Reunion of love

A Story by Pratik

This is a story of pratik and kanchi, ex-college-mates. They were in love before. But fate played a game and they got separated. But after 4 years of the college farewell, they are seeing each other!

REUNION OF LOVE

It was still dawn when I stepped out of the cab and walked towards the entry gate of Delhi airport. The early morning February air was pleasantly cold.

I was travelling to Bengaluru to attend a college friend’s wedding. It had been four years since we graduated from the same college. This wedding was also going to be a reunion of our batch-mates. But what I didn’t know was that the reunion would begin much ahead of time; right in the queue in front of the airline counter.

I was almost sure it was she. Same height! Same long hair! Same complexion! Curiosity had my eyes glued on her. And then about 60-odd seconds later, when she turned, she proved me right. My ex-girlfriend stood 2 places ahead of me in that queue. We had never met after college farewell.

Kanchi’s eyes widened, and so was mine. My heartbeats multiplied 2 times than normal. I wanted to run to her and hug her tight. But my feet felt too heavy to move. It felt as if somebody had put loads of lead into them. I was still in love with her. I was still unmarried. And being selfish, every night since 4 years I had wished for me the same.

"Excuse me." I heard from my back. An old lady made me leave that state. I realized that people in front of me had moved forward. I took 2 steps, my eyes still glued on her. While moving forward "Hey.. Pratik, right?" Kanchi asked with the world's best smile. I looked down as my eyes became watery. My ears had been craving to hear my name in that voice. And the lost moisture of my eyes had come back with that smile.

I took a look at my right as I recognized her touch. "How are you?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. I just nodded my head. It had been 1461 days since our last meeting. But it felt as if we had never separated. She looked as beautiful as at our first meet. Those lovely blue eyes! That glossy wrinkle-less lips! That beautiful strand of hair hanging upon her forehead brought up all the best memories of my life. While she slept upon my lap, I used to play with it, tickle her cute nose with it, create my moustache and tug it behind her ear.

"So? Bengaluru?" She asked. "Yes. Where are you these days?" I posed her, expecting Delhi. "Delhi. I have been married here." She smiled, giving me the hardest blow of my life. The expected had happened! I felt turmoil inside my stomach and a drop of tear rolled down my eye. She looked to be shocked over my condition. Her shuddered eyes rotated over my face. As soon as her hand made an attempt to clear the drop, I shook my head and moved back.

I kept flipping the pages of Forbes magazine. She again glanced back at me. And I again pretended as if I didn't notice her. We were flying meters above the ground. Her seat stood 6 steps ahead of me. Actually I wanted to keep looking at my angel, for since 4 years my eyes had been craving for her sight. But upon my past reaction I was emotionally stirred and physically embarrassed. I mean, how could I expect her to remain unmarried? How could I expect her to love me when it was I who had asked to forget everything?

"Excuse me sir, that ma'am is calling you." I noticed an air hostess. I took a look at kanchi's face. "May I come over there?" She pointed to a seat next to me. I nodded. Before I could request that uncle, he stood up to exchange his position.

"Chocolates" I offered her. Those lovely eyes were trying to look confused. But I was damn sure she had understood everything. She took one toffee. "Are you in Delhi too?" She asked. "Yes." I answered, avoiding any counter question. "Do you still.." She said in a hesitating voice. I didn't want to answer her so I changed the subject "Do you know our Alok is doing love marriage? The man who was too shy to even talk with a girl has proposed one!" I laughed alone. "We too could have..." Now she shocked me. I looked at her, noticing her watery eyes. And within seconds she buried her face in my shoulder and started crying. Being trembled by her words and actions, I froze. I gazed my surroundings to check whether someone was seeing us. 'What was in her mind? Did she love me? Did she realize her mistake? Or was she in crises?' So many mystifications darted my mind. She unburied her face "I still love you Pratik. How could you say that to me? I could not forget you. I.." She chocked, her face completely occupied with tears. That painful water in her eyes wrenched my heart. I wiped it and hugged her. But deep down I was actually confused over my heart’s reaction over her statement. Despite of 6 eyes on us, I didn't leave her. My heart was overwhelmed. I mentally wished God to freeze me in that state for the rest of my life. Tears sprouted into my eyes as I remembered our last day at college. She was in my arms the same way as she was right now. And after that my life had become a complete mess.

