Virtual Love

Wouldn't have been possible without you, Angel. 

Rahul a short, medium built guy, with long hair and a goatee, was sitting on the last bench of the class working on a C++ project on his ancient laptop when she entered through the door. She was graceful like an angel. Her brown eyes were piercing yet mysteriously soothing. Her brows arched perfectly. Her face, which was so magnificently cut that she looked more adorable than the goddess of beauty herself, was beaded with tiny droplets of water. Her eyes were lowered in modesty and her silky black her which was damp with rain water flowed like a slow and mighty river. Pankhi, the most beautiful girl Rahul had ever seen. He instantly fell in love with her. Her piercing eyes struck an arrow of love in his shattered heart. Yet in some corner of his heart he knew she could never be his.

Days passed, without any progress. Day after day she’d sit in front of him. Day after day he wanted to tell her how beautiful her eyes were. Day after day he’d see Rohit a muscular built guy with a mole below his right eye talk to Pankhi, giggle with her, make her laugh and pankhi seem to enjoy his company. He hadn’t recognized his feelings for her yet, but his heart skipped a beat when she called out his name in a voice so seductive, so sweet that it melted his heart.

The first signs of progress appeared in this star crossed romance when they began to chat on social networking app, Whatsapp. At that time Rahul was in love with another woman, who was as charming as Pankhi. Although in love with another girl, he’d shoot flirty messages towards her. This happened for many months. Pankhi seem to enjoy this flirt.

“Your eyes Pankhi, they twinkle like a star in the dark, dark sky.” He said in one of the text.

“You are my angel always there for me, always ready to help me!” he said when she supported him during his low time.

“Pankhi you are the most beautiful girl!” he said in another. He wished that he could say the same to her while she was standing there right in front of him, her brown eyes piercing his soul.

Months past like this when valentine’s week finally arrived. By now his feeling for her had risen exponentially. He didn’t realize it but he couldn’t live without talking to her. To make Pankhi feel special during this beautiful week he decided to propose her to be his valentine, at that moment he had taken it lightly.

“Pankhi,” he had typed her name with heart emoji icons, “Will you be my valentine!”

The answer had left him dumbstruck, “Yes, Idiot, I’ll be your valentine!”

That was the happiest moment of his life, “But only till march 14^th!” she texted him a few moments later.

Days past by and Rahul finally realized he was madly in love with her. It was three in the morning, he lay on his back, his lackluster eyes were fixed to the fan. He kept staring, and slowly the fan morphed in the her beautiful face. Her brown eyes stared back at him and her beautiful smile pierced him. He’d see her face everywhere, think of her all the time, in his sleep, during his exam, while he ate. All he could think was Pankhi. He imagined how his life would have been without Pankhi, sad and depressing and then he dreamed of a life in which she was always there right next to him, heavenly and beautiful. This thought encouraged him to propose her.

Rahul stood on the shimmering asphalt road, on a hot summer afternoon, staring at his cellphone as he punched in the numbers, “Hey Pankhi!” he spoke in the microphone, his heart pumping blood at tremendous rate. Although he was dark he skin glowed crimson. He was nervous.

“Oh hey Rahul, how are you?” she said, her voice childish yet it sounded strangely sweet.

“I’m fine...” Rahul said stammering. As the minutes ticked away Rahul got comfortable talking to Pankhi and his stammering slowly vanished. The conversation went on for nine long, wonderful minutes.  Those nine minutes were the longest nine minutes.

“Before you hang up Pankhi, I want to tell you something!” he said his voice sheepish. His palms were wet and his heart throbbed hard in his throat.

“Yes Rahul!”

“Pankhi, you are the most marvelous girl I’ve known…” he was cut by Pankhi.

“I don’t like where this conversation is going!”

“Let me complete, Pankhi!” he replied, rather rudely

“Okay!”

"You are the most Marvelous I've ever known. The universe sent you to take care of me. You were like the pillars when I grew weak, you made me try a little harder everytime I thought of giving up. You talked to me in a way that made me feel special and loved. A day without talking to you isn't a day spent well. All I think about is you. I'm madly, irretrievably in love with you. I want to grow old spending the rest of my life making your eyes twinkle with happiness."

