The Proposal -- final part

Here comes an end to my story which i spanned in 5 parts.I know i stretched it like a soap opera, but couldn't avoid doing so.If you are reading it, it means you must have red the other parts too..!!If no, please spare some moment and start from 1st part.And as always, as a writer, nothing more matters than a 'like' on facebook or a comment at my blog(critics are most welcome to take dig at it).Thanks and happy reading..!!


She spent the next half an hour minutely describing her ,what she called career aspirations,short term and long term goals.The only phases where i was part of the conversation was when i budged in 'yes', 'wonderful' and other similar adjectives.Her profound love towards her future somehow didnt interest me any furthar.I guess the reason being that i wanted it to be our future rather than hers alone.I developed a cold feet and backed out of the plan the very next minute.I felt like nausea and had a utmost feelng of puking all over.More than the 'i want to be a rich' plan, the thought of being unplanned crept in and i had a sudden feeling of insecurity.The anxiety made its 1st apprearance in
form drops of sweat over my forehead.Even the air-conditioned restuarant failed to keep my cool.Seconds after she was done with her showcase of eloquance, she asked me my plans for my career.I uttered back..plan ..what ??..I could have easily faked and framed up a story convincing enough , but the deep and never-ending gap in our thoughts made my take a plunge in the gorge and so did our relation-ship.I got up, paid my part of the bill, limped for a while before taking an auto back home.Rattled and distressed by the thoughts, i did puke later.Late in the night i got up, scribbled a 2 page long mail explaining about our situation and asking her to forget me and never to contact me again.I had no idea why i did so,but it was the 2nd time when i had asked her not to speak to me again.The hour long meeting brought an end to my non-chalant passion and undying love towards her.3 days later I headed to Chennai, when i was suppossed to join for my 1st job.

The excitement,enthusiam and charm of getting onto the 1st job lost its 'paramount' effect in the 1st few days.The rigourous sessions in computer labs where a hands on training was imparted for more than 9 hours a day was too much to consume at a go.The weekends were spent mostly in recovering out of the past 5 days trauma and preparing oneself for the another week of rigor.Before i could think whether i was heading towards a perfect career goal, the next few months of training breezed by and before i could figure out any furthar, i was posted in Noida as my base branch.We partied the night when we received our final posting as it was a welcome respite of the frenzied or rather say much organized state of affairs deep south.I re-joiced more as Noida meant i would get to see the scant population of hot chicks which were extremely rare commodities in Chennai.Before boarding the flight to Delhi , i high fived by friends and fist-pumped in air anticipating a wonderful and fun-filled life ahead, unaware of fact that she enrolled herself to Masters in medicine in a college barely 100 meters from my going to be workplace.

I assume even she was unaware of the same, as 4 months after the 'my aspirations and career' incident , neither of us would have wanted to get into the awkward incident of confronting each other.And we did avoid it for the 1st two weeks, before the nature and constellation planned for a change and did something we might have not expected even in out worst of nightmares.It took not more than a week in getting friendly with recently joined female colleagues.The 'un digestable' or rather say the oily stuff in the canteen made us venture out of office to nearby dhaba joints very ofetn.It was tuesday afternoon when Disha pinged me asking if i would go out for lunch with her.I was introduced to her in the morning status meeting barely 3 hours back.Its weird how girls in North contrary to their peers deep South never mind asking out a guy.Somehow it really turned me on.The plush offices were surrounded my numerous food joints, more specificly dhabas all aound.It was amusing to see hottest chicks of the town with the perfect-'test' of figures craving for butter chicken and dal makhni.It was way better than seeing girls smoke in Hard rock cafe.We opened a 'thanda matlab Coke' while waiting for our turn for seats at the heavilily crowded dhaba.2 sips in with the Coke, i noticed a herd of lab coat clad guys heading toward us.Noticing me checking out them, Disha told me about the infamous Medical college closeby.Seconds later i noticed her, clung on hand in hand with other doc guy.Somehow their attire made them look to come from a familiy.And the guy who had her hand in his hand looked nothing more than her protective brother.The very next moment i looked away and cursed myself for being jealous.I found it easier to avoid rather than confront her.Her gang of 6 stood behind us waiting for their turn.I tried my best getting in a fake conversation with Disha and did make a similar gesture by holding her hands.Seonds later a over inquisitive guy in her gang poked me.I almost had a panick attack, but did manage to turn around.Apparantly the guy wanted to know the duration we had been waiting for.I couldnt avoid looking straight onto her and mutter 'for quite sometime'.I turned back but patted on back soon after.It was she who came on to say a 'hi' to me.Highly embarrassed, i spoke how different she looked in the coat and i almost couldnt recognize her.It continued with another round of silence.I felt like hiding somewhere.I cut short the awkwardness by introducing her to Disha.There was obvious
exchange of smirks.She retaliated by introducing me to her gang which just had 2 female members.Thankfully my phone rang and i rushed back to my office citing it as an urgent issue.The issue actually was my cubicle mate asking me out for a fag.I desperately needed one.Before we left for home, Disha did ask me about her and found it was more than just school friends.I went to a pub straight after office and got subdued with 7 pegs of scotch all intended to prevent her thoughts to creep in.

