Love! Can you define it?
Impossible! Yes, it's impossible to define this word under the confinement, of say, a million words! It's indescribable, it's limitless. You cannot understand its true meaning until and unless you have felt through it, passed through it. It goes the same as the knowledge of your theory subject and then the knowledge of your practicals, both of the things completely pole apart, mugging up the meaning of love is different and going through the hardships of it is a whole lot different story!
You read this word at many places, but you cannot know the in-depth meaning of it until you have not fallen in the depth of it!
Dev's love for Arvika was pure, for sure, but it had its own charm, possessiveness, and of course his madness for her. His fierceness, his confidence wasn't even a bit marred in front of his vice-principal, his parents, or even Arvika's parents whom he had met just a few moments ago.
He sighed and pursed his lips into a thin line, not wanting to break down, standing right in front of her house where he could see the light still glowing in his love's room. Not having the heart to return back to his house as it was Arvika's last night here in Mumbai, Dev didn't want to go to his house, he wanted to just stare at her room's window, trying to recapture all the memories that he had created with her in this short period of his one-sided love.
"I don't know how I will convince my heart not to miss you, I don't know how I will convince it not to just snatch you away from everyone else and hide you in my arms. Mom said I just have a crush on you, but only I know how deeply you are inculcated within me, Arvika. It's like you're the oxygen who has mixed in all parts of my body, my brain, my blood, my heart, every f**king thing."
"Mom has asked me not to be in contact with you, till the time you're of proper age, to understand whatever madness I have for you, so all I can do is wait for you, wait for you till you turn of the right age. F**king wait! I hate to say this, but I am letting you go for your own good, Arvika. I have known about your parents, how good they are, note my sarcasm. But, today, I am promising you one thing, Arvika, I will love you till the last breath of mine, even if you don't love me back," a tear rolled down his eyes, still staring at her window, in the hope of seeing her for once, just once.
Only he knew how hard it was to bid adieu to her, like a part of him was being slashed away from him, inflicting excruciating pain all over his body, and the most on his bleeding heart. With a heavy heart and quivering voice, he had spoken the last verses to her, trying to stand strong but only he knew how big of a weakling and incapacitated he had felt that moment.
"I don't want to go home, I want to follow her till the end," Dev was having an emotional breakdown now, reminiscing all the sweet, sour moments that he had cherished with her.
"All this is happening because of that kiss, which I had planted on your lips. That day I could have hugged you too to hide your bloodstain, but I knew the moment my hands would've touched your buttocks, you would've shrieked out loudly, calling for help, undoubtedly creating a much worse scene and that too in front of that bastard. And forget that, my mind was filled with only that 'kiss' word and later your bloodstain. And I messed up, really big this time. But one good thing happened, you are finally going away from this hell of a family of yours, you deserve a much better life Arvika, a much much better life," and the dam of his tears broke down, making him shed his pearl-like tears.
Not wanting to but still compelled to, Dev finally left for his house on his bicycle. Secretly, he had sneaked out of his room from the backside door of his house, after thinking that everyone had slept, but he was so wrong, his father was waiting for him in the living room, with his one leg crossed on another.
Dev was finally at his home, with stains of tears still present on his cheeks. He immediately parked his bicycle, silently and was just going to enter his room after climbing the tree which was near his window sill, when he was stopped by a gruff voice which belonged to none other than his father, who had a grave look on his face, examining the torn expressions of his son.
"So, you met her?" Kamaljeet asked his son directly, without beating around the bush, with his hands folded across his chest.
"Dad, how you...." Dev stammered not being able to form a proper sentence out of the shock that he had gotten after hearing his father's solemn voice out of nowhere.
"I am your father, Dev. And more than that I'm your best friend, right? And I know how you are currently feeling now, Dev, terrible, awful, and what not! You won't believe me but I had gone through the same phase when I was just a little older than your age. It's a long story, come let's sit together," Kamaljit held Dev's arm and made him sit on the bench which was present amid their garden, while Dev was just completely blown out, now he'd be discussing these kinds of stuff with his dad too, great!
"You were just a baby back then when my business had just started to flourish. Due to lots of workload and tours from this place to another, I wasn't able to give either you or your mother the time a father should give to his newly born baby and his wife. And I had always missed you guys a lot, that time even calling was a big facility, towers, and network problems and all. Every day I had begged to my God to make you guys safe and happy. On calls, I used to tear up, but your mother is so strong, son. She had always motivated me, inspired me," Kamaljit's eyes shone at the mention of his wife, how proud and lucky he was to get her as his wife while Dev had a slight smile on his lips, thinking about his charming mother.
"That time your mother had said a very deep yet meaningful thing to me. You want to know what's that?" Kamaljit asked his son who nodded his head at him in anticipation.
"Sometimes it's good to let go of our loved ones, just take a tree for example. How it sheds its old leaves but later get the newer, green lush leaves. Similarly, I too was advised to let you both go for a short time and in that time, explore myself, enhance myself, and of course, ameliorate myself to be a good man, both in personal as well as professional life. So, this is your time to explore yourself, Dev, and Arvika's time too to enhance herself. Crying in their remembrance won't give you anything son, but always remember, you can always optimize yourself to a better person. If she's meant for you, she'll come to you," with his words as affecting as a fire along with his experienced eyes shining with positivity, Kamaljit instigated a new hope in Dev, the hope of getting his Arvika again in his life but not right now.
"Leave everything on time, son! Time is the biggest medicine of every trouble, always remember that" having spoken the last sentence of inspiration to Dev, Kamaljit took his son in his arms, ruffling his baby boy's hair who had turned so mature in these days, talking about love and all.
"You know you are the world's best Dad," Dev had whispered after feeling a lot lighter than before. Earlier his young shoulders were burdened with the huge loads of emotions, separation, departure, and whatnot, but everything seems to be weightless now, as light as a feather.