“Rahul… I should have known. I should have stopped talking to you when you started hinting that you are in love with me. Oh God. Rahul it’s not possible for us to be together. My parents are very strict. They’ll ground me and get me married as soon as possible!”

“I’ll come to your place while they are looking for a guy!” he joked.

“I wish that was possible. You are so sweet and caring. But Rahul you are not of my community.”

“Ohh. Okay. Well I’m not asking you to love me.” He said with a broken heart.

“Rahul, I’m sorry for hurting you! You are so kind and sweet. This shouldn’t have happened to you Rahul!”

“Don’t say sorry Pankhi. You are my angel and angels don’t say sorry and I’m not hurt.”

Months passed as their friendship strengthed and trust and secrets became it's foundation. They chatted to each other for hours at stretch, late in the night. During one such night, Rahul came to understand Pankhi had a crush on a charming, dark boy Kush.
"Do you know Rohit and Harsh are also in love with me?" Pankhi teased, "Your chances are fable my friend!"
"Did they ask you out?"
"Well, it's apparent from their behaviour!"
"Don't be over smart! I still have the edge cause I asked you out first!"
"Okay, okay! Just teasing you!"

“Pankhi!” Rahul called her on a warm winter morning, “Can we meet this weekend?”

“No Rahul my parents won’t allow me to leave!” her voice tremulous

Rahul realized she was lying, she didn’t want to meet him because she didn’t want to hurt him. She’s so caring. He thought. He made no further request to meet her. Days passed and they kept chatting, kept talking and more he talked to her more he fell in love with her. Finally the day arrived. The day he had been planning for months.

“Is it ready?” he asked to a guy over the phone.

“Yes Rahul it is! Good pack it up nicely.”

He caught the first train next morning, his heart was beating furiously. He was nervous. He was going to meet the love of his life for the first time in two years, and she didn’t know about it. He went where she studied, it was November the thirteenth her birthday. He had been planning to give her a surprise for a long time and this was it.

“Hey Pankhi, where are you?”

“In college! Why?”

“I’m at your college gate! Can you come here for a few minutes?”

“Yes, I’ll be right there!”

The clock ticked away slowly. His mind played the Pink Floyd song, ticking away the moment that make up the dull day. When finally his phone rang!

“Where are you Pankhi?”

“I’m coming in five minutes. My friends gave me a surprise birthday celebration!” she sounded so happy that her 

voice seemed to be the voice of a goddess.

“Oh Okay! I’m waiting!”

He looked at the gift that he had bought; the gift he wanted to give it to her to surprise her, to make her so happy that she’d radiate immense energy to power him. He looked around and found what he was looking for. Walked towards it and thrashed the gift in the dustbin, he went back where he was standing. You can surprise someone once. The gift has lost its importance. He talked to himself while he waited for Pankhi.

At a distance he could see her figure approaching him, she was wearing a brown t-shirt and a blue denim jeans. Her stark black hair gleamed in the winter sun. Her gait was elegant, she walked a graceful angel. Rahul’s heart skipped a beat. Her smile was scintillating and her brown eyes pierced his heart again. She melted him with her aura.

They talked for a few long minutes, sitting in juxtaposition on a concrete bench under a gulmohar tree. Rahul cheeks blushed red and his lackluster eyes shined with happiness. His happiness was short lived. Rohit, Pankhi's came out of nowhere and took her away for another surprise celebration, while all Rahul could do was smile at him and wave Pankhi his farewell.

"Hey Pankhi, I'm coming tomorrow to meet you!" he texted

"Yep come!" she replied.

"Hey Rahul, sorry but I can't meet you tomorrow I've a date with Rohit which I totally forgot! Can we meet sometime next month?" a few hours later Rahul cellphone chimed with the text from Pankhi. Two years flew by and Rahul didn't get to meet Pankhi once. His eyes were thirsty for Pankhi's. I hate you Bastard. He cussed Rohit who was the reason of failed dates. When finally Rahul decided he had enough. The only way I can meet her with surprise, Rahul decided. He sat whole night planning the minutes carefully. Next morning he called a couple of people to take care of certain details of his plans and a restaurant to book a seat for two. Next he booked an e-ticket for mumbai for the following morning.

