#ShortStory: My Platinum Day of Love

It was a cold and foggy night. The one that comes only in the month of mid December here in Madhya Pradesh and as I stood alone at a deserted bus stop, I couldn’t help but chant the “Hanuman Chalisa” fervently wishing for a bus. The preference for an A.C. bus had long ago been replaced by the necessity for any bus. After all beggars can’t be choosers.

I was regretting my decision of taking a short, previously unexplored route to my home, one that no one had seemed welcoming enough to take other than the stupid me who had ignored all my friends’ warnings and taken off to catch a bus from Indore which would take me straight to Lucknow rather than taking one from the college to Jhansi and then from Jhansi to Lucknow which we usually took. But it was too late now and I could not return to the college as there was no transport in sight. I was stranded here with no company apart from the thick swirling fog which gave an eerie sensation of impending doom.

“It’s so fitting. Ava you deserve to be stranded.”

I scolded myself and again regretted my decision to leave alone. I had just wanted to get away from everyone as quickly as possible. After all what was left for me there to stay any longer. The man of my dreams had left with just a dry goodbye and no indication of any sadness on parting from me. Meanwhile I, being the fool that I was, felt hollow. The course had ended and with it my hope that Ajay loved me too as I did had also died. He had seemed too eager to leave and start his new life in which I felt I had no place.

A sob escaped my lips as I thought of all the times I had felt my heart flutter when he was near and had desperately hoped for his care to be anything but platonic. Suddenly I was jerked from my reverie by the sound of a car door opening and then a loud sound as it was banged shut.

As the unwelcome thoughts of kidnapping to assault to mugging ran through my mind, I heard loud footsteps coming towards me through the thick fog that had enveloped everything leaving me more aware of my other senses. My heart started thumping loudly and my blood roared in my ears. I felt trapped. There was nowhere to run and the footsteps were getting nearer with each passing second. It seemed like the person was running now.

“Oh God! What do I do? Please God save me and I promise once I reach home I will treat you with one kg of besan laddoos.”

I coaxed and begged God to listen as I crouched behind the bench hoping that whoever it was, would leave. I could not see the person (I had my eyes shut and I was busy chanting the names of all 33 million Hindu Gods) but I could feel him standing just on the other side of the bench. He was muttering something about someone being stupid and impulsive and once he got his hands on that someone he would wring his neck.


I was trying very hard to concentrate and make my prayers reach God so that the first time I heard my name I thought God himself was speaking and before I could repeat my prayer once more I was suddenly pulled upright and someone shouted my name.

“Help!” I rasped. My throat had suddenly gone very dry.

“Ava! Listen to me. It’s Ajay.”

But I was not listening. My brain had shut down and my worst fears had come true. I was sure I was going to get assaulted and couldn’t even shout. Even my voice had deserted me. As I kicked and bucked I was conscious of strong hands imprisoning me and someone shouting. But I wouldn’t open my eyes. I had one thought and one thought alone which was to run.

“Wait and listen stupid! I am Ajay. Open your eyes dammit.” He shouted.

Through the haze of fear I heard my name repeated once more and opened my eyes. I blinked again and again but every time I saw Ajay. But that was impossible. He would have left hours ago for Gwalior to catch his train to Delhi yet here he was staring at me like he suspected I had lost my mind.

“Ajay?” I croaked.

“Yes, Ajay. Thank God!” He blew out his held breath as his eyes searched me for any possible damage.

“What are you doing here?” I was still incredulous and not sure if he was still here or my eyes had just conjured him up.

“I should ask you the same question.” He glared daggers at me.

“What were you thinking? Taking off alone like this? It was fortunate that I heard of this stunt of yours and came looking for you.” He scolded me while his eyes flashed.

He was so handsome with wavy black hair and coal black eyes set in a fair and soft face. He was constantly saying something and I guessed none of it was praise for me but still I was mesmerized by his beauty. He was so tall. I thought more than at least a foot taller than me and yet so gentle as he held me. He was my best friend. I smiled as I remembered the first time I had met him. It was our “Professional Development” class and we had been divided into groups of five. Ajay came in our team but he was so shy. He hardly said a word and sat quietly. Later I came to know that he was shy of girls and could not talk to them. Our first interaction started with chatting on “Yahoo messenger”. Ajay, it seemed, had no problem talking through social media, it was only face-to-face that troubled him. As we started talking it became clear that he was a very interesting person with varied tastes and was a very good listener which I knew for a fact as he would listen patiently to my nonstop chatter for hours and hours and I was already known as a talkative person and had often been told that I could talk nonstop on anything under the sun! Our talks became a constant and much anticipated time of the day. Slowly Ajay was opening to me and we even tried talking face-to-face which I think went really well since it was only me talking and him listening!!

Now after two years, he was totally at ease in my company and I really believed that he thought of me as a friend though how I wished he would consider me more. I don’t know when I started falling for him but I had fallen pretty hard. He was still talking and I could see his mouth moving.

“Are you listening?” He shook me.

“Are you okay? Speak up damnit.”

“I am fine. What are you doing here?” I asked meekly. He was really angry and it somewhat sacred me because Ajay never got angry. He was a taciturn and calm person.

“I came for you. I don’t know what you were thinking. Come now. I have a cab waiting.” He told me while taking my luggage and pushing me deeper in the fog. A cab was waiting and as we sat he told the driver to take us to the train station.

“Why are we going to the train station?” I still felt as if all this was a dream.

Because real love can only begin. Never end..

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