THE FIRST TIME

It was one of those typical weekends and I was  the typical lonely guy, sipping away my cup of coffee, all alone. It was just me and my phone enjoying each other's company on a weekend evening. It's not that I had no friends, I had fairly good friends but they had girlfriends. Believe me; the girlfriend always scores a victory over the friend when it comes to investment of attention and company. My thoughts were meandering across the vastness of my solitude when my phone started ringing abruptly. 

It was Rohan, one of the few friends who actually call me.

Rohan - Hey man, wass up?

I sensed an obnoxious sense of dizziness in his voice.

Me - Hey bro are you drunk?

Rohan - Oh my God you know me so well. You are my true friend. It’s not just me, Vikash is also drunk.

Vikash was my college roommate, another one of those saintly friends who still call me.

Me - Oh God! What are you guys unto at this time? If this is an invitation for a booze party, you already know the answer.

Rohan - No bro just listen. We are having a great time here at the Disco. But we want your help.

Me - Ok what kind of help?

It is then that my great friend informed that the two of them are drunk badly enough to disallow themselves from any attempt to return their apartments. And since my place was near to the Disco, they want my help in enabling them a way to reach their apartments; in short they want me to drive them to their apartments in my car. 

Me - Bro why don't you hire a cab and return?

Rohan - We can’t do that. Vikash is completely out and I am just good enough to speak on phone.... and... the girls are also with us.

I was in a state of amazement, amazed by the insanity of my friends. They went to the disco with their GFs and now they all are drunk, drunk enough for me to carry out a rescue mission for all of them. I understood the gravity of the situation. Being the true gentleman I was it was hard for me to leave my friends and the girls in this state of vulnerability. I quickly set out for my savior duty on my car.

I reached the disco spot in a jiffy to find Rohan and Vikash standing in a funny posture outside the gate. On seeing me and my car they quickly ran inside in a comical manner and got the girls out. I was inside the car whole time as I felt awkward to greet the girls in such state. I looked back to find the four of them already loaded on the back seat, lovers, heads on shoulders, arms around each other. I always felt my car's back seat was inadequate for four people but it was like cupid had himself taken the pain to enlarge the back seat for these couples. I was all set to kick start or rather push start my rescue operation unaware of the fact that cupid had conjured up a divine arrangement for me also when a soft knock on my car window halted my thoughts. I opened the window to the most beautiful face I had ever seen. Her face was glowing in this dark night, shining like the moon that had descended on earth. I was busy admiring the architecture of her face when Rohan shouted from the back "Let her in Bro. She's Shraddha our colleague, she's with us."

I instantly opened the door to the maiden and let her invade my vicinity. I looked back to ask my friends for an explanation to her presence but they were already out on an alcoholic sleep and dream.

I took the chance to get the car out of the situation and drove straight back to the main road. My car was as smooth as ever, racing gracefully to our destination. But one glance to my side and I was back in the territory of tranquility. I could clearly make out the repulsion and anger on her face. Was it because I was too late to open the door? Was it because I was staring at her like a hypnotized moron? I had so many questions to ask her but I was spellbound by her charisma, by her beauty. For the first time I wished my car had an auto-drive option, to enable me pursue my indulgence of appreciating this angel of elegant splendor.

I took a quick glance at her. She was in a pink top and jeans’, accentuating her smooth long hair; the aroma of her perfume was rejuvenating. It was a bait, a honey trap set by fate. How could Mr. Fate possibly know that I had an inclination for pretty girls with long open hair and that too in pink attire?

Her face was clean, clear and pure, devoid of any signs of drunkenness. That’s when curiosity took over me and I abruptly asked – “How… how are you not drunk like these guys?

She gave me a strange look and replied – “I don’t drink, I don’t like drinking.”

I questioned further – “Do you mean you were with them all the time in the disco without tasting any alcohol?”

She replied – “Yes exactly. Radhika and Samiksha are my colleagues. I went to the disco because they insisted me on coming and moreover I had nothing to do this weekend. If I had known they would mess up getting up drunk so badly, I wouldn’t have come with them.”

I smiled at her reply and she was quick to retort – “Do you always ask questions to girls, even if you meet them for the First Time?

I was equally quick to reply with a smile – “What can I say? I am a slave to my curiosity when it comes to pretty girls.”  I could see a semi-smile on her face. This was the breakthrough I so desperately needed. I felt my reply impressed her, may be a bit, but it did amuse her. The car hurried us to our destination as an impending silence prevailed between us.

Again it was me breaking the silence – So you any good at dance?

This time the smile was wider and she replied – I do not know, but I had a good time at the disco. I replied back with a nod of approval.

“So do you dance?”

I was dumbstruck with her question; I looked at her with raised eyebrows and looked at back at my plump figure, expanding gracefully from all possible dimensions.

“Okay… that was…that was sarcastic… you are funny.” I replied with a sheepish on my face.

