The sky was clear and it was a sunny day in December, ironically. This day is one of my favourite and significant. The sole reason is that it is my birthday today. It is 4:00 p.m. and till now none of my friends have wished me. Gini, Sasha, Jammy and that rude Rudra , none had wished me till now. Forget about that Rudra. He wouldn’t even remember my birthday. They are planning a surprise for me perhaps. But still, they should wish me right? I am feeling very restless today and I don’t know why. It’s like something big is gonna happen. Gini is not here as she had went to her home for Christmas vacation. I just hope that Shiv would understand her soon. I know her pain and can feel that. I myself don’t know when I fell in love with that Rudy Rudra. It just happened and that was a bliss. But that existed just for a short time. I knew that he doesn’t love me. At first, I thought he loved Gini. But, later I found that I was wrong. Because on the day of Gini’s departure at the station, I had heard their convo. Then, I came to know that he loved someone else. I shouldn’t have named Gini and his pure friendship as love. I felt guilty. Initially, my heart ached. But as days passed, I my heart wanted him to be happy with whoever he loves. I just want him to be happy always. Probably, I had committed the same mistake as Gini. I should have confessed my feelings to him earlier. It was my mistake indeed. I sighed. He is not in my destiny perhaps. My trance broke as I saw Sasha waiting at my doorstep. Here, I am, on my way to my home after a hard day at the hospital. I didn’t see Rudra there too. As I approached my home, I saw Sasha waiting for me at the doorstep. She glared at me. I looked at her with puppy eyes as I had said to her that I would reach home before she does. “Yaar Sally! Why don’t you reach home early?” She screeched. “Sasha, you have a spare key na? Then what’s the problem?” I yelled in anger of not wishing me on my birthday. “Woh, yaar I forgot it in home ” She said meekly. It was my time to glare her. I opened the door of our home. “Sally darling! Please could you give me a cup of coffee? My head is aching like hell.” She said. I nodded. She swiftly went to her room. I went to the kitchen. I was so immersed in making the coffee that I failed to realise two orbs gazing at me. I was about to pour the coffee in the coffee mug when I realised a giant form standing in front of me. I was shocked to see him. Rudra. “What are you doing here at this time? You are already haunting me in my dreams and Isn’t that enough? Now I am seeing you everywhere.” I blabbered like a mad not realising the situation. I looked at him, who was smiling at me. I am definitely hallucinating. “Hey rudra!” Sasha’s voice made me realise everything.
Sasha came in barging and hugged him. Then I realised that I had blabbered everything like he coming in my dreams…. Damn! What did I do? I cursed myself for being so stupid. Now, what will he think of me? Gosh! While I was cursing myself for my childish act, I didn’t notice him smiling at me. I was about to run away from there when two arms pulled me with force that I banged his chest. I closed my eyes unable to face him. “Bacchu! Open your eyes! Look at me.” His each word is making me weak. Tears were about to roll own my cheeks. I bit my lips hard to control them. I opened my eyes slowly. His smiling face came into my view. Sasha went from there meekly. “Sasha….” I called her to stop her from leaving me alone with him. If I am with him, then I would lose myself for sure. I tried to free myself from his clutches, but in vain. The more I tried to free myself, he held me more close to him. “What the hell are you doing rudra?” I tried to sound rude, but I ended in whispering. “Don’t try to act Mrs. Rudra” He said to me in my ear. His hot breath fanning on my neck, created waves inside me. “Stop talking rubbish Rudra!” I told him rudely. “What’s this game? You already love a girl and you are uttering some nonsense.” I yelled. He looked at me with blood-shot eyes. He jerked me immediately. I looked at him whose eyes were emitting fire. He approached me giving a cold look, for which I shuddered. He held my hand and placed it near his heart. “You know Salma…” He started. For the first time till now, he is calling me Salma. Now I know that he is so furious. You know Salma… the words which you uttered were true. “Yes, I loved a girl and still, I love her from the core of my heart. But the thing is, you can’t understand that whom I love. It is very pathetical that you can’t realise my feelings towards YOU, SALMA.” As he uttered those words, I felt like I was hallucinating. But, his eyes, it conveyed everything to me. He loved me? The plain jane? I don’t know what had happened to me that I threw my arms around him and poured out my tears which wetted his shirt. He hugged me back and placed his lips gently over my forehead. “I LOVE YOU, RUDRA” I said as a tear rolled town my already tear strained cheek. “I LOVE YOU MORE SALLY!” He said as he pulled me more closer into him. My heart could not believe this. I felt myself the luckiest girl on earth when he told me that he had waited for me for 5 years. I felt bad for not realising his feelings. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY BACHU!” He yelled, breaking my trance. We were at the hall. Sasha was nowhere to be seen. I smiled at him who was holding my hand. “So, all these were your plans?” I asked him. He gave me a dramatic smile and nodded. “So, I used to come in your dreams?” He asked huskily making me blush. I turned my head to the other direction unable to meet his eyes. Then, I saw Sasha holding a laptop and approaching us.”Sally! Happy Happy birthday!” Gini sang which appeared on the screen. I smiled and Sasha brought the cake and wished me. I smiled through my tears. Happy tears. This is the best birthday ever!
