your story, that’s the only thing you spend a great amount of time sharing with us. You barely mention her as a human being with a personality & a spirit. It doesn’t even sound like you took the time to ask her anything or find out anything about her. It sounds like you’re guessing about the part where you say time doesn’t change who she is. Pardon me for going on & on about this. Your writing & your storytelling are very appealing & compelling, so I don’t want you to come off like a shallow jerk. Thanks for understanding my honesty (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

Rating /100