That's The Way We Met Read online

I went into our room while Riya changed into her new outfit.

  ‘I am in our room. The door is locked. Just knock when you are ready,’ I said and left.

  After a few minutes, there was a faint knock on the door. I opened it to see Riya standing outside nervously, waiting for my reaction. She looked like a complete bombshell in the dress I had gifted her. It fitted her perfectly, I was speechless. I looked at her from head to toe. She had kept her hair open and they fell loosely on her shoulders. Her black eyeliner highlighted her already pretty eyes. Her glossy lips added colour to her face. She hadn’t worn any accessories, which I was glad about, as it would then seem overdone. The dress was a black satin-netted one piece that just about covered her thighs. It had a deep back and a spaghetti strap knot on both sides. My heart skipped a beat. I felt like I had fallen in love with her all over again.

  ‘Why does it feel like the most beautiful girl in the world is with me here in this room?’ I smiled and held her hands, leading her into our room.

  The main lights had been switched off and replaced by dimmer yellow lights. The room was lit up with decorative candles on the dining table. The trolley beside it had a bottle of Champagne kept in an ice bucket. The trolley was covered with rose petals. The petals had also been sprinkled on the bed, with a bowl of strawberries and chocolate kept right beside it. I played some romantic songs on my laptop to set the mood.

  We sat on the dining table facing each other. I opened the champagne and poured us a glass each.

  ‘Cheers to the most beautiful girl in the world,’ I said, taking a sip of the drink.

  We had our dinner while looking into each other’s eyes. None of us spoke a word until she handed me a letter.

  ‘What is this?’ I asked her.

  ‘If you can surprise me, so can I. I wrote a little something for you while you were away.’

  She got up from the opposite end of the table and came and sat on my lap. Then she kissed my cheeks and kept her hands over my shoulders and continued, ‘I want you to read it aloud.’

  I opened the letter and read:

  I never believed in love at first sight and I still don’t, but ours is probably as close as it can get. It all happened quickly, but I am glad we lasted. If at times it seems like I don’t care for you, I am sorry. I do care. Every time you are down and troubled, I feel the same way. I try the best I can. I remember how you used to look at me. The charm in your eyes made me fall for you the moment I saw you. You were the first person that ever saw me, the first person to give me hope that I could mean something to someone. Someday, I will marry you and we’ll be happy. But right now, we are just too young. And we are still having fun, right? I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be yours forever.

  I kissed her while she tightened the grip on my shoulders.

  Suddenly Riya got up and said, ‘I’ll be back in two minutes’, and went towards the closet.

  She came back with her hands behind her and knelt down before me.

  ‘My dear Aadi, will you give me the pleasure of being your wife?’ she said holding out a ring towards me.

  I was stunned. I never saw this coming. Not at that moment at least.

  ‘My bacchu, you came into my life like a beautiful dream and it seems like I have never woken up from it. I bless the day we met,’ said Riya.

  Hearing her confess her love to me so earnestly, I was reminded of the day when I first laid my eyes on her. I was scheduled to attend a lecture but as usual, I was wiling away time checking out the girls in my class. Five minutes into the lecture, I heard a girl’s voice:

  ‘May I come in sir?’

  One look at her and my heart skipped a beat. It was so beautiful, almost like watching a dream. I distinctly remember I had asked myself, ‘Is she the one I am looking for?’

  She came and sat in the third row and looked back. Our eyes met and in that fleeting second, it was like our souls came together too. We couldn’t stop looking at each other. I knew deep down inside that she was indeed the one for me.

  And that’s the way we met!

  We became friends, then best buddies, and now…

  ‘Will you marry me?’ asked Riya again.

  It was me who had proposed to her a few years back. The memory of that day is still clearly etched in my mind like it all happened yesterday.

  We had planned it all out. Swapnil and Sameer were standing in one corner in the garden, ready with what they had been instructed to do. Even I was prepared. As soon as Riya entered, I bent down on my knees, kept the rose in my hand, and said, ‘You are my best friend. A friend like you is hard to get. However, a life partner like you for a person like me is impossible.’

