HOW MY LOVE STORY ENDED BEFORE IT HAD EVEN STARTED (PART 4)

# OUR FIRST OFFICIAL DATE

Ding Dong! The doorbell rang. I hurried to the door. “I’m coming.” I shouted as I opened the door. At the door, was a courier guy. He said that there was a parcel in my name, I took the parcel. It was properly wrapped in an attractive cellophane paper. I opened the parcel. There was a box inside. On the top of the box was a note that read, “I hope to see you in this dress today – with love, yours Annupam.”

I opened the box. There was a pink dress and a pair of white heels. As I was looking at the dress, I received a call. It was Annupam. I answered, “Yes.”

He said, “Don’t you ever feel like calling me? Why is it always me who has to make the call?”

I smiled and answered, “Didn’t I tell you earlier? I’m greedy. I don’t waste my money on phone calls.”

“Haha… that wasn’t funny at all. Don’t give the same lame excuse.”

“By the way, how did you know my address? I got a parcel from you.” I asked.

“Oh! Then you got it. I tracked your location from messenger. That was easy. Did you open the parcel?” he asked.

“Yes. I just opened it. What’s with the pink and white combination? I don’t like these at all. Do you think I’m a high school girl?” I tried to act as if I didn’t like his surprise at all.

He replied, “I don’t know anything. You have to come in that dress today. I have put so much effort to convince you for a date. At least, admire my effort.”

I know I was acting as if I didn’t care but that dress meant a lot to me.

He said, “I have an awesome idea. Why don’t you give me a theme so that I can dress up as you want me to? What do you say?”

“Theme? What theme?” I was confused.

“Anything..umm..like tell  me which character do you like the most on television?”, he asked.

“James Bond”, I replied.

“Ok, then, for today, I’m your James Bond. What do you say?” he asked.

“You and James Bond?  Nah! I don’t think you fit his personality.” I said.

“Ok, then, be there at the place as planned earlier and make sure you are punctual. I hate waiting. Don’t make me wait.” He said.

I replied, “Ok, see you then, bye.” I hung up the phone.

I put the dress on. It fitted me perfectly. The dress was perfect. Actually, I loved it. It perfectly flattered my curves. I was really excited about the date. It was always so special to be with him. His talks, his jokes, the way he teases me, everything about him was just so warm to the heart. I looked at our picture in my phone. We looked perfect together.

I tried to look my best in that dress. After finishing up my makeup and hair styling, I hurried to the place where he had called me.

I reached there and called him, “Where are you? I am at the gate.”

He replied, “Turn to your left and come straight to the pond. Next to the pond, there is a hut. I’m waiting for you.” He hung up the phone.

I went the way he directed. I reached the hut. The interior of the hut was amazing. As I looked around, I saw Annupam. There was a table and two chairs. Annupam was sitting on a chair and the other was empty.

Annupam was looking weird. There was something unusual about his look. He was all suited booted. He was holding a cigar and had a hat on. As I entered the hut, I said, “What’s up with the cigar? Do you smoke? And why are you wearing the hat?  I mean…”

He stood up from the chair and came towards me. He bowed before me and said, “Well, lady, I don’t smoke but for today, I’m your James Bond. And the hat, once you mentioned you like Jason Mraz . So, I thought, why not mix him up too.”

That was funny. I smiled. Before I knew, I had started blushing.

He said, “This way my lady.” and pulled the chair. I sat down. He then whispered in my ear, “You look amazingly beautiful, my 36’26’36.” I could feel his hot breath in my neck. I got a tingly sensation running through my body.

He then sat in front of me. He was looking at me. I couldn’t make an eye contact due to that tingly feeling. I was all cold. Somehow, I managed to say, “What’s that 36’26’36?”

He replied, “You have a good figure. I would give it an eight out of ten.”

I said, “I thought you were a good boy. Don’t you feel ashamed to comment on a girl’s figure?”

“What do you think? Are good boys God? Don’t they have hormones? It’s natural for a guy. Even a saint will analyze a figure when a woman passes by. And when it comes to you, I am not ashamed at all.” He replied.

Well, I didn’t find that offensive at all.

“By the way, you look handsome in that attire. Did you ever look behind you while walking? Many girls must have fainted.” I actually started flirting.

