CHAPTER 56

 Akash's POV

Life will never give us a warning about anything. And anything would happen at any moment. I looked at the beauty lying gloriously next to me. I kissed her forehead and circled my hand around her waist. Life has its own twisted way of making coincidence, and it would give you a beautiful result or ugly scars. My mind took me to one of such moment, which gave me a beautiful eternity.

^ Flashback ^

I was driving to Nandhini's boutique. That woman had left two months ago to New York with her husband, leaving the business behind her manager. Her store's audit was handled by the firm where Jaans was doing her articleship. It was the firm where I did my articleship, and I referred her there as I knew she was good at auditing subject rather than taxation. Vidhya and Jaans decided to do their internships in different firms as they had different fields of interest and also it would be useful for them to discuss the various practical cases they face. Vidhya moved in with Prabhu and Jaans.

I called Jaans as I couldn't locate the store where she had given me the address. She directed me to the store and asked me to come inside as she had some final work to do. Prabhu has gone to a project presentation at Mumbai. And Vidhya too had some work till late evening. So Jaans called me to pick her up because her bike was in the service centre.

I parked my FZ outside the store and went inside. The store had a classic look. Maybe I could bring my mom here one day. She would love to shop here. A lady came and asked me what I would like to see. I politely said that I was here from the audit firm to pick up a friend. Then I spotted Jaans waving at me from what seems to be an office room. I walked inside, and I came face to face with a familiar face. Her face lit up, and her lips curved into a smile. She looked so beautiful, but I couldn't recall where I met her.

"Akash?"

 She whispered and looked a little confused, but it was overwritten by the happiness in her face. Sometime your heart would behave crazily, and I was at such moment on seeing her twinkling eyes. I couldn't bring myself to speak.

"Hey super-senior, do you know each other?"

 Jaans waved before my face brings me back to the earth. I stared at the woman and back to Jaans, not knowing what to say. My mind knew her but couldn't recognise her completely, but I had that very familiar feel.

"You don't remember me, right!"

 She stated, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head slightly, crossing her hands across her breasts. I scratched the back of my head, desperately trying to remember her.

"You look very familiar but I couldn't recall where we met. I am really so sorry."

 I apologised hoping she would tell me, but she went silent.

"Yeah! He was getting old. See, you are having memory issues, super senior."

 Jaans choose the worst moment to make fun of me. 

I glared at her, and she shrugged her shoulder and went back to turning some pages in a file and wrote something in the notebook kept next to it. I looked at the woman from her head to toe. No doubt, she was one hot chick! But how did I forget such a hot woman? I mean I won't flirt with a random woman, but she knew me very well. Then how come I couldn't remember her. 

"May I know your name please?"

 I asked. She gave me a pointed look which made me gulp. But went to work with Jaans after showing me a chair to sit. Is it normal to feel nervous around a woman like this? I wiped the sweat and stared at her to get me to remember her one way or other. They finished in a few minutes, Jaans bid goodbye to her, and I gave the mysterious woman a nod and left the room. Jaans was smiling smugly when we made our way out.

"It's a big shame to forget such a gorgeous woman, Akash. Maybe you are really getting old."

 She teased me. I didn't reply as I was embarrassed myself.

"What's her name, Jaans?"

 I asked her to see at least her name would ring something inside my head.

"Priya!"

"Priya?"

 I tested the name, but it only increased my curiosity about her instead of bringing any memories. I shrugged it off and went to Jaans's apartment. We spoke for a few minutes over a coffee, and I learned that Priya was so helpful and cooperative for Jaan's audit works. And Jaans gave her the title of 'efficient woman'.

Days passed, but she remained a mystery in my heart. On one rainy day, I decided to go for a long drive. I stopped at a coffee shop as the drizzling turned into the heavy pour. My heart skipped a beat on finding Priya sitting alone at a cabin enjoying the rain with coffee. I smiled and made my way towards her.

"Shall I sit here?"

