interact with. It was exciting for me to see her but I never imagined myself falling in love with her.
For me love was just meant to happen once and it was forever.
How do I fill the same heart with love for someone else? Not that I never thought that way, but whenever I thought of it, I couldn’t give myself an honest answer. And in the absence of any legitimate answer, I would tell myself to simply leave it all up to destiny.
‘I am not saying that you should go and find happiness. All I am saying is that if happiness comes knocking at your door, then don’t deny it,’ he said, gently putting his raised hand on my shoulder.
His words didn’t register in my mind. I stood quietly to let him finish speaking what his heart felt. Alcohol makes people speak from their hearts. Sanchit was now speaking from his.
I was yet to have my share of alcohol. I was yet to speak from my heart.
‘What’s cooking between you guys?’ Sanchit’s wife came looking for us.
‘Darling! We are wondering what to cook?’ Sanchit immediately responded with a smile.
‘Oh, don’t worry, guys. Together we will cook with whatever is available here and if there is nothing, we will order something from outside. Come on, now! Let’s cut the cake!’ She held my hand and took me out.
Soon everyone sang loudly in unison ‘Happy Birthday to you … Happy Birthday to you …’
This was followed by a lot of clapping. The cake was cut, smeared and thrown around.
A little later we all cooked together, spoiled my kitchen together and then ate together. There was an air of warmth and fun all around. At about 8.30 p.m. I bid goodbye to everyone and was left in a messy house. It was quite early for a party to be over, but many of my guests were living in Brussels and the journey back home would take them at least an hour.
I kept staring at my messed-up house and the dirty cutlery and crockery under the kitchen sink. Cleaning up would be a huge task so I changed my clothes into a comfortable vest and shorts before I was ready to dirty my hands.
It took me close to twenty minutes to reset my living room. I was cleaning the utensils in the kitchen when my doorbell rang. I wondered if someone had returned to collect something they might have left behind. I went out to check who it was and looked through the peephole of my door.
‘Shit!’ I murmured.
It was Simar, with some girl.
My heartbeat had accelerated all of a sudden. Instead of opening the door I ran in. I looked at the kitchen’s condition. I looked at my own condition. Then I quickly looked for my T-shirt and jeans and got back into them again. I closed the kitchen door to hide the mess in there. Only then did I unlock the main door.
‘Hello,’ I said, panting.
‘Happy Birthday!’ Simar sang, her head tilted to one side as usual.
I smiled.
‘Happy Birthday!’ wished the other girl and then shook my hand.
‘Thank you,’ I responded.
‘She is Tanu, my batchmate; and Tanu, he is Ravin,’ said Simar, beginning the introductions. ‘He works with Pitney Bowes—you know, that blue–white coloured building, na? The one at the first right turn on the road outside our hostel?’
‘Yes, yes!’ Tanu acknowledged, but I could clearly see that this wasn’t the first time she was getting to know this from Simar.
I welcomed them into my house. They had barely sat down when Tanu’s cellphone rang. She went out to take the call. I offered her my balcony for privacy but she pointed outside, indicating that she would prefer to go out. I didn’t stop her.
‘I will be back in twenty minutes!’ she said to Simar as she walked out.
Simar gave her a sad look. They also exchanged some strange glances and some girlish talk in sign language. I didn’t understand what they were conveying to each other. It was a little uncomfortable for me to be a part of that silent conversation. Hence I took the opportunity to go to the kitchen and grab some lemonade.
By the time I returned Tanu
For me love was just meant to happen once and it was forever.
How do I fill the same heart with love for someone else? Not that I never thought that way, but whenever I thought of it, I couldn’t give myself an honest answer. And in the absence of any legitimate answer, I would tell myself to simply leave it all up to destiny.
‘I am not saying that you should go and find happiness. All I am saying is that if happiness comes knocking at your door, then don’t deny it,’ he said, gently putting his raised hand on my shoulder.
His words didn’t register in my mind. I stood quietly to let him finish speaking what his heart felt. Alcohol makes people speak from their hearts. Sanchit was now speaking from his.
I was yet to have my share of alcohol. I was yet to speak from my heart.
‘What’s cooking between you guys?’ Sanchit’s wife came looking for us.
‘Darling! We are wondering what to cook?’ Sanchit immediately responded with a smile.
‘Oh, don’t worry, guys. Together we will cook with whatever is available here and if there is nothing, we will order something from outside. Come on, now! Let’s cut the cake!’ She held my hand and took me out.
Soon everyone sang loudly in unison ‘Happy Birthday to you … Happy Birthday to you …’
This was followed by a lot of clapping. The cake was cut, smeared and thrown around.
A little later we all cooked together, spoiled my kitchen together and then ate together. There was an air of warmth and fun all around. At about 8.30 p.m. I bid goodbye to everyone and was left in a messy house. It was quite early for a party to be over, but many of my guests were living in Brussels and the journey back home would take them at least an hour.
I kept staring at my messed-up house and the dirty cutlery and crockery under the kitchen sink. Cleaning up would be a huge task so I changed my clothes into a comfortable vest and shorts before I was ready to dirty my hands.
It took me close to twenty minutes to reset my living room. I was cleaning the utensils in the kitchen when my doorbell rang. I wondered if someone had returned to collect something they might have left behind. I went out to check who it was and looked through the peephole of my door.
‘Shit!’ I murmured.
It was Simar, with some girl.
My heartbeat had accelerated all of a sudden. Instead of opening the door I ran in. I looked at the kitchen’s condition. I looked at my own condition. Then I quickly looked for my T-shirt and jeans and got back into them again. I closed the kitchen door to hide the mess in there. Only then did I unlock the main door.
‘Hello,’ I said, panting.
‘Happy Birthday!’ Simar sang, her head tilted to one side as usual.
I smiled.
‘Happy Birthday!’ wished the other girl and then shook my hand.
‘Thank you,’ I responded.
‘She is Tanu, my batchmate; and Tanu, he is Ravin,’ said Simar, beginning the introductions. ‘He works with Pitney Bowes—you know, that blue–white coloured building, na? The one at the first right turn on the road outside our hostel?’
‘Yes, yes!’ Tanu acknowledged, but I could clearly see that this wasn’t the first time she was getting to know this from Simar.
I welcomed them into my house. They had barely sat down when Tanu’s cellphone rang. She went out to take the call. I offered her my balcony for privacy but she pointed outside, indicating that she would prefer to go out. I didn’t stop her.
‘I will be back in twenty minutes!’ she said to Simar as she walked out.
Simar gave her a sad look. They also exchanged some strange glances and some girlish talk in sign language. I didn’t understand what they were conveying to each other. It was a little uncomfortable for me to be a part of that silent conversation. Hence I took the opportunity to go to the kitchen and grab some lemonade.
By the time I returned Tanu
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