As soon as we stepped in "Hey guys, Pratik and kanchi has come." Ayushi almost screamed. Chirag, Rishi, Bharat, Saurabh, gunjan and shruti all together threw excited glances at us. I ran towards my boys for a group hug. And shruti embraced her best friend, Kanchi. Our plane had landed an hour ago. And finally we had reached the ceremonial place.

"Why didn't you invite us at your marriage b*****d?" Chirag scolded me. "What? I am unmarried man!" I shrugged. "Oho. We can see the 22 carat mangal-sutra over bhabi's neck." Saurabh said and everyone except Shruti burst into laughter. Kanchi and I fell silent. "Our college's best couple- Kanchi and Pratik!" Ayushi pinched Kanchi's cheek. Kanchi exchanged a glance with me and looked down. "Guys, she is married, not me." I said in a serious but calm tone. "That's a 5th standard boy's prank, idiot." They continued laughing. I didn't join and they sensed me. A wave of confusion and guilt went past them. Silence. After 5 minutes "So, how's life Rishi? In which company are you?" I intentionally broke the ice. "Infosys." He said, giving a wry smile. “Sorry man. You know we all became too busy in our life that.." I gave an understanding nod. “Let's go guys. Ceremony is going to start in half an hour." Shruti said, avoiding any eye contact. I guess being Kanchi's best friend she already knew about this.

We sat in the second row. Rishi was on my right and Shruti on left. Kanchi was sitting on the left of shruti. Alok and his fiance were on the stage. Around the wedding couple, four pillars were supporting a beautifully carved dome shaped roof. Pillars were adorned with marigold, lilies and roses. Proceedings were going on. A fresh smell of flowers was reverberating with the breeze.

I wanted to talk with Kanchi. I wanted to know what was in her mind. I wanted to know everything that happened in her life after the farewell. However, because of Shruti I couldn't. I took a glimpse at her for the 3rd time. And Shruti sensed my intention. Shruti was never a girl who would make fuss of anything. Rather, she was the most understanding and intelligent woman I had ever met. She made an excuse and quietly went away.

Kanchi took a look at me through corner of her eye. "Everything that you told in the plane.." I stopped, sensing that she turned uncomfortable. After few seconds she gestured me to follow her, and left. I gazed my surroundings for checking any eyes upon us. Rishi's eyes were fixed on the stage and everybody else was chatting. It was safe and so I walked towards her.

I found Shruti too on the terrace. Sensing my confused look she said "It was me who had asked Kanchi to take you up. And chill, I know everything, including her past life and your delhi-banglore journey too." Women cannot keep anything up to them. "When you left me I was devastated. My life had changed in a snap. Never in my wildest nightmare I have had thought like this. I needed someone to share my pain with. And since then she was the ultimate support for me. I would have died if Shruti wasn't there." I was studying the floor in an awkward state. "If you really... Then why did you marry Kanchi?" I asked. "She waited 2 years with a hope of contacting you. You had flown to Germany and never even tried to get in touch. Our Indian society cannot permit one to wait for a lifetime Pratik!" Shruti said in anger. I kept silent. Besides for M.tech, there was a big reason for my leaving. In the farewell party I had heard Niraj and Kanchi making future plans. Niraj was our ex-classmate and a childhood friend of my girlfriend.

