Prelude to a Kiss

Almost 6 years back, I have come to Bangalore to set out on the new phase of life. I passed out of a college where we hardly got an air about long hairs, forget even knowing them. I was kicked about my first job and very skeptical of the life at the same time for it was my first time in this beautiful garden city. I was lost in the gigantic concrete structures and spate of traffic. Cultural differences gaped in my face. It had taken little time for me to get acclimatized to the city life.

I started interacting with colleagues and was lucky enough to convert some of them into friends. Life was sailing smoothly with friends around and one year had passed in a jiffy. I was desperately seeking some change and one day, “Why don’t you move in with me?” said my uncle who had then moved to Bangalore. He was staying in a spacious 3 bed room flat, provided by the government. I felt it could do some good, and took up the offer immediately even though it proved to be tiring journey to office. After living in a packed can, I felt like a free bird in such large apartment. This offset the trouble of traveling 60KM daily. Life was progressing like boat on a placid lake.

“Do you mind giving me a lift home, as it is already late for me to get a cab?” asked a colleague of mine. “I actually stay near your place”, she continued. I have hardly spoken to her during the one year of our working together. I replied “Ok” and we were on our way. It was an uneasy ride back home as it was the first time I had ever taken a girl on my bike. Silence dominated with only couple of discussions during the ride back home. Little did I know what the destiny has got in store for me.

“Sorry”, I said and she smiled as she brushed against me after I applied the brake the last minute to avoid collision. Next three days, I have picked and dropped her home. Gradually, the wall between us had begun to shrink. We discussed topics ranging from work to relationships to religion. It looked like we were bonding nicely and within no time we seemed to miss each other’s company. Calling each other late nights had started to overcome the void. These calls were often made under blankets or in the balcony considering them to be some cloak of invisibility.

I was slowly getting used to the new developments in my life. “My distant cousin is coming down from Delhi for an interview and uncle gave me the responsibility to take her around” I said while coming back from office. “Oh, good”, she replied nonchalantly. There was silence and I could not pick on the hints for I was a complete dud and failed miserably in reading women.  During our regular post 11PM calls, the discussions were a bit more intense than usual and suddenly she said those magic words. I couldn’t believe my ears. My heart was pounding so hard, that I could hear it. It was not exactly happiness, but a kind of thrill combined with equal amount of tension. Mixture of emotions overpowered me. “Love you too”, words popped out of my mouth as if something kicked them from inside. “That’s it! Is this love?” I assumed it in affirmative as I never knew what love really meant.

The following morning, our hearts were bubbling out of excitement and the fragrance of love spread everywhere. We could not see each other as eyes got heavier with shy.  She sat silently behind, and the distance between us was inches more than usual. I could not let out my feelings as was unsure of the reactions. Both of us were aware of the deafening silence around. We wanted to break the shackles and behave normally. Finally the moment arrived. “I am going to be late today”, she said. It meant that we could not go back home together.

I never had problem go back home alone, but not on that day. I logged out and went to a nearby mall on the pretext of shopping. Sometimes we so wish that we did not have friends, and that day was one of them. They too hung around with me, which made me even more conscious. I was messaging her stealthily, trying to find out the time she would leave. I did not want to show her my keenness to be with her, and could not afford to leave at the same time. “I am going home”, I announced and went back to office to pick up my bike. I sent a text asking her to come to basement, and that we could go back together. As expected, we did go back home together, with my heart filled with unknown excitement & joy. I parked my bike and we walked the last 500 meters to her house. We trotted under the starry night with moon playing hide & seek occasionally.  Pace died down and arm’s distance converged into inches. Intermittent clash of hands has become regular and slowly the fingers intertwined themselves into a tender groove. Even before we could cherish the moment, we reached home, and I cursed god for making it so short lived. We bade each other good bye and as I turned back to collect my bike, I found a spring in my foot steps. I realized that few eyes were following me as I hopped back to my bike.

As the days passed, impatience and the eagerness to spend more time with each other have grown astronomically. But, we had to wait, until…