Jab We Met

“There will be no white flag above my door, I’m in love, and always will be...”

She loved Dido’s White Flag.
Sucha poignant track.

She loved going on long drives, too.
Not driving, but being driven across the countryside.
The windows could be rolled up or down, but the music had to be soothing.
Listening to songs and singing along, watching the road as it meandered, thinking about nothing and yet lost in dreamy notions – calm, serene and at peace... Aah! This was life!

The car turned around the corner.
She saw a footwear stall on the road. Dainty chappals and Spartan Oshos, embellished sandals and austere flip-flops. Young buyers and sellers haggling over prices of the products in all colors and sizes.

A bike blocked her view.
She raised her face to look at the rider.
She couldn’t see his face, he was wearing a helmet.
Her eyes returned to the road.

He turned to look at her, and she looked back at the same instant.
Their eyes met. Those eyes!!

She knew those eyes.
Watery and soft.
Eyes that spoke a million words and conveyed a hundred emotions.
She would recognize them anywhere...

The guy kept looking at her as he maneuvered the bike to stay close to her window.

She froze.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She didn’t realize when she raised her hand and touched the glass.
It didn’t seem like too long ago when they had spent every waking moment together – either on phone or in person. And now they were little more than strangers...

He continued riding at her side through the dense traffic.
She kept looking, her hand on the glass as if she were touching his face.

“And if you live by the rules and it’s over then I’m sure that that makes sense...”

Dido crooned. She could barely hear the words, her mind in a tumult of memories.

The first time they had met in college, how he had proposed to her to fulfill a dare by his friends. Despite being the bold girl she was, she was still taken aback when he went down on one knee near the main circle, and told her she was the most beautiful girl in the entire world. Would she give him a chance to be the luckiest guy on the planet?

She stood dumbstruck.

Time seemed to stand still. Not a word escaped her lips as she watched the handsome youth smiling at her, his eyes twinkling at her.
What lovely eyes... Her first impression about him...

The gang surrounded them and the real story was told. She sheepishly walked away as the guy came behind her and apologized. She murmured a quick “OK” and walked off to her Economics lecture. Needless to say, she was as good as absent in the class, those blue eyes haunted her...

They became friends, and they became inseparable. Discos, study, hanging out and shopping – they did it all together. People joked they even went to the washroom together! They weren’t perturbed. Who cared what the world thought anyway?!!

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Their bond grew stronger. Friendly concern grew into passionate possessiveness. Enjoyable companionship turned into a fervent addiction. And then the three fiery words... I LOVE YOU...

She said she did too. And life became rosier. They were both happier than ever before.

Until that fateful day when...

The car screeched to a halt at a signal. She was still staring at him, and he returned the gaze.

She moved to roll down the window pane.
The lights turned green. The car turned right, and the biker, with a last tender look at her, turned left and rode away.

”And when we meet, which I’m sure we will. All that was then, will be there still. And I will burst, and hold my tongue. And you will feel that I’ve moved on.....”

Dido sang on.

- Princess