“For the sake of humanity you should pray that I never dance” and she burst out into laughter as soon as I replied this. After satisfying her craving for laughter she replied back saying – “You are truly funny.

I said – “Yeah. And I am more of the singing type.”

“Really? So when are you going to sing for me?” as she said these words I looked at her face. There was this innocence of a child asking for a candy. She was pretty, so pretty, prettier than the prettiest thing ever created. And she wanted me to sing for her. How I wished I could tell that her voice is the best music I had ever heard, her face is the best view I had ever seen. I wished I could stop the car right there, right then, kneel down, middle of the road and sing for her with all my heart.

As a matter of fact I had to stop the car now; I realized we had arrived near the apartment of my friends. I looked back to find the lovebirds alive again. I wondered if they had been listening to our conversation the whole time. They hopped out of the car one by one, the girls waved a thank you at me and Rohan and Vikash blew flying kisses at me which I obliged with great repugnance, I wondered if that was the alcohol or it had something to do with Shraddha and me. And they started walking off together as I was startled to find the four of them walking into the same building.

“Wait…what? “I blurted out.

“Oh you don’t know.  The Girls live in the flat opposite to the boys.” She said.

“Oh great. No wonder they fell in love.” I commented sarcastically and looked at her. She was not all amused by my comment.

“So you think living nearby is good enough to fall in love? She questioned me.

I realized I had hurt her sentiments by my moronic comment. I asked the same question to my dear conscience and it replied back to her– No I don’t think so. I think no matter how close you stay physically, unless your thoughts and feelings are close enough to each other there is no room for Love to bloom. Love is not determined by proximity but by affinity.

As I said these words I could see her eyes sparkle. She was smiling at me. This was not just any smile, this was her approval of my thoughts, and this was the final frontier conquered for me. We both knew we had a struck a connection now.

“So where to Mademoiselle?” I asked her.

“Oh I just stay a couple of kilometers away. But only if you don’t mind and if it’s not getting too late for you.

I smiled at her and instantly we were on our way to her destination. Couple of kilometers?? I asked myself. I was ready to go wherever she wanted me to, without conditions and without any questions asked. I glanced at her hands kept on the seat; they were inches away from me. I wanted to hold them; I wanted to hold them till eternity. I was lost in thoughts, when her sudden voice brought me back to reality.

“Stop. We can stop now” she said looking at me. I brought the car to a halt and asked – “What happened?

“Actually my flat is just through the lane on the opposite side of the road. I can cross the road and walk to my place from here.”

I retorted back – “I disagree. Let’s take a turn at the next point and I can drop you near your flat.”

She replied back calmly – The next turning point is around a kilometer ahead, it would be convenient for me to just to cross the road and walk.

I looked at her. She was resolute. She wanted to leave me, deprived of an extra kilometer with her. I was heartbroken and hopeless. I wished I could stop her and tell her how I felt about her, how much I adored her. I watched her go as she slowly closed the car door and walked away as I felt her going beyond my reach.

I felt lifeless sitting in my car, I was alone again, my prodigal friend, my solitude was back again in my life. The one glimmer of hope my life had just walked away. I was completely dejected and lost in grief when a soft knock on the window brought me back to senses.

It was her! My lifeline was back. I hurriedly got myself out of the car and stood next to her.

"Hey, I was thinking, If you don’t mind, can you just cross the road with me and leave me on the other side"

I was delighted to see her back. There was this effervescence of joy inside me but all I could reply was -Sure.

As we started to cross the road I looked at her. There was this amalgamation of nervousness and embarrassment on her face. She was nervous to cross the road and she was embarrassed because I knew that. I glanced at the road, there were a few vehicles on the road, but they all were speeding up. As she took her first hesitant step to cross the road, I became worried, worried about her. I wanted to make sure she makes it to the other side safely, just like I do every time. I moved closer towards her. I had this strong urge to hold her hands and safely manoeuvre her across the road. I glanced at her and she glanced at me and my hand reached out to hold her hand. And the unthinkable happened, it was like if she had been waiting the whole time for my hand to make a movement, she quickly spread her hands and grasped me firmly with both hands. The touch of her hands was fulfilling, she had touched my soul. For the first time ever in my life, I felt complete.

Once at the other side of the road, we found each other holding hands, staring at each other, probably searching for our own reflection in the other's eyes, probably lost in realization of the moment we just had together. It was fates intertwined, it was cosmic coincidence. Her grip on my hands was still firm. As we walked slowly towards her flat, we both knew this was Love.

She gently slid her hands out of my grip and bid me goodbye with her mellifluous voice. She looked one more time at me before vanishing out of my sight. She had that stunning smile, the smile that bowled me over on the first time, the smile that made her my raison d’être.

I knew I had to let her go this time, to plan another adventure with her, to embark on a new journey with her, and to contrive a destiny together.

As I retraced my steps back to my car, I knew this changed everything. We were in Love. It was as if the whole world had conspired to bring us together in the very First Time. It was the resurrection of my life and the beginning of a  lifetime of togetherness and Love.

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