BELIEVING IN THE POWER OF LOVE
'Aren't you late?' Piyush's voice startled me as soon as I punched my identification card on the machine and stepped out of the office later that evening. I had been held back by Rajbir as he had caught my daydreaming during a session, and I had to redo the training with him. I had lost hope of going out with Piyush that evening, but to my surprise, he'd waited for me after everyone left.
Dressed in a pair of black trousers and a white shirt, he was leaning against a brick wall with his hands in his pockets. He tilted his head a little and gave me a warm smile. Looking at him standing there, I grinned like a fool. 'Sorry,' I apologized, and we walked side by side towards the Yarra river.
It was time for almost everyone to head back home in CBD, and Piyush and I became a part of the ever-swelling crowd as soon as we stepped out of the road. As we walked towards our destination, which was hardly a fifteen-minute walk from work, slowly and gradually, the crowd around us started thinning and finally vanished. We reached the bridge that connected the city from one side of the river to the other. As always, there were some tourists around, walking, laughing, creating memories and enjoying the view. Within fifteen minutes, we had escaped the madness of the busy world and entered a calm place where one could talk one's heart out.
We walked together in silence until Piyush saw a modern art installation next to the bridge. 'Here, take my picture,' he insisted, handling me his phone, and dashed off to pose. The phone was locked.
'What is its password?' I asked him loudly.
'It is my birthday,' he said, and before he could add anything, '14 December ' slipped out of my mouth. I bit my tongue. 'You remember my birthday? Only my mom remembers my birthday,' he said in excitement. 'I have a good memory,' I told him and regretted saying it within moments. 'Really? When is Zarah's birthday?' he quizzed me. I could have lied to him and got out of the situation but my mind works the least under pressure. 'Ammm . . . I don't know,' I told him with my checks on fire as I felt all the blood in my body rush towards my head. He didn't say anything, just gave me a sly smile for a while and then poked me with his elbow. I did not know what exactly did he think of me then, but I did know that we were on our way to becoming what I had always dreamt of us to be. I clicked a few pictures of his, he clicked a few of me, and we walked over to the bridge.
As Piyush and I walked close to each other, without saying a single word to each other, our hands brushed a few times and that made me nervous like a teenage girl. With my mind shut due to the sudden contacts. I knew that restarting the conversation was out of scope so I decided to observe the beautiful scene in front of us instead. The Yarra river looked so scenic and peaceful at that hour. The water was probably not the cleanest that I had seen, but it moved in a beautiful rhythm. It sparkled in the warmth of the sun. Trees on the other side swayed with the softly blowing breeze, a fading rainbow was visible in the distance, and the sweet sounds of twittering birds filled the space between us. People were rowing in the river. We leaned against the thick walls of the bridge. Piyush placed his hands on the walls, and his watch shone like many diamonds. After what felt like hours Piyush finally broke the silence, 'You have a good memory. Nowadays, who remembers birthdays?' he said.
I wondered how to answer, but I knew that I had to tell him now. I turned to face him. His face looked exquisite in the twilight. Looking at him then, I understood how some men are handsome in a way that can only be described through poems, not sentences; just verses. My inner voice said, Adira, you might not get another chance; there will be no next time. It is either now or maybe never.
I looked into his eyes. Sometimes a moment changes everything for you; it was that kind of moment for me. I realized that his happiness meant the world to me, and the look in his eyes gave me enough courage to conquer the world for him.
'Do you like your watch?' I asked him, and he looked at me as if he was asking himself, Where is this going?
'I do,' he replied, as if stating the obvious.
'I bought it for you,' I told him, and shrugged my shoulders when he gave me a sharp, suprised look.
'I couldn't tell you then because I was too shy to tell you that . . . that . . . ' I added, and failed to finish the sentence.
'That?' he said with curiosity. I knew in my heart that he was aware of what was going to come out of my mouth next.
'That I wanted to be more than just friends with you,' I blurted out the words, keeping my eyes down. The words which had kept me awake at night for years were finally out there, between us, waiting for a response from him. I held my breath.
He was not angry with me, but he was not thrilled with my confession either. I had anticipated anger or happiness -----but his slight indifference was beyond my understanding. 'You are a nice girl, Adira. I have know you for so long, and I like you, despite of not wanting to. I like you a lot,' he said, and looked at the watch. 'Love was not kind to me in the past. It took me months to rebuild myself. There was this girl that my parents chose for me. I fell in love with her, and she threw me out of her life like a garbage because she felt I was not good enough for her. For some people, love is not meant to be. I like you so much and love spending time with you, but I am not completely sure if I want to let anyone enter that corner of my heart ever again.'
His voice was low, and sadness filled his eyes.
I knew it would be hard for me to convince him for two reasons. First, he had suffered terrible heartbreak a few years ago, and second, his parents too had fallen out of love. It is easy to stop believing in the power of the most beautiful emotion mankind has ever known. But it is easier to quit; I was not going to quit. He liked me, and I was happy to wait until he was in love with me.