Chapter 2

Reinhard

As I was checking my phone I mistakenly stepped onto someone's foot. I was in the airport and heading to the waiting room.I was travelling to another City to attend a conference.

"Ouch "whispered the woman .

I looked at her .Damn....She was so charming and gorgeous.Her eyes were big and attractive.Her hair was blonde,long and silky tied up well.She looked smart in her grey suit and paint.She was simply beautiful.The radiance on her face reminded me of my childhood crush Lindsley.Her face seemed very familiar to me.

Ohhh...I am extremely sorry.I mistakenly stepped onto your feet .... I apologized.

She didn't answer.She seemed to be lost in her thoughts.

Might be she didn't hear me....Once again I apologized to her.

"It's okey...I didn't mind at all" She replied in her soft voice....It seemed as I was familiar to her voice.. There was something magical about her voice.I don't know why but I was so curious to know about her.I wanted to talk to her.

I sat next to her.All other females were staring at me trying to seek my attention while that beautiful woman was trying to ignore me.This was so special about her.But she looked nervous.She was not comfortable at all.She took out the book from her bag and started reading.

There was complete silence and I didn't like it at all.I was stamping my foot.Suddenly I realised as if I was disturbing her.I went out and brought a packet of potato chips.

I opened it and offered her too but she refused.

She refused with a pretty smile.

Oh my god! Her innocent smile was worth watching to.She looked much prettier with her thousand dollar smile.

While I was crunching my chips I got a call from my mother. I used to call her my sweetheart.After talking to her I asked for my little girl .I was not her biological father but I loved her more than myself.I adopted her from one of the orphanage homes .She was already five now.I had named her after my childhood crush Lindsley .

All of a sudden the boarding announcement was made. All the passengers including Lindsley and Reinhard headed towards the plane and got in.

Lindsley

I took my seat.I was trying to be normal but I wasn't able to forget the face of that strange man.Damn....the same person sat next to me.

Was it a sum of co-incidence or something else?Why everytime I saw him I was reminded of Reinhard? I closed my eyes.

I went back to my childhood days some 20 years ago.

I was 10 then.I was in grade 6.I was a full scholarship holder in one of the reputed schools .

I think it was Monday when principal came to our classroom and introduced to us a charming boy, Reinhard.He had got magical blue eyes and dark brown hair. He was really attractive.It was for the first time I had noticed any boy like this.For me he was like the prince of fairy tales that I used to hear from mother Mary.He was my first and last crush.

"Hey Lindsley please help him with the notes....he is our new student..."the principal told me .I was a brilliant student and always stood first in my exams.

"Meet Lindsley Roberts .... she is our bright girl"principal introduced him to me.

"Hi Lindsley ....so glad to meet you"Reinhard told me with a bright smile on his face.

"Glad to meet you too" I also smiled at him .....It was for the first time my heart was pounding ....

I could not look at him directly...I didn't have any idea why I was feeling shy ...

As a kid I was imagining myself as Cindrella, one of the popular fairy tale characters and Reinhard, the prince charming who was going to swipe away all of my pains and sorrows....

Soon we became good friends.He was fun-loving guy.He could bring smile in anyone's face.He would be always there to help me whenever I needed.He became popular face in no time...He was a champ be it sports,music or study.All other girls would like to seek his attention.But he used to ignore them.

"Do you know Reinhard is the only son of a famous business tycoon?" Our classmates were talking to each other.

Ohhh....so he was the son of a rich business tycoon....But he never showed off...He was always cool and friendly.

I could clearly notice that all other girls in our class didn't like Reinhard giving attention to me.

"Hey!Why our champ Reinhard likes talking to Lindsley....a poor orphan... Except being a book worm and yah securing first position there's no any special quality about her."...Lisa one of our classmate was gossiping with Heidy.

"Yah you are absolutely right .....He should have been with us....She isn't his type at all.....Heidy laughed.

