Me, Myself and Priya

A Love Story…

- Venkata Kiran Chintalapati

vkiran@gmail.com

Chapter One
What is Love? It is something everyone knows and at the same time it is
something which only few understand. Though many people fail to
understand what Love is, it still remains the crux of everyone’s life. What
about me? Am I in the group of people who know what Love is but did not
understand it or am I in the group of a lucky few who are lucky enough to
understand it, feel it and appreciate it? I don’t know. I am still searching for
the answer.

February 27th, 2004

The stadium is roaring with the name 'Aaryan'. The Indian flag was flying high all over
the place. Its 2007 world cup and India is facing Australia in the finals. India is only
inches away from the victory. It needs four runs in last over. If it scores four runs in the
last over India will win the world cup after 24 years. It’s definitely a long long wait. In
the last world cup in 2003, India lost the finals against Australia. After four years the
same teams meet again in the finals and this time the story is different. India is winning
and the credit goes to one and only one 'Aaryan'.

I looked around me. We need four runs in the last over to win the match. It’s my turn and
I am standing at the crease facing Brett Lee. I can feel the expectations of millions of
people on me. The first ball is a bouncer. I tried to hit it and could not make a contact
with the ball. Now we need four runs in five balls. The pressure is taking toll upon me. I
need two runs to score 150 and four runs to win the match. I don’t want it to take till the
end. I closed my eyes and prayed to god.

The stadium is completely silent. Tension is mounting. Brett Lee is running towards me
with the ball in his hand. I prepared myself to strike back. Suddenly he stopped. He came
walking towards me. He came closer to me, took the bat from me and started hitting me
on my head with the bat. I did not understand what's happening.

I heard some familiar voice shouting at me from somewhere inside my head.

"Get up... Get up. You sleepy head" I woke up with Priya hitting me on my
head and shouting at me.
"Stop it" I said opening my eyes. "It hurts. Why do you always hit me like
that?" I asked rubbing my shoulder.
"To keep you awake" she said laughing.
I looked out of the window. Its dark outside and the bus is moving at a rapid
pace on the express highway.
"Where are we right now?" I asked her.
"Just passed Lonavala" she said.
"The bus is still in Lonavala!!! And you woke me from a good sleep. You know
what a great dream I just had. Just a few more balls and I would have won
India the world cup. You spoiled all the fun.”
"Don’t start all over again. You and your stupid dreams." she said hitting me
again. "By the way what are the plans for the weekend?"
"Nothing as such" I said looking out of the window. The weather is chilling
outside. The bus has just passed Lonavala. Lonavala is a well known picnic
place for its scenic beauty and innumerable trekking spots. It’s located
between Mumbai and Pune.

By the way, I am Aaryan working in Infosys Technologies Ltd, Pune. My

parents live in Mumbai and I go to Mumbai every weekend. I am now
traveling to Mumbai on a typical Friday evening. The distance between Pune
and Mumbai is close to 150 Kms. Thanks to Neeta Volvo and Express
highway; it takes just an hour and half to reach Mumbai. But unfortunately it
takes more than two hours to reach my house in Andheri from the outskirts
of Mumbai due to heavy traffic. As we have just passed Lonavala, it’s another
three and a half hour journey to my home.

Now that I have given my introduction and told you something about me, let
me take you through some beautiful days of my life. This is my love story.
This is the story of me, myself and Priya.

Chapter Two
July 30th, 2003

This is the day I joined Infosys - Pune Development Center. After completion
of training in Bangalore, I was transferred to Pune. Pune is a great city and is
known as the cultural city of Maharashtra. It’s famous for its rich heritage of
the great Maratha kings. Surrounded by Western Ghats, it is famous for its
innumerable trekking spots. Each and every trekking spot is unique in its
own style. I am very fond of photography and that made me inclined towards
trekking.

After I shifted to Infosys Pune Dvelopment Centre, I was put on bench. If you
are not in the IT field I am sorry, let me tell you what bench is. Just imagine
that you work day and night, you don’t have time even to eat or sleep, you
are working really hard on your project, you take the whole responsibility,
and you feel the deadlines coming hard at you. Now come to the real world.
Bench is just doing opposite of this and still receiving the same amount of
salary at the end of the month.

As I was on the bench, I used to leave office early. So, I need something for
passing time in the evening. The first and the foremost thing I looked is for a
movie theatre. I am very fond of movies. From the days of my college, I
used to watch movies every weekend. I did not miss movies even during my
final exams. Fortunately I found a multiplex named 'E-Square' near my
address. And this theatre became the venue for the beginning of my Love
Story. That's an unforgettable incident...

August 8th, 2003

A new movie named 'Koi Mil gaya' was released on that day. As I have no
work, I went to the theatre early and brought the tickets. The show was at
10:40 PM. I was waiting for my room mate Amit at the theatre. The theatre
was full.

"Oh God... It’s already 10:30 PM and this Vinod did not turn up till now" I
cursed him for being late.
If I don’t see a movie right from the titles, I feel that I have not done proper
justice to the hundred bucks that I spent on watching the movie. Suddenly
my mobile came to life…
"Hello... Vinod... What... Where are you...You are telling me now... What
should I do with this ticket...?"
I did not know what to do. Now I need to sell the extra ticket. Suddenly I
heard someone calling me.

"Excuse me..." a girl was calling me.

"Are you calling me?" I asked. I scanned my database but it did not give any
result. I did not see her before or I could not remember that I saw her
anytime before.
"I think you have an extra ticket" she said pointing towards the ticket I was
holding.
"Yup... my friend got stuck up with some crap work in his project. So, now I
have to sell this ticket"
"Can you sell that ticket to me? I am looking for one"
"Sure. Take it. You have saved my time" I said giving the ticket to her.
She took out a Five Hundred note and handed it over to me.
"Hey wait... I don’t have a change for Five hundred" I said searching my
wallet.
"Oh. I don’t have any other change"
"It’s OK. You can find the change in the canteen inside the theatre. Now Lets
move.” I said. “The movie is about to begin"
We moved inside. The movie is being shown on Screen 4. It’s on the second
floor.
"Did you come alone?" I asked her.
"No... I came with my friends. We came here to watch 'Koi Mil Gaya'. We did
not get the tickets. So, my friends went to the movie 'Darna Mana hain'. I
don’t like horror movies. I was about to return back to home and just then I
heard to you talking on the phone"
"Oh...” I said stepping out of the elevator. "By the way, I am Aaryan"
"Ooops... I am sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Hari Priya"
"Good name... So, you are studying here?"
"No, I am working in Wipro"
"Oh... the one located in Hinjewadi. That’s great. I work in Infosys"
"That’s cool..." She said adjusting her hair over the face.
We went inside the theatre.
"I just want to inform my friends that I am here. If you don’t mind, can I
make an SMS from your mobile?"
"Sure. No problem. Carry on" I said giving her my mobile.

I dont know what Hrithik got from 'Koi Mil Gaya' but I found the best friend of
my life. And thus our story started and it’s just only the beginning.