 She froze without even turning to my side on hearing my voice, but soon a sigh escaped her pouty pink kissable lips. Her eyes looked up at mine, and she nodded her head. I muttered a 'thanks'. I made myself comfortable on her opposite and removed my jerkin and kept it in the next seat. I notice her eyes travelling to my muscles showing off from my white t-shirt fitted to my skin. I mentally hi-fived myself for those gym time. 

I noticed her wearing a simple black kurti and magenta legging. Her big hoop style jhumki dangled so gracefully at her every move. Her wavy hair was left loose. There is no denying that she is pulling me like gravity. A waiter came to get my order. Before I could speak, she gave me a shock by ordering exactly what I had in mind.

"One hot filter coffee and two samosas."

 I looked at her with wide eyes. It was my simple and all-time favourites, and I would love to have them at any time. I waited until the waiter goes back.

"How you know what I was going to order?"

 I asked her as I need my answers.

"So your favourites haven't changed. I see!"

 She smirked and went back to gazing at the rain pouring out. I realised she was not going to say anything.

"I really don't know why I couldn't recollect your memories. Why can't we start anew?"

 I asked her and found her eyes flashing hurt and desperateness. The look on her face imprinted in my mind, and it felt like some dejavu, but still, I could not remember things.

"Okay. That's not a bad idea. I'm Priya; completed an MBA and working as a manager in 'Set Trendz boutique'."

 She extended her hand with a smile. I shook her hand, suppressing the shock on the touch I felt.

Why she appears so different than other women to me? But I don't have answers for that question.

"I'm Akash. I finished MBA but pursuing CA. Currently working as Team head in a software company. But my Final exams are due in four months. And I wanted to set up my own CA firm."

 I noticed the spark when I told her about my dream. My order arrived, and we sipped our drinks, talking about each other. We exchanged phone numbers, and she was a single child just like me. I offered to drop her at her home, but she refused and called a cab.

Our relationship slowly grew, and I can't deny the feeling I am developing for her. We would meet at different places, and I felt so comfortable around her. I took my mom to the boutique a few time so that I could see her, and also my mom grew to love the collections over there. But my mom sensed the changes in my behaviour and directly showed green signal by saying she would be happy if Priya became her daughter-in-law. Prabhu and Jaans would tease me by telling how different I behaved when I was with her and Jaans would even give me tips to how to speak with Priya.

It was like magic. She was constantly on my mind, and she was why I was smiling without reason at random times of the day without caring about my surroundings. I should know what's in her mind before confessing my feelings for her. We knew we are more than friends but never admitted the truth. The way she looks at me like I was her whole world would make me feel something I never felt all these years of my life. But she would behave casually other time which give me mixed signals and leave me confused.

One day, while I was helping my mom to clean the storeroom, I found a big carton full of my old things. I went through it while dusting the things and cherishing the memory it brings back. When I was dusting a big space-related encyclopaedia book, a greeting card fell down. I furrowed my eyebrows and picked it up.

It's a valentine’s day card.

The memories of my twelfth standard flooded my mind. Now I remember everything very clearly. I am such an idiot. I opened the card and ran my fingers over the block letters saying 'Forever in love, Your Priya' below the printed love proposal message. She was studying the tenth standard when she gave this card to me. I told her that I wasn't interested in love as I had many dreams to achieve, and I tried to convince her that what she was feeling was just infatuation.

I saw the same hurt and desperate look in her eyes when I said that. But she pursued me till the final exams in school, and after that, I went to college and totally forgot about her. Now she has grown into a beautiful, smart and woman, and she was unrecognisable. But does she still have any feelings for me?

I wish she does.

Later that evening, I went to her store. I tried to behave normally, but she noticed that I was studying her features and cornered me within ten minutes, leading me to the nearby park, which was pretty empty. We sat in a bench under a tree, and I looked at her.

"So you got who I am?"

