Disclaimer : This is not a dream. This is not reality either. So any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental !
*
They both were walking slowly side by side. It was another winter evening of Delhi. From Raisina Hills, surrounded by some fog they could see the arc of India gate far away on Rajpath. There was hardly anything between them which they could have talked about. A few cars passing by them every now and then, were the only intruders in their intimate silent chatting. But for him, even her silence was more than what he could have ever expected.
*
Adi still remembered when he saw that face for the first time. There were clear expressions of sadness on her face – but not like a looser; but like a child, who has been denied that one-extra-chocolate. It seemed like she was missing something in her box of chocolates unless she was surrounded by a bunch of her good buddies. She was blessed with really good friends around her or may be it was all her friends who were blessed to get her friendship. Her friends always made sure that this kid will have the most beautiful smile on her face even if she didn’t have that one-extra-chocolate. Its hard to be modest when you know you are the best among all and poor Mridu had to suffer this always. She had everything which a perfect fairy in a fairy tale has but still she was less-fairy-like and more-human-like. Because its not possible for fairies to be modest but she was. She was laconic, at least thats how she was towards Adi and infact that was the thing Adi liked the most about her. He always enjoyed listening to her silence more than what she actually used to say. And Adi knew that he had fallen in love with a princess, which he should never have, despite knowing everything about his own future.
Adi happened to join his new team 6 months back. Mridu and her friends were all part of this team. Mridu and Adi were more like colleagues than friends. Adi never happen to express his feelings directly. And though Mridu never had any special feelings for him but girls are always smarter than boys in these matters. Girls exactly know who is showing them their wings and feathers and only thing boys can do is wait. Mridu had a fair idea about his feeling towards her. And this was not something new for Mridu. She was used to deal with such cases like the quarterly results of a company. So she just took it one more in the list .. thats it ! But somehow she felt that Adi was a nice-guy-sort-of so she never made any efforts to avoid him as well.
*
A week ago, Adi had resigned from his company. He had got a new job in Banglore, at least thats what he told everyone. He always wanted Mridu to be with him forever. But forever was too good to be true from him. He knew that Mridu deserves the best among all and he was not the best. But Adi was sure of one thing that before leaving he’ll ask Mridu out for a date – for his first date ever. He knew he’ll never get this chance ever again. So he has to.
“What you doing this weekend ?”, he asked, trying to sound normal but he couldn’t. He was nervous as always whenever he happened to look into those dazzling eyes.
“Nothing as such”, she replied casually.
“So will you be coming to Raisina Hill this Sunday evening ?”, his heart pounding and growing weak by the fear of her denial.
“So who else are joining us ?”, she queried. She thought probably Adi wanted to hangout with his office mates before leaving.
“I just meant it you only” , he requested with a firm voice having a bit more emphasis on word ‘you’.
She wasn’t expecting anything like that to come from Adi’s side but she was quick enough to read his mind. “Look Adi, I am not comfortable that way.”, her voice has had gone a bit strict.
“I know but trust me I won’t ever ask you again.”, Adi mumbled. His voice seems to carry his honesty.
Mridu had some soft corner for him. And she didn’t want to reject him outrightly. “Adi .. I won’t deny that I didn’t have any idea about your feelings. But Adi … I am almost two years older than you and moreover I am already committed to someone else. So I don’t think this is right for me.”, her face softened as she tried to make him understand.
“I totally respect your commitment. And if I came late by two years in this world, is that my mistake ?”, Adi questioned innocently. “Please”, Adi pleaded to her, “I am not asking for a lifetime. I am asking only for an hour.” He paused for a moment. “Even Deepika had agreed for a date with Shahrukh in Om-Shanti-Om, so why can’t you ?”, he chuckled trying to make the tone of their conversation a bit light.
“Because I am not Deepika”, she said softly.
“Agree … but I am not Shahrukh as well. I am far better than him”, he muttered instantly.
She couldn’t stop herself smiling at him. “Adi”, she said slowly and kindly, “You are acting like a stupid.”
“I know”, he nodded his head humbly.
A silence prevailed for a minute between two of them. Before Mridu could say anything more Adi said, “I’ll be waiting for you there”, and he left knowing that there wasn’t going to be any immediate response from her side.
*
Another car passed by them and suddenly Mridu realized that she was walking alone. Adi was not by her side. She turned back to see him. Adi was three-four steps behind her, he had stopped walking and was looking towards her only. She had a quizzical look at her face.
“Adi ??” queried Mridu.
Adi came back to his senses. He went upto her. For the first time in past 30 minutes he looked straight into her eyes, extended his hand towards Mridu and asked her nicely, “May I ?”, he paused, “Please ! ”
She was totally surprised for a few moment and didn’t reacted anything. Adi thought that may be he had asked for too much than what he deserves. He started looking down on the ground and fingers of his still extended hand slowly started curling back. But then for the first time he realized that he wasn’t dreaming at all. Mridu slowly put her hand into his hand.
“Thanks” , he said with a smile back on his face, “I just wanted to make sure that I am with you at this moment.”
They continued walking down the road till they reached India gate. There were so many people around them. But Adi still could hear clearly the silence between two of them, unless the silence was breached by Mridu’s childlike voice.
“Should we leave now?”, she whispered softly.
Adi Looked at his watch. He wished his clock could have worked independent of this whole universe. But he couldn’t have hoped for anything except a few more sweet memories.
“Its still 10 minutes to 7. Just a few more minutes”, his thoughts came out of his mouth even before he realized it, “Please.”
“You don’t need to say ‘please’ for everything”, she tried to correct him with her innocent smile on her face.
Adi smiled back. He got reminded of something he had bought for her today. “I have got a gift for you ..”, he said while taking out a nicely wrapped chocolate from his pocket, “I know thats not exactly the kind of gift which one would expect on a date but … I always thought you are missing one-extra-chocolate in your life. So here is the one for you.”
She seemed to be bit confused as how to react to it.
“You want me to say ‘please’ again ?”, Adi tried to convince him.
She smiled back, took the chocolate and nicely put it in her bag. “Adi, you’ll definitely meet better people than me”, she said with a bit of sympathy in her voice.
“May be yes, but Mridu … Love is not about the survival of the fittest”, said Adi looking towards the twinkling electric lights of India gate.
Mridu had apparently no answer to it. She was speechless and strange enough it seemed like she too was lost in twinkling lights of India gate. Mridu was thinking of something to return back to Adi but she couldn’t think of anything else except she said, “You look better when you smile .. so keep it that way always …. and ya you draw those sketches really good … I happened to see your sketchbook once when you were not around your seat in the office.” Adi knew that she may not mean this in reality, what she said, but even this little return gift was the best gift he ever had.
It was already past seven and finally it was time to say goodbye. Adi thought how lucky he is to have someone who makes saying goodbye so hard for him. He was getting numb – was it that the evening was getting more cold or was it that his heart was bleeding heavily. She waved him goodbye but he didn’t. He just kept smiling and looking at her till she was gone. That day he smiled for a few more moments but cried for hours. He knew he wouldn’t be able to see her ever again. He still had so many things left to tell her. But he also knew that no other end of this story could have been more perfect than this.
*
8 months later, Adi was no more in this world. He had leukemia.
Adi still misses her !