Chapter Three
Aug 29th, 2003

It was Friday. I was going to Mumbai that evening. I was reading 'Harry
Potter and the order of the Phoenix', the latest book of Harry Potter series at
that time. Harry Potter books take you into a new world of imagination and
you never get tired of reading those books again and again. Some movie was
playing in the bus. I was completely involved in the book.

"Hello Aaryan" I heard some one calling me. It was Rahul. He is a friend of
Vinod. They work in the same project.
"Hey Rahul, How are you?"
"Not bad. How is your work in the project going on?"
"Hmmm. Fortunately or unfortunately I am not still allocated to any project. I
am still on bench" I said.
"Are you still on Bench? You are lucky man"
"I don’t know. Everyone say that I am lucky. But I don’t feel so. I want some
project" I said.
"Why are you taking load about the project? Enjoy the bench. This chance
will never come again" he said.
"I don’t know. May be you are right. Anyway I am enjoying the bench. See, I
completed four books of Harry Potter and am reading the fifth one" I said
showing him the book I was holding.
"Great dude, Anyway What are the plans for the weekend?"
"Nothing... Day after tomorrow it’s Ganesh Chaturthi and I need to make
preparations for it" I said getting back to my reading.

Harry Potter just formed a group called DA. The story is getting more and
more interesting. After some time, the bus stopped near a hotel. I got down
to get something to eat. There are three or four buses at the hotel and the
hotel was filled with passengers. I bought Samosa and a Pepsi for myself. I
found a corner seat and sat down to eat.

"Hi... How are you?" I heard a familiar voice. I looked up.

"Did you recognize me?" She asked.
"Yeah... You are the girl that I met at the theatre"
"Yes. You are Aaryan. Right?"
"Yeah. But I am sorry. I forgot your name. I am really poor at remembering
names"
"It’s OK. I am Hari Priya"
"Oh. I remember now. So, how are you?" I said smiling at her.
"I am doing well. I tried to call you after that day. But I was not able to reach
you"
"You tried to call me? But why and how did you get my number?"
"I owe you a hundred bucks for the movie. We both forgot about it after the
movie. So, I was trying to reach you to give you back the money"
"I completely forgot about that money. But, where did you get my number?"
"Do you remember I made an SMS from your mobile to my friend? I got the
number from there. So, what happened to your mobile? Whenever I tried to
call you, it always gave a message that your mobile was switched off."
"Actually, I had a small problem with my mobile. I dropped it in the water
accidentally. I had to give it for repair. Now its fine"
"Anyway, here is the money I owe you. Thanks for the movie that day." She
said giving me the money.
“You are welcome” I said
"By the way where do you live in Mumbai?" she asked.
"Andheri West near Lokhandwala" I said.
"I live in Borivali" she said.
“That’s too far” I said.
“Yes. It takes lot of time to reach there” She said. "By the way what is the
book you are reading?" She asked.
"This is the fifth part of Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix" I said showing her the cover of the book.
"I read the first part of Harry Potter. I really liked it and I am looking for the
other parts. Do you have them?"
"Yes. I have them in my room in Pune. I can give them to you on Monday.
Just call me on Monday"
"Thanks a lot" she said.
One of the buses gave a honk indicating its departure.
"My bus is about to leave. I am leaving. See you on Monday. By the way
Happy Ganesh Chaturthi" She said leaving.
"Same to you" I said.

That was our second meeting. Thanks to Harry Potter, our meetings
continued. She called me on Monday for the books. Our friendship grew
slowly and she became my best friend. We travel to Mumbai and back to
Pune together every weekend. One more great change in my boring life is
that after three months I was allocated to a project. I gave a big party to my
friends that day.

Chapter Four
Hari Priya and I became very good friends. We go to Mumbai together every
weekend. I always look to her whenever I need any advice, whenever I need
any help and she is always there for me.

January 20th, 2004

"You are again late" Priya said showing her watch.

"OK.. OK I am only ten minutes late" I said.
"Ten minutes!!! I am already late for the party..."
"Don't worry, I just called Swetha and she said the party did not start yet"
"Just shut up... and now start the bike" she said sitting on the bike.

She is always like that, always hurrying, fighting, shouting at people, but at
the same time she is very caring, sweet and beautiful. She has a great
passion for books. You always find her reading books. She is very much fond
of English literature and comics. She is very sensitive and emotional. She
cries watching typical tragedy Hindi movies and at the same time she is best
in consoling people when they are sad. I am really proud to have her as a
friend and she is my best friend.

February 27th, 2004

"On Sunday we are planning to play Cricket in Juhu beach" said Rahul in the
bus.
I was traveling to Mumbai on Friday evening.
"Are you coming?" Rahul asked.
"No yaar... I have some work at home. I cannot come" I said.
"Come on yaar... what work do you have on the weekend and that too on
Sunday? It'll be fun. You must come" he insisted.
"I am sorry. I promise I will come next time but leave me this time" I said.
"OK." he said and turned to plan for the match with others.
The bus just got on to the Express Highway. There’s still lot of time to reach
my home. Priya was reading a book. I prepared myself to take a nap. I
pushed the seat back. I don't know how long I slept but suddenly I woke up
with Priya hitting me on my head.

"Get up.. Get up. You sleepy head" I woke up with Priya is hitting me on my
head and shouting at me.
"Stop it" I said opening my eyes. “It hurts. Why you always slap me like
that?" I asked rubbing my shoulder.
"To keep you awake" she said laughing.
I looked out of the window. Its dark outside and the bus is moving at a rapid
pace on the express highway.
"Where are we right now?" I asked her.
"Just passed Lonavala.." she said.
"The bus is still in Lonavala!!! And you woke me from a good sleep. You know
what a great dream I just had... Just three more balls and I would have won
India the world cup. You spoiled all the fun...”
"Don’t start all over again. You and your stupid dreams." she said hitting me
again. "By the way what are the plans for the weekend?"
"Nothing as such" I said looking out of the window. The weather is chilling
outside.
"Are you listening to me or not?" she said shouting in my ear.
"What? Tell me I am listening" I said turning towards her.
"Do you have any plans for the weekend?" she asked
"I told you, I don't have any plans. Why?” I asked.
"Nothing" She said "I will call you over the weekend if I feel bored in the
house"
She returned to her reading as usual. After three hours we reached Mumbai.

February 29th, 2004

"A girl named Hari Priya called twice for you" Mom said.
I just came from a shop nearby to bring some household items.
"Who is she?" My mother asked.
"She is a friend of mine" I said.
"Oh.. A Girl Friend. Hmmm" Mom said winking at me.
"Don't start it again Mom. She is just a friend" I said.
From the day I got a job in Infosys my Mom started bugging me for my
marriage. She wants a daughter in law. She wants to see me living happily
with a wife and two kids just like the one in a typical Hindi serial. The phone
rang and I know that this call is from Priya.

"Hi Aaryan ... this is Priya. What are you doing?"

