Life doesn’t give second chances….

It was raining heavily that day. I was stuck at bus stop waiting for my bus, cursing my decision to go to office when I could have been at home having hot chocolate and munching pakodas…aahhh that would have been delightful but as you know reality differs from fiction.

A fierce wind started. I was struggling to cling to my umbrella but after a brief fight I gave up and my umbrella flew on to road. I rushed to grab it, completely unaware of the fact that the weather has some other plans for me. As I looked up holding my umbrella I saw a familiar face looking at me standing in front. I wiped my eyes of the rain and checked again. It was indeed Shruti, my schoolmate, but for me she was more than that.

She was my first love, the girl of my dreams. There can be a number of girls in a man’s life whom he loves but there’s always one girl whom he can’t forget, whom he’ll always miss and every stupid risk, every crazy decision seems worthy of her.

It was Shruti for me. I just couldn’t take my eyes off her. She looked the same, she didn’t changed a bit from school. Fluffy cheeks, puckering lips, the cute smile(her USP) and that expression when something used to bother her, this time it was the rain drops.

She looked more beautiful when those tiny droplets of water purified her beauty  as they dripped from her face. I don’t know when my umbrella fell down from my hands which I picked up few minutes earlier, I looked at the sky, wiped my face with my both palms brushing back my hairs , closed my eyes and went back to my school days.

I still remember it was the first day of our school, after year end vacations. There were some new faces at our school. All students gathered in school ground for assembly, the usual boring repeated stuff so I preferred popping a chewing gum instead.

Suddenly somebody started singing, though I hated those students who used to sing morning prayers but I loved that voice. I looked up but was surprised to see a new face. It was a beautiful one and it complemented the voice perfectly.

 “Hey, who is she ”,I asked the guy in front of me.

”Shruti Kashyap…. new student. Principal decided that all new students will do assembly.”, He said.

 I kept looking at her till principal shouted at me, ”I know she is beautiful but we close our eyes here while praying.” I felt embarrassed as whole school was looking at me,including Shruti.

Now I became a topic between guys and girls as the guy who was checking the new school hottie in front of whole school and got caught by principal. Though my first encounter with Shruti didn’t go well but it made her observe me.

Whenever we used to cross each other her friends used to giggle and my friends used to tease me. I don’t know when but I started falling for her. I started basketball practice though I was a nerd at that game. I just came because of her practice. I joined all the tuition classes she went for. I even made friends in her locality. I think she also knew what I was up to but never reacted.

Even after four months when I first saw her, I never had a conversation with her. But one fine day our school decided to send a skit team for inter-school competition, students were picked up from different classes and coincidentally we both got picked. Shruti and me being the most senior students, we were given the responsibility of co-ordinating the whole thing. I was a bit nervous to speak, but I went up to her.

”Hi.. I am Tuss…” and before I could complete she interrupted me.

”Tusshar naa… I know.. I am Shru…” and before she could complete I returned the favour.

”Shruti… I know..”,I said. We looked at each other for a moment and started laughing.

 ”Sorry for all the troubles. It was not intentional.”, I said holding the tips of my ears.

She looked towards me for a moment and said,” At first I thought you are really a bad boy as you used to constantly stare at me. But I have seen you for past 4 months and my opinions have changed. Though you showed up everywhere I went. But it’s ok. You apologised.”

”So…Friends”, I asked her raising my right hand. She looked at me for a moment.

” Friends… may be more than friends”, she murmured.

”What?”, I said.

”Nothing.. friends”. But I knew what she meant. We shook each other’s hand.

Now within some time we became good friends. We had the most perfect situation, we practiced skit the whole day bunking periods, and we went to same places for tuitions, most of the times I used to pick her up on my bike. We used to go to movies together bunking tuitions. She used to make me eat her experimental dishes which tasted really bad but I used to eat that just to see smile on her face. It was fun, in fact I was having more fun with Shruti than any of my other friends and my feelings grew stronger for her. She also showed some love vibes towards me.

