His and Her Love Story
02:08 pm
“Renu, Thanks for this second life you have given me and making me understand what Love really is.
Love you always
David”
Although these may sound like any other love quote, to her these were the most special words she had known. She knew that he meant every word of it. Every time she has read this on her wedding anniversary card, for last 3 years, it never failed to bring a tear to her eyes and fill her mind with memories of that evening which changed their lives forever.
That evening some years back
She looked wistfully at the office clock, Quarter to six already, are the clock hands playing role reversal, the hours hand was moving as swiftly as the minute hand! Any other day, she would be packing her bags by now to start for home by 6. But today she had a task to do, as important as any she ever did. She had been delaying it for days, but had made up her mind this morning that no matter what she will ask him out today. The usual doubts started to hound her; will he think that she is too forward? Why should she ask him in the first place, shouldn’t guys be asking girls out? Is he even interested in her? ohh please, don’t start again, I like him and I am just asking him out, not like I am proposing to him or anything.
She seemed to have got a grip on her thoughts, when another wave of thoughts flooded her mind.
Why is he acting so differently from last 2-3 days, usually the most cheerful guy around, he has been acting so down, dull. Did he somehow sense her feelings or something else is bothering him. Maybe today is not such a good day after all, next week for sure. No, it has to be today, I will ask him in an hour or so, anyways he never leaves before 9.
As if reading her mind, David got off from his desk, bag in his hand, heading towards the exit.
(Damn, Lucky me.) To David: leaving so early today, not feeling well, huh ?
Nothing like that, just felt like heading home?
(Go for it, Renu, now or never) Are yaar, I was thinking if we could go out somewhere for coffee.
Hmmm don’t know, I have some plans.
(I am not the one to give up) The moment I asked, you made your plans, don’t be such a spoilsport.
Actually, not at all in mood of going out.
(with a droopy face) you really know how to treat a girl, a girl is requesting and you are acting so coldly.
Finally David agrees and they go out. Though initially David is not in his elements, Renu’s exuberance catches up with him and they end up having the most amazing time.
After that evening, Renu thought David would have picked up the subtle hints she dropped for him and make the next move. But that didn’t happen. Over the next few days, He went back to being his fun loving and friendly self, and it did appear to her that he liked her but something in him was holding him back. Whenever she tried to get to his emotional side, he would go in a shell.
About a month since that evening, he was asked by his Manager about a long term onsite opportunity and he agreed, she thought this was the end of the road for them.
The first couple of months they did converse on mail and occasional phone calls, but they soon dried up and it was almost 3 months now that she had not heard anything for him.
However the mail from him that morning will change everything :
“There is something about myself that I never told you. That evening when you asked me out you don’t know the favor you did me. Back in college, I loved a girl, Shruti and she was also in love with me. But due to her family opposition, we had to break up. I never recovered from that. It is not that I haven’t found any girls interesting since but I never really felt with them what I felt with her. Probably I was looking for Shruti in every girl I met after her.
That evening when you asked me out, was the day of Shruti’s wedding, she had called me to inform about it 3 days back. She said she has moved on, I should too. But how could I, she had left me numb, the love I felt with her I thought I could never feel again. That call from here after so many years revived that feeling in me. Love can make you the strongest person in the world, but it can also destroy you beyond repair. I am not a weak person, but that day I was shattered and had made up my mind to end my miseries and my life.
Yes Renu, that evening was supposed to be the last one of my life, I was going to commit suicide.
But you changed all that. I always held myself guilty of not trying hard to make my love with Shruti a success. Thought I didn’t deserve to fall in love ever again and accepted the suffering as my penance. I tried my best to resist your love, to live in the past, but the warmth of your undemanding love started to melt the frost that had engulfed my heart. Somewhere deep inside, I, however, was convinced that I can never do justice to your love.
The onsite trip I thought was destined to move us apart. But, miles away from home, the thing my heart yearned for, the most, was you.
If Shruti made me realize what love felt like, you epitomized Love for me.
I have always wondered, what is it about evenings that make them so romantic, why do couples spend hours sitting, hand in hand, gazing at the setting sun. Probably that’s the time when day and night get to romance each other before they have to part their separate ways.
Every day, when I walk back from office crossing the Westminster Bridge, it is neither the beautiful architecture of the Big Ben nor the grandeur of the West Minister or the vibrant crowd at the London eye that catches my eye. It is the sun setting on the Thames River that mesmerizes me and the purple hues it creates; invariable reminds me of the purple dress you wore that evening. ..
I can totally understand if after knowing all this, you never want to talk to me. You have given me enough sweet memories which I can live my life with.
Most of all, thanks for giving me the definition of love.
Love is that evening spent with you and several others spent remembering that one.
She couldn’t control her tears; the rest as they say is history or rather his and her love story.