Torn Between Two Countries
On 16 November, out of the blue I came online to find some online friends. Something is better than nothing, then and there I found Sophia, ever so sweet, ever so innocent, ever so charming, Sophia. She was my first online friend, my first kiss, my first slap, my first love and she was very special for me. I never thought I would ever know someone from China. Someone in close quarters with whom I might end up living with. It was November evening when I met her. The gentleness of the November breeze was ditto with the nature of Sophia my Sophia, unlike the weather our friendships warmth captured my imagination and our friendship blossomed.
Each day we would talk. Our thoughts so similar yet so different. Like the north meeting the south, winter meeting the summer, China meeting India and me meeting Sophia. So sudden were the turn of events that I was caught off guard. Clones increased, likeliness increased and the relationship was in the threshold of a change. She told me about her special feeling for someone. This was quite a shock for me. I didn’t know why? There was not any feeling for her in me odd was there any feelings? I helped her in this dilemma. In the process, I came to know more about her. Her desires, her favorite, her small dreams, her goal. The more she explained the more I came to know about her, and again she came back with more questions. One day, I told her, Sophia, why you are searching for someone who is sitting right in front of you? She took some time to reply and said interesting and logged out. Then she didn’t come online for few days, few weeks and months. Finally, I called her on her birthday, 15 August, she was very happy to receive my calls. She dejected that her love life was going nowhere. Then out of the blue I told her Sophia, if by 14 August 2014, you didn’t get your someone special and I too single then I will propose you for marriage. She took some time to react; she blushed and then said okay I will. Then for the first time I saw her. We exchanged our pictures and spend few intimate moments. Then time moved on she became busy with her PhD, job, her career and again I felt lonely.
One day, I was sitting alone and I got a call. Number indicating it was not from India. I received it and in the other end there was a girl who thought I was her tailor. She was talking in Hindi and looked quite agitated. I was calm and asked her what she wants. She said she has given her dress for stitching and has not yet to receive it. She has a marriage function to attend and she wants soon that particular dress. She said I was the best tailor in Lahore but with a slow one. Then it struck me that the call is from Pakistan. I tried to calm her nerves and tell I need few things before she gets her dress. She told me that she won’t pay extra money and the rate has been fixed. I told her I need something else. She asked what? I told her I need a ticket to Pakistan to enroll a crash course in tailoring and I need her size so that I could give her dress on time. She was dumb fold. She said, are you nuts? Who are you? I said, I am ARAVIND, from India. “I am sorry, I think there has been a cross connection”. So, it started my friendship with Miss Hina Rasheed. She was a bubbly girl. She had an Msc in maths and was fun to talk with. Funny, witty, and so feminine. I could take hours to talk about her and yet it would just be an introduction. She came in as a pleasant ray of hope in a gloomy day. Our friendship blossomed. She looked so familiar to know me. I could second guess her thoughts. I could read her mind and I could see that how remarkable our likeliness was.
We would come online the first thing in the morning and she would be the first person I would say hi and the last person whom I would say bye. The feelings in me grew daily and it reached the danger mark. And one fine day I called her and said”Miss Hina Rasheed I love you please marry me”. She was dumb stuck she waited for few second and said “ Aravind I love you too” my joy knew no bounds and it was short lived because she only said “ I love you” and she later clarified that marriage is not an option. She can’t go against her parents’ wishes. I didn’t know what to say. Each day I would try to convince her but with no result. I will fight with her and then again reconcile with her and she would accept me each time but still the fire raged inside me. Her birthday was on 14 August. Things didn’t shape up well and time followed on and so did life…………..
(Part 1)
Post a Comment