Rishi walked ahead with rest of us following him. He'd look back ever so often and smile at me but I could only gasp in response.
With every step I took, with my heels clattering and my mind in chatter frenzy, I reminisced the days I spent with Aditya.
'I'm a lucky man to have you', He'd tell me.
'You found me', I'd crown my beau.
We were a happy us. Just about the time we understood this was the time we parted.
I smiled to myself and shook my head in denial, but deep within I knew how much I wanted the fairy tale to go on.
I entered the elevator like it was the Valley of Death.
He smiled and turned around to the door. I was now standing right behind him.
Instinctively, I got him sized up. He'd disappointed the scale losing a few pounds. He had shorter hair and his eyes looked tired. His cologne hit me like a rogue wave. 'My Armani Code... His 25th...', I smiled to myself when his birthday flashed past me. He didn't have the stubble I'd always loved. Yet, the charm on his face refused to let go.
He was a vision. Yet. Again.
'How's the day been so far gentlemen?', Rishi broke the uncanny silence.
'It's been good.' 'Great!', they spoke up.
'Well the day ahead seems exciting', Aditya smiled.
He turned to me and looked at me in the eye.
'I can't lose you again. I found you and I'm not leaving without you!'
With every step I took, with my heels clattering and my mind in chatter frenzy, I reminisced the days I spent with Aditya.
'I'm a lucky man to have you', He'd tell me.
'You found me', I'd crown my beau.
We were a happy us. Just about the time we understood this was the time we parted.
I smiled to myself and shook my head in denial, but deep within I knew how much I wanted the fairy tale to go on.
I entered the elevator like it was the Valley of Death.
'How do I face him? Does he know I'm here? Should I avoid confronting him? But it's been almost a year since I saw him last'
'Maybe it's sheer coincidence. No, maybe it's celestial conspiracy. Are we fated to meet?' All I could do was helplessly succumb to my thoughts racing to him faster than I could reach. Faster than I wanted them to reach.
'Heyy! Are you okay? You look like a deadpan!', Rishi was now all concerned and a little boisterously concerned. The others in the lift, victims to the ripple effect, turned to me. 'What happened? All okay?'
I looked at Rishi. 'Wow. You always make things better right!'
'You aren't feeling well?'
I chanced upon this question. 'Yeah, I'm a little nervy'
'You'll do fine. Take deep breaths before the presentation, keep calm', another suggested.
Rishi and I looked at each other and smiled. We knew exactly what the other was thinking.
'I don't know what to expect, I just want to sail through this amicably', I told him.
I looked up to the floors descending. With every floor, my heart beat and anxiety grew exponentially.
He nudged me. 'Smile now, look your charming best for Him'
'Shut up! Stop being a bipolar comforter', I smacked his shoulder.
'Moment of Love', Rishi muttered into my ears.
One after the other, the suited and booted gentlemen got off the car.
While one half of me, like the others, enjoyed the panache that walked towards us, the other half was too busy scanning faces.
There were about 20 of them who'd come. The bigwigs came marching right at the front of the file. As they drew closer, something in me gathered courage and checked me from hiding away. I armed myself to face him and deal with whatever came with him.
'I can explain myself. I can justify my decisions and I know I'm right', I felt my head dipping and rising quickly, like it were expressing complete solidarity to what I was thinking.
'Welcome to India!', Rishi beamed as we shook hands with them and exchanged pleasantries.
Rishi proceeded to the elevator escorting a few and beckoned me to come along.
I looked around but couldn't find him.
'Stairs?', I whispered to Rishi.
'Elevator. Don't fuss', he was tough.
I waited for the others to enter the elevator while I savoured those precious seconds looking for him.
Just as I turned around to enter the elevator, I heard him.
'Room for more?', He walked in with two others.
'Absolutely!', Rishi laughed.
And there he was.
Aditya.
'Maybe it's sheer coincidence. No, maybe it's celestial conspiracy. Are we fated to meet?' All I could do was helplessly succumb to my thoughts racing to him faster than I could reach. Faster than I wanted them to reach.
'Heyy! Are you okay? You look like a deadpan!', Rishi was now all concerned and a little boisterously concerned. The others in the lift, victims to the ripple effect, turned to me. 'What happened? All okay?'
I looked at Rishi. 'Wow. You always make things better right!'
'You aren't feeling well?'
I chanced upon this question. 'Yeah, I'm a little nervy'
'You'll do fine. Take deep breaths before the presentation, keep calm', another suggested.
Rishi and I looked at each other and smiled. We knew exactly what the other was thinking.
'I don't know what to expect, I just want to sail through this amicably', I told him.
I looked up to the floors descending. With every floor, my heart beat and anxiety grew exponentially.
He nudged me. 'Smile now, look your charming best for Him'
'Shut up! Stop being a bipolar comforter', I smacked his shoulder.
'Moment of Love', Rishi muttered into my ears.
One after the other, the suited and booted gentlemen got off the car.
While one half of me, like the others, enjoyed the panache that walked towards us, the other half was too busy scanning faces.
There were about 20 of them who'd come. The bigwigs came marching right at the front of the file. As they drew closer, something in me gathered courage and checked me from hiding away. I armed myself to face him and deal with whatever came with him.
'I can explain myself. I can justify my decisions and I know I'm right', I felt my head dipping and rising quickly, like it were expressing complete solidarity to what I was thinking.
'Welcome to India!', Rishi beamed as we shook hands with them and exchanged pleasantries.
Rishi proceeded to the elevator escorting a few and beckoned me to come along.
I looked around but couldn't find him.
'Stairs?', I whispered to Rishi.
'Elevator. Don't fuss', he was tough.
I waited for the others to enter the elevator while I savoured those precious seconds looking for him.
Just as I turned around to enter the elevator, I heard him.
'Room for more?', He walked in with two others.
'Absolutely!', Rishi laughed.
And there he was.
Aditya.
He smiled and turned around to the door. I was now standing right behind him.
Instinctively, I got him sized up. He'd disappointed the scale losing a few pounds. He had shorter hair and his eyes looked tired. His cologne hit me like a rogue wave. 'My Armani Code... His 25th...', I smiled to myself when his birthday flashed past me. He didn't have the stubble I'd always loved. Yet, the charm on his face refused to let go.
He was a vision. Yet. Again.
'How's the day been so far gentlemen?', Rishi broke the uncanny silence.
'It's been good.' 'Great!', they spoke up.
'Well the day ahead seems exciting', Aditya smiled.
He turned to me and looked at me in the eye.
'I can't lose you again. I found you and I'm not leaving without you!'