"Kanchi you are married to Niraj, right?" I asked, almost sure she had. Shruti squint her eyes. Kanchi shook her head. "Kanchi Suresh Yadav - her full name." Shruti said. "How come Niraj?" Kanchi asked, her face in confusion. "You loved him no?" I posed only to hear a freaked "What?" from both of them. "What are you saying Pratik? Are you conscious?" Shruti asked me. "You owe me a truth Kanchi. At the end of farewell, weren't you and Niraj discussing about your marriage plans? I had clearly heard Niraj saying - We will be the first to marry.'" I posed. Kanchi’s lips started shivering and she eventually broke into tears. "Niraj and me? We were only friends Pratik. You know that. I don't properly remember that day, but you took a wrong.." I interrupted "No, I did not. How can I ever forget those heartbreaking words? At least don't lie to me now." I said, my heart wrenching with each passing word, “Kanchi my soul reason to leave India was you. I was so broken that I wanted to end my life. But I had to live, live for my family. Therefore going to Germany was the only option left. I didn’t contact you and there were 2 reasons for that �" first, I wanted to forget you. And second, I wanted you to be completely happy, without my interruptions. I loved you enough to let you go. But you..” I stopped as I heard somebody’s steps climbing the stairs. I wiped my tears and turned around. Niraj! “I had messaged him to come up.” Shruti said, “Before 15 minutes he had arrived at the ceremonial place.” “What’s the matter?” he asked, his gaze shifting alternately on all of us.

“Oh God, Pratik!” he exclaimed after hearing our past discussion via shruti. “I remember my verbatim was the same you told. But Pratik, it was not what you thought. In ‘we will be the first to marry’, ‘we’, had not meant with each other. ‘We’ was for ‘we 2 couples’. I mean, you and Kanchi; and me and my snehal. Snehal is my ex-girlfriend and current wife. You understood?” Sweat beads popped out on my forehead. My heart started pounding. I sensed my neck became hot as I rested my hand over it. The biggest mistake of my life! I fell silent. No words came out. I studied the floor. Drops of tears were falling on my toes.

“At least you should have spoken with me or her.” He said. “Bro, I.. I thought she would say me to forget her. I could not have dealt with those 2 words. So I had myself asked her to forget me. I just wanted her to be happy, with me or with you didn’t matter.” “But do you think she is happy now?” Shruti said, “She has been married before 2 years. She tried every way to fall in love with her husband but couldn’t. Kanchi’s in-laws family is forcing her to give them that good news. But she is disappointing them. Neither is she able to state them the reason. What would she say? I have married you Suresh, but I love a man who had asked me to forget him!” I could not look into anybody’s eyes. I shouldn’t have drawn conclusions without complete evidences. I could have asked her. I should have called her. A lot of ‘could haves’ and ‘should haves’ darted my mind. I felt so shameful that I wanted to jump out from that terrace. I took a look at Kanchi. Her innocent face was wet with painful tears. Sorry was a very small word for the sin that I had committed.

About 10 minutes later Shruti asked “If God appears in front of you and asks one wish in life, what it will be?” “To get me 4 years back so that I could be with her.” I answered the truth. “Kanchi, you?” “Peace of mind.” She said. Shruti held Kanchi’s face in her hands “You can get it only if.. only if you marry Pratik.” Kanchi hugged her and sobbed. “I am already married Shruti. I am..” While rubbing her back Shruti said “But you are not happy Kanchi. And because of that your husband, your own family, your in-laws, everybody is suffering.” She cried more saying “I can’t cheat Suresh.” “He is indirectly getting cheated kanchu. One can’t love both persons at a time. A husband and his family needs love, not sympathy. Believe me, you will just free him, won’t cheat him. Without even talking to Pratik, a long period of 4 years failed to make you forget him. And now when you know that he too loves you, will you be able to get over him? Don’t you think that will affect your married life?” “But… what shall I say to my husband, my family, his family? What about the society, ethics?” Niraj tapped her head “Say the truth Kanchi. It wasn’t your fault. They will take time but will eventually understand. And society, ethics aren’t bigger than oneself and one’s family. If you think about the society, you will affect 3 families- yours own, your in-laws and Pratik’s too.”

He paused for a minute and asked “Pratik, can you face the immense criticism and accept her?” I nodded “Anything for her. I can’t live without you Kanchu. I k..can’t really…” I stammered. She ran towards me and hugged me. “I love you, I love you Pratik..” I heard whispers in my ears. I mentally vowed to love her back and be with her until my last breath!