"Nothing" I said.
"Where did you go when I called you?"
"Just went to a shop nearby. Mom told me that you called twice. What
happened?"
"There is a big exhibition at Juhu this weekend. Come on let's go"
"What? Now?"
"Yes. Be ready, I will be waiting for you at Andheri station"
"But...” I tried to argue.
"Nothing doing. You are coming and I will wait for you." She said and the
phone went off.
"This girl never leaves me an option" I thought.

Is it only with Hari Priya or is it with all the girls? They never leave any
options. If a girl insists, you have to accept it. Otherwise you are dead. If you
give a little freedom, these girls conquer you completely. They make you
obey them. With due respect to female community, this is just my opinion.
May be I am wrong. But with Priya I am not wrong. She is always like that. If
she plans something, she never gives you any other option. You have to
follow her plan. Now, please excuse me I need to get ready and start for
Andheri railway station. She will kill me even if I am a minute late.
Chapter Five
February 29th, 2004

"Where are you going?" Mom asked.

"Juhu beach" I said wearing my shoes.
After twenty minutes I am at Andheri Station. Priya is already waiting for me.
She gave an angry look.

"Aaryan, you are becoming lazy day by day" she said.

"Wait, let me explain. You called me suddenly and I just came from the shop.
I need to get ready and it takes time"
"OK.. OK. Now don't make late. Let's go" she said sitting on my bike.
In half an hour we are in Juhu beach. I parked my bike.
"ISKON temple first" she said. I simply followed her orders.
ISKON temple otherwise known as "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" temple is
located near Juhu beach. It’s well known for its beautiful construction. We
went inside the temple. The temple is very well maintained. It’s a very
peaceful place.
"Let’s sit here" she said. We sat down there on the steps. She took out a
packet from her hand bag.
"Happy Birthday" she said handing the packet to me.
"Hey... What is this? How do you know that today is my Birthday?" I asked. I
did not expect this. I was really surprised.
"What do you think? You are my best friend. Even if you don't tell me about
your birthday I can find it out"
"I am sorry. Actually, I don't like to celebrate birthdays and so I did not tell
anyone"
"You don't like celebrating birthdays? Why?" She asked.
"I have my own principles. One should celebrate his birthday only when he
achieves something, only when one attains some meaning to his life"
"I did not get you"
"See, each and every person have their own birthday one day or the other.
It’s nothing special. What did you achieving by coming to this world? Why do
you celebrate it when being born is a common thing? According to me, a
person gets eligible to celebrate his birthday only when his life has got a
meaning, only when he can create a line for himself in the .pages of
history..."
"Stop it. Stop it…" She said. "You are becoming too philosophical"
"I told you. I have my own principles"
"See, why do you think you are not special? May be you are not special to
yourself. But you are special to someone in this world. You are special to your
parents. You are special to your friends. You are special to me. You don't
celebrate birthdays for yourself. But, you celebrate birthdays for people who
think that you are special. So, Never think you are not special. Once again,
Many Many Happy returns of the day"
I did not understand what to say.
"Now, Will you open the packet and see what I bought for you?" she said. I
opened the packet. It’s a beautiful key chain with my name inscribed on the
glass plate.
"This is really good. Thanks for the gift" I said.
"So, how much old are you now?"
"Six years"
"Six years?"
"Yup. Today is February 29th and my birthday comes once in every four
years. So I am just six years old"
"That's lovely. So you claim that you are still a kid"
"Am I not?" I said laughing. She also laughed. She looks really beautiful
when she laughs.

After an hour we went to the beach. Its 11:30 AM. There are very few people
in the beach.
"You said that there is some exhibition going on here" I asked Priya.
"I just lied to you to bring you here" she said smiling. "This is my most
favorite spot in Mumbai. When I was small, we used to live in Juhu. I used to
come here daily after the school in the evening to play. I have lot of
memories in this beach"
"That's good" I said. "The school days were always great"
We walked across the beach chatting. Thanks to Priya, this is turning out to
be the best birthday of my life. I am really proud to have a friend like her.

"Hey… Aaryan?" I heard someone calling. I turned around. It’s Rahul.

"Hi Rahul.. What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I must ask you that question" he said. "I am here to play cricket. I told you
day before yesterday in the bus. You said you have some work"
"Yeah. Actually I have got lot of work to do. But what can I do? Priya forced
me to come here" I said. "By the way, you don't know Priya. Do you?"
"No" he said.
"Hey Priya, this is Rahul and Rahul this is Priya. She works in Wipro" I said
introducing Priya to Rahul.
“Nice meeting you Priya” said Rahul.
Someone called Rahul.
"Sorry. I must leave. It’s my turn to bat. We are playing a match here" he
said leaving. He gave an angry look at me and left.
"Priya, I am dead now" I said.
"What happened?"
"When Rahul asked me to come to Juhu beach to play cricket, I said that I
have some work. Now I am here with you at the same place"
"So?"
“Don’t you understand? He saw me with you. I am trapped” I said.
We went back to home in the evening. I felt as if the weekend has gone very
fast. From tomorrow, again it’s the same, the same work, the same code, the
same defects and the same testing. But still I feel something good. I feel a
change in me. I don't know why and what it is. But I am going find it out
very soon.

Chapter Six
March 1st, 2004

After a great Sunday, Monday is always a disaster. Today we found a defect in

our code and we are asked to fix it immediately. I had to stay till 11:00 PM in
the night to complete it. I returned back to room at 12:00 Midnight. My room
mate Vinod was waiting for me.

"What happened?" Vinod asked. "Why are you so late?"

"Don't ask. Today we had to deliver a critical fix and it took so long"
"By the way Rahul is very angry upon you"
"Why? Oh.. What can I do? Priya forced me to Juhu beach. Otherwise I have
no intention of moving out of my home"
"I don't know. He was spreading rumors"
"Rumors?? What rumors?"
"Rumors about you and Priya"
"Priya is just my friend. What is wrong in this? Why is he after me?"
"I don't know. Now you are trapped. People will start teasing you with the
name of that girl" he said laughing. "And I am not going to leave this
opportunity. Now I got you"
"Come on. Stop it man" I said beating him with the towel in my hand.

It did not stop with Vinod. The word spread across our friends that I have a
Girl Friend. My friends started teasing me with the name of Priya. Some of
them went too far saying that we are engaged.

"You did not say that you got engaged" My PM asked me one day.
"Nothing like that. People are just teasing me" I said.
"Why don't you bring her to the project party next week?" he asked.

