Free I Too Had a Love Story by Ravinder Singh

so happy, so delighted to have me so close to her. And she kept looking at me in that way, for some time.
    Raising her eyebrows slightly and still smiling, she asked me, ‘Tell me, how you are feeling at this instant, with me?’
    I put my arms around her and biting her ear, I said, ‘Don’t ask me. I won’t be able to describe it. I just want to say one thing …’ Then, I whispered in her ear, ‘I am madly in love with you.’ With that, I rested my chin on her shoulder.
    ‘I love you too,’ she said and moved her fingers all the way from my forearms, to the wrist, then the palm and finally into the spaces between my fingers. At that moment, I felt so complete. I realized how, just like me, she too wanted to live that moment as if it should never end.
    I held her in my arms for some time. From the romantic movies I had seen till then, I knew that holding your beloved in your arms that way is such a different feeling. But that it would be so magical, I never knew. To understand and believe certain things, you have to experience them. And love is one such thing. Hmmm … Actually, it’s not a thing—it’s a lot more than that. We were speechless again, just feeling each other. But who needed to talk? Silence was talking at its best. But threatening the silence, another thought crept into my heart, all of a sudden … Should I kiss her? And, with that, the battle between my heart and mind started. Heart: Yes. Mind: No. Heart: Why not? This is such a perfect moment. I think I should. Mind: What if she doesn’t feel good about it? After all, this is just your first date. Heart: But will I get a moment like this again? Tomorrow, her entire family will be around us. No time, then. And the next day I have to take my flight. I should take a chance right now … Mind: Chance? First, look into the mirror and ask yourself if you can do this in the first day itself? Heart: Stop that nonsense. I am going ahead. Mind: Good luck. Heart: Thanks … Mind: Hey wait a sec. Heart: Now what?
    Mind: Are you comfortable? May be you want to use the loo first … It helps, you know.
    Heart: Shut up! Now, this happens to me most of the time. Sometimes, I think, I am not too strong, mentally. And that’s why my heart always wins. But, to be very honest, I just love that.
    I oxygenated my lungs with a deep breath and turned her almost 180 degrees. We now were facing each other. My armswere still around her, her hands were on my shoulders. I looked into her eyes.
I grabbed her

Looked straight into her eyes

I told her, I do things

And I do them in my own way.
    I was prepared to feel something for the very first time in my life and—I won’t lie—my heartbeats, at that moment, were faster than Schumacher in his Ferrari. I looked into her eyes and drew close.
I grabbed her

Looked straight into her eyes

With a wink, I drew her close

My lips moved, but this time not to say
I told her, I do things

And I do them in my own way.
    Yes, it was going to be my first ever kiss …
    But!
    But … How I hate to the word B-U-T.
    But fate had to intervene and Girish, playing devil, called her up on her cell. The ringtone shattered my utopia and, before I could reach her lips, she wanted to answer the call. And before she could answer the call, she looked at the clock. ‘Oh my God! It’s 9! N-I-N-E!’ she said, (no, she screamed) and stretched to reach her cellphone.
    ‘It’s Girish,’ she said, pressing the answer button.
    While she was talking to Girish, I collapsed on the bed in total dismay, wondering at Girish’s sense of timing. How could he be so perfect? I was fuming inside.
    All the while, she continued with that call:
    ‘
Haan bolo
.’
    ‘Yeah, I know we have to leave.’ She turned her back to me and walked towards the door which was locked from inside.
    ‘No, we don’t want anything to eat.’ She looked back at me and gestured with her other hand to ask me if I was hungry.
    ‘Yes Girish, just five more minutes
yaar
.’ She