Me Too - III

***Me Too***

“Wish such things really happen, if not, I will at least dream about them…

Every time you smile in your life, I would like to be a reason behind it,

Every time you cry I would like to be the shoulder you rest on,

Every time you look at the mirror, If I could be the mirror

There will be no better life I could wish for…

Wish such things really happen, if not, I will at least dream about them…

Wish I could give you the flowers, or would like to be the flowers in your hands,

I could be the reason for the redness on your cheek, or would like to be the redness on your cheek,

I am missing you so much that I either want to be with you all the time, or be with your soul!!!

Wish such things could really happen, if not, I will at least dream about them…

If it doesn’t happen in my dream why should I sleep?

And if it doesn’t happen in reality, why should I wake up?”

“Not another morning, did I make a mistake by missing her again? Someone whom I thought I had imagined actually came in front of my eyes, why did I let her go… May be it was not destined to meet her” Ajay thought and got up for another routine day of his life.

“Gayathri, Shall we start??? I have a meeting to attend, please make it soon!!” Ajay screamed from the garage.

“Yup Ajay, I am all done, let’s leave” Gayathri rushed down the stairs.

Ajay reached his office after dropping Gayathri at her office, and reached his place. His day was just another day filled with previous day’s memories. The day passed with her thoughts and half an hour before leaving the office, he called up Gayathri.

“Gayathri I’m starting half an hour, will be there to pick you” Ajay informed

“Okie, I will be there near the gate.” Gayathri replied.

--After an hour

“Gayathri, where are you? I am waiting since an hour for you to come?” Ajay yelled

“No Ajay, you leave. An unexpected meeting has been scheduled. You leave to home, I’ll call you once I am done ,  you can come and pick me up” Gayathri replied.

“Ok Gayathri, call me!! See you then” Ajay started to home alone.

Ajay was riding his bike lost in thoughts thinking about Soumya all the while, to his amazement he found Soumya waiting for bus in the stop. Ajay was in a dual mind, but he(his heart) stopped the bike in front of her.

“Hey Soumya, Hi…” Ajay initiated the conversation

“Hey Ajay…” Soumya responded not knowing what to talk

“So, going home? Can I drop you?”  Ajay asked

“Hmmm… Okay” Soumya hesitantly accepted and got into the bike.

Ajay remained silent; he started feeling a bit embarrassed for asking her to get on bike without even properly talking to her. He didn’t know how to start or what topic to start. Ajay’s heart took over his thoughts and started its work.

“Sou…” Ajay’s heart was about to start talking something, meanwhile Soumya’s phone rang.

Her Mom called her to inform that LPG had got over, and asked her to get dinner from a restaurant.

“Ajay, can you stop near Green’s restaurant? Need to get dinner to home” Soumya requested Ajay

“Oh!!! Sure…” Ajay turned his bike towards the restaurant

They sat at a table and waited for the parcel. As it was taking sometime they ordered for two Lemon Tea with Mint Leaves. :)

“So Soumya, where do you work?” Ajay enquired

“I work at TechEng” Soumya replied

“That’s an awesome Organization to work” Ajay exclaimed “So what’s your educational qualification? Where did you do your graduation at?” Ajay continued.

“I did my engineering at…” Soumya’s reply was interrupted by the waiter “Ma’am your order is ready”

They started to home taking the order, on the way Ajay was cursing the bearer, for interrupting the casual talk which would have turned into a sweet conversation and also scolded the restaurant for recruiting him. Ajay reached his home after droping Soumya at her place; by the time he entered his home he received a call from Gayathri to pick her up and he started back with red face continuing his curses to the bearer and the restaurant.

“Why has your face turned into a Tomato?” Gayathri mocked at Ajay

“Dude… I am talking to you…” Gayathri continued mocking waiting for him to reply

“Gayathri please stop!!! I am already feeling lost” Ajay replied with a sad tone.

“God! Ajay are you alright??? You sound really low… What happened? You can share with me” Gayathri enquired

“I don’t know what to tell Gayathri, I never spoke to any girl nor I had any intention of having a girlfriend, I was happy with my life and then that girl….” Ajay stopped “ nothing ignore”…

“Ajay I know you like Soumya, leave things to me, I shall take care” Gayathri replied

“There is nothing to be left as I have nothing left” Ajay replied.

Gayathri felt bad for Ajay’s situation, was thinking how it can be handled, they reached home and  there mom asked them to fresh up and come for dinner.  Everyone sat for dinner and her mom served food for everyone. Ajay’s mom gave a signal to Ajay’s dad and Ajay’s dad started the conversation.

“So Ajay, now that you have settled down and have built a good career also, have you thought about your marriage? You ignore it, every time we ask about it to you.” Ajay’s dad asked him

“No dad” Ajay replied straight and sharp

“Seriously no or you like someone, if so tell us we don’t have a problem” Ajay’s dad looking at Ajay’s mom, winking an eye.

Gayathri shrugged Ajay’s shoulder, asking him to tell about Soumya as it was the right moment to speak out. Ajay nodded his head negatively and replied “Dad, you and mom choose a girl for me, I am sure you will make the right choice for me always” Ajay stood up, looking at Gayathri and whispered “She’s not written in my fate” and left to wash his hands. He heard his sister’s voice from the dining hall’s corner, ran back to the dining place worried as he heard Soumya’s name from his sister  and thought she would have told everything about her to his parents.

“Yes she would be the right match to Ajay” Ajay’s mom told her dad.

“Vishwanath is my childhood friend, good Gayathri..., I had forgot about his daughter, Soumya and Ajay would make a very good pair” Ajay’s dad added.

