2050

“How you two met?” Arya , my granddaughter asked me shifting from my one lap to another. She was sitting right across the glass tea poi weaving a nice red sweater. She heard and falsely pretended continuing her work with a decreased pace. I saw her. She looked beautiful. Curious to hear the next few words from me, Arya interrupted the magical moment of silence between us. I looked at Arya. She had all her grandmother’s features and was equally beautiful.
“30th March 2009.I was in USA , doing my higher studies while she was here in India working for a management company. Like normal friends we started chatting with each other online talking about all the odd things happening in our lives. Having all similar likings, soon the chat became an addiction. Never realized how happy I was or how much I used to smile while chatting with her until my roommate took a video in his mobile and showed me. Didn’t knew this was going to be the perfect start of a journey for lifetime.”

“Soon we started talking over the phone. I feel ashamed to say this but, first time in life, actually I prepared few lines to speak with a girl. But the magic in her voice made me forget everything and was not able to say a single line out of those 12 written. I still remember every single word we spoke that day. I was always afraid to have a conversation with management people as they are pretty affluent with words. But even after being a good orator she respected me by being a deep listener. Forgetting hundreds of things boggling my mind, I used to talk to her being me. The talks went on getting interested each day, adding a flavor to our lives. The unknown relationship with her, kept the but obvious feelings either way, unsaid. Though miles apart we came closer at heart…..”

Falling to her emotions, by now, she was also carrying a beautiful smile on her face. Arya, as always was giggling all the way. Again I looked at her and continued. “The desire to meet and the anxiety to know how will that be, was exploding at both ends. Probably it must be almost impossible for anyone to decide to live together without even meeting once but I was way above the materialistic nature of love, to fall for. Pure soul, clarity of thoughts and the sanskar’s were ranked way above in my list over looks and artificial things like how she dresses and stuffs. Its said, to live a happy life marry a person you are most comfortable having a conversation with and I KNEW I WAS GOING TO.

Still six months for the meet, everyday looked like a ‘year’. These ‘years’ were laying the strong internal foundation for each other. One of the disappointing moments of my life came when I found out there’s no Air service between Nagpur and Agra. For months I planned and all got back to scratch. I wanted to propose her on the very first day in front of Taj Mahal and had made a full day program with her ; leaving to Agra by morning flight and coming back to Nagpur in the evening flight. Of course without giving her any prior intimation. But then I made myself understand its not the place but the person that matters.”



“The day arrived. Decided to meet at one restaurant we both reached ten minutes before. Everyday thousand times I used to see her picture, which was my wallpaper for the last six months, but thought that as insult to her beauty when I actually saw her in reality. She was gorgeous. Tall, fair and a very pleasant personality. So beautiful yet so simple. She really was the ‘Face of my Dream’. Frankly I thank god for not letting us meet before we loved each other as a person. Else am sure we would have been in love with other’s personality which would not have made this relationship so pure as it is now. With a smile on our face we greeted each other.”

She had stopped weaving by now and was mesmerized by the old memories. I wished Arya would have asked this question to her. But knew then it would have been even more filled with love and emotions. We shared a look at each other and she dropped a tear.

“Nervous she was, her hand was trembling while cutting a small pastry piece. I firmly held her hands in my hands and both of us felt complete. Got on my toes and said.”

Before I could speak, she started as me and Arya turned to her “I love you Shriya. From the day I started chatting with you, I was in love with you. Your pure heart and jovial nature filled my heart with enormous love and respect for you. I can see the same passion you have for me which I have for you, I can see the same love for your family in you which I have for mine, I can see the same excitement in you towards life which I have, I can see the social outgoing nature you have just like me.
In all my life I never thought I would be so lucky to fall in love with my best friend. I thought it mattered what I said or where I said it. But then I realized the only thing that matters is that you make me happier than I ever thought I could be. And if you’ll let me I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way. Shriya, will you marry me?”

I was stoned. 40 long years and she remembered everything word by word. Something which I made up with my true feelings on the spot she remembered for 40 years. This time, I lost to my emotions and drops rolled out. Its really a fact, they say, Men cant love the way women do! Wished, if I could live another 40 yrs with her.

Arya’s school bus came as she popped out from my lap. With all that said and then us alone there; she became quiet. Nervous she was her hand started trembling and the moment was perfect. Holding her hands in my hand we treasured the moment with a smile of a lifetime.