I did not have any answer. People started asking parties for my engagement.
Whenever I receive a phone call, they started looking at me as if I got a
phone call from my fiancee. Thank god Priya is not in Infosys. If she is in
Infosys, she would have known about this and I would have been in an
embarrassing situation.
"I will ask you one question. Answer me seriously" Vinod asked one day.
"What?"
"Do you love Priya?" he asked.
"Oh..No.. Not again. Stop it" I said showing some irritation in my voice.
"I am not teasing you. I am asking you seriously" he said.
"Why do you ask?" I said.
"Because, I feel that you are in love with Priya. Now a days you talk more
about Priya and less about yourself. I am your room mate. I am your friend.
You cannot hide anything from your friend" he said.
I fell silent for a minute.
"Come on, tell me. Are you in love with her?" Vinod asked.
"I don't know" I said.
"I got the answer" he said. "You are in love with her"
"How do you conclude that? I did not say that I am in love with her"
"You did not say 'No'. You said you don't know. Love always starts with a
dilemma. Now you are in a situation that you don't know whether you are in
Love or not. Think of it. Listen to your heart. Spend sometime alone. Come
out of the dilemma. You will definitely find an answer" he said.
I did not speak a word. I did not understand what to say.
"By the way, you two make a good pair" Vinod said leaving.

I don't know whether Vinod started this conversation seriously or to tease me

but I started thinking of what Vinod said. Am I in Love?

Priya - It means 'one who is liked by everyone'. In one word it means

'Beloved'. What does she mean to me? I always thought that Love stories
exist only in movies. They never exist in real world. But what is this called?
Is this Love? I don't know. I can say that I like her very much. But there is a
difference between liking and loving. You can like many people but you can
love only one. Do I like any other person as much as I like Priya? No. She
shouts at me when I am late. She beats me when I am lazy. She corrects me
when I am wrong. She consoles me when I am in depression. She
encourages me when I try something. She admires me when I achieve
anything. No one in the world ever has come so close to me or my heart. I
can't imagine myself without her. I want to share my life with her. I don't
want to lose her. Is this called Love? I don’t know. But If this is called Love,
then yes.. I am in Love with her.

I AM IN LOVE WITH PRIYA

Now What am I supposed to do?

Chapter Seven
April 27th, 2004

"Propose to her" Vinod said.

"What?"
"Come on man. Tell her that you love her. Propose to her. Otherwise how
does she know that you love her?"
"No" I said. "I cannot do that"
"Why?"
"I don't know. I can't do that"
"Are you mad? Don't be stupid. Go and tell her"
"What if she doesn’t accept?" I argued.
"Ah.. The same classical doubt. See. If she accepts, it’s well and good. If she
does not accept, there is nothing to lose"
"Hmmm... I will try" I said.
"Let me give you an advice. Make sure the day that you tell her is a special
day. If it’s a special day, your proposal looks special. Again don't ask me how
it works. But that's just my gut feeling. Now All the Best" Vinod said.

I have seen in many movies how boys propose to girls and vice versa. But I
never thought that I would fall in the same situation. I bet proposing a girl is
the most difficult thing in the world. You ask a girl to be your life partner and
you expect her to take the decision of her life then and there itself. This is
related to a life of two persons. After much thought, I decided to tell her on
her birthday. That's a special day. Her birthday is still three months away. I
have ample time to prepare for myself.

All these three months I watched as many movies as I can. I interviewed

many couples and gathered the minutes of their first proposals. I read many
novels and came out with a beautiful poem. I wrote it on a paper and
practiced it everyday. I searched hundreds of shops for a good gift to give to
her on her birthday. I prepared myself completely for the D-Day.

July 22nd, 2004 - The D-Day

"Happy Birthday Priya" I said giving her the boquet I brought. Its 8:30 in the
evening.
I reserved a couple seat in one of the best restaurants in pune.
"The restaurant looks good" She said.
"Yes. This is one of the best in the city. The food here is very delicious. Order
what you like" I said handing her the menu card.
"Candle light dinner, good music. It’s so beautiful here. What's the matter?"
She asked.
"N...Nothing. Just wanted to give you a surprise on your birthday" I said.
"Good. I am impressed Mr.Aaryan"
Though I have practiced for three months, I could not gather the courage.
Forget the poem; here I am searching for words on how to start.
"I will tell her after the dinner" I thought.
We finished the dinner in thirty minutes. But those thirty minutes were like
thirty years. I never felt so tensed in my entire life.
"Priya.." I called. My voice was so low that even I can't hear it clearly.
"Priya.." I called her again.
"What?" she asked.
"I want to say something to you" I said.
"What is it?"
My mind went blank for a second.
"Where did you buy this dress? It’s beautiful" I said.
"Oh... this one? I bought it in a shop near Andheri Station" she said.
"What is the name of the shop?" I asked.
"I don't remember. But if you want to buy a dress for yourself, let me tell you
that it’s a ladies shop" she said laughing.
I gave foolish smile. The time is passing slowly. I felt as if all the seconds are
suddenly converted to hours.
"Let's go" she said. "It’s already 10:00 PM. I have a meeting early in the
morning tomorrow. I have to prepare for it"
"OK.. Let's leave" I said.

I am a fool. All the efforts and all the preparations that I made over these
three months have gone waste. I was not able say to Priya that I love her. I
was so tensed that I even forgot to give her the birthday gift I bought.
Instead I was asking her about her dress and all. What a coward I am. I
don't know how people say the three letter word 'I Love You' so easily. Why?
Why did I felt so tensed? I don't know. Don't even ask me. I have no answer.

Chapter Eight
Vinod laughed at me when he heard what I have done. But I could not help
myself. Months passed by. But I did not tell Hari Priya. Every time I tried to
tell her, I talk about everything in the world other than what is necessary.
August 8th - the day we first met, November 12th - Diwali, January 1st 2005
- New Year day - all the days I tried to tell her but could not succeed.
Meanwhile my father got transferred to Hyderabad and I going to Mumbai on
weekends stopped.

January 15th, 2005.

"What is your problem?" Vinod asked. "Why do you feel so tensed?"

"I cannot say it to her" I said.
"But Why?"
"I am afraid" I said.
"Afraid? Of what?"
"I don't know how she will react if I say that I love her. What if she doesn’t
take it positively? What if she stops talking to me after that? What if she
abandons our friendship?"
"Why do you think like that? It does not happen that way"
"No.. Girls are very sensitive in this matter and Priya is not an exception to it.
She is so sensitive that she cries when she sees some tragedy scene in a
movie. If she feels bad about what I said and leaves me, I cannot bear it"
"She likes you or may be she loves you. Just give her a chance. Express
yourself"
"No... I don't have courage to take that chance. I cannot lose her because of
my foolishness"
"You are her best friend. It will make her accept your love" Vinod said trying
to convince me.
"I don't want our friendship to come in between my love" I said.
"What do you mean?"
"She must not feel forced to accept my proposal because of my friendship.
She must not accept it just because I feel bad if she won't accept"
"So?"
"Let me explain. Some people do not fall in love. They are forced to fall in
Love. Say a boy proposes to a girl. Let me tell you what most of the girls
think - I need to marry someone. This guy has proposed me. He is not bad.
He looks god. Let me accept the proposal. The same happens with the boys
also. Here a person is forced by other. And believe me 90% of Love stories
start from one person and that one person forces the other to love him or
her. May be afterwards the boy or girl starts liking him truly. But its not
complete from both sides"
"What do you want to say?"
"In my opinion, true love begins only at one point. It spreads to other. But in
my case, I don’t want that to happen. I want it to happen from both sides. I
don't want to force my love up on Priya"
"You are talking like a person with a lot of experience"
"You don't need experience for it. Just fall in Love once and you will
understand" I said.
"I will do one thing. I will ask Priya and will get her opinion about you. What
do you say?" Vinod said.
"No, I don't want a third person involving in this." I said.
"Then, How will you know that Priya loves you or not?" Vinod said. "How
many days will you wait like this?"
"I don't know. I only know that I love a girl and it will take me to her"
"This is foolishness" Vinod said.
"No." I said. "Love needs patience. If you have no patience to wait for your
partner, you cannot love her"
"These dialogues look good in movies especially those Yash Chopra movies
involving Shahrukh Khan but not in real life. You are mad." Vinod said
leaving.

