I just...fell for her...!! (part 7; last part)

   'Are you kidding me?' Karthik retorted, 'you were with her all night, you talked to her, you listened to songs, but you forgot to ask her phone number?'
   'She even said I'm her friend' I said under my breath.
   'Have you changed your mind or what?' he asked picking up his file.
   'I love her more than ever now.'
   'Go and tell her that.'
   'But she's leaving today.'
   'And I'm leaving now,' he said and closed the door behind him.


   The trashing of the tides pierced the sound of the kids' giggling. I was at the beach which, contrary to the previous night, was full of people of all age groups. I was feeling lonely though. My phone beeped. It was around 5:30 in the evening. A message from Karthik was flashed on the screen. Come to vizag stn...urgntly!!
   Wow! He arranged a send off to Aishwarya I said to myself and hired an auto to the railway station. I reached platform no.10 on his instructions through SMSes.
   I saw him sitting on the bench; he was wearing the same formals that he wore for the interview this morning.
   'Is she leaving in this train?' I asked him. He nodded.
   'You've come here directly from the interview?' I asked again. He gave the same response.
   'Where's your file?' I asked, casually.
   He looked at me. 'Ah, they are coming,' he said excitedly.
   'Hey,' Ami came forward, 'what are you doing here?' she asked. I was looking at Aishwarya. She seemed happy at my presence.
   'We've come to give you guys a sendoff,' I said.
   'That's so sweet of you,' said Ami and threw her hands around me. I was taken aback by her gesture and so was Aishwarya. She swiftly boarded the train without looking at me. But my eyes followed her.
   I was there for half-an-hour talking to Ami, Karthik was busy talking to his girl. I didn't get a chance to talk to Aishwarya, all I could get was a few glances from her.She peeped out of window couple of times and before I could smile she took her eyes off.
                 Why is she avoiding me?
   The driver signalled that its time for the departure through the ear-deafening horn. My heart skipped a beat. Look at me Aishwarya. I want to talk to you.
   'Bye Sumeet,' Ami said with a hug and boarded the train.
   'Don't you want to talk to her?' Karthik whispered in my ear, 'Go get in the train.' I jumped into the train and my friend followed.
   'What?' Ami was surprised.
   'Just wanted to say bye,' I said looking at Aishwarya.
   'How will you get down now?' she sounded more happy than worried. I looked at Karthik and even he was anything but worried.
   'We'll get down at the next station,' he said calmly.
   'What if T.T....?'
   'Stop worrying,' Karthik chided and walked into the adjacent compartment. 'Where are you going now?' I asked but in vain.
   'Wow!' Ami exclaimed, 'it must be thrilling right? I will try it sometime.'
   Which part? I thought. I smiled, shrugging off.
   I didn't stop looking at Aishwarya and as I see it she was trying hard to avoid me. But why?
   And expectantly T.T. appeared expectantly. 'You look pale,' Ami noticed. I actually was.
'I'll go and look for Karthik,' saying so I left looking for him, who was lying on a berth. relaxed in the next compartment.
   'Ticket please,' I heard those dreaded lines after couple of minutes. I looked at him and was making up a story to escape the consequences.
   'Here,' KArthik flashed a wide sheet of paper resembling ticket. He checked them and left without expressing any objection. I looked at Karthik amazed. 'I bought the tickets,' he said coolly.
   'When?'
   'Today morning.'
   'Why didn't you tell me?' I charged towards him.
   'Wanted to give you a surprise,' he said laughing.
   'Surprise? I was scared to hell!' I punched on his arm. He continued laughing.
   'How did you to get them?'
   'When you were busy dating the coffee girl, I managed to get in contact with a broker who promised to give me tickets if I paid him a few extra bucks,' he laid back.
   I hugged him, 'Thanks, man.'
   'Get away, you freak. I'm not a gay like you,' he teased, 'I didn't do this to get a mushy hug from you. Go get your girl.' 
   'He didn't throw you off?' Ami welcomed me back. I sneered. She laughed and Aishwarya was witnessing silently. Why is she behaving so strange?

                                                                                                                                                                       

   'You guys busy?' it was Aishwarya, finally. But she was avoiding any eye contact.
   'No!'
   'Yes!' Both the answers came at the same time. No was from me and yes from Ami.
   'You can spare sometime for dinner, atleast,' she said irritatedly.
   'We'll eat together,' declared Ami. 
   'I can't. Karthik's all alone there.' It was over an hour now.

   'Sumeet,' I heard Ami calling. I had dinner with Karthik and he went back to sleep immediately.
   'I can't sleep when I'm travelling. Would you accompany me?' she asked and before I could answer anything  she pulled my hand, 'let's go.'
   As we were approaching her compartment, Aishwarya intersected us and her eyes directed her towards our interlocked hands. What the hell?!
   'You hitting on her?' she asked, she noticed my constant glances I guess.
   'No,' I blurted out.
   'Good. Else my brother will kill you,' she smiled notoriously.
   'Your brother?' I asked, shocked.
   'Yea,' she widened her eyes, 'her boyfriend Adni'k is my brother,' she announced. My fuse blew off. And I thought everything is falling in place for me! Thank God I didn't tell her anything about my interest in her brother's girl.
   'What happened?' she shook me.
   'Nothing,' I said faintly. I'm such an idiot to have thought that she will help me with Aishwarya!!


   It was morning and I went looking for Aishwarya first thing. I felt relieved looking at her standing alone at the door, while rest of her coterie were warming beds. 
   'Good morning,' I said trying to be cheerful. She didn't respond.
   'You angry with me?' I asked. 
   'Why would I be angry with you? Who are you, anyway?' she snapped.
   'I'm Sumeet. You said I'm your friend,' I smiled.
   She looked at me, was about to say something, instead she went back.
   'There's nothing between me and Ami, I swear,' I said, a little louder. 
   'Keep your voice low,' she moved towards me. 'What did I do?' I asked.
   'Why do you bother to know if I'm angry?' she was close to tears.
   'I do because...,' I held myself, 'I just do.'
   She turned and started to walk back; I held her hand. It was soft and cold.
   'Because I care about you. I want you to be happy,' I stopped to clear the lump in my throat, 'I want to make you happy!'
   She made no attempts to take her hand back. I moved forward and wiped off the warm tear off her cheek. 'And I care about you because I love you. I want to love you my whole life!'
   And thus, I proposed her, in a train running at the speed of 80kmph (our hearts beating faster though), between two open doors through which wind was battling to peep in, my one hand in hers and other on her cheek. I wanted to hear the same three words from her, so I stopped.
   'What's going on here?' I heard, from Ami. And the next thing that I strongly remembered was a tight slap across my face. 'I hate you' was the sound accompanying with it. Both from Ami, obviously. That was the last time I saw Aishwarya.
   Its four months now and I'm not over her. I was again at the point I started but with a few beautiful memories. Its 9th April today and my birthday. I didn't pick any calls last night and so my cell was filled with many missed calls and messages. My phone rang suddenly and unknowingly I pressed answer button. 'Happy birthday, Sumeet,' the voice said. Do I know this voice? 'I tried your number all night,' It said again.
'Aishwarya?' I said, my heart beating slow.
'I love you!' she said in a choked voice.
That was the most memorable day of my life that ended with a perfect kiss between me and Aishwarya!!

This isn't really the end of the story because love stories have no endings and in this special case their love has just begun!!!