I woke up the next morning with sever hangover and 15 missed calls on my cellphone.Out of 5 calls from office which didnt matter to me, the rest of the calls were from an unknown number.An unread message in the inbox made me realise that it was her.She got my number from a common friend of ours and wanted to have 'a talk' to clear any air of awkwardness amongst us.I fetched myself some lime-water and an aspirin.10 minutes later i called her up.She picked up the call in a go and scolded me for making her real anxious by not taking the calls the other night.I told her of the inebriated state i was in, to which she kept mum and asked me if i do booze.On hearing my confirmation , she went on after saying 'yeah, after all it your life..!!".She said she wanted to speak to me but wont be able to as she was on her way to Delhi for a friend's marriage.We said bye soon after and hung up.Something within me did activate my hormones, as i got up, had a quick bath and got ready.I was very sure what i was going to do the next.I hurried out of the house, got on my bike and zoomed on my way to delhi.

Halfway to Delhi, i gave her a call and told her that i would be in delhi too for some urgent work and we could actually have a talk if she wasnt busy.I looked up in heaven as she agreed and made a silent prayer before resuming my journey.She asked me to come to the Sahara Mall.Wary of directions, i asked people at every signal to make sure i was on the right way.I gave her a call once again on reaching the mall and she replied saying she would be there any minute.I roamed around and waited for more than an hour.I did keep sending messages and gave missed call to make sure that she realized that i was still waiting for her.The hour long wait flashed the entire story of ours right in front of my eyes.
The friendly pat on my back declared her arrival finally.She had been religiously following the gesture of patting me on my back every time she met me right from our school days.Never realized how the tom-boyish friend of mine had transformed in a lovely lady today.She was more than an hour late but barely had the guilt feel on her face.Her flawless smile, the glossy lipstick and the green eyes(I was sure she wore the lenses) made me forget my anger in less than a minute.Gosh..!! how could and how would I vent my anger at her..!!, is what I thought the next moment.I had texted her more than 15 times in the last 1 hr while waiting at the Sahara Mall in Delhi.It was my 3rd visit to the state capital and it was 7 yrs after the last time.My education and work kept me busy deep south and had it been not her would not have visited Delhi in the chilly December.But this time I was on a purpose.The motive was to finally propose her and express my deep seated desire of finally getting in with her.I knew the long distance relation-ship never works, but right now keeping everything aside, I was up for some love and commitments