"The Wheel is turning!" he muttered to him. He sat comfortably in his window seat, staring blindly at the trees flashing by. His mind presented him with a slideshow of Pankhi's beautiful face. It was eleven in his watch when he reached Borivali Station from where he boarded the first train he could to ferry him to Charni Road. His heart was pounding like a drum; it was the single most important day of his life and for the first time he prayed to the Gods he had lost faith in.

He checked his watch, it was 6.03. He produced his cellphone from his jeans pocket and punched a number from memory. One. Two. Three. Four. he counted the rings before the other side of the line went live.

“Pankhi,” he said in microphone, “can we meet right now? For an hour?”

“Yes! Where are you?”

“Charni Road station!”

“Wait I’ll come!”

“Umm can you promise me something?”

“What?"

"Please dont tell anyone that you are meeting me!"

"Okay I promise you!"

The wait wasn’t long this time. She came quickly.

“Let’s go to marine drives, it’s about sunset!” Rahul suggested.

"That's a fine idea!"

"I'll ride the moped!"

"Fine!" she rolled her eyes.

Rahul sped through the traffic, the speed synced perfectly with the speed his mind raced through all the possibilities that could ruin his plan. He found a perfect location on the queen's neclace. The sun was setting low, sky tinted orange and the black Arabian Sea shimmered like an ocean of glittering diamonds. They sat, hand in hand, and talked about their lives and about politics, about music and about movies, about actors and about actresses. Rahul, not good with making people laugh, gave his everything to make Pankhi giggle. He touched gently on her feet, in respect, she didn't notice it.

"You are the only Star, in the film I never made!" he whispered softly in her ears and the first note on the electric guitar went off. Rahul got up on his legs and joined the band which had gathered and setup it's instruments while Rahul and Pankhi sat on the Necklace admiring the beauty of the setting sun.

He sang gleefully, the most romantic song Pankhi every heard, the music soothing and his voice heart touching, praising her beauty, her elegant style, her honey voice, her woody brown eyes. He praised everything he could describe about her when the guitarist was playing the outro solo Rahul produced a tiny box from his sleeve opened it up and went down to a knee

“Will you marry me Pankhi?” he said holding a very twisted and crude ring which he fashioned from a 5 rs coin.

Tears puddled her eyes and slowly tumbled down her cheeks, she tried very hard to hide them. “What happened Pankhi?”

“You are so sweet Rahul, I don’t want to hurt to you, again!"

“Go on Pankhi say it!”

“I’m engaged to Rohit. We are to marry next month. I had sent the invitation.”

But I never got one. Time wrapped around him, the guitar notes faded away slowly, Rahul slowly built a fortress of solitude around him. "I'm sorry Rahul!" he could hear Pankhi say repeatedly, but it didn't matter. He was right from the very beginning, She can never be mine. He kept walking silently away from her and towards his fortress of solitude on the Necklace.

Thirty years came and went, for thirty years Rahul thought of Pankhi and every breath he took in he dedicated it to her. But now his world was falling to pieces, even fortress couldn't protect him. He lay on his death bed, savoring the final moments of his life. Even in such state he clang on to her, "Please bring her to me! Please call her!" he would whisper to the nurse, to his son, to his daughter to anyone who was next to him.

"Who?" they all asked

"Pankhi..." his voice rasping a broken.

Then finally she came, graceful like an angel. Her brown eyes were piercing yet mysteriously soothing. Her brows arched perfectly. Her face, which was so magnificently cut that she looked more adorable than the goddess of beauty herself, was beaded with tiny droplets of water. Her eyes were lowered in modesty and her once silky black hair were damp with rain water flowed like a slow and mighty river. Pankhi, the most beautiful girl Rahul had ever seen. He instantly fell in love with her.

"I... Lo...ve... You!" he said with agony and pain.

"I love you too Rahul!" Pankhi rushed to him and kissed him gently on his lips. A content smile parted his lips apart and he gave out a small, muffled sound and he lay on his bed lifeless and smiling.

For more Romance.

http://humminghunks.blogspot.com/2014/10/playboy.html