Yours Lovingly - Part 3
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Shrusti
‘Damn him!’ I thought to myself as I left him in the car. It was farewell for god's sake and still he wouldn't propose.
I was tired of waiting for that moment since three years and I couldn't do it any more. I mean, what was his problem?
It was now or never and every passing second that I sat beside him in the car, my blood poured with anticipation of how the ride was gonna be.
I wished he would propose now after all these years of waiting. But when he didn't make a move throughout the ride, I felt infuriated.
What really ticked me off was when he said that he didn't remember what he had said when we both listened to ‘love story’ together for the first time. It felt like someone pouring ice water over my already diminishing hopes.
So, when he stopped the car when we reached the resorts, I didn't even wait for him as I made my way away from him as quickly as possible.
“Hey Shrusti. Where are you going?” Anisha, my best friend said as I made my way past her in a hurry without noticing her.
“Ah...uhm….,” I stammered not knowing what to say while she stared at me as if I've lost my mind.
“I’ll see you later,” I blurted out and took away from her when I noticed Ayub walking in our direction with Suraj.
Anisha stared at me pointedly for a second or two with an apparent frown on her face. Shaking her head, she turned back to her boyfriend Shreyas and continued her conversation with him.
I was so angry at Ayub throughout the evening and I tried my level best to avoid him. Even though I felt his gaze seep through me all the time, it took everything in me to restrain myself from staring back at him.
“Shrusti, Ayub’s looking at you,” Geethika said switching her gaze to and fro between us.
“I know. Don’t look at him,” I replied.
“What’s going on between you two?” She said without missing a beat. “You’re both best of friends and are almost attached at the hip. You do everything together and doesn't it seem weird that you're behaving this way with him on the last day?”
I know I was being weird. But I couldn't help feeling this way because I was hurt so badly. The irony of the situation was, he didn't hurt me intentionally. It was just because of the fact that I had too many hopes on him.
Geethika cleared her throat and I realized that I haven’t answered her yet. In fact, I didn’t know what to reply as I stared at my feet awkwardly.
She might have sensed my displeasure as she switched the topic to some random stuff about her new kinky jewellery which I was least bothered about.
A few minutes passed uneventful with him continuing to stare at me and me flipping him off. He might have had enough with it after some time because he started to walk in my direction with what seemed like a determined look. He looked like he wanted to confront me.
I stood stunned in my place watching him from the corner of my eyes and I didn't know how to react or what to say when he gets to me. Luckily, he was interrupted from getting to me when the chit game was announced.
It was the most terrific part of the evening when Ayub picked the chit which contained my name and was asked to speak about me.
I was literally devastated when he said, “she's the sweetest girl I've ever met and is my best friend.”
Only friends? Nothing more?
I shrunk into myself as my thoughts wandered somewhere on their own. My foundations crumbled on hearing him say that.
So, when they offered me the mike to say something about him, I said ‘friends,’ just to get over with and not thinking too much about it.
But little did I know at the time that he would be devastated hearing me say that. I didn't know that he too was expecting something more from me.
He remembered what I had said when we were together listening to the song ‘A thousand years.’ He knew it was my undying wish that ‘One day I want to wrap my loved one in my hands and sway together to the music as I look into his eyes and him into mine.’
Why wouldn't he understand that i wanted it to be him? I wanted him and only him to wrap me together in his hands and sway together to the music as I look into his eyes and him into mine.
It was just before dinner that I realised I hadn't seen him a while and I found my eyes roaming around on their own looking out for him. But I couldn't see him.
I felt panic rising through me when I didn't find him. What if he had left? What if he had bailed on me?
Sweat formed on my forehead as I dabbed it with my hanky.
I contemplated on calling him when I suddenly got a glimpse of him walking over to the catering area with Suraj. On taking a closer look at him, I noticed that he didn't seem good and something was bothering him. But I let out a relieved sigh on knowing he didn't leave.
Shaking my head, I made my way over to Anisha who was already stuffing her plate with food. I helped myself to serve and we both got a respectable distance away from the crowd and settled ourselves before starting to eat.
I didn't feel like eating and all the time, I kept watching Ayub from the corner of my eyes. He seemed distant and it concerned me a lot.
“Are you OK?” Anisha asked taking in my look as we were washing our hands.
I shook my head negatively. I wasn't fine and I didn't have enough strength in me to lie about it. I was tired of saying OK even though I clearly was not.
“How many years more will you continue to wait for him?” she asked in placing her arms on her hips.
“Huh?” I asked when she suddenly switched her tone from concerned to bossy.
“You know what I'm talking about. You're in love with him for three years and you've been waiting all this time for him to propose. What if he doesn't? Will you stay this way forever?”
What could I say when she put it that way? So, as usual, I just avoided looking at her and acted dumb.