He smiled and said, “Thank you for the compliment. Actually, I was in hurry so didn’t look back at all.”

He continued, “You too look beautiful, hot, sexy, elegant, gorgeous….ummm….Oops! I forgot all those mugged up compliments. Next time I’ll try to remember them all by heart.”

“Wh..at? That was rude.” I said angrily.

He then gave me a bouquet of rose and said, “These are for you. Before I could say anything he said, “Don’t say you don’t like flowers because they fade away. Although they fade away, their memories could last forever.”

“You perfectly know how to play with words. These flowers are really beautiful like your words.” I said.

“I have something more.” He gave me a small box.

“Shall I open it?” I asked.

“Sure.” He replied.

 I opened the box. There was a beautiful chain. “It is beautiful.” I said.

He said, “That belonged to my mom. As she is no more, it’s you and my sister who own her things now. As I don’t know where my sister is, it is….”

I interrupted, “What do you mean by you don’t know where your sister is?”

He replied, “Actually, she was in love with a guy. The guy didn’t belong to the same caste. My mother was strict when it came to culture; she was totally against their relationship. So, she eloped with the guy she loved. Since then she hasn’t been in contact.”

I said, “I am sorry.”

He interlocked his fingers with mine and said, “That’s fine. She must be doing well with the guy she loved and I’m doing well with the girl I love.” He kissed my fingers. I could feel my heart beat getting faster than ever before.

After a while, I looked at the chain and said, “Well, as our date is getting totally filmy, why don’t you put it on me?” I smiled.

He said, “That would be my pleasure.”

I stood up and turned around. I gave him the chain. He picked it up from my hand and put it around my neck. He then rubbed his finger on my neck. I could feel his hot breath on my neck again. I felt like I was getting breathless and that my heart was about to pop out of my chest. He put his hands around my waist and turned me around. He started to move closer to me. I took a few steps back. I stopped when I felt a wall against my back. I could feel his hand slightly move down from my waist. I had shivers down my spine.

With another hand he tucked my hair in my ear. “I can feel your heartbeat. Can you feel mine?” his volume and tone lowered as he said that. I nodded my head, “Yes.”

He ran his finger from my forehead and again tucked my fringes behind my ear. I couldn’t make an eye contact so I looked down. He raised my chin and rubbed my lips with his thumb. He brought his lips closer to mine and it was the first time we kissed. Everything was perfect. Our paces matched perfectly and my mind was blank.

“Your order is here.” The waiter knocked the door although it was open. I was startled and my back hit the wall again. We immediately had maintained our distance. Annupam said to the waiter, “Leave it on the table.” The waiter placed everything on the table and left.

Everything then felt a bit weird. Maybe Annupam felt awkward too. He said, “I think we should have lunch now.” I nodded my head in agreement. I served us the food. We were having our lunch when Annupam’s phone rang. He received the call. After he hung up, he said, “I’ve to go somewhere. It’s an emergency. I’ll be back in an hour. You finish up your lunch and stay here. Will you be fine?”

It must have been something very important so I said, “Don’t worry. I will be perfectly fine.”

He said, “I have something. There is a CD on the side drawer next to the television. Be sure to check it.”

I replied, “Okie.”

He then quickly kissed me on my lips. As he was about to leave, I said, “Wait.”

He turned around and looked at me. I took the tissue and erased the lipstick mark that was around his lips.

He smiled and said, “Thanks.”

I said, “Pleasure is mine. Be here as soon as you can ok. I’ll be waiting.”

He rubbed my head and blinked his eyes and left.

After he left, I took the CD and inserted it in the CD player and turned it on. The video started and there was Annupam. He said, “Hey, it is awkward right? But I couldn’t find any other way to say it. I couldn’t gather enough courage. From the day, I saw you in the party; I wanted you to be mine. But I had completely given up after the accident. When I saw you at the hospital, I had a glimpse of hope. The desire of making you mine got stronger. I know, it sounds fake, but maybe when it is the right person, we just know it. I felt like we were destined for each other. Actually, I was thinking of proposing you when I take you out on a date. But I have something to say before that. I am a business man. Today I’m doing well but luck could change its side. Today I am capable enough to earn a lot but who knows about tomorrow I could be on the street. If that time comes, I don’t know if I can really take care of you. I am not as physically capable as other guys as you already know. But again maybe the desire of making you mine has made me strong enough to believe in myself and that I will be able to take care of you properly whatever the circumstances will be. See, proposing you, I couldn’t even keep it a surprise. I wanted you to feel the pressure as I am feeling it now. Jokes apart, I really want you to think rationally about this.” The video ended.

