The SHORTEST story of my life…

The SHORTEST story of my life…
Bzzzzzzzzz…bzzzzzzzzzz… the phone rattled on the side table… bbzzzzzzz… bbbzzzzz. From the corner of my eye I checked the time. It was still 2 am. I turned my face the other way and again went back into my dream. The vibration never stopped. Irritated, I got up and checked who the devil was….who was not letting me enjoy my dream. ‘Ghonchu’ calling was flashing on the screen. The name itself was more than enough to make all the irritation and anger evaporate.
She was breathing heavily, and even before she could utter a word I was able to make out that she had been weeping for a long time. I was taken aback because of her shrieking and cracking voice. I knew something was terribly wrong and immediately sprang to my feet. I made all efforts to calm her down but to no avail. I knew her habit of never listening to me and so I went ahead and asked,” why are you crying… what happened!!!!”? There are surprise gifts as well as emergencies but her reply was neither of the two. In fact she never gave a reply…instead she came up with a question of her own, to which I don’t have an answer even to this date. Will you marry me??? … was her SIMPLE question and if this was not enough she gave me only an hour to come up with my reply, which would have been my biggest decision, answer or whatever you may call it, till now.
I immediately disconnected the phone and washed my face. I was in no position to believe that everything that was happening was happening for real. One of your bestest (I know it’s wrong English) friend…calling you up at 2 am and asking you to marry her or I should say asking you whether you’ll marry her and not even giving me time to discuss it with my mother and family( in India usually everyone is fast asleep at 2 am). I composed myself and cleared off all the thoughts and called her back. “Sali….kamini… Ye kya majak tha”? (This was our way of greeting each other on NORMAL days … and nights too). She was still weeping and was barely able to speak. She whispered,” Chabu! You heard it right…I just want to know whether you can marry me or not and I want the answer right now because by morning it will be very late”. “I have told my parents that I am in love with a guy and want to spend the rest of my life with him”, she continued. “Papa has ordered me to leave the home immediately or marry according to their wishes and forget you forever”, she added.
With a grin I simply uttered,” Meri jalpari! Tumhe kisi ko batane ka nahi hota hai ki tum usse pyar karti ho aur ussi se shadi karna chahti ho….maa baap ko batane se pehle (I hope now you can make out why I named her ghonchu 🙂 ). I requested her to give me time till 6 am, at least by then mummy would be awake and I’ll be able to have a discussion with her.
I never knew those three hours would be the most difficult three hours of my life because more than me it was someone else’s life which was at stake too. I thought and thought, remembered each and every moment spent with her. Flashbacked every scene….recalling every word I ever said to her. For me her smile is as fresh as the morning dew….she is as bubbly as the newly opened coke….with a heart as soft as a feather and eyes as deep as the ocean….wait a minute….am I comparing her….sorry folks….my mistake. I forgot to mention she is incomparable. Her charm, her sweetness, her caring attitude ….even if I take out a dictionary, there will be fewer adjectives than her virtues. I remembered how she celebrated with me on every success that I had…even the tiniest ones, how she took care of me when I met with an accident and broke my left hand, nose and skull bone….from washing my dirty hands to helping me with my socks’…from writing my assignments to spoon feeding me food…and there won’t be any end to this list.
I never realised when I allowed her to come so close to my already wounded heart. She waited and waited but I could not muster the courage to call her and when I actually did….she already knew the answer. I am sorry ghonchu, is what I can ever say. But I know your pain is unexplainable. I never stood with you, held your hand and said that you are mine but let me assure you one more time… I never backstabbed you; I never wanted to hurt you 🙁 .
The irony of my life: “Jisse chaha usne kabhi pyar na kiya, Aur jisne pyar diya usse kabhi chah na saka”.
There are people in your life who are your parents, relatives, brothers, sisters, best friends and so on and then there are those people who are equally important and somehow you find it hard to give a name to the relation or the bond you share and SHE is one of them.
And if there is something as rebirth I’ll surely be yours.
For all those who have been hurt in love,
For all those who know they’ll never get them,
For all those who still love them,
For all those who still hope they will come back,
And
For all those who have a Ghonchu in their life,
It’s not a goodbye,
But it’s a Good Bye….aur han she wanted this title because she believed she was the shortest story of my life.
MANAS “SAMEER” MUKUL