(Here's to all those old tales I was dying to share with everyone. Criticism will be much appreciated.)
1.
Rita had always wished to meet him at least once before getting married. They had talked for hours, chatted for days, gossiped till sunrise, yet never met. She knew enough about him to embarrass him in public.
He too, knew all about her. Except one little fact. Little, she tried to convince herself. But it was not so. She knew.
She felt guilty for hiding it from him all along. Every time she decided to tell him, gathered enough strength and typed in the message, something inside her stopped her. Maybe it was the fear of losing him.
The meeting couldn't be arranged. She had accepted it. One can't get everything that one wishes. And yet. She just wished the meeting had happened.
She was head over heels for him, and when he called her parents to ask for her hand, she felt her heart sink. She wanted to apologize. And yet, she didn't want to confess why. She didn't know who she was running away from. Him, or her conscience.
Her parents had known about his existence since long, so when he called they weren't surprised, but was moved by the fact that he had decided to marry her in spite of never having met her. They were sure he was a great guy, and thought he knew all about her.
He was an orphan. An introvert orphan. She was the only friend he ever made. For him, colleagues were merely office-mates, and room-mates were people who shared the rent with him. Social networking was not his thing, or else, Rita's secret wouldn't have stayed a secret. But she came into his life like a sudden storm, changing the complete scenario around him, changing it for the better.
Shubham had never imagined life this way. Marriage, love, affairs were never his thing. Yet, when the twenty seven year old Shubham came to know the jolly girl a year elder to him well enough, he realised what love must be like.
2.
He was a computer engineer. She was doing a course on that subject. Whenever she thinks about it now, she feels glad that she had asked that specific cousin of her for guidance.
The cousin got engorged in his own work way too much, and gave Rita Shubham's number. Something that changed both of their lives. Shubham, reluctant to open up in the beginning, finished their conversations as soon as her doubts were solved.
But soon, they were talking day in and day out. Reflecting back upon it, Shubham didn't know what kick-started it. His loneliness or her friendly nature.
3.
She was supposed to go to the airport to get him. But she didn’t. She just didn’t feel like.
He called her up as soon as he landed. She could feel her phone vibrating beside her. She didn’t pick it up, already knowing for sure who was calling.
Betraying him, she thought she was.
After almost an hour, she heard a cab pull up near her place. She wanted to go up to the door, run to him, into his arms, and let her eyes shed tears on his shoulder. But, again. What if he refused to marry her after knowing that little fact?
4.
He had never been able to trust anyone. Ever. What if-s crowded inside his head. Was it right on his part to believe her and come to Kolkata all the way from delhi? After all, she could be a fraud!
He had not even confirmed much with that cousin of hers. He didn't care. He had fallen too hard.
As he took out his money bag to pay the driver, suddenly, something clicked inside his brain. What if they weren't cousins at all? There were friends calling each other brothers and sisters in his college. Was she just an online friend that his friend had started referring to as his sister?
He didn't have the answer to any of these. But he decided to teach himself a lesson. He would ask the residents of that address about her. Frauds generally trap multiple people.
Asking the driver to wait for sometime, he turned around.
He matched the address once more before pressing the calling bell switch.
5.
The bell rang.
No one was at home. Her heart beat increased. She would have to go up and open the door.
She sat up.
He pressed the switch again.
She stood up. Slowly. And walked towards the door.
He decided to leave. Fraud. The only person he ever trusted turned out to a fraud. He deserved it, he cursed himself.
As he turned away, he heard the door open.
He gave himself one last chance. He turned back.
She lowered her gaze. A tear fell on the ground.
6.
‘I cant walk without these.’
He came closer. ‘Look up,’ He commanded. She kept gazing at the floor though.
‘I couldn’t tell you this... I feared losing you... I'm sorry... I should have... i won’t mind if you decide not to marry me now...’ she stammered. For the first time in her life.
‘Really?’
She nodded and looked up with red swollen eyes.
‘How long have you been crying?’
‘No... I... Feel bad... Sorry... I’m... I should have...’ she broke down.
‘I shall punish you for this.’
‘I deserve it.’
‘How could you?’
‘I’m sorry. I should have...’
‘Will you marry me?’
‘W...What?’
‘And your punishment is that you can’t say no.’
She let herself collapse in his arms. She didn't need the crutches anymore.
A third voice said, ‘Bhaiiiya, mai jaoon kya?’