Ajay looked at Gayathri with a confused face, and Gayathri told Ajay that Soumya’s father and their father were childhood friends, and she just tried suggesting her name and didn’t expect that they would agree for the match so soon.

“Each time, I pass by your thought, I smile…

I who cursed the time all these years,

Now have reasons to smile,

And now the same time,I have fallen in love with

For showing me that you will be the new meaning in my life…”

Ajay couldn’t believe his luck, everything was happening too fast… His dad called up Soumya’s dad and asked his opinion about the proposal for which he was more than happy to agree. After talking to Vishwanath, Ajay’s dad told Ajay’s mom that they will be going to Vishwanath’s home to see Soumya as a formality and also that they could introduce them to each other. Ajay couldn’t believe himself and he was waiting for the time to pass as fast as possible, he couldn’t sleep and to pass time he watched some random movies, he played NFS, Medal of Honour and some other games.

“Ajay get ready soon, we are already getting late” Ajay’s mom shouted

“Yes mom, I am ready since last night” Ajay’s heart replied

They all started to Soumya’s home, as they reached, Vishwanath along with his wife were waiting to receive them. They took them inside served them with sweets and all sat in the Hall.

“Each heart beat is beating waiting for you,

My eyes are closing feeling sad that they didn’t see you, and they reopen with  a hope of seeing you,

I am holding my breath with excitement of seeing you,

My dream, my angel, my life I need to wait a few more minutes,

To make you mine forever and ever and ever…”

“This is my daughter Venktu, Soumya is her name” Vishwanath introduced his daughter to Ajay’s dad.

They all sat and Ajay’s parents were talking to Soumya regarding various things, Ajay sat calm,he was still thinking how everything was going so fast in such short span. Suddenly he heard Vishwanath uncle taking his name.

“Soumya, why don’t you take Ajay and show him our house?” Vishwanath said, in a hope that they get some time to know each other without knowing they had met before.

“Sure dad” Soumya got up from her place and waited for Ajay to come

Ajay stood up lost in some thoughts and walked along with Soumya. As they reached the balcony Ajay was about to start to tell Soumya about something troubling him since he met her

“Soumya…” Ajay called and she looked at him “I had a crush on you the moment I saw you that night near Manoj’s café” Soumya listened with some shyness and Ajay continued “In fact the moment I heard your voice for the first time on phone I had some strange feeling towards you as if I knew you since long-time”

“ME TOO Aj… Ajay” Soumya interrupted with a low voice… Ajay looked in surprise

“Actually I had a crush on you before you had on me” Soumya continued

“Whaaat???” Ajay was shocked hearing to that without understanding what Soumya was talking

“Yes Ajay, I did my Engineering at Alvas Institute of Technology” Soumya told him

“That… That’s where I did my engineering too” Ajay replied still being in a state of surprise

“I know Ajay, I was your junior” Soumya replied, and before she could continue they hear a voice…

“I knew you won’t be able to hide this from him” Ajay and Soumya both turned back to find Gayathri walking towards them

“Gayathri what are you doing here? And how do you know what Soumya was talking about” Ajay exclaimed.

“Idiot, wait you need to know lot of things” Gayathri smiled at Soumya and continued talking to Ajay ”Listen, that day when you started for Jog and Soumya found your phone, I told her that you started for Jog that morning.” Gayathri revealed and Ajay was dumbstuck.

“After she found your phone, she called and informed me and I asked her to switch of the phone immediately” Gayathri continued

“You did tell that?” Ajay replied

“Please don’t interrupt, now do you remember I asked you to call your number one more time as there was no loss written in your horoscope that day? It was because I told her to turn on your phone and then I asked you to call.”

“Hmmm” Ajay responded looking at Soumya and she bent her head down with guilt.

“That day when you went to collect your phone, we both were also there and we were seeing all your monkey like behaviour eating grass and leaves waiting for Soumya, then the next day I intentionally told you that I had a meeting, and called Soumya to wait in the bus stop so that you will pick her on the way home… And then I was thinking how to carry forward as she told you both couldn’t talk much because it was crowded in the restaurant and the moment you started a conversation some bearer interrupted” Gayathri sighed looking at Soumya

“I didn’t know how to make you both meet each other, and fortunately you lost your phone, except that everything else is my plan” Gayathri concluded

“But why did you do all this, how did you know her? She said she’s my junior and I myself didn’t know that “ Ajay replied

“She was enquiring your address at your college when I had been there to collect your certificates, I asked her and she burst out on how much she liked you” Gayathri explained

“But why did you show so much interest in Soumya’s love, many had approached me before and you didn’t take anyone so seriously that you laid a plot to make me fall in love with her” Ajay enquired

Hearing that Soumya was lost and was about to leave and Gayathri held her hands and stopped her and continued answering

“Ajay, I didn’t make you fall in love with her, god made me create situations for you and you fell in love with her and you know Ajay the best feeling is to know that Your crush’s crush is you”

“What??? I didn’t get that” Ajay asked

“Do you remember you had showed me a girl who had sang in your batch send-off party, and told me that you fell in love with her voice?, your inspiration for all the poems your writing since three years” Gayathri asked and Ajay noded his head “That’s Soumya” Gayathri told Ajay…

“You don’t get what’s not written in your destiny, no matter how hard you try,

And no one can stop you from getting what’s written for you,

No matter how hard they try…

If it has to happen it will happen,

And only very few are fortunate to experience the wonderful feeling of knowing

That they are their Crush’s crush…

And I am one among them”

Ajay penned down in the last page of diary and signed below it, Soumya snatched it from him and wrote

“Me Too…!!!” and signed Soumya Ajay…

- Manoj Kumar Desai