Ragini pov
For the next month, I was grounded. I asked my friend to tell this to sanskar. After my term ended, the first thing I did was go to our place. It was still the same though it appeared a bit forlorn. I idly wondered why sanskar hadn’t taken care of it. I waited for an hour for him to arrive but he didn’t. Maybe he had stopped coming here. I didn’t think it was possible. This was our safe haven. Our spot.
A week passed in this manner. I waited ever day my hope wearing thin for sanskar to arrive. He never did.
Then came my birthday. I was in denial. I still wanted him to show up. As I sat waiting I heard a rustle. Excepting to find sanskar smiling down at me, I was dissapointed to see his friend coming through. As I stood up, I noticed the package he was holding.
‘hey sanskar told me to give this to you ‘
He held out the package and I took it. After thanking him, I asked him whether sanskar is fine.
‘oh, yes he’s fine. You should just open the note first I’ll let you be ‘
With that he left and I was alone. There was a note struck to the gift. I opened it.
‘Happy Birthday. Promise me not to cry, what ever happens ‘
After reading it twice to confirm, I was filled with sense of foreboding.
I opened the package. Inside was the most beautifully carved bracelet I had ever seen. It was wooden inlaid with crystals that spelled ‘smile ‘.i loved bracelets. Marvelling at how much he knew about my likes, I opened up the letter that was tucked inside the box. It was his sloppy handwriting no doubt.
As I began reading, my happiness started crumbling under the weight of the blows that I was receiving through his words. I felt choking and I started taking deep breaths to stop myself from breaking down.
Sanskar had left. His father had been posted to let. Sanskar had been shifted to a boarding school in his native place. He had asked me to promise not to cry, but at that moment I was finding it hard to keep my composure. Without his presence, I wanted to let go of everything I had strived to change in me. But he had asked me something in return.
‘promise me to never go back to the way I met you. You don’t realize your smile’s value. It’s wonderful. Don’t make some other guy force it out of you again. Because you know there’s just one sanskar. So don’t let him take my place. Make a different place for him. More special. Fall in love. Be happy. And when you can’t find any reason to smile, just wear the bracelet. And remember me. Hopefully I gave you enough memories to make you happy. I wish I could stay. I loved you. I don’t know how you felt about me, but I wish I meant enough to you for you to never break the promise you made me. The world is a better place when you smile ‘
After reading it so many times that I had it memorized, I folded the letter and kept it back along with the bracelet. I didn’t cry. That was the promise I had made. And sanskar meant the world to me at that time. So how could I refuse sanskar the only thing he had asked ? for I knew I loved him. I regretted not telling him sooner.
Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the journey proves to be more important than the destination. Not every story has a happily ever after. Our story is still etched to my heart and maybe in his too. Our time together was short. But full of great memories.
Sanskar ‘s love showed me a new hope. A brighter window to look at the world. I cannot imagine how my life would have shaped out had it not been for him. His arrival was a blessing. I overcame my pain. I became a better person.
Love is all about giving hope when there is no reason to be optimistic. And being the best we can be for the person we love.
End
Thank you guys for reading my os