  I paused for a moment and said, ‘Really, I don’t deserve a girl like you. I am a flirt. I have the worst image, but still I want to change. I want a girl who can change me. And it’s you, my bachha. You are everything to me. You are the love of my life. I love you babe. And every time I see you, I just want to hug you and never let you go. You are special to me. You make me complete. I will never leave you alone in this relationship. Love you. Do you wish to be my beloved?’

  She had tears in her eyes—tears of happiness. She just nodded and said, ‘I love you too my bachha…love you a lot. Thanks for this moment.’

  She accepted the rose. I stood up and we hugged one another. As soon as we did that, Sameer and Swapnil blew the ribbon and snow spray.

  She was overwhelmed with whatever I had done for her. We hugged each other and looked into each other’s eyes. Her eyes asked me whether I would be with her forever. My eyes said that I was with her always and forever.

  And now she was proposing to me!

  ‘Aadi, what are you thinking about? Here I am proposing to you, and you seem to be on a different planet altogether,’ said Riya sensing my thoughts were elsewhere.

  ‘Nothing jaan, just reminiscing about our past,’ I said.

  She continued, ‘It was you who made me realize that I am beautiful, it was you who taught me to live each and every moment of my life. Jaan, you’re my world, my every heartbeat—my every breath is for you. Today I have listened to my heart. I have decided to make my feelings known to you. We have been close to each other for quite some time now and I was toying with this idea of proposing to you, but could never find the right moment to do so. I know you were probably expecting me to pop up the question in a grand fashion, but I am too shy to propose to you in public. I have seen you as a perfect boyfriend and now I wish to see you as my perfect husband. So Aditya, WILL YOU MARRY ME?’

  I was benumbed. Words failed me. A nervous ‘yes’ was all I could say at that moment, as she came over to give me a tight hug.

  I touched her back with my fingertips and heard her moan. My hands reached for her knot and untied it to let her dress fall on the floor. I lifted her up in my arms and laid her gently on the bed. She worked her way across my chest, swiftly unbuttoning my shirt and pulling it over my head. As I unzipped my trousers, I took out from its pocket the wooden key ring having our names carved on it. She took it in her hands and kissed it as a drop of tear fell from her eye. I kissed those tears away and gave her a deep kiss on the lips. She moaned in pleasure, returning my kisses with ardour. I took a strawberry and rolled it all over her. She could no longer hold herself, her body rocked with the sensation of pure ecstasy. We ate chocolates while kissing each other and fondled one another for a very long time. I rolled another strawberry in the melted chocolate and passed it on to her. She devoured it instantly, giving me the next piece.

  ‘You are a wild cat in bed,’ I whispered in her ear.

  “‘Shut up, Aadi! I will kill you. By the way, thanks for making my night memorable,’ she said, kissing my forehead.

  We made love till the crack of dawn. I held her close as we finally drifted off to sleep.

  Day 3: Solang Valley.

  I got up with an early morning kiss from Riya who was up before me. Sonam came to our room and told us to get ready.

 
‘So how was your night?’ Mohit asked while holding Sonam lovingly from behind.

  ‘I think Riya can tell you better. Her nail marks on my body should tell you the story.’ I said teasing her as I went to the washroom. I could hear Sonam laughing.

  We left our room and called for the driver. We had planned to visit Solang Valley to play snow games and have some fun. It was was hardly a few kilometres away from our resort. The road was the same as that leading to Rohtang Pass. Parachutes in the clear blue sky, dense pine trees, and snow-capped mountains made the sight picture perfect. No wonder Manali is called ‘Switzerland’ of India. Our trips to Rohtang Pass and Solang Valley proved that right. It was extremely beautiful and offered an enthralling view of the snowcapped Himalayas.

  I took out one cigarette from my pack and smoked.

  ‘Now this is what I call having a good time,’ said Sonam throwing a snowball at me.