The discussion I had with Vinod made me think. Is Vinod correct? Does true
love exist only in movies or novels? Do I need to take a chance? Do I need to
express myself before her? Somehow I did not feel convincing. I am in a
dilemma. I could not make any decision.

"Go" Vinod said one day. "Tell her. Who knows she might also be thinking in
the same way"
"But.."
"Don't think too much. I respect your thoughts. Whatever you say is good to
listen but it does not happen in practical world. Be practical. Just use your
brain"
I started thinking of it. May be Vinod is right. I am thinking too much. I must
take a chance. Finally I decided to take one last chance on the Valentine's
Day.

But, Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. You
never know what lies ahead…

Chapter Nine
January 25th, 2005.
I decided to propose to Priya on Valentines Day. But everything does not
happen as you like. Today my PM called me and told that I need to fly to USA
for my project before this weekend. I need to report in USA on Monday,
January 31st. I have waited for this onsite opportunity from the day I joined
Infosys. But as the onsite opportunity stands before me I don’t feel like
leaving Hari Priya and going to onsite.

"Congrats. This calls for a party" Priya said when I told her about the onsite.
"Sure" I said. I am with mixed feelings. But the sadness of leaving Priya has
overtaken the joy of going to onsite.
"So, for how many months are you going?" She asked.
"I don't know. It’s a long term assignment. I am going to Hyderabad
tomorrow. My parents are waiting for me. There is lot of shopping left" I said.
"We will not be meeting after today" she said sadly.
"The flight is on Saturday night. It goes through Mumbai. The time between
the connecting flights is four hours. You can come to airport if you want" I
said.
"I will definitely come to the airport. You will not leave from India without my
farewell" she said.

I left to Hyderabad the next day. I was busy with all the shopping those three
days in Hyderabad. Its winter time in USA. So, most of my shopping list
included the items required to save myself from the cold out there in USA.
My mom packed all the Indian food items that last for at least two months.
My accommodation has been taken care by my friends there in abroad. My
parents became very excited about me going to onsite. They felt very happy
for me. But I was not happy. I was not at all excited.

"What happened?" Mom asked me. "Why are you so dull?"

"Nothing" I said. I did not tell anyone about Priya. I don't know what Priya
thinks of me. There is no point in telling my parents about her without
knowing what's in Priya's mind.

January 29th, 2005.

At last the day of my travel came. I left Hyderabad after a very sentimental
farewell from parents and relatives. Flight reached Mumbai at 6:40 PM. The
connecting flight to Amsterdam is at 12:50 AM. From Amsterdam, there is
another connecting flight to Detroit. I completed the formalities and rushed
towards visitors lounge. I searched for Priya. I did not see her. I waited. I
waited for TEN minutes. But those ten minutes seemed like ten hours.

"Hi...” I heard Priya after those painful ten minutes.

"Why are you late?" I shouted at her.
"Why are you shouting? If I had shouted every time you came late, I would
have lost my voice by now" She said with a bit of anger in her voice.
"I am sorry. I came here and did not find you. I became so sad and I thought
I will leave without meeting you" I said.
"I already told you that you will not leave India without meeting me" She
said smiling.
"By the way… Why are you late?" I asked.
"Traffic jam. You know this Mumbai traffic… But now you are going to onsite.
You will get rid of this." She said.

I am leaving. I am leaving Priya. I am leaving those golden days when we

spent together. I am leaving those times when we had minor fights with each
other and apologizing to each other the next minute, the days I always used
to come late and Priya used to shout at me, the days when we used to travel
to Mumbai together, the days of happiness, the days when we were the only
two in our world. I am leaving my most valuable gift.

"What happened? What are you thinking?" Priya asked.

"Nothing…" I said. My eyes were filled with tears.
"Hey, you are crying" She said.
I could not speak. She took my hand in her hand.
"Don't worry. Everything will be alright" She said and gave her handkerchief.
"I am sorry. I became a bit emotional" I said. "By the way when is your VISA
getting processed?"
"It’s in the process. I may get it in a month or two" she said.
"So, Do Wipro has any clients near New York?" I asked. I am going to
Hartford. It’s nearly hundred miles away from New York City.
"Yeah... But my client is in Dallas" She said. "Dallas is very far from your
place"

I did not care. I want her to be in USA very soon. Those four hours flew like
four minutes.
"Now its time for me to leave" I said. I heard the announcement to appear
for security check for passengers traveling to Amsterdam by Northwest
Airlines.
"All the Best. I will miss you" she said holding my hand. Tears were rolling
down her cheeks. She was crying.

I took her hand in my hand, gave her a tight hug and left the place. I did not
turn back. If I turn back, I know that I cannot board the plane. That's my last
meeting with Priya.

"Bye... Priya. Bye... India"

"Welcome to United States of America"

Chapter Ten
United States of America - a country which considers itself as a big brother to
all other countries, a country which has become the destination of almost
every software engineer, a country which is full of opportunities, a country
which is poor in heritage but rich in money, a country where you can find a
mix of each and every country in the world. Of course everyone knows what
USA is. It needs no introduction. People come here with dollar dreams in
their eyes. But, what about me?

"How is USA?" Priya asked me when I called her.

"I don't know" I said. "It’s very cold here. So, I did not get an opportunity to
go and look around"
"How is your work?"
"Work is good though it’s not much different from what I do in offshore" I
said.

I call Priya everyday. I miss her very much. Without Priya I feel as if I am left
alone in this big continent. I am not myself when I entered USA. I left myself
with Priya. Now it’s only me. Just me. The only hope I have is that one day
she will come here and we can relive those golden moments together.

"How is your love story going?" my roomie Avinash asked one day.
"How do you know about it?" I asked.
"I heard it. Rahul is a good friend of mine." he said.
"I am gonna kill this person next time when I see him" I said.
"Too late my friend. The whole Pune DC knows about your story" Avinash
said laughing.
"Its nothing like that" I said. "We are just good friends"
"Don't try to fool me. The way you talk with Priya, the time you spend
thinking of her... I can easily say that you are in love with her. You miss Priya
very much. Am I correct?"
"Yeah. I miss her very much" I said.
"Does she know that you love her?"
"No and please don't start all over again asking me to propose to her. It’s a
long story" I said.

