Chronicles of a twenty year old -- A short story
It was love at first sight! And little did I know or realize that August morning that it was going to be the beginning of a lifelong romance. I was skeptical in the beginning casting it aside as just an infatuation. But the years ahead have stood testimony to all that I feel and feel so strongly and I know, know for sure, now that I am away from thee that true strong love is putting it too lightly!
I have personified it so and given it such a lifelike image that sometimes, even I forget that in common parlance it would be called a “Bike” and for those of you lesser mortals, a cycle. Ah! It was standing tall and clean gleaming and basking in the sunlight, and it was the first time I got physical….with my dad. I showered him with kisses, putting all my man’s pride and ego aside and was too embarrassed after the “act” that I just ran out of the house and got onto my bike, my baby, and just fled. It ran like the wind and that is the understatement of the year. The adrenalin rush that I got the moment I got onto the cycle was ineffable.
No alarm clocks were necessary to get me out of bed, get on to my baby and cycle down the roads to college. Wind hitting me, breath taking scenery, the flowers glowing at me, so much at bliss. But my baby was never so fast that I could miss any beauty around. And so it was that she never missed my eyes that wintry morning, when the bike had become all of 3 months old. There was something, something that I cannot put aside so lightly as beauty that made me turn and look. I could have gone on looking only the irritated man behind me, honked and honked so loud that it put me off guard momentarily. I continued cycling and entered college and at once regretted it. I wanted to go back, see that beauty, that dark hair, those long legs, those deep eyes. The class suddenly began to wear a very claustrophobic effect, and all I wanted was a smoke. I needed it now, right now. But what I got was the cold stare of the Professor. I had been dreaming away when all my friends were introducing themselves to the Sweety ( that is what I had decided to name her). Oh yes the beauty, angel call her what you may, was here, before my very eyes, my new found classmate and I just felt like jumping then and there. Madhu barely managed to pass my lips and I had already transported back to the magic land with my sweety, going for long rides with her sitting in the bar in front of me. That instant our eyes met and I knew, knew it for a fact that we were meant to be together.
Swathi was soon the centre of attraction, to my tough luck, the other bastards in the class had noticed her too and the fact that I was one of the back benchers, who did not even have notes to show, let alone exchange, did not help my love cause very much. I decided to borrow Chait’s notes and complete mine so I can lend it to her, but I sat till 3 a.m that night and did not even progress beyond the first 2 weeks’ classes and already the pulleys and the inclined planes were getting to me. Physics, except when it comes to the speed of my baby was not for me, I decided.
I went to college with even more fervor and ran and caught places somewhere in the front where I can at least get a glimpse of my goddess. This felt strange and funny, I had never had a glimpse of the lecturers and the black board at such close quarters. I was almost regretting my decision when she entered and allayed all my fears. I could almost hear my heart beat. The lecturer entered and I had to put my romantic indulgences aside.
A grueling 40 minutes later, I was out and wanted the fresh air and if possible sneak into the men’s room and get a smoke. I was checking the notice boards more out of practice than with any interest. Even the crossword competition failed to draw my attention. I would have just jumped at it, ran and registered, being the avid crossword freak that I am, but now I just dismissed it. Still out of love for the old one, I went to the common room where I was sure to find Arya and give out my name. I was standing around waiting fiddling with the pen in hand when I heard a soft “Hi” behind me. It was so soft that I thought I had imagined it. I turned and, there she was, my beauty. My heart stopped, I could have passed out that very moment. She asked me if she could be my partner for the crossy competition. See! I was sure she was in love with me, that we were meant to be. The yes barely escaped my lips. “We” registered and went back lost in our own thoughts, in silence. I excused myself near the men’s room and ran in. I had to be on my own, bring my heart under control. It was just a competition partner but I was jumping like she had asked me to be hers. The puff helped and refreshed, I went back to the notice board. I confirmed the date. It was a week away. I started making my plans with her (in my imagination of course) to win the contest. I wanted it so badly, but more than that it was getting to know her that excited me. A week went by and our relationship had grown to the point of us greeting each other with a smile. So much for my imaginations and wild plans!