I heard them .I ignored them but inside I was feeling badly hurt.No one could see the ocean of pain deep inside my heart.Tears started rolling down my eyes though I was trying to be strong.

Was it my fault to be an orphan? Why God was so cruel to me? Didn't they fall pity on a poor 2 year kid when they snatched away my parents from me?

Mother Mary told me that I lost my parents in a car accident .It was me who survived.Since there wasn't anyone to claim my custody I was brought to the Orphanage Home.

I looked up at the sky.....It was covered with dark clouds ... situation was actually the same ...my heart was also filled with dark sorrows....I was badly missing my parents...

"Hey you crazy girls ....how dare you talk about her like this.?What if she is an orphan?She is a beautiful soul with pure heart....no one can become like her...She is very special for me.."Reinhard scolded them.He had also heard their gossips.

"Say sorry to her.... otherwise I am going to the principal to complain about you both" he threatened them.

He seemed very angry.I could feel his care and respect for me.He was taking stand for me.I was so much touched by this.....

"We are extremely sorry... we'll never repeat our mistake again ...please forgive us"Lisa and Heidy apologized.

It's okey.....I replied.

Reinhard gently wiped out my tears with his handkerchief.

"Promise me you are not going to cry again .I want you to be my strong girl.Just give a damn to what filthy creatures speak about you.There's no one like you in this whole world.You are really precious that's why God saved you.I always prefer to see you smiling".....He was convincing me.

"If you broke down like this the angelic souls of your parents will never rest in peace....they will be happy if you are happy" he further added.

It was for the first time anyone was convincing me like that.He made me feel so special.At that moment I had been very grateful to God that he sent him as my true friend into my life.

And yah till now I have never cried .His words touched my heart deeply.

He was my crush and I was already fallen for him.But I could never express my feelings to him.I feared that after knowing my feelings he would think that I was also like other girls who fall for him and try to gain his attention .On the top of all I didn't want to lose our true friendship.His friendship was far more precious than my feelings.After all I also knew the bitter truth about the difference in our status.I was a poor orphan and he was the only son of a famous business tycoon.

If he would have had any such feelings for me then he would have definitely expressed it to me..He cared for me and had a huge respect for me...I must be happy with that ....I used to convince myself.

Years passed by and we grew closer and closer to each other. We had known much more about each other .We had become best friends.All other girls felt jealous with my growing friendship with him.He used to make me feel as if I was on the top of the world. Our study was also going on well.As always I stood at first position whereas he stood second.But he was an all-rounder.He was sport and dance champion as well.

It was the starting days in our grade 10.Everything was going on well.All of a sudden Reinhard stopped coming to school. Before he stopped coming he was absolutely fit and fine.I was so worried about him.He had never missed his school in the past four years.It was already a week but he didn't come to the school.I was badly missing him.I wanted to call him and know about him but I even didn't have his number.At that time I thought how dumb I was.I didn't have the number of my best friend.All other friends and teachers were also missing their champ.

One very day the principal came to our classroom and informed us that he had shifted to another state with his parents where his grandparents lived .His grandfather had suffered a cardiac arrest so he needed his family to take care of him.And Reinhard will be continuing his study over there.We are going to miss our champ he told to us.

For a second I thought as my heart beat had stopped.I could not even imagine my life without him.I also knew that I would never see him again as I didn't know his address.But somewhere inside me there was a strong feeling that destiny would bring us together one day.

Life must go on so I returned to my normal schedule focusing more on my studies. I was a state topper during my graduation .So I moved to another City as I was offered a good job there.

Everything changed over these sixteen years but one thing remained the same.....the sweet memories of my childhood crush...There wasn't a single day that would have passed without remembering him.

Sometimes I would think that if I would have confessed my feelings to him he might would have returned to me....I was lucky that I had a beautiful pink doll with me that he had gifted in our first friendship day.I had also gifted him the potrait of us drawn by myself.I could still remember how happy he was when I gave him the potrait .

I was smiling.Soon the announcement was made that our plane had safely landed. I opened my eyes.