Time v/s Love

Him

“Hello, who is it?” I picked up the incoming call from an unknown number.

“Hi” It was she! It was her voice!! Is this possible? Can’t be. It’s been seven years. There is no way she can get my number.

“Hi, who is it?”

“Reema”

It’s truly her!! Woww…I pinched myself. “Awwh!” Ok buddy, this isn’t a dream.

“Hullo?”

What should I do?? Hmmm…Should I play the innocent guy? “Who Reema?” Shit…I could have chosen another statement. Wouldn’t she feel hurt that I haven’t recognized her? But it’s been seven years. Seven long years!

“Reemaaa.. Remember we were together in tuitions at Pai’s.”

“Ohh.. Reema!! What a pleasant surprise!! How are you?” Hehehe…the “Innocent guy approach” had worked well. But why was she calling me after so many years?

“I am fine. How are you doing?”

“I am good too. Where are you nowadays?” The number she was calling from was a local number. She was back!! She had left India seven years back and settled in Indonesia because of her dad’s job. But now she was back. I thanked God.

“I am in Mumbai”

Hip hip hurray! That confirmed it!! I almost kissed my phone. “Wow! That’s great, when did you come back?” After she had left, we had written letters to each other for sometime. But the distance between us had made it impossible to keep the relationship alive. Slowly we had drifted apart. It had been almost four years since we had been out of touch. But now she was back!!

“We moved in just last week. ”

“Hmm..That’s great! So how is everyone?” I remembered her parents. I was always scared of her dad. The stern face, the big moustache! I shivered.

“Mom and dad are great. How is everyone at you place?”

“My parents are doing good too.” Hmm…I was transported back in time. The way we had met through a common friend at Pai’s tuitions. The way I had proposed to her a month later. The way she had responded. The way we had seen our first movie together. How scared were we during the movie, that no one should see us together. Our valentine day surprises for each other! Me breaking into her house to wish her a happy birthday! The way time used to fly when we were together. We had been together for over a year. Does she still love me? I wondered.

“So, are you free tonight?”

My heart jumped with joy. I had decided to watch a movie in the evening with my friends. But that could wait. “Yeah, I am free. Why?”

“Lets catch up. Lets meet at Yana’s. Ritu is coming too.”

Ritu is our common friend who had introduced us. She had got married last year. I wasn’t really in touch with her. The last time I had spoken to her was six months back. Probably that’s where she got my number. “Cool. What time?”

“Would seven be fine?”

“Seven would be fine.” I wondered if she still loved me? I had been only in one relationship after her. Preeti had been a mistake. The relation had ended bitterly two years back. In heart of hearts I knew that one of the reasons for the breakup was that I could never get over Reema. I could never forget her. I wondered if the feeling was mutual.

“Ok then. See you at seven! Bye.”

“Bye.” I stared at the ticking clock. Seven was still far away. Shit!! I was dying to see her. Would she have changed? Of course she would have!! Seven years!! Does she love me? Lets see.

Her

Wasn’t I dying to meet him? It had been seven years. Though we had been out of touch for a long time, I always knew that he was the guy. The guy!! I was always hopeful that he would wait for me. I knew we would be together. I was so excited when I called him up.

“Hello, who is it?”

My God!! He sounded so different. I hoped that he would recognize my voice. “Hi”

“Hi, who is it?”

It almost broke my heart. He didn’t recognize my voice. Am I living in a dream world? Seven years changes a lot of things. “Reema” I said with an effort.

“Awwh!”

“Hullo?”

“Who Reema?”

He had forgotten me. Or did he have a new girlfriend? I felt like crying. One last try, come on!! “Reemaaa.. Remember we were together in tuitions at Pai’s.”

“Ohh.. Reema!! What a pleasant surprise!! How are you?”

Ohh .. Thank God. Dumbo!! Was he playing the innocent guy? I wished he were! Because if he was, that meant he hadn’t changed. He was still the same old Rahul I knew. “I am fine. How are you doing?”

“I am good too. Where are you nowadays?”

Couldn’t he make out from the number flashing on his cell? Idiot! “I am in Mumbai”

“Wow! That’s great, when did you come back?”

“We moved in just last week.” I eyed the stack of letters that he had written to me. Would he be still interested in me? Please God!!

“Hmm..That’s great! So how is everyone?”

“Mom and dad are great. How is everyone at you place?” I hoped they were doing well. I had loved them, especially his mom.

“My parents are doing good too.”

Nice, I thought. Should I ask him? Nopes, not on the phone! I have to meet him. See him. But would he be interested? Seven years!! What if he has a girl friend? I couldn’t bear to think about him with someone else. But what if he had one? I have to meet him. “So, are you free tonight?”

“Yeah, I am free. Why?”

Great. At least I can meet him for one last time if he has a girl friend. But did I sound to desperate? Hmm.. He shouldn’t feel that I am trying to meet him alone. “Lets catch up. Lets meet at Yana’s. Ritu is coming too.” I lied about Ritu.

“Cool. What time?”

He seemed interested. That was good. “Would seven be fine?”

“Seven would be fine.”

“Ok then. See you at seven! Bye.” I had four hours to get ready. I had to hurry. Four hours were too less.

“Bye”

Him & Her together at Yana’s

He looked different. He had put on weight and his dressing style was completely different. His hairstyle too!! But the sparkling mischievous eyes were still the same. So was his infectious smile. He was still the same.

She hadn’t changed. Maybe, a bit more beautiful now! The same dimpled cheek, the same beautiful smile, and the same warmth in her eyes. Yes, she was same as she had been.

“Hi”

“Hi”

“Its great to see you.” I wish she had never gone from my life.

“Its great to see you too. It’s been a long seven years.” God, please let him be single. Pleaseeeee!!

“Yeah. True. I have missed you a lot in these seven years.” He meant that.

“Ohh.. is that why you couldn’t even recognize my voice?” She knew he meant what he said. She felt great. But she wanted him to own it.

“Arre, you know naa, Innocent guy??” he smiled. He knew that she had caught his act. It was better to own up. God, she knew him so well, even after so many years.

“Yeah, I know. I have missed you too.” She wanted to cry.

There was no place for more words. It was evident, they both knew! He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.