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It has been 7 years since I proposed Shiv. 7 years ago, I proposed Shiv on this day. Yeah, it was Christmas today. It used to be one of my favourite days. But not now. And it has been a week since Jammy eloped with Sneha. Our town didn’t recover from that incident. I myself don’t know where he is now. And I didn’t recover from the incidents which happened on that day. His closeness, his touch, his intense look towards me made me feel that he too had feelings for me at the moment. But, I was wrong. I had been wrong always. He continues to haunt my soul. I wiped the tear which rolled down my cheek. My phone beeped. It was Rahul. Rahul and I now turned to be the best of friends. He realised that his feelings towards me earlier were infatuation. Now, we both share a strong bond of friendship just like I and bumpy share. Yeah, Rahul is little weird. In fact, all people in my life, who I have loved are weird in their own way. Mom, Matty, Jammy, Anu, Sasha, Shiv, Rahul, Sally, Bumpy, everyone are weird. But I love them unconditionally, no matter what. I read his message. “Come soon near the view point after the prayer at the Church. We have to go somewhere” Since, it was Christmas, I was in the church. I don’t know why is he calling me. I just hope nothing bad happens.
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As usual, I was in the Shiva temple at the hill top. I felt anxious. I looked eagerly whether she is coming. No. She didn’t come yet. I closed my eyes and started praying. I was immersed in my prayer, when a good fragrance filled in my nostrils. I knew. It was her. My Gini. This mystery man’s Gini. I wanted to open my eyes immediately to see her. But I don’t want to be desperate before her. I prayed for one last time and opened my eyes slowly with the hope that everything would happen for good. Her anxious yet angelic face came into my view. She looked at me with a doubtful expression. I could understand her feelings. She would be wondering why I had called her here. I cleared my voice to gain her attention. “Gini, you belong to a rich, well-to-do family” I started slowly. As I said those, I noticed a change of expressions in her face. She nodded at me. “Ha… he had started… Now I know what would he say. He would say that he is from a financially little unstable background” I heard her muttering angrily to herself. I smiled and pretended as if I had not heard that. “Gini, I belong from a financially little unstable background.” I said. Once again, her facial expressions changed. ” Now he would say that Gini is a doctor and he is a commoner and a simpleton” I heard her saying to herself. She looked too cute that time that I wanted to pull her cheeks. “Gini, you are a doctor and I am a simpleton” I said and looked at her. She looked flushed. I was enjoying to see her like this. It is a guilty pleasure. She nodded again. “He will say now that we both are completely different” She told herself. “Gini, we both are total opposites in our personality” I told her for which she nodded sadly. I looked at her eyes, which looked like it was about to let go the tears. It stirred my heart. “But Gini, I don’t have any problem with all these.” I told her with a smile. She nodded again without realising what I said. Suddenly, she looked at me with shock. She stood numb unable to believe what I said. I shook her gently by her shoulders. She blinked her eyes innocently. As she blinked, the tears which were buried inside her hazel orbs rolled down. I opened my shirt slowly allowing her to view my neck, where the locket which she gave me 7 years back on this day, was there. She cupped her hands and placed them on her mouth in shock. She approached me and touched the locket fondly. I slowly clasped her hand into mine. I held her hand and walked down hill, where my bike stood. At the sight of my bike, her eyes widened. Because my single seater bike had an extra seat at the back fitted exclusively for her. She flashed her innocent smile at me, which captivated my heart. She sat on the bike and hugged me from the back tightly. She placed her head on my shoulder like a child. I smiled. This was the day I waited for. I knew that I had taken a long time, but it’s for good. I know that I should not termed her unconditional love for me to be infatuation, but that made her strong and she is a doctor, the pride of her family. It is really ironical that though all these unfortunate events in her life were due to me, she didn’t think for a second to step back when she knew that I had called her through Rahul. Such was her unconditional love for me. Till now, I had hurt her way too much. But not anymore. I would give her the love a mom, dad, friend and a husband to her. I want her to enjoy every moment in her life and I want to be the sole reason of her happiness. I just need her in my life.
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