❝ We never had to force love, we were drowning in it, the moment we met.❞
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People say 'Time and tide wait for none.' It just passes away with a blink of our eyes.
Seconds turned into hours, hours turned into days, days turned into months, months into years. And soon the time came when Raghav had to leave the campus.
Everything changed in this 1 year; everything. But what didn't change was their friendship, the strong bond they shared— rather it grew day by day.
She felt relaxed with him when on the other hand he loved to spend time with her. He was like the cherry tree of winter when she was the blossom in it. If he rained she was the earthly soil to enjoy its every drop. She's the summer of his winter heart. If she smiled then he was the mere reason behind it.
Little did they know it was something beyond just friendship. But did they able to realize it in time?
The front lake was as silver as diamond flame and the atmosphere was convent quiet; away from all the chaos and hypocrisy of the Shimoga city. Even the depths were crystal clear. It was soothing and yogi still. Freckled trout were leaping for flies and thunking on its surface. The setting sun caused a division of armed flies to swarm into the air.
It was dusk time. The sky showed hues of red and yellow and a subtle touch of the navy when Siya and Raghav were sitting quietly by the pond, drinking the heartful canvas.
Frequently he threw small stones into it nonchalantly while from time to time glancing at her oily dusted face— how some dry hair stands dancing on her cheeks smoothly with the span of the free wind. How her face was glowing just like the sun-kissed green lavish grasses; ever so softly.
Sometimes we can't realize our beauty which seems simple to us but you may wonder it can attract others who love us from the core of their heart.
The scene was so glorious that they two had a lightning bolt moment. The thistles pricking their legs broke their train of thought.
The damp grasses smelled utopian. It smelled like a sweet medicine, a potion for the spirit— indicating the autumn had just arrived.
"What do you think love is?" He sprung his head back in her direction, perplexed by her 'out-of-blue' question.
"What do you think?" Instead of replying, he questioned her back and wanted to know first from her so that he would gonna prepared his speech according to her point of view.
"Love is a rare thing, har kisiko nhi milta," she replied— her sight straight at the lake since the beginning.
He sighed before answering, "Well, I think, Love is like a migratory bird. It comes for a while to melt our hearts from the monster cold. But the truth is that its warmth can't stay forever with us. It flees far away before we can catch it or feel it for some more time. Only their memory left with us which we can cherish for the rest of our life."
She looked at him. She could feel the words that line held, the emptiness of his heart. It's not that she didn't know about his grief from his past. She consoled him many times but it felt like there were still some vacant places between them to heal their wounded hearts.
She regretted asking him such questions. Yet she couldn't help herself from knowing that particular answer from this particular person before he left her forever.
"I'd never thought that I will do friendship with a boy someday. You know, I'd never let any guy touch or hold me; not even my own father and brother after I grew up. You're the first whom I gave permission. You're lucky mister." she smirked to lighten up his mood.
"Huh! Flirting? I thought girls can never do flirt." he remarked giving her the same smirk back.
"Hey Ram!" She dramatically facepalmed.
"Ji haan Sitey..." she rolled her eyes as he chuckled.
That peaceful silence came back between them again until she broke it,
"Doobara kabhi nhi mil payenge na hum?"
"Shayad nhi." he sighed heavily.
"By the way congratulations in advance Dr. Siya Chauhan. Free me treatment karwa dena agar mujhe kuch h-" she placed her palm on his lip to stop him to proceed the line further.
He noticed her eyes glistening.
"Oh, C'mon Siya! I still have one week left to go. Enjoy the moment together instead of worrying about the future. Kyuki kya pata kal ho na ho!" He spoke the last line playfully, extending his arms cinematically.
"Don't worry you'll get a better partner next time. Don't harass them as you did with me." he continued with a fake hurting face.
"You're impossible." she stood up angrily and left his sitting figure behind.
His laughter echoed around.
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Siya somehow completed her tasks as she took out her diary and pen.
Dear Diary,
20th September, 2022
I'm in a dilemma right now. I can't understand why I'm feeling so flutter— from the day after hearing about his departure.
The truth, without meeting with him for the rest of my life haunted me. But why?
He's just my friend and I should be happy for his upcoming bright future. Then why on earth my heart feels like empty every second I think about that?
I never felt this kind of feeling before.
What is this?
Is it signifies that I'm falling for him?!
'Sita! you mean we're Ram Sita?'
'Of course, we're not! Can you imagine how much they loved each other?'
'We can too. Can't we, Sitey?'
Like a broken radio, his statements were constantly ringing into her ears.
From the very first day of their meeting, their eyes locking, how the nature reacted when they were together, how his flute always remembered her about his love— Krishna, how his mere presence comforted her every single time when she felt frustrated about this life, how they became such close friends in a short period; relayed on her mind as if it was just yesterday they met and today life started showing its real colors by snatching away the simple happiness from her life.
Her Raghav.
A bundle of cool breeze touched her skin creating goosebumps all over her body. Once after revolving around her, it seemed to merge somewhere instantly.
It happened, most of the time, whenever she felt something good or positive around herself; no matter if there were any sources of wind coming or not.
She wondered if it was the universe that wanted to cross their roads together.
'Life isn't a romantic tale.' her subconscious reminded her, blocking the path of her newly bloomed heart.
"It's just an infatuation... maybe I can forget him after he goes." influenced by her conscious she decided to let go of the topic, completely ignoring how much her heart screamed to judge before it was too late to obtain.
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Hey Champ!
20th September, 2022
I hope I don't disturb you again with my silly thoughts. But I think I need your guidance mostly now.
Today I saw a completely different Siya. I had seen her pale face when Mr. Agarwal informed us about my departure.
I know this is quite natural for her as we're being such close friends. Though today her eyes held something beyond that, I couldn't decipher.
Is this what I'm thinking that she might have the same feelings as I've for her!
Her innocence-filled face flashed through his eyes. The saccharine feeling of her sweet smell, how he watched her with adoration when she blushed.
'Whenever you feel depressed just look at the moon. It watches you from there all the time and knows all the secrets in your heart.'
It was once told by Siya. As he, an astrophile, didn't bother to take a glance at the bright source of light or hope— the moon, which moved along with the stars.
He looked at the euphoric moon, gulping a lump as his Adam's apple simultaneously bobbed up and down; silently seeking for the unquestionable answers of his heart.
"Am I falling for her?" A faint voice of his own echoed through the surroundings reminded the question which bothered him for so long.
"No-noo. I ain't. How can I?" Came his immediate reply.
'Well, Pyaar kiya nhi jaata, ho jaata hai!'
Hardly believed he heard it right or not when his lips tugged upwards a little yet his brain didn't want to cope up with it at all.
His thanatophobia warned him every moment,
'What if you'll lose her too?'
'What if she rejects you?'
The very thing scared him out of his shit.
'Now you belong to a prosperous family doesn't change the fact that you're born in a lower-middle-class family and she's a millionaire's child.'
"Yes, I think you're right. It's the ultimate truth after all. She doesn't deserve me. She'll forget about me soon." he thought.
He couldn't afford to lose their friendship, to lose her, at any cost. So decided it was better to keep his distance from her in those days.
After that, he would go far away from her life where she couldn't able to find him.
She must be happy without him.
She had to.
"Only if I never met with her," he whispered- sighed before the sleep engulfed him in its embrace.
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They've feelings for each other.
What do you think, will they able to find it out before it's too late?