U N I ( Part 8)

" Why do you need 1 week holiday? That too just before our Engagement?? "
"I need it! I always wanted to visit New Zealand. I've a friend there.....I'll be staying with him....."
"We could go there for our honeymoon!"
"But you don't like adventurous stuff.....we are planning for all the water sports and stuff like that. This is going to be my last trip before I get married!"

Nidhi thought about it for a while, but before she could ask the next question he said," Please don't ask me to give you a call everyday.......I might not be able to!"

" But you'll be here on Monday right? It's our Engagement! Don't forget......and please don't put me down in front of my people!"
" I'll be standing in front of you at dot 4 pm. Okay?"
" So late? The ceremony starts at 5!"
" Yes I know. That's why I'm coming at 4....."

Nidhi looked at Krupal unconvincingly.....no matter what he was saying right now...she just couldn't trust his single word. She knew she could not cage him, could not say a no to his requests, she had tried...but he had told her his plan only after he had finalized it. She stood there with her hands on her hips. He kissed her on her cheek and left.

---------------------------------------------------

" I'm late! I'm late! Gosh I'm late!" Juhi was packing her stuff and getting ready for office. Krupal sat in the hall, doing nothing.
"What? You don't have to go to the Hospital?"
He said nothing.
" Hello......I'm talking to you."
Still no answer.
" What the ....."
" What am I doing with my life?" He said finally, " Why am I so confused? And so driven at the same time? Why don't I understand what I want for sure?"
"Are you plain stupid or is there more to it?"
"Juhi......please help me. Please don't go today, please don't leave me alone."
"Yes!There is much more to it!" Juhi finally came to a conclusion.

She kept aside her  bag and sat near him and put a hand on his shoulder.
" If you are not ready for the marriage....tell her straight that you need time. Why are you agreeing to everything that she is saying?"
" I'd promised her....I gave her my word. I told her we would get married...I can't break my promise!"
" Look...circumstances change okay? You are not breaking the promise, you are only asking for some more time."
" I've been asking for more time since 1 year now."
" Krupal you can't have your cake and eat it too.....you have to choose...you have to make the compromise.......that's life!"
" I want you!"
" That's ...........Lust!"
" Why do you always brush me off with that negative word??"
" Because I don't understand the positive "Love" sweetheart! I understand liking, I understand attachment, I understand Lust, but what I don't understand is Love! What is it? What are you talking about?"
" It's hard to explain......but it exists....."

" It's the same thing as saying Santa Claus exists....same as saying Mermaids exist......its just an emotion born out of human Imagination Krupal! It's the same as the belief and philosophy of the existence of god! When human beings want miracles to happen and want to believe there is something higher than them, they make up all these stories.......love is a by product of those stories. It's up to you how much you want to get entangled in them......Today you want me, 2 years back you wanted Nidhi, and 2 years after me, you might want someone else.....how many times are you going to fall in love?"

" Nidhi wasn't love......I just wanted someone that time...I was desperate to fall in love! But that wasn't love.....I was in love with the idea of love....I was...."
" Stop! Please! I can't take these confusing statements anymore."

They kept looking at each other for a long time, in total silence......Juhi could not deny the fact that Krupal looked very attractive when he was lost in his thoughts and all that she wanted to do was to kiss him....and she looked at his lips and he knew what she wanted, and when she leaned in, he sang softly,

"I lose control because of you babe........ ( She smiled)
I lose control when you look at me like this........
There's something in your eyes that is saying tonight.....
I'm not a child anymore, life has opened the door to a new exciting life!"

She giggled and they held each other close........and rocked gently with the song he sang for her,

" I lose control when I'm close to you babe
I lose control don't look at me like this....
there's something in your eyes, is this love at first sight  ( she shook her head to show a "No")
like a flower that grows, life just wants you to know
all the secrets of life!"

He said: It's all written down in your lifelines
She said: it's written down inside your heart

They both sang : "You and I ..........just have a dream
to find our love a place
where we can hide away"

He said: "you and I ....were just made
to love each other now
forever and a day!"

Krupal had never sung instinctively to anybody before....he wondered...why Juhi? She inspired him...she set him free!

Nobody had ever sung for Juhi, she had never swayed while the man in her arms sang exclusively for her......and though there was no music playing, their bodies moved to a slow rhythm they knew existed...and felt the whole room flowing with the music they made....It was a magical moment for Juhi....the moments she always thought only existed in fairy tales....the way she felt being in his arms soothed her, calmed her, put down her defenses and she felt like a child in his arms, where she did not have to fight, where she did not have to pretend....where she could cry, where she could expect, she could demand, .............she wanted to melt in his arms.....She looked up at his face, and for the 1st time she wasn't trying to judge him....looking into his eyes, she wanted to trust him, she wanted to believe him....she wanted to belong to him...something she had not felt for so long...something she had avoided.........some doors were opening within her, those she had locked long back, the hurt that was locked in them was getting lost somewhere....she felt lighter, she felt a lot of weight being lifted off her shoulders......

"I'm tired....I want to go to sleep."
The last 2 days had been frantic- packing, buying new stuff, arranging it, putting up the curtains, fixing the internet and other connections......and now these new emotions......it was a whole new experience!

He accompanied her till her bedroom door and waited there.
She got into her bed and coiled in like a child......and went to sleep immediately.....

( To be continued......)