Life…surprises you every second with unpredictable unexpected twists and turns; I am not an exception to escape from it. I, just like every other IT professional, was eagerly waiting for an opportunity to fly onsite (foreign countries), and on one fine September evening, I grabbed an opportunity that came my way. It was for London, my dream destination, and I had no reasons to deny that opportunity. And it all started with the KG rhyme,
“London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady…”
From that moment I always wanted to learn the mystery behind the line, “
London Bridge is falling down…why?” it made me curious to visit London, but what made me anxious was the secret revealed by Akhil, my best friend for life – the secret that reminds me of the most beautiful days of my life – Akshaya.
Akhil, the synonym of friendship, never managed to hide any secret from me, and this one too slipped out of this mouth during an unusual conversation about our college days.
‘But you know, I always missed her a lot, as a girl who made me feel what is love like…but she left me without saying a bye (a teardrop rolled down my cheeks). My heart says I will meet her someday and on that day, I will ask her one question, the question that pricks my heart every day, every night, right from the moment, she left me.’
‘Well you could meet her, if you happen to travel to London…’ he said, then bit his tongue, rolled his eyes and said, ‘I am sorry dude. I do not want you to meet her again and get into depression mood again.’
‘I…she is the best thing happened to me and you know that Akhil, but.’ I gasped for breath. I went out for a smoke before getting drunk that night. And from that day I had only one wish…one dream and that will come true in two weeks. My lips curved, my face lit up in happiness or anxious, I do not know, but somewhere deep inside my heart I thanked God for giving me an opportunity to meet her, to search her in the streets of London and, to ask her that one question which pricks my heart with a needle named Akshaya.
I took my Nokia 1100 phone out of my pocket, called Akhil on his mobile phone and said, ‘Shut up and listen… I am going to search her. If I find her, I will ask her…why the hell?’ I paused. Took a deep breath and continued, ‘Just two weeks, just five thousand miles, just eleven hours travel by flight, I will be breathing the same air she breathes. I know it is going to be difficult without knowing her whereabouts, but I will not miss this opportunity to meet her again. If we are not meant to be together, that’s fine, but I want to find her, at least to see her, to hear her voice, and to fight with her…one more time.’
‘And to ask her why did…’ Akhil said, cutting him short I said with moist eyes, ‘Even for that…’ I hung up the phone to avoid further conversations which might oil the flame burning inside my heart.
I took my purse out to see her passport size photo negative one more time. It reminded me one of our innocent conversations.
***
‘What’s this? Can’t you give me your photo?’ I frowned.
‘It is better to show one’s negative than printed painted originals.’ She winked, and I understood her point.
‘Yeah, it’s better.’ I closely observed her beautiful face in that negative. ‘Truly, she is an angel!’
***
‘Heartily congratulations to you. Heard you are flying to London,’ my colleague Saindhavi congratulated me from behind. I quickly kept the photo negative inside my purse, turned back and thanked her. She came close to me and whispered, ‘I will miss you.’ After a pause, she looked into my eyes and said, ‘I will wait for your return and I hope you will accept me.’ I smirked, ‘I cannot guarantee you. All I can say you is I do not have any love left in me.’ She left the place teary-eyed.
I felt bad for hurting her feelings. I know she is a cute good-looking kind-hearted sweet female who loves me infinitely, but I do not have any love to reciprocate her feelings. In fact, I am heartless…my heart is still flying in the air hoping someday I would marry Akshaya, the girl who taught how beautiful and painful love is. Otherwise why would God give me this opportunity? I kept asking the same question to myself.
The next two weeks went like a bullet shot from the 9mm pistol: filing the work permit, visiting the immigration office for biometrics, receiving the stamped passport, booking the ticket for the travel on weekend, and finally packing all the stuffs required for the travel. Before leaving to airport I spoke with Ma and Akhil.
I sat comfortably inside the plane without showing the fear of first time travel. For everybody else this may seem like a business travel, but to me it’s my life, the point that will let me unravel the truth behind the flame that is set inside my heart five years ago when she left to some unknown country with her mother after her father died in a road accident and her sister ran away from home. And the flame still burns inside my heart without any eta of fire extinguisher and I slept without my knowledge comfortably in the cushion seats of British Airways.
It was the dream come true moment when I set my foot in London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5. I jumped in joy without lifting my legs up, shouted happily without opening my mouth, danced to the tunes of nature without moving my hands and body, and did all that I could do. But it was short-lived, just for two weeks, after which I went again into nutshell as I wandered lonely as a cloud searching her in the nook and corner of the city.
Lot of questions occupied my mind. “Why I am wandering like a cloud? Why do I miss her a lot? What pushes me to search her indefinitely in the streets of London? Is she my destiny? Will I meet her someday?”
Wandering lonely as a cloud,
I began my search in the road.
With hope as the weapon, I
Am searching her like a fly!
What did I reap? What did I sow?
Why my life has no glow?
Will I meet her someday?
Only God knows that day!
If fate can be rewritten then
Let I rewrite but when?
How far should I go?
To say a hello,
I kept asking the God!
I kept asking the God eyes closed standing in Lord Murugan Temple in Church Road, East Ham. I opened my eyes to see my angel standing gorgeously in red-colored sari. I forgot to breathe. I flew to Cloud Nine. I forgot all the pain I had to undergo to meet her at that instant. Now, I can hear her voice, talk with her endlessly and fight with her too.
‘How are you?’ she asked, her lips curving gently and her face shinning bright.
‘I was living the life of a dead in a grave named hope till this day. I am happy to be alive again.’
‘I am glad that you are here. I am…galti meri thi. It’s my mistake. I am sorry. I should’ve told you. But you know I had no,’ before she could complete, her mother came, and stared at us.
‘Ma…this is Kaushal.’ Akshaya said, her mom smiled and I smiled. Whatever happened in the next thirty minutes made me fly to Seventh Heaven and that marked the beginning of a new
#MrAndMrs love story.
It doesn’t matter how far we go to get closer to someone we love. All we need is to live with that someone special and be lucky enough to spend a lifetime with them happily. And I said this bedtime story to my three-year-old cousin and I am hitting the publish button before the deadline.
Happy Endings!
