Looked straight into her eyes

With a wink, I drew her close

My lips moved, but this time not to say

I told her, I do things

And I do them in my own way.

Yes, it was going to be my first ever kiss ...

But!

But ... How I hate to the word B-U-T.

But fate had to intervene and Girish, playing devil, called her up on her cell. The ringtone shattered my utopia and, before I could reach her lips, she wanted to answer the call. And before she could answer the call, she looked at the clock. *Oh my G.o.d! It's 9! N-I-N-E!' she said, (no, she screamed) and stretched to reach her cellphone.

*It's Girish,' she said, pressing the answer b.u.t.ton.

While she was talking to Girish, I collapsed on the bed in total dismay, wondering at Girish's sense of timing. How could he be so perfect? I was fuming inside.

All the while, she continued with that call: *Haan bolo.'

*Yeah, I know we have to leave.' She turned her back to me and walked towards the door which was locked from inside.

*No, we don't want anything to eat.' She looked back at me and gestured with her other hand to ask me if I was hungry.

*Yes Girish, just five more minutes yaar.' She clenched and unclenched her fist.

*Arey, I know baba. I said na, we will manage,' and she looked at herself in the mirror.

*Now will you please hang up? Pleaseeeee?' She turned her back towards the mirror.

*Yeah, we will be there in five minutes. All right? Bye now.' And she came to me, disconnecting the call. She was panicking, all of a sudden.

*Shona! I have to leave. I am getting late. Mom must be about to call.'

*Hmm ... All right. Don't worry, you'll be on time. Where are Neeru and Girish?' I tried to comfort her and, more importantly, to extinguish the fire that had just now been burning in me.

*At the reception,' she answered.

*Ok. And I guess you guys will be going by the same cab,' I asked, getting up from the bed and taking a sip of water from the half-filled bottle.

*Yes, the same cab,' she said, getting up and moving towards the mirror again.

Then her cellphone rang again and, again, it was Girish. I picked up the call this time.

*Hey, I guess you should hurry up. It has started raining again,' he said.

Though I hated him at that moment, I still said, *Yes, just a second. We are coming down. See you there.'

We were about to leave that room, when she screamed one more time. *s.h.i.t! I forgot this,' she said, looking at the big plastic bags which Neeru had left at the entrance to the room.

She quickly picked them up and said, *Shona, this is for you.'

*What is this?'

*Open it.'

I did what she asked. A blue-striped shirt with a Park Avenue tag and two ties: one, black with white stripes in the middle; the other, steel-coloured. I was so pleased. A girl bought something for me ... My Khushi bought something for me. And I suddenly recalled a couple of managers from my office whom I used to see, at times, in shops along with their wives, who were selecting shirts for them. I felt good, realizing all those things were happening to me now. New things, different things, beautiful things.

*For me?' I asked her. *No. For that fat cab driver,' she tried to tease me. *Really? You had an affair with him too?' I teased her back. *Shut up,' she responded with a smile but her eyes wanted me to fear her. Then she reminded me, *I have to rush now. It has started raining.'

*Oh yes. Let's go,' I said, dropping the box on the bed behind me and stepping out of the room. This time I made sure to walk beside her, and she acknowledged that with her mischievous smile.

We were about to reach the reception when I couldn't control myself any more and asked her, *Why are you leaving Khushi? Don't go ... Please.' And my speech paused there, along with my feet.

She stopped there as well and held my hand in hers and said, *Just a couple of months and I won't have to leave you this way. I will be all yours.' There was so much love in those words as if, from now on, she was going to take care of me forever.

*I know,' I said.

*Now shall we go before Girish gives another call?'

*Yes.'

Back at the reception, we met Neeru and Girish again. They were trying to tease Khushi with their faces and expressions but she was, somehow, managing everything with her simple smiles, digressing from what they wanted to hear. We all stood there for a few minutes before they went to their cab which was parked outside the hotel.

It was drizzling. They got seated and the cab reversed. They were leaving and my eyes were following the left window from which she was waving to me. I almost ran into the middle of the road to catch a last glimpse of her for the day. Then the cab took a right turn at the end of the street and she disappeared.

But Oh! I loved the light rain shower and looked up at the sky, thanking the heavenly firmament.

That day did not end there, though.

A few minutes later, I was in my room, busy performing my victory dance and singing the lines *pehla nasha, pehla khumaar.' Just like in the movie, I placed my left foot on the bed and jumped back on the ground to my right, in slow motion. The only difference being, my landing was not successful and I broke the gla.s.s of water placed beside the TV.

Shattered gla.s.s on the floor. And silence ...

Standing alone, in front of the mirror I scolded my reflection, *See what you have done?'

The very next moment, my reflection smiled and murmured, *naya pyaar hai, naya imtihaan.'

I was out of control, wondering how I could tell the world that I was the happiest man on the planet at that moment. The feelings within me were straining to come out. And I don't know whether I was failing to handle them, or celebrating them in the best possible way.

Finally, I grabbed my cell again to give her a call and tell her, *You are d.a.m.n beautiful. You are so perfect ... I am so lucky ...' I went on and on, and she heard all that with a smile.

She was still in that cab and I could hear giggling voices around her. All she said was, *And vice versa. I have so much to say, but just can't. You know na.'