The Proposal -- part 4

. I had stitches on 3 areas all over my body and I felt pain even on moving my head.
It was a friendly voice that made me open my eyes.I wasn’t sure of what I was seeing or it was a effect of some mental trauma I suffered sometime back.Damn..it was actually her.She made her way to hospital upon hearing my news from a common friend.I had no idea that she was in the same city for her interns.The doctor within her examined me for the next 2 minutes before she sat at the edge of my bed.Her dismal face said it all.I made an unconditional apology, to which she laughed and said it didn’t matter as long as am hail and hearty.My recent pain and bandages somehow acted like a magical wand and did what my talks,apologies or calls would never had done.She caressed her fingers across my head and bid adieu with a promise of visiting again the next day.I fist pumped as she left as I sensed victory and found my battered relationship coming back on track.A couple of minutes later I sent her a text message saying “by d way u looked gorgeous”, to which she instantly replied “thanx and u too minus the bandages..:) J..The smilies said it all.It was a long time I wore a smile to sleep after a long spree of dullness and tiredness.

The next morning when I woke up I had a fresh energy oozing out of me.She turned up again after I had finished up my breakfast.I knew the accident and thereafter the sms I sent her the last day made her forget the past and forgive me, but I did not expect her to get back to me so soon.She got me the lunch packed from her home.Though 3 more people shared the hospital dormitory with me, but the only person I could see was her. We shared the same lunch box and I guess it was the 1st and finest date I had with her.Though unspoken, the silence,lit eyes and our smiles said it all.Done with the lunch, she helped me wash my hands and lay back on the bed. We giggled, laughed and smiled for the next hour with her hands in mine.Dont know how the jokes which I found sick and sucked in college, were imbibed with humor today.She ran her fingers across my hair and uttered a mute yet understandable ‘bye’ before she left to her home.My eyes followed her as she left the room.Seeing this and a smile on my face, an old man on the bed adjacent to mine asked me “Son, is she ur finacee’..? “..Take aback by the question, I smiled again, though for a second and replied, “Yes, she is..?..isn’t she beautiful”..as this the oldie said “Indeed she is and you guys make a good couple..god bless”.This blushed to an extent, and I pictured her as my would be bride when the idea of proposing her cropped in my head again.
I recovered in the next few days while she made a daily appearance at the hospital.Most of the patients around me and the medical staff knew her my fiance.I kept my fingers crossed and made an every effort to recover as early as possible.By no means I wanted to be in the hospital by the time she leaves back to her home.Her college was re-opening in a week’s time when I got discharged from the hospital.By the time a reached home, the bike was made out of bounds for me.My mom shed another round of tears and swore me never to touch the bike again before detailing me about the number of mannat’s she offered for my early recovery.I cleverly swore not to touch ‘that’ bike again.We had decided to meet the very next day I came back to home.I asked her for lunch as my mom with be daily chores then and my dad would be in office.The preceding evening I started planning again.A red rose was out of my plans now after the disastrous omen it had the last time.Infact nothing was in my bounds as I could not go out with parents at home.I made an excuse of feeling some pain and get some fresh air.At this my mum pulled the curtains and my dad stood up to get me the prescribed medicine from chemist.I realized then that am their offspring and fooling them would not be possible at this instant.With nothing at bay, I crossed my fingers and wished everything to come into place this last time. With things going my way(except the accident) in the past few weeks, I was optimistic of being nomore a bachelor by that time the next day.
I wore my Peter England shirt,Levis jeans and sprayed a quarter bottle of perfume before heading towards the cafeteria.I told my mom that I was going to a cyber café and would be back in an hour. Am sure my mother smelt the rat, but she was too busy with her household chores to further inquire about it.I walked a distance before taking an auto to the City Center.Contrary to other girls she always arrived on time and got to wait, but never made a fuss about it.I guess she did wait for a couple of minutes before I arrived.Unlike the last time, I was more casual and didn’t carry any flowers or other fancy stuff to the venue.We got ourselves on a table for two, and started the conversation.It a tedious task striking a conversation when you have a plan at the backdrop. While she started muttering something about the extreme hot weather, I was looking for an opportunity to break it and divert the topic.I cut short her and asked whats next in her life.Though she was amazed by the sudden serious query, she did reply me a well planned career path which I guess spanned for the next 5 years.Damn I was in a fix.I had never planned anything remotely related to my career so seriously till date.