After I came to USA I thought of proposing to her once or twice. But the idea
never took shape. Meanwhile, I learned how to play guitar. Priya likes music
very much. When I meet her, I want to surprise her by playing her favorite
tunes on the guitar. I became punctual. In Pune, she was always behind me
teaching me what to do and what not to do. I just want to become an ideal
person which she always wanted me to become.

May 17th, 2005.

Four months passed by. One day I asked my Project Manager whether I can
get a leave for one month so that I can go to India.
"What?" my Project Manager Praveen asked.
"I need a leave for one month" I asked.
"But why?" he asked. "Is everything fine back at home?" he asked.
"Everyone is fine" I said.
"It has been only six months since you came here. Why do you want to go to
India?" he asked.
"It’s something personal" I said. "Please, I need a leave for one month"
"I am sorry" he said. "I cannot send you back in the middle of a project
unless there is a proper reason" he said.
I did not speak. I cannot reveal the reason to him.
"If you go back now, you will have to go back permanently. I cannot grant
you leave but I can send you back to offshore" he said.
"No problem" I said. "That's even better for me"
It’s better to stay in India with Priya rather than staying here at onsite
without her.
"I need some time. I need to identify resources to replace your position in
the project" he said.
"Thanks Praveen. Thank you very much" I said.

I went back to home with full of happiness. I never thought that my project
manager would approve this so easily. I went to him with a little hope of
getting one month leave. But got more than what I wished for. I will be going
back to India. I will be meeting Priya. Yes... I will be meeting Priya. That day
I had a sound sleep for the first time since I came to onsite.

Chapter Eleven
May 17th, 2005.
"I am coming to USA" Priya said when I called her.
"When and where?" I asked.
"In a month" She said. "I got admission in Harward University"
"That's great" I said. "Harward is in Boston which is only one and half hour
drive from here."
"Cool" She said.

I did not expect that golden days will come so soon. Priya is coming to USA.
And that too, she is coming to Boston which is very close by. I could not
believe it. I can meet her every weekend. Even I can meet her everyday. Its
just one and half hour drive from my place. I am the happiest person in the
world.

One month passed by like one second. I went to airport to receive Priya. I
saw her after five months. I cried with happiness. We went to Harward
School of Business. What can I say about Harward? The hostel, the
classrooms, the library, the canteen, each and every building of Harward is
simply amazing. The students who are studying seemed to be like future
CEOs of multi national companies. And here, my Priya is going to be one of
them.

May 17th, 2005.

It’s the first weekend for Priya in USA. I took her to the New York City. New
York has always represented United States for many years. Even a small kid
can identify USA by seeing the picture of Statue of Liberty. There are many
places to visit in New York like Empire State, Brooklyin bridge, Times Square,
Madame Tussade museum, Intrepid… The list is endless. But Statue of
Liberty always stands high among the attractions.

"It’s the right time for expressing your love" Vinod said.
"But…"
"Don't think. Just say it to her. Everything will be fine"
"Thanks Vinod" I said."Today I will tell her. You need to help me in this"
"I am always there for you. Tell me what you want"
"How shall I propose her? I have not made any preparations"
"Don't worry. Just listen to me. If you love someone truly, there is no need of
any preparations. Just tell her what you want to say. Just tell her how much
you love her. Just be yourself. That's enough. Your heart will speak for
yourself. There is no need of any preparation"

Vinod's advice filled me with courage and confidence. For the first time, I felt
that I am not going to fail in this attempt. Love needs patience but at the
same time Love also needs courage. If you don't have enough courage to
express yourself, your love always remains incomplete.

Priya is taking the photographs of Statue of Liberty.

"Priya.."
"What?" she asked.
"I want to say something to you today which I should have told you long time
ago"
"What is it?"
I took her hand in mine. I kissed her hand.
"I Love You" I said. "Please don't ask me how much I love you. I cannot
explain it in words. I can only say that I love you more than myself. I love
you more than anyone can love you" I said and closed my eyes.
I waited. There was a long silence. I opened my eyes slowly. Priya is not
there in front of me. I looked around. She's standing at a distance. I went to
her and saw that she's crying.
"Priya... What happened? I am sorry if I hurt you..."
"You idiot... Why did it take so long for you to say a simple three letter
word?" she said and hugged me.

That's the most beautiful moment in my life that I will never forget. I have
accomplished my mission. Now I have no worries in my life. I have Priya with
me.

Suddenly Vinod came running to me shouting "Aaryan... Aaryan"

Chapter Twelve
May 18th, 2005
Vinod came running to me shouting "Aaryan... Aaryan... Aaryan... Aaryan...
Aaryan".
I opened my eyes. Avinash is calling me.
"What happened? Why did you spoil my sleep?" I asked.
"Your offshore has called. They said they will call you back in another ten
minutes" he said.
I did not listen to him. Thoughts filled my mind

"What a beautiful dream I had. Priya came to USA and I proposed to her. It
can't get better than this. At least I told her in my dream. But I learned one
thing from this dream. Love needs patience but at the same time Love also
needs courage. If you don't have enough courage to express yourself, your
love always remains incomplete. I must express myself before Priya. Priya
accepted me in my dream and she will accept me in real also. I felt as if I got
enough confidence to tell her. Nothing can go wrong now. I will tell her. Her
birthday is on July 22nd, the day when I first tried to tell her but failed. I will
tell her on the same day but this time I will not fail"

I did not make any preparations. I did not even try to think of what I would
say to her. I just want it to happen the same way it happened in the dream.
Of course she will not be in New York. But I just want to repeat the same
thing I told her in my dream. I will tell her that I love her and wait for her
response. Her birthday, the July 22nd will be an end to our friendship and
beginning for our Love Story, a complete love story.

May 30th, 2005

"How was your vacation?" I asked.

Priya went to her native place for two weeks as she goes there every year for
the local festival of their village. I did not talk with Priya for two whole
weeks.
"Good" she said.
"It’s been two weeks since we have talked" I said.
"Hmmm. What did you do these two weeks?" She asked.
"Nothing. I want to say something to you" I said.
"Is it? I also want to say something to you"
"What is it?" I asked.
"You tell me first, then I will tell you" she said.
"No.. Ladies first. So, you tell me. I will tell after you"
"No way, you have to go first. Otherwise I am leaving right now" she said
smiling.
"OK.. OK.. I will tell first. The news is that... I passed my license test and I
got my driving license. Now I have American Driving License" I said with
pride in my voice.
"That's great news. Now you can buy a car" she said.
"Yes" I said. "Now What news do you have?"
"Actually It all began a few months ago. I thought of telling you. But I did not
tell you. But now the time has come to tell you" she said.
"What is that?" I asked. Is she going to propose me?
"It’s regarding my engagement. Me and Rajesh got engaged last Thursday.
We are getting married on 2nd of July" she said.
"What? You are kidding" I said. I could not believe what she's saying.
"I am not kidding... you dumbo. I am serious" She said.