But one day after tuition I was waiting for Shruti on my bike, some school guys were talking something among themselves. Suddenly they used the name Shruti, I started hearing their conversation more carefully, and those guys were talking rubbish about Shruti, so dirty that I can’t bear anymore. My ears were hurting, how can any guy speak rubbish about the girl whom I love. Though I never expressed my feelings to Shruti but I loved her.

The water was above head, I turned around found a steel rod lying on ground, grabbed that and went straight to those guys. And before they could understand anything I banged the steel rod on one guy’s head. Blood started coming out of his head and he fell down. The other boy ran away. But I was in too much anger to understand anything. I started hitting that guy with my foot and abusing him.

I went mad. Suddenly Shruti came and tried to stop me but I was not in the mood of stopping. Seeing no way of stopping me Shruti slapped. I was startled.

”Why are you beating him so badly”, shouted Shruti.

I too answered at the same pitch,” Because they were talking bad about you.”

”So what, most of them do. I am not bothered then why are you?”, yelled Shruti.

The sentence from her made me completely lose my temper; I kicked that guy and shouted,” Because I love you and I will kill every bastard who talks foul about you.”

The whole place went silent for few moments, I closed my eyes. My anger came down. After few moments, I broke the silence and said,” Look shruti.. I love you. You also know that. But do you also love me…”, Shruti was silent

”Do you love me Shruti..” ,I asked again.

” Let’s talk tomorrow…”, she turned around and went.

“Shruti-Shruti”, I called her but it was of no use and an awkward silence prevailed.

The guy I hit was in serious condition. It became a police case but you know things can be settled specially if your father is a well-known person. With everything back on track, I went to school after a week. I was looking for Shruti, but was unable to spot her. Nobody talked to me. I wasn’t able to get any news about her.

Time makes everything normal and it did the same this time too. Later I got informed by a friend that she had shifted to Mumbai after that whole incident as her parents didn’t want any further trouble. My heart ached it was severe, and it was hurting more because my question was unanswered. I still believed, I had a chance; I could still make my first love successful.

“beep-beep”, bus horn broke my dream; I almost forgot that I was standing in a bus stop dripping in rain. I noticed the rain had stopped. Shruti was standing in front of me, looking at my eyes.

Again that moment of awkward silence was there from where we parted away. This time she was the one who broke the silence.

” So you still love getting wet in the rain…” , Shruti said.

” Yes…” I had no words.

“beep-beep”, the bus driver who had nothing to do with the scene was furious as he blew the horn again.

“Look I have to rush. This is my card. Give me a call.” She said and boarding the bus and waved her hands as she left.

I was standing there looking at her again going away from me, thinking is this my second chance with her. Does life give second chance?

I went home, thinking about Shruti. I was holding her card the whole way.

I wanted to call her and tell her how I felt all these years without her. I wanted her to know what I lost and achieved in life in her absence. How much I missed her in my desperations and celebrations. But above all may be I was looking for the answer of the question I asked her ten years ago.

I was too scared to call her so I left her a message,” hey Tusshar here.” .There wasn’t a reply from her and it was already close to 48 hours, I thought I did lost her once again, maybe she is not interested, may be there something more important in her life than me, may be…may be…and when I was busy with all such reasons…the phone rang…I checked the number it was Shruti. I picked up her call and before I could say anything she burst out,” I am so sorry. I wanted to call you…. but got too busy. Anyway come home today, there is a small get together. “

” Ok”, I was short of words again.

”Ok.. see you in evening. Bye.”, she replied.

” Bye”, She hung up.

I was happy, really happy after many days. I started my preparations for the evening, I was nervous. But I didn’t want to ruin my second chance with her. So I did not plan anything crazy. I showed up at her place an hour earlier with her favourite flowers. I pressed the doorbell. A cute little girl opened the door; I was surprised a bit, but was too excited to think about anything else. I asked her,” where is Shruti ji?” She turned around rushed into the house shouting,” mummy someone came to see you.”

I was aghast, never could have thought of Shruti with someone else. Felt like someone pushed a dagger in my chest. I was not in a condition to face her. I dropped the bouquet on the front door and left. I had my answer and it could only be fate that even after ten years, out of nowhere I met Shruti so that I can have my answer. The important thing was I learnt a lesson that and the lesson was Life doesn’t give second chance….