It is One Year Today

14th February 2005
It is one year today.


14th February 2003
I hated this time of the year. The entire town would be painted red (I mean decorated red not otherwise). There were heart shaped balloons everywhere and all the shops were decorated in red. So much for ‘Conservative-Chennai’, I thought. It seemed that everyone was celebrating the 'Valentine’s Day'. Sales of cards and gifts were ringing the cash registers. I detested the crass commercialization of Valentine's Day.
My friends and I had decided to have ‘Guys day out’. We would visit the ‘couple places’, hang out there and have fun in our own way. We went to Coffee Day in Hispahani Center. Sitting in the couch and having ordered Mocha, I was looking around when I saw Meena my classmate sitting with another girl two tables away. I walked up to her to say Hi when I noticed the girl she was sitting with.
She was let us say uh…umm... very pretty. High cheek bones, wheatish complexion, a smile with two dimples, shoulder length straight hair and beautiful eyes. I caught myself staring at her and quickly looked towards Meena. It was then that I was introduced to Priya.
Priya was from another engineering college. She lived close to where I stayed and at the end of 2-3 minute conversation I managed to get her email id giving some weird reason. (I didn’t want to ask her cell number). Within a day I mailed her and we were soon chatting through Yahoo Messenger. We had similar tastes in many things. We both loved nature, books, philosophy etc. The list is long. I would wait impatiently for 11pm every night for her to log in.

March 2003
After 3 to 4 weeks of online chats I asked her for her phone number and called her. I was nervous. The first time I did not know what to talk to her. I was relieved when she kept speaking about her college. We spoke for hours on the phone after college daily and even today I remember every conversation.

October 2003
We had been going out together regularly for movies, concerts, restaurants etc. The nicest thing about Priya was that she had no hang-ups. We would decide about going for movies or restaurants over phone and within half an hour we would be there. I probably have loafed most of Chennai with her. I had my semester vacation and was off to stay with my parents in Bangalore. Though I did not want to go, I had no choice. (I was staying with my grandparents in Chennai). Those semester holidays were the most painful holidays. I missed Priya a lot. I was often reminded of the many conversations we had had. I would remember the good times and smile to myself. I had started missing the small-small things we did together. Be it the weekend morning walks at the beach or Priya holding my hand when she wanted to cross the road (She was petrified of crossing the road alone and always held my hand) I realized suddenly that things would never be the same for me. I suddenly realised I was in love.

February 14th 2004
I had debated on this long enough. I couldn't hold it within me any longer and had to tell her that I loved her. I was wondering how to do it.
Should I get her flowers (roses were her favourites) and then go on one knee and propose?
Should I take her to a nice restaurant for dinner and pop in the question?
I was pacing up and down my house. Luckily my grandparents were out for the day for some family function and they were not there to notice my restlessness.
Or I could take her to the broken bridge at Besant Nagar beach and under the moonlight and with the waves in the background, I would ask her... rather tell her…
Or may be I would buy her the pair of earnings she had been wanting for a long time. Better I thought would be taking her to a jazz concert at Music Academy and then somewhere in the middle tell her.
Restless would be an understatement to describe my state at that time. Suddenly the phone rang. I glanced at the clock and it showed 11 am. It had to be Priya with her morning call. Somehow I felt that the phone rang in a slightly different tone whenever she called. I told myself that it was my imagination. I lifted the phone and it was her indeed but it was not her morning call. She had woken up early, finished meeting some relatives and was on her way home and was checking if I was home. She wanted to drop in to see me. I told her to come over.
Now I was even more tensed. I was worried that I might blurt out something stupid. My preparation time was cut short by 7 hrs. I had always been natural and spontaneous with Priya but today I found myself preparing what to say and fumbling with those 'prepared' words.
The doorbell startled me. I opened and let Priya in. She walked into the kitchen and fetched herself a glass of water. She looked around for my grandparents and then came to my room and asked me if I was alone. I said yes. She gave me a hug and told me ' Its one year since we met.'
How could I forget? I was absolutely livid with myself. My mind was running through possible explanations and cover-ups...
‘In the past one year we've become the best of buddies. I have enjoyed every moment I have spent with you'. ‘Now…’, she stopped for a second and looked into my eyes. I don’t know what overcame me but I just pulled her towards me and kissed her. She was stiff initially but then immediately she responded. We kissed for what seemed eternity. As we pulled back, we remained speechless. I hugged her and told her ' I love you'.

We decided to have lunch at her favourite restaurant. We reached the restaurant, parked the bike and were about to cross the road. Suddenly my cell rang. It was Amrish asking for directions to Fashion Point. I gave him the directions as I crossed the road. When I reached the other side, I turned around and saw Priya trying to cross the road. I yelled asking her to go back and that I would come back to escort her across the road. Suddenly a bus appeared from nowhere and ran over her.

14th February 2005
It is one year today.