“You know what? I'm done with the hide and seek you guys are so involved in. I need to take this matter into my own hands,” she said and took off in the direction of Ayub.
“Anisha, please. Don’t,” I began to plead, but she was nowhere in a position to listen to me.
Oh No! What would she say? How would he react to her? Oh God! What a mess I've landed myself in.
What is she conveys my true feelings to him? I wouldn't be able to bear it if he rejects me.
I took a peek at my trembling hands as they shivered with the mind of their own, clearly out of my control.
I saw Anisha talking to Ayub and a shiver travelled down my spine.
Before everyone probably realised what a freak I was, I did the only thing I could think of. I ran.
I took off as swiftly as my saree and heels would allow and got away to a respectable distance where there was no one and I was left to my own thoughts.
My heart began to beat frantically and my breath was ragged from the running. I took deep breaths in the hope of calming down. After what seemed like forever, my breathing got normal and my heart got back under control.
Before everyone realised I was missing, I walked back only to the hear someone singing a song.
I was shell shocked to realise that it was Ayub. It was definitely his voice. My eyes widened as I increased my pace and true to what I thought, it was him singing. He had his eyes closed as he seemed to be lost in the song
I was lost in the intensity in his voice as I stood among the crowd listening to him.
He then suddenly opened his eyes and took a peek around until his sight landed on me. His eyes widened on taking me in and a shudder passed through me as I continued to look back at him.
Without missing a beat, he continued the song, lost in his own world and just like that, I knew that the song was meant for me. I could see it in his eyes how much he loved me and my heart ached for him. His voice carried that sense of calmness which put my pulsating heart at ease.
I was so lost in the moment that I didn't even realize him finishing the song. The huge applause emancipating from everyone present there brought me back to my senses and I felt someone nudging me by the shoulder.
“Damn! He’s so good,” Anisha whispered in my year. “I didn't expect him to propose like this.”
She was gaping at him with her mouth wide open. Well, I wouldn't blame her due to the fat that girl present there were staring at him with dreamy look in their eyes. But he had his eyes only for me.
He looked so handsome standing there alone with the mike in his hands that I wanted to sprung him away from every girl present there and shout at the top of my voice that he was mine.
I wanted to run to him at my top speed and plunge myself into his arms. But I knew there was something else to do. Even though he didn't remember it, I did.
Just then the host announced, “wow, that was simply amazing. Can anyone beat that?”
It was my time to show him my true feelings and my body started in his direction involuntarily without any restraint and even a volcano wouldn't be able to stop me at the moment.
I took the mike and fixing my gaze on Ayub, I started to sing.
‘Love Story - Taylor Swift.’
We were both young when I first saw you
I close my eyes
And the flashback starts
I'm standing there
On a balcony in summer air
See the lights
See the party, the ball gowns
I see you make your way through the crowd
You say ''hello'', little did I know
That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles
And my daddy said stay away from Juliet
And I was crying on the staircase
Begging you please don't go, and I said
''Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story baby just say yes"
So I sneak out to the garden to see you
We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew
So close your eyes
Escape this town for a little while
'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter
And my daddy said stay away from Juliet
But you were everything to me
I was begging you please don't go and I said
''Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
I'll be waiting all there's left to do is run
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess
It's a love story baby just say yes''
He was staring at me intently all the while standing before me. I was so lost in his gaze.
''Romeo save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel
This love is difficult, but it's real
Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess
It's a love story baby just say yes''
Oh oh oh oh
I got tired of waiting
Wondering if you were ever coming around
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town, and I said
I was so tired of waiting.
Three years! That was a long time. For three long years I’ve been waiting every single second for him to come to me and pour out his feelings.
''Romeo save me I've been feeling so alone
I keep waiting for you but you never come
Is this in my head? I don't know what to think"
He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said
He gently took the mike from me and held my hand. Still staring intensely into my eyes, he continued.
''Marry me Juliet, you'll never have to be alone
I love you and that's all I really know
I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress
It's a love story baby just say... yes"
Oh, oh, oh, oh
'Cause we were both young when I first saw you.
OHMYGOD! Was all I could say. I had my right hand covering my widely gaping mouth as I stood stunned.
Everyone seemed to be as stunned as me and it took me a while to process everything. Ayub too just stood there with his gaze fixed on me contemplating on what to do.
This was his dream. This was what he said when we listened to ‘love story’ together. He wanted the girl of his dreams to sing it for him and he would in turn hold her hand and finish the song pouring out his feelings for her. Even if he had forgotten it, I did remember.
He seemed too stunned to react, probably he now realized what I meant by singing this song.
Suddenly the crowd seemed too disturbing. I wanted us both to be alone. The moment was so special and I wanted to share it with him and only him.
Taking him by his hand, I dragged him away from everyone as we took off together on our heels…..to be continued (Final part on 30-7-16)
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