...continued from here. “Oh wow! Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” I asked “Well, I didn’t know how you would react in addition I had other things on my mind about us so it never came up” he said “Speaking of that, is that offer still open?” I asked worrying that he might say no and I would be left with a broken heart. However, he said ‘yes’ and I was elated. “So, do you want to talk about it now?” I asked “Now is not a good time, can we meet tomorrow, say at 11 o’ clock?” he asked “We can but there is a slight problem” I said “What?” “I ran away from home, I can’t go back now” I said “Hmm, well then you can stay at one of my friends’ place, he can bunk here for a day or two” he said “Are you sure he wouldn’t mind?” I asked “No, it’s alright, my buddy here will take you there” he said signalling one of his friends, Ahmad, his fellow soft ware writer. The next day we met at the dhaba below my new abode. We had breakfast together and talked about what to do next. “Are you convinced that’s what you want to do?” asked Javed “Yes I’m sure” I said “Great, we will look for a place for us” he said and right then Javed made some calls to find out about apartments. “One thing I want to ask you” I said “Go ahead” “Won’t your family mind you will be living with me?” I asked “No, there are too many of us in that tiny little house of ours. So if one of us moves out it would be a relief” he described “Okay if you say so” We found a small one bedroom apartment and moved in as quickly as possible but our problems were just starting. We were fighting all the time on every little thing. Javed wanted his ways and I wanted mine. Plus I couldn’t continue with my studies and that bothered me too much. I thought I could do it all but looking at the circumstances I wasn’t. I had to look for a job which I didn’t like at all. I decided I had to make a choice between my profession as a doctor and my love for Javed. I twisted and turned, slept on it and with great intricacy came up with my decision. It was just as difficult to tell Javed. I was waiting for him to come home that day but he got late working at his ‘office’. He was very tired so I decided to drop the topic. A few days went by, something or the other kept coming up and I started to get more frustrated; finally in a fit of rage I packed my bag and left the house, I left a note for Javed explaining everything and hoped he would understand that I needed to do this just as much he had to do his thing. I feel I have an equal part in the relationship and the ability to take a decision for what’s right for me. I gathered enough courage to step outside our house and took the first step, from there onwards I did not look back. I don’t know how Javed must have reacted when he found out because I disconnected the mobile I had and took a new number. I wanted to start afresh and I was doing it. I felt this way when I decided to move in with Javed but I guess it wasn’t meant to be or maybe it wasn’t the right time for us. “No, she cannot come back here again” said my father “I’m sorry father, I will not do anything like this again” I said apologetically “Tell her she has to marry the boy we chose for her” said my father looking at my mother “That’s not possible father, I love Javed even if we are not together I still love him and will always love him” I clarified “Then you can’t come back here” he said “Let her come, she’s our own blood. Your first born you love her to death please let her come back” said my mother “Fine but I shall never talk to you again” he said and I came home once more Time went on and it all became a blur with remnants of details here and there. My father started talking to me again, one word then a conversation, but he never could convince me to marry again. About ten years later, I was walking towards my car and I saw Javed, I waved to him and he waved back. “Hey” I said “Hey, how are you?” he asked “Very well, how are you doing?” “I’m good, do you want to get some coffee?” he asked “Yes, I would love some” I said and we went to the same café we used to go to years before “So, what are you doing now?” he asked “I’m an orthopaedic surgeon and you?” I said “I completed my soft ware and it’s doing…” he started saying before I cut in “I want to apologise for the way I left years back Javed, I didn’t mean to but that was the only way I could think of that time, I’m so sorry I left you. I loved you so much but I wasn’t happy there” I said finally saying what I had been meaning to for such a long time “I must say I was shocked to see you pull that kind of a stunt, I was deeply troubled and looked for you everywhere, tried calling you and basically went crazy for a while. When I couldn’t find you I reread your note till I was at peace. I immersed myself in my work and never looked back, I destroyed that place where we used to live and got another place for myself, I couldn’t stay there anymore. I knew I would find you some day and here we are sitting together again” he said smiling “It wasn’t easy for me either Javed but I had to make a choice, a difficult one and live with” I said “Let bygones be bygones, tell me more about you, you must be married with two beautiful kids now right?” he asked “I never married, I couldn’t marry. I have always loved you and will love you till my last breath Javed” I said looking deeply into his eyes “Me too my love, you are the only one who makes my heart skip a beat every time I see you” he said “Let’s take it slow this time and see how it goes” I suggested “We can” “Will you go out with me for dinner tonight?” he asked “Yes!” I said excitedly Maybe we end up together this time or maybe we won’t. I have a feeling that this might be the right time for us. And we both smiled looking into each others’ eyes. The End
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