"And you're the world's best son," Kamaljit too announced proudly, feeling happy to get back his old, cheerful boy.
****
~After five years
Year 2020
"Arvika, I am already loving this college so much, man. I mean how vast it is, and can you see those handsome men, they are staring on our way only," seventeen-and-a-half-year-old Kavya was busy blabbering in her over-excitement while her best friend Arvika was continuously swearing against the cab driver who had dropped them on the wrong gate number of their college. How ridiculous it was!
They had to carry their hefty and solid luggage on their own, from the wrong gate to their hostel, which was still unknown to them. They only knew about the office of their college as there only their counselling session had taken place, wherein their certificates, Detailed Marks Certificate shortly termed for DMC, and a lot of other documents were verified by the college officials.
"I can't believe why I am still friends with you," Arvika shot an angry glare at Kavya who ignored it, huffing at her boring friend.
"Get some chill pill, Boo! We are in our college now, let's enjoy this phase, man, why to sulk," Kavya tried to lighten her best friend's foul mood, using the cute name that she had given to her.
"This is not a joke, Kavya. That driver had taken the full fare but still dropped us on the wrong gate. Now we've to walk for at least a kilometre with this hefty baggage to reach our hostel," Arvika was already feeling drained out, walking under the scorching sun of July, and of course, under the greyish-blue sky of the daredevil Delhi.
"I don't know why you have changed so much, you don't even smile, man," Kavya mumbled to herself in a sad tone, not wanting her best friend to hear any of this.
"I heard you, and you already know why I am like this!" Arvika had replied back after wiping off the sweat with her cotton hanky, that was dripping down from her forehead to her neck.
"But it had happened a long time ago, right? Why are you still pondering over it, Arvika? Why are you spoiling the time, the happy times you can have now, why?" Kavya had stopped walking now, glaring at her best friend's back who too had stopped, hearing her friend's remark.
"Kavya, look, I don't have any energy left walking under this sweltering sun, so, please, just walk faster," Arvika had now used her that tone which always made her sound more like a teacher and not as a friend to Kavya.
"Okay, I am sorry," finally, Kavya just shut her mouth and trudged on the cemented path towards their hostel which still felt a hundred miles away under this blistering sun.
With their destination unknown, they trudged and trudged until they found a vehicle. Fortunately, an e-rickshaw stopped near them after a few more minutes of their voyage to their unknown destination, and by God's grace, after a ride of ten minutes, finally, both were in front of their hostel which was not like a typical government college hostel, it was anything but that.
There stood their hostel which was as magnificent as some corporate office, looking absolutely exquisite and stunning, standing tall at the height of five floors, what Kavya could count till now.
"Ganpati Bappa Morya," Kavya along with Arvika entered inside their hostel's premises after taking the name of their favourite god for a fortunate and happy beginning of their college life, thoroughly!
****
"Sir, can I please go now?" a meek voice asked, looking completely terrified and panicked of the interviewer who was busy in glaring this cheater candidate who had dared to present him the false certificates that he had bought from the nearby market which was already so famous for designing false certificates like these.
"You know you can be debarred for this trick of yours?" the interviewer wasn't a fool to not realize between original and false, he had the experience of years of interviewing students like these.
"Please sir, leave me, I won't do this again, please sir," the poor candidate was begging the interviewer now, getting on his knees.
"Okay, I am leaving you for now, but don't repeat this mistake again," the HR manager finally voiced out, looking at the candidate in pity, not wanting to endanger his career.
"Send the next candidate," the interviewer ordered the candidate who had already scurried away from the chamber which was like a gas chamber for him, seeing the pace at which he had sprinted from this room.
"So, without telling me about you, just answer a few of my basic questions!" having already interviewed a lot of candidates, the HR manager was torn out, he wanted nothing but to pack up as early as possible, having no energy left in him.
"Why do you want to join our company?".
"Sir, the job opening at your organization suits my skills aptly & a career opportunity at your reputed firm is no less than a dream come true. I believe the pioneer standards set by your firm & ethical practices within the office environment leaves me in no doubt that your firm shall not only develop my skills but also encourage me to step up to grow professionally & personally," the candidate replied in a confident tone, having a proper eye-contact with the interviewer.
"That sounds nice, by the way, what are your weaknesses?".
"Sir, I am a very impatient person, and I hate those who don't follow deadlines. And moreover, I hate getting help from someone, I could only recall these two things as of now, sir," the candidate replied in a firm tone.
"Impressive, so why should we hire you out of all other students?"
"I believe that my experience with technology, specifically in the web design space, makes me the best match for this position. In my previous Internship, last winter, I was responsible for maintaining and updating our company's website. This required keeping employee profiles updated and continuously posting information regarding upcoming events. I truly enjoyed what I was doing, which is what drew me to this position with your company. I would love to bring the coding and content skills I learned there to this position. Being an ECE student, I know about almost all the fields of CSE as well, so it's a win-win thing, moreover, I had always been a good leader of my troop so that thing also counts as per your company's requirement," the candidate's reply was making the interviewer more and more impressed at his immense confident yet calm persona.
"Wow! Last question, where do you see yourself in the next five years?".
"Sir, I see myself as the CEO of your company and along with that, having the love of my life by my side, who would increase my zest and vigour for working for the company, making it reach the umpteenth height of success and a lot more of success," with a beautiful, charming yet professional smile, the candidate ended, leaving the interviewer utterly stunned and lip-smacked at his unforeseen and astounding response, wholly baffled at his courage as well as boldness.
~**•°•**~
Important Note:
Silent readers, at least vote for the story, it takes a lot of hard work and time to write a chapter along with that, I'm currently working upon three stories, altogether. Show your love via your votes and comments, please.