Our Story

Chapter 8

Sighs… Forget about today, let's return three years back again.

It was almost six or seven days since I saw her last. I missed her but I started feeling that we wouldn't meet again and I was fine with that. Like before, I started living my usual life of going to work and the way back home. And on the eighth day, everything was the same, nothing interesting for me in the metro, so I got in and sat on my seat.

After a while without any particular intention, I swiped my gaze around in the metro coach. And there she was, my eyes were fixed on her again. She was sitting alone on the same seat where she used to sit.

The moment I saw her, a smile spread over my blank face. I got up quickly and quietly stepped towards her. After going a bit closer to her, my eyes fell on the file she was holding. It seemed like some hospital file.

I took a few more steps towards her and tried to read the name of the hospital printed on it. But something else caught my attention. She… her ring.. her finger has an engagement ring. She was engaged. Although I had not thought of proposing to her yet, I became upset and looked at her face with my sad eyes.

Then I saw she was also looking at me, already. Instead of running back to my seat, I finally thought of interacting with her. With all my courage, I kept my mobile in my pocket and pointed my finger to her ring, courageously wishing her good luck with two thumbs up of my hands. Her gaze was normally at me before but when I wished her good luck, her eyelids squinted and her normal expression changed into an angry one. She started glaring at me. Then after a few seconds she took her eyes off me without saying anything.

Our eyes have collided many times before the day, but she had never done such an act. I mused to myself that this angry expression was because of my stupidity of trying to talk to her, "Thanks heavens! I never tried to talk to her, otherwise what I was thinking would have happened. She would have really given me a tight slap or would have done worse."

And I retreated back a few steps with the concept that, 'I would not see her.' But I couldn't control myself, after some time my gaze fell on her hand again. I didn't like seeing that ring in her finger. My inner soul wanted to go near her, hold her hand, take that ring out from her finger and throw it somewhere her fiance couldn't find. But I couldn't do that either.

Again slowly I looked at her face. Again she was already looking at me but now she had tears in her eyes. An expression which confused me again. Before I could reach any conclusions, those fifteen minutes were over.

She stood up to leave, walked beside me without looking at me and stepped to the door. Subconsciously, I turn to her, slowly followed her and stood right in front of the door.

She got down and turned to me, our eyes met again. I felt like she was trying to tell me something and she raised her hand to say good bye with the same hand in which she was wearing her engagement ring.

I was confused and again began to think, "Why is she doing this today?" And I also raised my hand to wave at her with my left hand in which I was wearing the thumb ring. Then my attention went to her thumb. She was also wearing that hoop earring as a thumb ring just like I was wearing.

My mouth was slightly hung open in surprise, tears fell from both of our eyes. I didn’t even know why I was crying. At that moment I wanted to go near her, extend my hand to her but I didn't and the door closed.

When the metro ran on its track, my mind started solving my own theories. “She wasn't saying bye. Actually, she was showing me her thumb ring. That means she knew I had her hoop earring and was wearing it. And she also wore it. Indirectly, she was telling me that she liked me too.”

I froze in my place but my heart started beating faster and I started remembering all the previous meetings with her.

She smiled seeing me for the first time, but I had given her a weird look.

The second day when we got to know that, we were from the same place, maybe she wasn't looking at me strangely but was equally surprised just like me.

If she didn’t like my sneak peeks on her, she could have humiliated me. Often girls do that but she did nothing. She used to stare at me back often.

And today she was angry at me because she didn't like that congratulation thing. Of Course, she liked me.

I was so lost in my own world that I left my station behind. Waking me up from my thought process, I bought the return ticket and went to my office. I was late but thankfully ‘THE BOSS’ didn't see me that day. Phew..

In the evening at the shop, she was the one I was thinking about. I decided to share this to Max. When he was eating food, I asked him, "Max, um.. do you think any girl would like me?"

Hearing my question he instantly laughed and the food he was chewing came on my shoulder. Puff... ! Another reason why I didn't talk to him when he eats.

And then he asked me, "Have you fallen for someone, again?"

I shook my head repeatedly and replied," No, but it's just… "

"Don't try it James, it's not your thing. You're gonna die single." and he laughed even more, patting his thigh.

Well ! He got enough reason to laugh like that. When I was doing engineering, from the first month of my college, I had a crush on one of my fellow mates, Emma. She was the first girl I liked and I used to watch her secretly. Sometimes she was the reason for me that despite being bullied, I attended my classes regularly and worked hard for her, so that I could propose to her after completing Engineering with good grades. But in my last year of engineering, I came to know that she got engaged. Without even knowing, she wasted all my efforts. All those years what I did was just stare at her, the same I was doing now with the metro girl too.

When Max was done with his laughter, I again thought of telling the whole situation and to ask him for advice.

But then I remembered his bestest advice when I told him, "I made savings to buy a house in installments but uncle Paul is pressuring me to take admission in Engineering college. What do you think? What should I do ?."

He said, "Engineering! Hahaha, don't try it James, it's not your thing."

Then he advised me, "Buy a food cart and install it in front of my shop. You could handle two jobs simultaneously. A good opportunity." Really, A good opportunity to have a 24×7 holiday, for him.

Remembering that day, I dropped the idea of telling him. But that day, I really thought Max was right that I am going to die alone. But life gives us unexpected things.

After dinner, Max left. I cleaned my shoulder and played the music with a thought, "I am just attracted towards her, just like I was attracted to Emma. Maybe 'the metro girl' likes me but now SHE is engaged. SHE will be a dream in my life which is now over. “

It was difficult for me to face her father and then I have to face her future husband too. I let her go. I thought I couldn't face her family, it would be better if I don't show her my face too and I did the same.

The biggest mistake of mine, I regretted till this day.