The D day came and the two of us, self, meekness personified, gathered at F-block, Wilde room, where the competition was going to be held. We stood paper and pen in hand and proceeded towards one of the benches. I had never wanted to sit on those benches like I did that very moment. We sat and started the usual small talk, before the crossy papers were distributed. Heads bent over, pencils in hand we were trying to crack those elusive clues. Even her hand brushing past mine, had no effect on me, no lascivious thoughts. I was indeed at my supreme best and we were cracking those clues effortlessly. She was good is an understatement. The concentration, those brows creased in thought; I was decidedly in love with her. An hour went by, too quickly I must say and then we filed out of the room hand in hand ( in my imagination). There we were walking almost a mile apart until she meekly asked me if I could accompany her to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee. Yippie! She was just asking me out for coffee not to be her life partner, so relax I told myself. We entered the cafeteria and I felt all eyes looking at me. I felt like I was walking down the aisle in a church towards the pastor who would now declare us man and wife. Maybe I should save all this up for later and just continue walking and sit down. Not a word ensued, through all this and soon we were ordering coffee. The cafeteria seemed unusually loud and I felt stifled in here. We started talking, about home, the class and soon we were oblivious to the crowds, the people flitting in and out of the cafeteria! I had not realized that one was capable of so much passion, so much feelings till this very moment. The coffee got over a little too quickly and it was time to leave but we had already made plans to meet up soon enough. Am I dreaming?
I was there sitting on those stairs, behind the college cafeteria clad in a jeans and sweat shirt, waiting…..My angel had promised to meet me that evening. I could see the sun in the background and suddenly the world seemed to be aglow. There she came panting and puffing up the stairs and sat down. How am I going to keep a platonic conversation going I wondered? We just sat there, the sun slowly sinking in the background, milkshakes in hand, talking. We had amazing conversations about books, sitcoms and everything under the sun. We sat there way beyond sunset basking in the glory of our new found friendship and then reluctantly left the place.
I started looking forward to our famed rendezvous like never before. All day long I was able to go on with classes, football and lunches for just these 2 hours which I would get with her. The days seemed to fly past at an unimaginable speed. We shared so much in common and knew so much about each other and yet everyday was like a revelation. She renewed my lost interest in Bach, books, paintings, art and life seemed worth living for. I would get up every morning and be a fresh, renewed soul. I had never before felt so alive in my life as I felt those days. The sunsets had never held a meaning to me till I sat with her and watched the sun go down. I felt so much one with nature. The two hours seemed to fly past quickly and I walked her back home and made sure the angel was safe before heading towards my own house. There were times when she came and sat with me through my guitar classes and even that would give us so much happiness.
It was just one of those evenings, quiet and we were sitting with the sun in the background, milkshakes in hand talking when I thought why not! She might not be the most prefect soul mate that I can come across. She might not be the prefect partner that everyone imagines but maybe, maybe I might never find anyone as amazing as her, maybe we really were meant to be and hence we met, maybe she is really the one. Decision made! That very minute I asked her hand! No wine, no flowers, no red roses, no mushy cards, just me and her and nature and I asked her, looked deep into her eyes and asked her if what we shared could last a lifetime! I did it! My first proposal and I did it just like that! Here she was the beauty and I was asking her to be a part of me, my life sitting out here in those stairs. Am I dreaming? Can this really be happening to me? It seemed like a lifetime before I could see the lips break into a smile, a faint blush and I knew what the answer was even before she actually said it.
Nothing really had changed between us and yet everything seemed to have changed. The world seemed a happier place and I was just ecstatic every day every moment. Living actually suddenly became all of that rather than just an existence. I loved having her around, my girl friend, my babe, my wife all rolled into one. I already felt married and had even named our kids. We had made vows to travel from Venice to Vienna, to our own Nainital, write our respective travelogues, and “our” autobiography. This was so exciting. I wish it could just go on and on.
Well it did and before I could really get a grip of things four whole years had passed by. We were close to the end of our graduation and then each of us would be hitting the world with our presence. We would move on from being students to men and women and I was looking forward to it, despite knowing we might be in different parts of the country. Never mind that! I still would have her in my thoughts and before long we could unite in holy matrimony.
Finally Graduation day arrived. I decided to take Swats on my bike, one babe on another one last time before we part. Swats seemed all the more radiant and beautiful that day. I stood outside her house and was seeing her walking towards me, her lovely feet touching the ground. I could have been the ground beneath her feet that very minute. She came all beaming, clad in a jean and my favorite top. She sat in the front bar and we started off on the ride. I could not have asked for more. We were singing and the light rainfall seemed to enhance the already romantic settings. I cycled and cycled across all the roads that we have already gone a million times, and reached the run down railway track. Everything seemed just the same and normal until………..Until I noticed the train speeding towards us a little too late!