  I picked up one and threw it back on her face and she toppled down on the snow losing her balance. She stood up to get back at me but slipped and fell down again. Next was Riya who too slipped trying to help Sonam up. We burst out laughing at the silliness of it all.

  Next we decided to try paragliding. A cable car took us to the peak of the mountain along with our pilots carrying a big backpack containing the parachutes. As we moved up, the valley looked like a tiny dot and in a while, we disappeared behind the hills.

  As we wore our helmet and harness, we decided to go one by one. I was super nervous, this being my first experience. It knew it would be one hell of a thrilling moment. The pilot gave us the green signal and I started moving ahead along with him. The gear was heavier than I had imagined. After a few steps, I was lifted up above the ground. As we flew in the air, the noise cooled down, the valley looked too small, and the dense pine trees and white snow seemed like a rolled-out carpet. The strong winds helped our parachute to take free falls and gain height in seconds. I could hear Riya and Sonam’s screams but couldn’t see Mohit anywhere.

  As we prepared for the landing, I wished for it to never come to an end. I could feel the speed of falling down. My heart raced twice than normal. Soon everyone landed down safely except for Mohit. We waited for him for sometime but there was no sign of him anywhere. We tried looking for the organizer but he too seemed missing.

  We calmed down when we saw Mohit land safely a few feet away. He and the pilot had crashed in the first take off, but in the second, they had been successful.

  ‘It was a thrilling experience! I was so afraid that I kept my eyes tightly shut althrough,’ said Riya.

  We tried skiing next but I just couldn’t get the hang of it. I tried my best but would always topple down after every few steps. It was pathetic! Everyone made fun of me.

  Next, we took tickets of the ropeway. Riya and I went behind Sonam and Mohit’s cable car. We saw the wonderful view of Manali from 13000 feet above sea level. The cable car was packed and we were comfortably seated. Riya showed me Mohit’s cable car, which I hadn’t noticed earlier. Both were cuddling even at a height of 13000 feet!

  Oh what dangers does love make one take, I thought to myself.

  ‘They look so cute when sitting close to each other.’ said Riya pointing towards their cable car just ahead of us.

  ‘Yes, they do! They will soon get engaged once Mohit tells everything to his parents.’ I said.

  We gave high five to each other and got down from the ropeway with a smile on our faces.

  Once back on the ground, Mohit asked us, ‘How was the ride?’

  We continued laughing and I said, ‘The ride was fine, but what we do know is that you surely were having a ball of a time with each other in the cable car.’

  Both of them looked at us like small children found eating in the class without the teacher’s permission.

  We headed back towards the resort.

  We first had our dinner and then decided to prepare a bonfire. It was a chilly winter night and the snow glittered on the nearby mountains. We locked our rooms and told the manager of the resort to make special arrangements. We paid him an additional amount for doing so. We asked him to set up the bonfire on the riverbank near our resort. Once set up, Sonam and Mohit sat on the other side of fire exactly in front of us. We could not see the river but could hear its gurgling sound.

  We decided to play a game in which each person would have to share his or her most memorable experience in their relationship. We liked the idea and told Sonam to begin.

  Sonam looked at Mohit and said, ‘I don’t know what made me fall for you. I still think about the exact reason why I love you. Was it your looks or your nature? However, whatever it is the fact remains that I love you and I want to marry you soon. I remember how nervous you were when you were at my home with my parents. Your expression told me that you feared rejection. It made me smile then and it still makes me smile now. I can close my eyes and visualize you in the same state. You looked so innocent, even though I can hardly call you that knowing the real you. The moments that we have shared in the past few days will always be close to my heart.’

  Next up was Riya who spoke about me.

  ‘I just love watching you and how your eyes sparkle when I am about to say something to you. The glow that appears in them is what I live for. I had many special moments with you but the one that I will cherish for life is when we went to Siddhivinayak temple and took the seven promises. I know you love me more and what you did last night will always remain special to me. I believe people come in your life for a reason, to guide you and help you see yourself. Your presence makes me realize that I am beautiful. Thank you for everything, my sweet little baby. I pray to God everyday to bless you with everything you deserve. I will love you until the end of time.’

