PROPOSAL

It's been a week since Abhishek went out of town. The whole last week both of us were in touch over phones, E-mails, and chats and yet could not get enough of each other. Both of us were engaged in lovely messages, longs calls, and instant snap updates during the day, and the late nights were filled with chats and video calls sometimes

Though I had already been in a relationship before and after it ended, I started to wonder how people in love can speak for such a long time, always, day and night 24/7. Isn't it evident that at some certain point in time they will run out of topics to talk about, wouldn't they? If anyone has the same doubt then I can only tell them to wait until they are head over heels in love with someone, until they are love-struck. There will be some small energy that crawls all over your head and creates a room in your head that you never knew existed. All of a sudden your mind starts thinking only about the things you want to know about him: small things, most important things, things which matter or don't matter to him, and about his likes and dislikes. You would start wanting to know everything, and so did I? I knew that he likes cooking but never knew that he had started cooking to grab others' attention. Both of us loved soft romantic songs and he always enjoyed and loved to hear me sing. We spoke topics from nowhere to everywhere and sometimes even we ran out of topics, during that time we used to video call and silently look at each other. This phase of my life was so good and excellent that I pinch myself now and then to check if I'm dreaming of all these were happening for real. Thinking about him I fall asleep.

I woke up morning at around 7 am, it was my birthday today and I check my mobile phone for wishes but there were none. This was the first time that there were no messages from dad, Riya, Rachael, my colleagues, and even Abhishek Malhotra. It was upsetting because dad and Riya had never missed my birthday and I suddenly get a call from the hospital and it was unusual because it was very rare that I get a call this early, I pick up and say, "Dr. Megha speaking"

"Doctor could you please rush to the hospital right now, please hurry up", the person on the other side said and cut the call. I hurry up and reach the hospital as fast as possible. I stepped into the hospital it was totally dark no lights were on, and there was no one around. I enter my cabin and there was a note for me written in glow-in-dark pen, which read

I GUESS YOU HAVE REACHED, MY SWEET DOCTOR PLEASE HURRY TO THE CAFETERIA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU SINCE MORNING.

WITH LOVE,

YOUR FOREVER PATIENT

Who was this? This handwriting seemed to be very familiar but I couldn't surely say who had written this. I walk to the cafeteria with the same question running in my head. As I stepped into the dark cafeteria there was a balloon blast and a chorus of happy birthday songs, the lights turned on and my dad, colleagues, and even Riya and Rachael were there. They all wished me one after one and then a video was projected on the wall it was a slideshow of my pictures from my first year till the person that I'm grown up now. After the slideshow, Abhishek appears on the screen and he says, "Hello Megha, many more happy returns of the day. I have missed you with every passing second that I was away from you. Hope you enjoyed this, I know you are thinking how did I get all these pictures, here is your answer once I sneaked into your house and stole these pictures, and I'm not at all sorry for it okay. Listen I am madly fallen in love with you and I don't think I can love anymore without you. I reassure you that I can keep you happy till the last breath. In the presence of all the important people in your life I am going to ask you this.." the video turns off and I hear a voice from behind "Will you marry me, doctor, I wish to be your patient forever and ever", I turn around and see Abhishek on his knees with a ring in his hand. I accept it without thinking, and he hugs me tightly. Later we cut the cake and dad came to me.

"Happy birthday, dear", dad wishes

"Thank you so much, dad",

"You found a perfect match for you. He was in Chennai all this while and took my permission to marry you"

"What was Abhi doing in Chennai?"

"Trying to impress me"

"And did he?"

"Completely"

"Dad, you know I still don't know why I like him."

"Things like this do not necessarily need a reason"

"But you know I feel that I like him because he resembles my Krish in most of the things"

"Megha the only thing I can tell you is Krish was your past, and past is past, if you start mixing your past with present then your future will be collapsed. Stop overthinking things sweetheart you guys are a perfect match for each other so just cherish your moments with him", dad declared

After some time everyone started to leave and dad took leave back to Chennai. Abhishek cleaned up everything and we drove back home. We sat on the couch looking at each other.

"Thank you for everything", I uttered to him

"You deserve it actually more" he replied

"Abhi this is my best birthday, so how was your time in Chennai"

"Well spent speaking to your dad"

"I know dad said. When did you take all those pictures"

"I sneaked into your house once at night 2 or something when you were asleep"

"I didn't know that you are a thief, Abhi"

"You know it now"

"Hmm-mm"

"When are we going to get married?"

"Anytime"

"As per your dad, next month 25th will be fine for you"

"You even fixed the date"

"Correction thought not fixed"

"Okay I'm fine with that date"

"So fixed"

"Yes", I say

We spent our days doing nothing just roaming around, and learning more about each other. We went shopping together for jewels, dresses, and other necessary things.