The sound from my laptop made my heart skip a beat. Miss Nandini Murthy you are dead. When on one side my tummy had butterflies doing waltz in it on the other side I was sweating like a pig. All hell broke loose when I registered that Mr Manik Malhotra had replied to me. Before I could compose myself my door swung open.
"Nandu didi(elder sister) aunt is calling you downstairs for dinner "said the 12 yr old Rinki, my cousin swaying with the door.
"Ammm..no tell them I am not hungry..I have a headache so I shall be going to sleep", I said pressing my temple actually rubbing the sweat off my forehead and as Rinki was about to leave I stopped her.
"And listen tell them I have already taken medicines so not to worry and please no one should disturb me I am sleeping okay" I added further arranging the pillow on my bed.
I had to do this or they would have all started running up and down making my condition even worse. Rinki nodded in agreement and went back closing the door. I ran to lock the door before anyone thought of checking on me and switched off the lights. I leaped back to my bed unsure of what to do next. Suddenly I thought why was a behaving like a sissy?, it's ok, it's just a chat, he is not going to come out of the screen and gobble me, I was panicking unnecessarily. So I braced myself and responded.
"Hi again"
"Were you also checking my profile?",he had responded almost immediately
"Huh.. I am sorry I dint get you"
"You took a little while to reply that's why...Actually when u pinged me I couldn't really recognize you. so was checking your profile and pictures"
"So you remember me?" (The butterflies were doing salsa now)
"Yes of course and you should thank Cabir for that"
"Cabir??"
"Yep? You had beaten him in the Inter Collegiate Art Fest 2011. He had actually hatched a plan to kill you for breaking his 3 years victory chain."
"Sorry to hear that."
"Don't be he is a jerk anyways...amm he is not the real reason, I don't know but I just couldn't help my hand reaching the keyboard to reply"
"Okay I get it... I am flattered to hear that...by the way where are you now?"
"Home Mumbai amchi Mumbai.(Mumbai my city). I am into fashion business you could say an entrepreneur"
"I know that. I follow your social profile"
"Ahh!! ..So I am being stalked already"
"No stalking business just a keen interest in you"
"Well your interest sounds interesting.."
I started getting a little comfortable with him. He was not a flirt but a glib talker and had a very suave flair with words. For the next two hours we chatted on various topics- college days(even though we didn't have much common memories.), life after college, his work, AURA, my life, family and of course my would be engagement. He somehow figured out from my replies that I was not very keen about my whole marriage thing. He asked me further questions relating to it, if I liked someone else and all. I did not realize when my jitters and hesitation with him had vanished and wrote something which I had not thought of writing even in my wildest dreams.
"I had my hopes on you but you just smashed them left right and center. You wouldn't believe if I say that I had a huge crush on you since college. You were like the ideal man I had always waited for."
I had stopped thinking and just let my feelings flow. It was probably the first and the last time I was talking to him and I wanted him to know what I had felt for him all these years. I didn't want him to reciprocate my feeling just to acknowledge them. I was happy that even for once that I could speak to him I spoke my heart out. I was sure he would he would think I was insane and was trying to throw myself at him. But I prayed that he wouldn't judge me wrong.
"I never had the courage to talk to you in college or even on chat all these years. You were like a far-fetched dream. Even today I pinged you by mistake, it's just that I don't regret it. I could have never had the opportunity to say all of this to you but I am just happy that I could express it."
I wrote for so long without letting him intervene that I thought he got bored and must have gone to get snacks or visit the loo but then he responded after some 10 minutes.
"Your name is Nandini Murthy right"
"Yeah!!"
"Where are you now?"
"Home!!"
"No the city"
"Ahmedabad (Indian City)"
"Age??"
"But why Manik??"
"Age????"
"23"
"Okay done.. just carry any of your identity proof ..check ur email"
"But what for??", I queered as I checked my email
My inbox had a new message. He had booked a flight ticket and sent it to me.
"What?? What is this?", my fingers trembled as I typed the words
"Tomorrow morning your flight to Mumbai(Indian city) at 9 am, you will reach in two hours and I will pick you up"
"Wait what you are kidding me?", I typed as the sweat beads reappeared on my forehead
"I don't have much of a funny bone in me. I am serious. I want to meet you."
"Manik I am getting engaged tomorrow"
"Exactly and you are professing your feelings to someone who is definitely not your fiance."
"I can't do this.. .This is insane"
"Well may be.. but that's how life is and that is how Manik Malhotra I am..INSANE"
We had another round of vigorous discussion and debating and trying to imply rational logic. But it ended when he finally managed to convince and cajole me to say yes and give it a shot. He gave me his number and I texted mine to him. I totally knew it was an insane idea but it sounded exciting. I never had experienced living all by myself. I was brought up under a protective environment and never knew what it meant to be set free. Even during my college years in Delhi, Nanu (maternal grandfather)would call me 10 times a day and visit me every week without fail. I couldn't much enjoy the freedom. But why blame Nanu(maternal grandfather) alone, I myself was nothing more than a dud. Anyways my life was mundane and unexciting and this insane idea could actually mean fun.
I knew Nanu(maternal grandfather) and Mom would be very upset and also have to face a lot of embarrassment but I knew they loved me enough to forgive me. I finally made up my mind. I wrote a small letter addressing Mom saying that I was not eloping; I just needed a break and would come back soon and kept it at a place where they would easily locate it. I packed a small bag unsure how long my vacation was going to be, took some money that I had saved and other stuff that I would require and waited for the morning eagerly. I couldn't close my eyes for a second, anxiety nervousness, tension, excitement all of it was running in my veins but mostly I had a smile on my face. I was actually going to be with Manik, my far-fetched dream. Early in the morning I sneaked out of the house before any one woke up and ventured towards my new life.