  I was speechless. I knew she wasn’t someone who like to express her feelings very often. I embraced her leaving all the worries behind and thanked her for accepting me wholeheartedly.

  I was the next one to speak. I said, ‘Everyday, I feel my passion growing for you. I feel that our hearts beat in tandem with each other. Every morning, I look in the mirror and ask myself, “Do I still love Riya the same way as I did when I first met her?” and my reflection always answers back with a resounding “yes”. I had heard that love grows stale over time, but with you my darling, the feeling just grows more intense every day. Some love stories cannot be predicted. Ours is one such story but I can assure you our best moment is yet to come. I live for that day and I wish that day will come soon. I want to marry you near the sea, maybe Marine Drive. I always imagine how, after the ceremony is over, you will sit in the car and I will drive us towards our new home. The girls in our family don’t wear Punjabi chuda in marriage, but I want you to wear it. You will be dressed in my favourite red saree with a silver border on it. I will look at the chuda in your hand and smile. You will coyly glance at me and I will smile seeing you blush. All the way while driving, I would think of how beautiful you looked on our wedding night. We will enter our apartment to a new life together. I will wake up by the tinkling sound of your chuda everyday.’

  No one spoke anything until Sonam shouted, ‘This is so fucking romantic. Mohit, learn something from your friend.’

  Riya couldn’t resist kissing me after my elaborate description of the wedding day. Sonam and Mohit covered their eyes out of embarrassment.

  Mohit was finally the last one to speak. He spoke about Sonam, ‘Since day one, we have shared something incredible, something that most people only dream of having in their lives. I had been searching you for all my life. You are sincere, caring, loving, and I wouldn’t trade you for the world. I am so thankful and blessed that you loved me as much as I love you. Our life together is amazing now, and together after marriage it will only get better. It may come as a surprise to you, but I have decided that we will fly to Ahmedabad tomorrow and meet my parents. I will introduce you to them so that we can get their approval and proceed with our engagement. We should not hold ourselves from tying the knot. I love yo
u and can’t wait to get engaged to you.’

  ‘What? Are you serious? We are supposed to be going back to Delhi tomorrow if you remember,’ I shouted along with Riya.

  ‘Tell your parents that your official tour has been extended by two more days. We will fly to Ahmedabad tomorrow and return to Mumbai in two days time. I will not go back to Mumbai before making it official,’ exclaimed Mohit.

  Sonam stood speechless in one corner, teary eyed. Mohit couldn’t hold back his tears either. Both of them hugged tightly and wept. The night turned emotional. The thought of the engagement gave us goosebumps too. I could sense their happiness while they hugged one another—they were really taking it to the next level.

  Seeking Approval

  The next day, we checked out from the resort, carrying with us the sweet memories of Manali. We took the bus to Delhi, reminiscing about the last three days fondly. How the days have flown, I thought boarding the bus.

  ‘I will never forget the night that we spent together in Manali. When we will be old together, I will look back at my life and remember this trip as one of the most memorable,’ Riya smiled.

  It was a long journey to Delhi. We reached the ISBT bus station after fourteen long hours. From there, we took an autorickshaw to the Delhi Airport.

  Once at the airport, I checked our luggage to see if everything was in place before boarding the flight for Ahmedabad. It was then that I realized that my laptop bag was missing.

  ‘Riya, I can’t find my laptop bag! If it is lost, I am fucked big time,’ I shouted in confusion, still searching for my bag.

  ‘Check again. It must be in your main suitcase,’ said Mohit.

  ‘How can you be so careless? You should have checked your bag when we got down from the bus,’ said Riya.

  I looked everywhere but could not find the bag. Feeling dejected, I boarded the flight along with the rest. They tried to console me and keep me calm throughout the journey to Ahmedabad. But I sat removed from the others, feeling too low to talk. Riya tried her best to console me but to no use. Since it had been a birthday gift from my Mom, it was doubly special to me. I could imagine how terrible she would feel if I told her I had lost it on the trip.