Ten years have gone by since that fateful day when I lost my world, my love my Swats. Old love wells up again as I sit on these stairs and hear her laughter in my head, see her eyes in my memories and all I have for company now are her memories and the cigarette butt and the booze bottle!
I have personified it so and given it such a lifelike image that sometimes, even I forget that in common parlance it would be called a “Bike” and for those of you lesser mortals, a cycle. Ah! It was standing tall and clean gleaming and basking in the sunlight, and it was the first time I got physical….with my dad. I showered him with kisses, putting all my man’s pride and ego aside and was too embarrassed after the “act” that I just ran out of the house and got onto my bike, my baby, and just fled. It ran like the wind and that is the understatement of the year. The adrenalin rush that I got the moment I got onto the cycle was ineffable.
No alarm clocks were necessary to get me out of bed, get on to my baby and cycle down the roads to college. Wind hitting me, breath taking scenery, the flowers glowing at me, so much at bliss. But my baby was never so fast that I could miss any beauty around. And so it was that she never missed my eyes that wintry morning, when the bike had become all of 3 months old. There was something, something that I cannot put aside so lightly as beauty that made me turn and look. I could have gone on looking only the irritated man behind me, honked and honked so loud that it put me off guard momentarily. I continued cycling and entered college and at once regretted it. I wanted to go back, see that beauty, that dark hair, those long legs, those deep eyes. The class suddenly began to wear a very claustrophobic effect, and all I wanted was a smoke. I needed it now, right now. But what I got was the cold stare of the Professor. I had been dreaming away when all my friends were introducing themselves to the Sweety ( that is what I had decided to name her). Oh yes the beauty, angel call her what you may, was here, before my very eyes, my new found classmate and I just felt like jumping then and there. Madhu barely managed to pass my lips and I had already transported back to the magic land with my sweety, going for long rides with her sitting in the bar in front of me. That instant our eyes met and I knew, knew it for a fact that we were meant to be together.
Swathi was soon the centre of attraction, to my tough luck, the other bastards in the class had noticed her too and the fact that I was one of the back benchers, who did not even have notes to show, let alone exchange, did not help my love cause very much. I decided to borrow Chait’s notes and complete mine so I can lend it to her, but I sat till 3 a.m that night and did not even progress beyond the first 2 weeks’ classes and already the pulleys and the inclined planes were getting to me. Physics, except when it comes to the speed of my baby was not for me, I decided.
I went to college with even more fervor and ran and caught places somewhere in the front where I can at least get a glimpse of my goddess. This felt strange and funny, I had never had a glimpse of the lecturers and the black board at such close quarters. I was almost regretting my decision when she entered and allayed all my fears. I could almost hear my heart beat. The lecturer entered and I had to put my romantic indulgences aside.
A grueling 40 minutes later, I was out and wanted the fresh air and if possible sneak into the men’s room and get a smoke. I was checking the notice boards more out of practice than with any interest. Even the crossword competition failed to draw my attention. I would have just jumped at it, ran and registered, being the avid crossword freak that I am, but now I just dismissed it. Still out of love for the old one, I went to the common room where I was sure to find Arya and give out my name. I was standing around waiting fiddling with the pen in hand when I heard a soft “Hi” behind me. It was so soft that I thought I had imagined it. I turned and, there she was, my beauty. My heart stopped, I could have passed out that very moment. She asked me if she could be my partner for the crossy competition. See! I was sure she was in love with me, that we were meant to be. The yes barely escaped my lips. “We” registered and went back lost in our own thoughts, in silence. I excused myself near the men’s room and ran in. I had to be on my own, bring my heart under control. It was just a competition partner but I was jumping like she had asked me to be hers. The puff helped and refreshed, I went back to the notice board. I confirmed the date. It was a week away. I started making my plans with her (in my imagination of course) to win the contest. I wanted it so badly, but more than that it was getting to know her that excited me. A week went by and our relationship had grown to the point of us greeting each other with a smile. So much for my imaginations and wild plans!