I did not speak. I did not expect such a jolt. My mind went blank. I rubbed
my eyes. I pinched myself. Is it some dream again? It’s a dream. Come out
of it. I slapped myself again. But nothing happened. It’s not a dream. What I
heard is true. Priya is getting engaged. Why? Why good things happen only
in dreams? People hate having bad dreams. But, Now I feel its better to have
a bad dream rather than the same bad thing happen in your life.

"Congratulations.." I said. no other word got into my mind.

"But" she said. "I am not happy with this marriage"
"You are not happy? Why? What happened?" I asked.

Chapter Thirteen
"I am not happy with this marriage" Priya said.
"Why? What happened?" I asked.
"Nothing... Leave it"
"Tell me what happened. Are you not happy with the bride?"
"No, it’s not the matter" She said
"What is the problem then?" I asked.
"Marriage is the biggest occasion which occurs only once in a life time. You
are my best friend and when I am going to get married you are not here" she
said. "Will you come to my marriage?"

Priya's marriage itself is a biggest shock to me. Now she is asking me to

come and attend the marriage. What can I say? How can I say to Priya that I
love her? Now all the doors are closed. By the time I gained the courage and
confidence to say, it’s too late. I cannot disappoint Priya by saying it now. I
cannot spoil her happiness. I did not answer to Priya.

"What?" Avinash asked.

"Yes.. Priya is getting married" I said.
"Come on man. You still have a chance. Go and tell that you love her" he
said.
"No" I said. "I cannot tell her. I cannot spoil her happiness"
"Have you gone mad? You say that you love her but you are just simply
doing nothing if she is getting married with someone else. What kind of
person are you?"
I did not answer.
"Why don't you answer me?" Avinash asked me. "It seems that you don't
love her"
"Stop it" I shouted. "I love her very much. I love more than anyone in the
world". Tears are flowing down my eyes. "It’s my fault that I did not tell her.
It’s my fault that I expected her to love me. It’s my fault that I developed
hopes on her. I don't want to punish her for my faults by telling her now that
I love her and force her to come with me. You don't know what love is. Love
demands sacrifice. True love never expects anything in return. I Love her. It
means that I care for her. I am there for her at all times. It does not mean
that she must also love me" I said.
Avinash did not say anything.
"Do you know why Rose is considered the symbol of Love?" I asked.
"Because it’s beautiful" he said.
"It’s because it’s beautiful. You feel it and enjoy it by holding it gently. Once
you try to grab it, the thorns beneath it will hurt you. You cannot grab it. If
it’s not yours, let it go but never try to grab it" I said.
"I am sorry" Avinsash said. "So, what are you going to do now?"
"Nothing" I said. "What can I do now?"
"You should have told her long back"
"No. Now I feel better that I did not tell her"
"What do you mean?"
"Listen." I said. "She just treats me as a good friend. She does not love me.
If I would have told her, she would have become upset. Our friendship would
have ended there itself. At least she is a good friend now"
"I understand" Avinsash said.

It’s Priya's marriage time. She must be very happy. But, what about me?
Now I don't want go to India any more. If I go back to India, the memories
of Priya will haunt me. I cancelled my leave. I told my parents that I got an
urgent project work and will come to India later. I had to convince my PM to
cancel my leave and stop him sending me to offshore.

People say that Love is blind. Yes... Love is blind because once you are in
Love you no longer see the world with your eyes. You see the world through
the eyes of the person you Love. You feel the joy, the pain, the happiness,
the sorrow and every moment of the person you Love in your eyes. Your eyes
no longer reflect your heart. They reflect the state of the person you Love.
They speak the language of your loved ones. They carry the tears of them to
see happiness in their eyes. Priya is happy and that is all what I want.

Chapter Fourteen
True Love happens only to a privileged few. I am lucky to be in that group. I
have experienced the warmth of love. I have felt that passion deep in my
heart. I realized the happiness one feels in Love. But Is Love always a happy
path? The person I love is in India making her marriage plans. I am here
sitting in USA with the golden memories of her. What do you say? Am I lucky
or unlucky to be in this privileged group?

Love is the most fascinating, most wonderful and the most beautiful thing. It
gives a new meaning to your life. It makes you forget all the worries in the
world. It keeps you happy even if you have the load of the whole world on
you. It injects into you the energy to stand against the universe for the
person you love. It does not care any barriers or obstacles in its path. It’s
only one side of the coin when everything ends happily. On the other side,
Love has the power to take the meaning out of your life. It makes you the
most unlucky person in the world. It makes you so weak that each and every
moment of your life turns into hell. It brings you to a dead end where each
every road for happiness is closed. So, what is Love? I don't know what love
is but now I am experiencing the other side of love.

Hari Priya - I am unable to forget her. Whenever I see a girl, I see Priya.
Whenever I see a couple, I see Priya and me in them. I can feel her
everywhere and every minute. Whenever I am alone, I think of her. I could
not able to mingle with people as before. I was here physically but my mind
and heart was with Priya. I sit before her picture on my laptop and look at it
for hours. I don't cry anymore as I don't have any tears left in me. I feel
myself lost in some distant world.

Priya comes into my dreams. She laughs at me, she teases me, she plays
with me, she scolds me for being late, and she comes close to me and runs
away from me. I want to be in the dreams where I can be with Priya, where I
can sit beside her, where I can talk to her, where I can hold her hand in mine
and assure her that I am there for her. But for a dream, the most necessity
thing is to sleep. But I am uable to sleep. The bitterness of the truth does not
allow me to sleep. It’s a torture one cannot describe in words. Only the
person who feels it knows it.

Sometimes I feel that I still have a chance. Some where deep in my heart a
voice says that Priya also loves me. Sometimes I feel tempted to propose to
her. But at the same time I feel that it’s too late now and I have no chance
left. I don't know what to do. It’s a fight between the mind and the heart.
One day I got so frustrated and tempted that I called her. When I heard her
voice, the other side of me took over and I was unable to speak a single
word. I can feel the split personality in me. It’s a fight between me and
myself.

"Your productivity has decreased" My PM said one day. "Business folks raised
an issue about you saying that you don't respond properly in the meetings.
What happened to you?"
"Nothing Praveen. Just not feeling well now a days" I said.
"If it continues, I am afraid I need to take necessary action and you may
need to fly back to India"
"I will try to do my best" I said.
"If you improve, It’s good for all" Praveen said.

Why is this happening to me? I could not concentrate on work. My career is

getting ruined. I am spoiling my health. This is all just because of one girl
whom I don’t know that she even exists two years ago. Is this necessary? Is
this called Love? They say that Love is a beautiful thing. But if it’s a beautiful
thing, why is it torturing me like this? If this is called Love, I don't want love.
Why can't I live without her? I can live without her. I was very happy before
she came. If she doesn’t care for me, why should I? I am not going to call
her any more. I am not going to think of her any more.

