It was her first day in college. The induction day! Like every other fresher of her batch she was sitting in the conference room. As soon as the induction got over, all the seniors gathered there for an introduction session. He was laughing with his friends over a joke which was cracked by a fresher as per seniors request. This was the first time she saw him. There was something in his smile that was so warm almost infectious. Eventually she could not help herself from falling in love with him. This was her first crush.
As days went by, her feelings started blossoming and she felt deeply for him. Life almost seemed like a skit taken from a romantic movie, for when she saw him sitting in front or her; she had doubts that probably everyone else too could hear her heart pound so loudly. Whenever he walked past her, she couldn’t stop from blushing and almost turned red. Whenever he greeted her with his sunshine smile, she felt as if there were violins playing around them, just for them. His smile was all that she wanted to see each day when she came to college. Crushes are indeed beautiful. Imagine admiring someone secretly without giving them even a single hint of it. Ah! What bliss!
As they got to know each other and started talking, she found herself drowning in wonderful emotions, all for him. And as fate would have it, one fine day her best friend decided to play cupid and told him about Nitika’s huge crush on him. Friends will always be friends. On hearing this, he summoned Nitika. Tremulously she walked up to him, fiddling with negative thoughts and expecting the worst outcome.

"Nicky told me that you've crush on me? Is it so?" he asked gently.
"Noooo..." she nodded her head in denial.
"Does that mean you don’t like me? Your friend told me that you like me." he said to her while disguising his giggles.
"No no.. I mean ..I never meant this. It's just a crush. I'm sorry Malay!" she uttered as a tear escaped from the corner of her eye.
"Oh! Nitika I'm sorry! I was just kidding sweety! I didn't mean to hurt you. I was teasing you." He babbled as soon as he found her crying. He had no idea that his prank would hurt her.
"Really?" she asked in surprise and relief.
"Of course sweety! I was just kidding. Moreover, I feel lucky to have such a sweet admirer."
"Thank you Malay" she muttered as she turned red.
From that day on, they became very good friends. As the word spread, everybody in the college started teasing them whenever they found them sitting in the canteen while having coffee or talking outside the class sharing few assignments. As though talking about them was the new trend the college had happily hooked on to.
Nitika knew he was in a relationship; she had to disguise her true feelings from him. But her feelings were getting more intense with passing time. Finally she was left with no other choice but to start maintaining distance from him.

Finally it was time to bid farewell as he graduated and left the college. Their goals changed, journey changed and so did their paths. He shifted to a different state and hence they lost touch. She trained her mind and heart, to forget Malay; as she busied herself in establishing her career.

After 6 years....
"Nitika you will have to meet an alliance tomorrow. So you better stay at home and get dressed in a decent attire." Her mother informed her in a stern tone.
"Oh mom! You know how I hate all this. I refuse to make a display of myself for every second guy.”
"Nitika stop it! Every girl has to get married one or the other day. He is a nice guy. He has done MBA and is working in a reputed company at an appreciable post. At least meet him, just once! For me?"
"Alright mom! Stop emotionally blackmailing me. I'll meet him. When are they coming?"
"Tommorow at 5 in the evening" her mom replied.
" By the way what is his name?
"Malay! Malay Sharma!". It felt as though all the years had simply melted away as she recollected her cherishable memobies. There prevailed a perpetual silence around them. "Mom what did you say? Malay Sharma?” she finally managed asking again.
"Yeah Malay Sharma! Is there something wrong?
"No mom.. nothing! I'll be ready by 5pm tomorrow"
"Thank you beta!" her mom said to her and left from her room.
The entire night she kept tossing and turning on her bed but couldn't sleep at all.er thoughts seemed to linger on to her college days, and she couldn’t stop herself from wishing and hoping that this alliance should be the same Malay, whom she once loved.
 

Next day 5 p.m.
She was getting ready in her room while her mom came to inform her that the guy and his family has reached. "Get ready soon beta! They are calling you downstairs!"
She was feeling very nervous but at the same time her heart was singing and dancing out of excitement.
And behold! It was the same Malay indeed, her crush, sitting in front of her
"Oh gosh! Malay you?" and she shouted out of shock along with the excitement.
"Nitika?" he was left dumbfound finding her sweetest admirer in front of him.
"Beta do you know each other?" his dad asked him while noting such expressions on their face.
"Yes dad! We were in same college!" he explained to his dad with the same smile on his face which was enough to melt her all over again.
They talked to each other; she finally confided her feelings to him, which she had concealed from him years ago. They happily agreed for the alliance. Ah! Never did she know that her crush will become her soul mate forever. Such was the beauty of destiny.
Indeed a blissful alliance it was!