The D day came and the two of us, self, meekness personified, gathered at F-block, Wilde room, where the competition was going to be held. We stood paper and pen in hand and proceeded towards one of the benches. I had never wanted to sit on those benches like I did that very moment. We sat and started the usual small talk, before the crossy papers were distributed. Heads bent over, pencils in hand we were trying to crack those elusive clues. Even her hand brushing past mine, had no effect on me, no lascivious thoughts. I was indeed at my supreme best and we were cracking those clues effortlessly. She was good is an understatement. The concentration, those brows creased in thought; I was decidedly in love with her. An hour went by, too quickly I must say and then we filed out of the room hand in hand ( in my imagination). There we were walking almost a mile apart until she meekly asked me if I could accompany her to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee. Yippie! She was just asking me out for coffee not to be her life partner, so relax I told myself. We entered the cafeteria and I felt all eyes looking at me. I felt like I was walking down the aisle in a church towards the pastor who would now declare us man and wife. Maybe I should save all this up for later and just continue walking and sit down. Not a word ensued, through all this and soon we were ordering coffee. The cafeteria seemed unusually loud and I felt stifled in here. We started talking, about home, the class and soon we were oblivious to the crowds, the people flitting in and out of the cafeteria! I had not realized that one was capable of so much passion, so much feelings till this very moment. The coffee got over a little too quickly and it was time to leave but we had already made plans to meet up soon enough. Am I dreaming?
I was there sitting on those stairs, behind the college cafeteria clad in a jeans and sweat shirt, waiting…..My angel had promised to meet me that evening. I could see the sun in the background and suddenly the world seemed to be aglow. There she came panting and puffing up the stairs and sat down. How am I going to keep a platonic conversation going I wondered? We just sat there, the sun slowly sinking in the background, milkshakes in hand, talking. We had amazing conversations about books, sitcoms and everything under the sun. We sat there way beyond sunset basking in the glory of our new found friendship and then reluctantly left the place.
I started looking forward to our famed rendezvous like never before. All day long I was able to go on with classes, football and lunches for just these 2 hours which I would get with her. The days seemed to fly past at an unimaginable speed. We shared so much in common and knew so much about each other and yet everyday was like a revelation. She renewed my lost interest in Bach, books, paintings, art and life seemed worth living for. I would get up every morning and be a fresh, renewed soul. I had never before felt so alive in my life as I felt those days. The sunsets had never held a meaning to me till I sat with her and watched the sun go down. I felt so much one with nature. The two hours seemed to fly past quickly and I walked her back home and made sure the angel was safe before heading towards my own house. There were times when she came and sat with me through my guitar classes and even that would give us so much happiness.
It was just one of those evenings, quiet and we were sitting with the sun in the background, milkshakes in hand talking when I thought why not! She might not be the most prefect soul mate that I can come across. She might not be the prefect partner that everyone imagines but maybe, maybe I might never find anyone as amazing as her, maybe we really were meant to be and hence we met, maybe she is really the one. Decision made! That very minute I asked her hand! No wine, no flowers, no red roses, no mushy cards, just me and her and nature and I asked her, looked deep into her eyes and asked her if what we shared could last a lifetime! I did it! My first proposal and I did it just like that! Here she was the beauty and I was asking her to be a part of me, my life sitting out here in those stairs. Am I dreaming? Can this really be happening to me? It seemed like a lifetime before I could see the lips break into a smile, a faint blush and I knew what the answer was even before she actually said it.
Nothing really had changed between us and yet everything seemed to have changed. The world seemed a happier place and I was just ecstatic every day every moment. Living actually suddenly became all of that rather than just an existence. I loved having her around, my girl friend, my babe, my wife all rolled into one. I already felt married and had even named our kids. We had made vows to travel from Venice to Vienna, to our own Nainital, write our respective travelogues, and “our” autobiography. This was so exciting. I wish it could just go on and on.
Well it did and before I could really get a grip of things four whole years had passed by. We were close to the end of our graduation and then each of us would be hitting the world with our presence. We would move on from being students to men and women and I was looking forward to it, despite knowing we might be in different parts of the country. Never mind that! I still would have her in my thoughts and before long we could unite in holy matrimony.
Finally Graduation day arrived. I decided to take Swats on my bike, one babe on another one last time before we part. Swats seemed all the more radiant and beautiful that day. I stood outside her house and was seeing her walking towards me, her lovely feet touching the ground. I could have been the ground beneath her feet that very minute. She came all beaming, clad in a jean and my favorite top. She sat in the front bar and we started off on the ride. I could not have asked for more. We were singing and the light rainfall seemed to enhance the already romantic settings. I cycled and cycled across all the roads that we have already gone a million times, and reached the run down railway track. Everything seemed just the same and normal until………..Until I noticed the train speeding towards us a little too late!
Ten years have gone by since that fateful day when I lost my world, my love my Swats. Old love wells up again as I sit on these stairs and hear her laughter in my head, see her eyes in my memories and all I have for company now are her memories and the cigarette butt and the booze bottle!
posted by OtherHalf at 8:01 AM
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