Even a single mail in the morning with even a single letter in it encourages
me to spend the whole day with hope and happiness. Whenever I call her
and here her voice, I forget myself. I want to talk to her continuously for
hours. I want to be with her. From such a stage, now I am thinking of
completely ignoring her and avoiding her. She has no right to change my life.
I CAN LIVE ALONE.

But is it Possible..? Can I live without her? Only time can tell.

Chapter Fifteen

I did not call Priya. I wanted to prove to myself that I can live without Priya. I
am trying to get used to the bitter truth. I am trying to live practically. I am
trying to take over my heart with my mind. But however I try, I cannot
escape from truth. Priya called me one day.

June 26th, 2005

"Hi Aaryan, What happened to you? Where did you go?" Priya asked.
"Nothing.." I said.
"Why did not you call me? You totally disappeared. You don't respond to my
mails. You don't come online while I keep waiting for you at the cyber cafe"
"I was just busy with work" I said. I don’t want this phone call to continue for
long.
"Leave it. Are you coming to my marriage?" Priya asked.
I always skipped giving answer to this question by saying something or the
other whenever she asked this question.
"How is your marriage plans going?" I asked.
"First answer my question" She said. "You always try to bypass this question.
Are you coming to my marriage or not?"
"I don't know" I said. "I did not decide yet. It depends on my project work"
"What do you mean by you did not decide? I can understand that you have
project work and all. It’s too much from me to ask you to come to my
marriage. But you are not even trying to answer my question. You are not
talking to me nicely now a days. It seems that you are not happy with my
marriage.."
"No.." I said.
"Don't lie to me. I can hear it in your voice"
"There is nothing like that Priya" I said. "Why do you think I am not happy
with your marriage?"
"I see that you are not same as before. You seem to behave differently from
the day I told you about my marriage. What happened?" she asked.
"Nothing like that. I just got busy with the work and it’s taking toll on me" I
said
"Are you sure?" She said.
"Yes" I said. I could not able to speak. I can feel the emotion ready to burst
into tears.
"Are you sure that it’s the work and not my marriage?" She asked again.
"Yes" I shouted back. "How many times do I need to tell you? Don’t you
understand? Now please do me a favor. Never ask this question again and
never call me again" I shouted at her and switched off the phone.

What does she think? Why does she torture me like this? Why did she come
into my life? I want to forget her. I want to get back my olden days, I want to
go back to the days before I met her. I want to want to go back to the days
when I used to enjoy the beauty of bench. I want to get rid of the pain of her
departure. I want to get rid of the pain that I cannot live without her.
Someone please help me...

"I shouted at my Priya" I told Avinash.

"Why? What happened?"
"I don't know. I was just trying to avoid her" I said.
"You need a vacation" Avinash said.
"May be you are right. I need a break. I need some time to forget Priya"
"Let's go for a vacation. How about Florida for July 4th long weekend?"
"Not a bad option" I said.
"Let's plan for it" Avinash said.
Though I tried forget about the incident, I could not able to forget it. The
thought that I shouted at Priya made me feel veryy bad. I shouted at my
own Priya. Why did I do that? I tried to call Priya on her mobile. I want to
apologize to her. But she did not answer my call. I kept trying whole day but
she did not respond to my call. I don't know what happened but deep inside I
felt something has gone terribly wrong.

Chapter Sixteen – Vinod Speaks

I am Vinod. I was Aaryan's room mate. I know how much Aaryan loved Priya.
He always talked about her and cared about her. But unfortunately he could
not able to tell her the same. He remained silent. He was a coward. He
always feared that Priya would leave him if he expresses his love before her.
He waited and the wait costed him a lot.

26th of June was an unfortunate day in the life of Priya and Aaryan. Priya
met with an accident while driving back her scooty to home from an internet
cafe. The owner of the internet cafe said that she was in a bad mood and was
crying before leaving the internet center. She was admitted into the hospital
immediately. She wrote a letter to Aaryan.

"Hi Aaryan, When I first met you in the multiplex theatre, I never thought that we would
come this far. We have become very close friends in no time. You have been a very good
friend of mine. In fact you are my best friend to whom I can look up to whenever I need
any thing. You have bothered about me and have taken a very good care of me. You were
always there to support me in all matters. I am lucky to have a friend like you and I want
to thank you for everything you have given me.

I always thought that even a single day is enough to understand or judge a person. Two
years is a very long time. We have been friends for these two years. But even after these
two years I could not able to read your mind. I could not able to understand you. You are
like a kid ignoring everything in the world. You speak endlessly about your weird dreams.
You take things so easily as if you don't have anything to worry in your life. You never
take anything seriously.

As we have been good best friends for two long years, I wish to take this relation a little
bit further. I always wanted to say this to you. You don't know how many times I have
tried to say this to you. But at last I am writing this to you with the only hope that you
will understand me and forgive me. I waited for this since long time. Now, let me tell
you...
"I LOVE YOU"
Please don't ask me how much I love you. I cannot explain it in words. I can only say that
I love you more than myself. I love you more than anyone can love you.

I waited for you with the hope that you would say this to me. I thought that you are in
Love with me as I am with you. I always thought that we are made for each other. But I
did not receive any response from you. You did not say anything to me. You looked
towards me as a good friend but not more than that. Whenever I thought of expressing my
love to you, I feared that you take it negatively. I feared that you'll stop talking to me
after that. I feared that you'll abandon our friendship. So, I could not say it to you all
these days. I was not at all happy with the marriage. I could not say it to my parents as I
don't know what's in your mind.

Now you must be wondering why I wrote this letter and why I am saying this after all
these days. It’s because you are not going to talk to me after today. It’s because I cannot
say it to you in future if not today. It’s because this is the last letter I am going to write to
you. It’s because by the time you read this letter I may not be in this world. Please forgive
me for all the pain I have caused to you and thank you for being my friend.

Once again... I LOVE YOU...

Yours,
Hari Priya
After the accident Priya survived for a week. During her last days, she called
her friend Shwetha and dictated the letter and asked her to hand over it to
Aaryan after she dies. When Aaryan received the letter from Shwetha and
came to know about the incident, he could not stay back in US. He resigned
to his job and flew back to India immediately. But it was too late. He felt that
Priya died because of him.

"I told Priya not to call me anymore" he said to me before leaving to India. "I
caused pain to her and now she left me forever. It's because of me she met
with an accident. Its because of me she died. I am the person responsible for
it. I killed her. I killed my Priya"
I saw the pain in his eyes. Its hard for him to recover from the shock. Its all
over for him. All these days he did not tell Priya that he love her but by the
time he came to know that Priya also loves him, she is no more.

I don't know what happened. But Aaryan went missing after this incident. No
one knows about his whereabouts. They say that History remembers only
tragic love stories. I don't know how true it is but I will never forget the story
of my friend. I pray to god to give him strength and peace wherever he is...

The End

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