“Kavya Weds Anshul”

The glittering reception board at hotel Weston announced to the invitees.

Inside, on the centre-stage sat a lovely couple. The beautiful dimpled bride and a killer-smile owning groom. To the onlookers, they appeared very much in love and unable to gaze away from each other.

The couple were, in reality, using their eyes to convey just one thing to each other- "Thank you, Buddy!"

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6 years ago:  Kavya

At the Farewell Party organised for the outgoing senior secondary students, it finally dawned upon Kavya that she really was in love with Rehan, her senior, who she had been practically eyeing for an entire year now and who was about to disappear forever from her sight. Amidst the crowded seminar hall, when she finally caught sight of him, she kept staring at him, without blinking her eyes, as if drinking her last fill of her heart-throb.

Had she known, Kavya would have been amazed to know that she was not completely unnoticed by Rehan. Though not one of the eye-catching wonders of her class, Kavya was an academically bright student who carried herself with a certain personality, not usually seen amongst girls of her age. She was also cute in her dimpled way and could not be easily ignored, especially when Rehan caught her staring at him quite a few times, albeit surreptitiously.

Without her realising, she would find him within her eyesight during assembly, lunch or at dispersal times. He made it a point to be ‘available’ to her staring! If he ever made an eye contact, she would scurry away with lowered eyes and bent head.

Thus, it was a huge but a pleasant surprise to Kavya, when a few days after the farewell, she found a friend request from Rehan on the social networking site. She went crazy with happiness because she had been visiting his profile daily to get to see his photographs, now that he no longer attended the school. She was more than happy to befriend him and soon they began their online chat sessions.

Through the chat sessions, she came to know that he was applying for higher studies abroad. He had been preparing to appear for various scholarship programmes and in the meantime had also got admission in a local college as a safeguard should none of his applications materialise.

Their regular online conversations soon turned to meeting and dating. Their respective friend circles were happy for them, especially Rehan’s. The reason was that as the months progressed, Rehan kept slipping into bouts of depression over unresponsive colleges and unsuccessful outcome of the scholarship exams. Kavya, with her optimistic outlook, provided the effective counterfoil to his frustrated rantings. She kept urging him to keep trying and her own studies were getting impacted as a result.

Kavya’s failing grades and preoccupied mental state finally caught the attention of her parents and soon enough they homed in on the cause. She was put under the usual restrictions and having realised that her dismal grades could actually embarrass an ambitious Rehan, Kavya focussed on her studies and practically holed herself up for the remaining months till her final exams.

By the time Kavya re-surfaced, to her utter joy, Rehan had actually been considered for a scholarship by a London based university. However, it also meant that Rehan would be leaving in a matter of few days. Whatever time the duo could get before Rehan’s departure, was spent in making strong promises of making this long distance relationship work. They could always hold online video chats, albeit not feel the warmth of a hug. As if to last them their separation, both decided to move a step ahead in their relationship before Rehan left. Arrangements were made and they met up in the flat of one of Rehan's friend. Both were emotional and teary eyed. They snuggled up to each other and she closed her eyes in anticipation of a kiss. He kissed her softly and then with great passion. A few minutes later, they were lying together and only they knew what emotions they were feeling throughout their body, as they spooned together to sleep.

Rehan left and Kavya started preparing for her college admissions, while awaiting her final results. They tried to time their video chats, pretty ardently initially, but as the pressures of studies mounted on both sides, the inconvenience of matching the chatting hours amidst different time zones took its toll. Soon the conversations started lagging and dwindling. However, her heart was still full of Rehan. Then one day she sighted a snapshot on the social website of Rehan kissing someone and an entry below that by one ‘Andrea’ declaring ‘I love you’!

Kavya demanded explanation but he had none. A highly distraught Kavya felt utterly dejected and all her belief in love-stories dried up. She knew that no matter what happens she won't be able to love someone else ever again. Rehan was her first and last. She knew very well that she will always have him in her heart. She passed out of her school and then college, but her love for him remained the same. She did not become gloomy; she lived her life happily but closed that chapter of love in it.

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Anshul

There are few lasting impressions in life, glimpses of which everyone gets, everyone feels and Anshul was no exception.

There was nothing special in those large black eyes of hers, but, when he looked deep into them it had that hidden sparkle which wanted to come out but was not able to. That's how he noticed that shy girl sitting alone at the corner bench in the college canteen. It didn’t take much time to become friendly with her and soon he knew that she had hidden that sparkle because she was afraid to make friends. She was too shy to speak, but, the real girl in her came out when she got comfortable in his presence and soon they were inseparable. Everyone knew the bond they both were sharing but still they claimed that they were just friends; maybe too shy to accept their relationship or maybe both of them were waiting for the other to speak up first.

They started hanging out together, to watch movies, attend parties or just simply talking endlessly. They were just inseparable. However, neither of them had spoken those three essential words. 

It was the 13th of February. She had refused to meet him because she was expecting some cousins at her house. So he busied himself with preparing a big collage for her; some friends teased him saying that these cheesy things were girlish, but he didn’t care. After such a long time he had finally summoned the courage to declare his love for her openly. Unknown to him, she too had planned a surprise for him and was actually riding to his house on her scooty. Nearing his house, she rang him up from her cell phone without stopping the scooter. He was pleasantly surprised to get her call and unaware of her exact location, began talking to her. Suddenly he heard a loud scream and a crashing sound. He rushed out of his house, intending to head to her place, when he saw her lying lifeless in front of the gates in a pool of blood. Onlookers rushed to the spot and some commented that she was riding irresponsibly while talking on phone and had crashed head long after losing balance over a pothole she would have missed.

He rushed her to the hospital, hoping against hope for her to revive. However, she was declared dead on arrival.

Anshul saw his happiness and entire life slipping away from his sight while accompanying her family for the cremation. He knew he would kiss no one after the last kiss he planted on the life less forehead of his love, while closing her eyelid.

And he knew he would never ever fall in love again.

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Wedding Hall at Hotel Weston

Kavya and Anshul were child hood friends because of their families who knew each other through generations. Worried about the emotional upheavals in their respective child’s life, both families urged them to develop their friendship into a meaningful relationship. As they were friends, so there were no secrets and both set of parents were hoping that their children would re-discover love and happiness.

Knowing that they would not want to disappoint their parents and each would understand the other’s emotional state and therefore avoid emotional demands or expectation, both Anshul and Kavya relented to tying the knot.

Thus sat Kavya and Anshul on their ceremonial chairs with numerous family members and friends blessing their union and praying fervently for love to blossom between the two of them. Unknown to them, the newly–weds had sealed their own pact and made their own peace.

Sometimes a girl and a boy are just meant to be friends

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