 She pointed out directly. I nodded sheepishly. I saw a faint tinge of pinkness in her cheeks, but she looked at me, and I heard her sigh out, "Finally."

"Your looks have changed a lot and I couldn't believe that Priya was you. I mean you still look so beautiful in fact much more. But... you get what I mean right?"

 I nervously blurted out not knowing what to reason for forgetting her. She nodded with a smile and touched my hand.

"Calm down. No offence was taken. I am happy that you remember me."

 She spoke calmly easing my erratic emotions in a blink. I nodded my head frantically. We fell into silence.

"Shall I ask you something?"

 She broke the silence after a few minutes. I nodded my head as my mind processed lots of possibilities of her question.

"I knew you refused my proposal because we didn't have the maturity at that age. But how would you react if I propose you now?"

 She looked at my face for a reaction. My breath hitched, and I took one deep intake of breath and looked at her eyes. She closed the distance and was merely a few inches away from me. Her hand slowly stroked my stubble, trying to ease the tension I felt.

"I... I don't kn-now."

 I stuttered on seeing her so close. She closed her eyes for a second and there that look again-–hurt and desperateness. But I could read her now. She was hurt that I was refusing to acknowledge 'us,' our love. She was so desperate to make me see her feelings!

"It's okay. But I couldn't gather myself to look at a man without thinking of you. I may sound crazy, but the moment I first saw you, my heart told me that you are the one. Whenever you are around, my heart would go crazy. I love you, Akash. Forever I will love you. I can't think about another man in your place. I tried replacing you by going on blind dates. But I would end up comparing them to you. And I hate myself for doing that. I was trying and trying hard to remove you from my memory without any success.

I convinced myself that I could forget you once I got married as my parents were trying to fix a match for me. I agreed half-heartedly for the proposal of my parent's choice. But you decided to come in front of me right before the date of my engagement. I realise I could never get you out of me as you are embedded deep in every cell of heart and brain. I cancelled the engagement. Because I thought that, at least I have a chance to try now for what I wanted.

Haven't you noticed my love for you? I have been waiting for you for the past six years. I can't wait anymore for you to understand my heart and acknowledge the love in your heart and then for you to bend on your knees to propose me. I love you, Akash. I want to live the rest of my life with you. Only you! Always it was you!"

I stood there totally like an idiot when she confessed her love. She looked at me for my reaction. And seeing me sitting still, she shook her head and tried to stand up. I don't know what came over to me, but the next second, I cupped her cheeks and pressed my lips on hers. She gathered my shirt near my torso in a tight grip and closed her eyes. I let her go after a minute and hugged her tightly.

"I love you too, Priya. I am so sorry for hurting you all this time. You were so beautiful and innocent when you come in front of me with that card. I didn't want to take advantage of your innocence as I thought we won't have a chance to meet after I complete the schooling. I didn't want you to get a heartbreak at your younger age. But I never thought you loved me so much that you would wait for me all these years.

When I met you the first time in the boutique, I felt time froze as you are the only one mattered to me for those seconds. I was pulled like you were the gravity. But then your eyes showed familiarity, and I am so sorry for not recognising you sooner, Priya. I was so drawn to you, but I was too afraid of whether you would have the same feelings as me. So I waited to know whether you loved me or not. I love you, Priya. I love you so much. I, too, can't imagine a life without you. But you should have lots of patience to endure my craziness!"

She was grinning and looked at my lips after I confessed her. How can I deny my love's wish? I bent to kiss her again. We pulled away out of breath, smiling at each other.

"Will you marry me, baby?"

 If you thought it was me who asked that question, you are wrong. Priya proposed to me. My smile grew much bigger.

"Yes, baby. I will marry you."

 I replied and pulled her to a tight hug.

^ End of the flashback ^

And that was the best decision I ever made in my life. I passed my final exam this time with my lucky charm and opened my own firm. After six months, I started getting a decent number of clients, and I asked my parents to speak with her to get her hands in marriage. They agreed, and I was now happily tied to my love for eternity.