We talked for a very short while and then I ordered my dinner which arrived in another ten minutes. By 10.30, I had eaten and the bellboy came to my room to collect the dinner plates and bowls.

*How was the food, sir?' he asked.

Did I really notice the taste? Forget the taste, did I even know what dishes I had eaten? All I could think of was her face, the way it appeared when I pulled her in my arms, her eyes and her fragrance which still persisted in my breath.

But I answered, *Oh yes, it was good.'

He gathered the plates and left my room.

By 11.30, I still couldn't sleep, though I was tired. I was hung over on something so different, for the first time. I was celebrating the spirit of being in love. Everything around me appeared beautiful because the only thing running through my mind was beautiful.

She too was going through something similar, I learnt when she called me at last. And we talked for a long time, candidly: confessing our fears; describing the thoughts flowing in our mind when we saw each other at the airport, when I sat on the front seat, leaving her behind, when I locked the door of my room from inside once Neeru and Girish had left, when I pulled her in my arms; our happiness, the euphoria in which we still were. I don't remember when, exactly, we slept ...

The next morning, I was waiting for Girish. Khushi had called me up to tell me that Girish would be coming to Delhi for some work and would pick me up on his way back to Faridabad. There, for the first time, I'd meet Khushi's family-except for her dad who was in Punjab, taking part in some religious event at a gurudwara there.

While I waited for him, I spent my time doing some peculiar things. Standing in front of the mirror, I practiced lines which I might have to say in front of her family in different situations. I wanted my facial expressions and body language to make a good impression on her family. So, I rehea.r.s.ed some common lines: *No, no, my parents won't have any issues if she carries on with her career after marriage. In fact, I am marrying her because she is a career-oriented girl.' (With a brilliant use of the hands.) *I'm not sure if we'll move north so soon but, yes, the plans are there.' (With confidence.) *Oh yes, I can cook. In my work-related trips abroad I learnt that, you know. It might not be as delicious as what she can prepare, but it serves its purpose.' (With a smile.) And so on.

It was 10 a.m. To kill some more time, I moved out to the lounge. I was nervous again as I left my room. The nervousness of facing so many new people at once. In the lounge, I glanced through the newspaper and had a cup of tea, which was my only breakfast. I wasn't feeling hungry at all, but excited and thrilled.

A few minutes later, my cellphone beeped. It was an SMS from her.

Girish wl b dere by 10.15.

B ready and Gud Luk. A few

hrs from now u'll b among

ur would be in laws. :-).

As soon as I read her message, a new number flashed on my cell's screen. This time, it was Girish calling me outside. I quickly finished my tea, put the newspaper back in the rack and left the hotel.

Soon, I was in his Qualis. Obviously, his dad was a big man. On our way to Faridabad, he kept telling me about his dad, who had been an MLA some years back. He kept talking about his investments in real estate and in shares. And I kept replying with *ok,' *yeah' and *oh really'-not really listening to his big talk. All that was going through my mind at that point was how things would pan out in the next couple of hours. I had never been to any in-laws till then! With the rest of our relatives, it was always the boy's family who went to the girl's. But here, things were so different. I was all alone. So many thoughts going through my mind ...

I am all alone. d.a.m.n! I don't even believe I am doing this, going to visit my in-laws.

Do I need to tell her mother one more time that I love Khushi?

Thank G.o.d her dad is not home.

I should sound mature. A responsible citizen. s.h.i.t! Not citizen. A responsible person who will keep their Khushi very happy for the rest of her life.

What will her home be like? Bigger than mine?

Is anybody going to ask me my salary? Should I add a few more thousands to the figure?

They have a big car too and I have just a bike-not even a Pulsar, at that.

d.a.m.n! What all I am thinking? s.h.i.t!

*What happened?' asked Girish. *No, no, nothing,' I said, wondering if he heard my thoughts. *Hey! Hey! Aisa hi hota hai,' he mocked my condition. *What do you mean, aisa hi hota hai?' I asked to hide my restlessness. *Kuch nahin,' he said with a smile and put on some music. After almost an hour, we reached our destination. On the way, I bought a pineapple cake for them from a confectionary in Faridabad, which Girish said was one of the best in their city. *Here we are. Lo aa gaya aapka sasuraal,' said Girish. *Boy! This is it,' I said to myself.

I took a deep breath and got down from the vehicle and looked at the white-coloured house in front of me. Then I opened the black gate and walked in. There were a few plants, with flowers blossoming in them. A tiled veranda, half of which was covered with a shed. I knocked on the door in front of me, while Girish came after locking his car.

Somebody opened the door and I was excited to see who it was going to be.

Her mom. In a very simple and decent suit. No makeup at all, simply a kada in her right hand. She appeared as simple as my mom. She smiled when she opened the door to welcome me in.

*Sat Sri Akal,' I said and bent down to touch her feet.

*Sat Sri Akal beta ji,' she said kissing my forehead.

Her mom was delighted to see me. Finally, I was in front of her eyes. She was seeing, for the first time, the person who was going to take her beloved daughter away from her. And in those eyes were so many expectations, so many concerns and so much hope for her daughter.

She welcomed me into the drawing room. Girish followed me, touching her feet.

*Baitho beta,' she said to both of us.