That was too much. I mean who can predict the future? A perfectly capable person can become incapable in the future. That doesn’t mean I will leave the person for his incapability. I actually felt sad because he was still insecure.

It was already two hours and he had not returned. I called him so many times but every time it said that he was unreachable. After the third hour, I got a call from him. When I received his call, it wasn’t him on my phone. It was someone else. The unknown voice said, “The owner of the phone was hit by a car as he was crossing the road and has been taken to the hospital.”

For a moment my breath just stopped. I hurried to the hospital. I inquired about the accident and found out that the doctors were operating on him. His uncle and aunt were already there. I asked them about his condition but they didn’t know anything either. I prayed to God, “Please, make everything right.” I have never had this much fear of losing someone before. It was harsh.

The doctor came. He said that Annupam’s operation was successful. After 18 hours , he gained his consciousness. He was shifted to a cabin, few hours later.

His uncle and aunt talked to him though he couldn’t speak a word. He was just hearing what they were saying. I stood there in the room quiet, just looking at him. After a while, his uncle and aunt left the cabin for lunch asking me to look after him in their absence. After they left, I went near him and sat on a chair next his bed. It was really heartbreaking to see bandages all over his head and body. His legs and hands were plastered. He was hooked onto saline bag and the blood bag. Tears rolled down my eyes. I held his hand. “I am really afraid.” I kissed his fingers slowly as I said that. I could not control my tears. I cried out loud, “Please Annupam, never ever leave me again.”

He didn’t say a word. Maybe he was in pain. But I could see tears rolling down his eyes too. I wiped them and said, “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Doctors said everything went well.”

I came to the hospital every morning and left at dusk. His uncle would stay with him at night. On the fifth day after the operation, he was able to speak. I was very happy to hear the news. I rushed to the hospital. His uncle and aunt, both were very happy as well. When his uncle and aunt left the cabin for a while, I said, “I’m very happy today.”

He slowly spoke, “You were afraid, right?”

I replied, “No, not at all. I knew you were strong enough to fight through everything. Nothing could have happened to you.” I made his hair as I said that but I couldn’t look into his eyes.

He then said, “Akrity, Make a promise.”

I said, “What promise?”

He said, “Promise me, if anything ever happens to me, you’ll still live your life happily. You will have a family where there will be “Tunu” and “Munu”, even if I’ll not be their father.”

Those words were really hard for me to bear. How dare he say that? I cried and said, “Why would you say that? Nothing will happen to you. You’re already fine. Do you remember, once I promised you that I will be by your side no matter what? Then what’s the point of all these hurtful words?”

He said, “Still then.”

His uncle and aunt came. I said nothing and left the room.

The next day, when I came to the hospital, Annupam’s cabin was empty. I went to the inquiry section and asked where he was. The lady said, “He expired six hours ago from brain haemorrhage.” Those words came like an arrow and pierced my heart.

I asked to confirm, “Don’t say that. He was totally fine till yesterday. There must have been some mistake.”

“I don’t know anything ma’am but the doctor’s shift has been changed and even the patient’s dead body has been cleared by his relatives.”

I still couldn’t believe those words. I came out of the hospital.

“God, you can’t do this. I asked you for his life and instead to take mine. Annupam wanted to live then why? What was his fault? Was it that he had learnt to be happy? Or was it that you wanted to take my happiness away? If that is the case, then please I don’t want him but sent him back. How could you do this to him? That is so unfair.” I kneeled down on the floor as I murmured that to myself. I couldn’t stop the tears from my eyes.

“Please Annupam, come back. You can’t do this to me. You said you will be always here for me. I haven’t even told you how much I love you. You wanted to know the mystery in my eyes. What happened to that curiosity? Don’t you want to know it now? Please Annupam come back. You can’t leave me. You promised.” I lay down there alone lamenting on my own for everything that had happened.