No they didn’t always have that best sort of friendship.

But yes that sweet innocent relationship, the one made by God himself.

Both of them have been studying together since the time they started learning their A,B,C,D’s. From kindergarten to junior school to senior high school and to their college, they had been classmates, not by choice but by chance.

They had seen each other grow, from a kid with innocent faces, to an adolescent with pimples over their faces, to an adult with bright, beautiful and young faces. They had seen each other falling, rising, achieving, loosing, and being what they are today. But like I said, they couldn’t be tagged as best of friends, they indeed have always been there when one needed the other, but then they never hanged out with each other, never went for movies together, or to the parties together, both had their own set of friends which they enjoyed. They always wished each other birthdays, festivals and friendship day, and I know this because-“well that’s not important”. Another unique thing about their friendship was that Mukund and Nandini would never miss to wish each other good mornings, when they first saw each other and good byes when they departed for their homes.

It was like this daily routine for both of them. In the mornings Mukund would slip out of his set of friends just to wish her good morning. Sometimes he would see Nandini coming and casually stroll in front of her, just to get noticed. The moment Nandini saw him, she would wish him good morning and he would act ignorant and wish her back and run as if to show he was in too much of a hurry.  Sometimes when Nandini would not notice him coming, he would keep loitering around her, until she did and they wished each other.

Time swings with wings, soon it was college farewell. They both enjoyed well. In the end, they hugged and kissed, not each other, but their set of friends. It was the time to leave. The air was thick with emotions running high.

Mukund was lost in thoughts. Shanaya “his girlfriend” came and hugged him from back and said- “it’s time to leave baby”. But Mukund didn’t want to, he suddenly felt his feet heavy, they just would not move, and he had no clue why. His heart pained suddenly, it felt as if it was empty, it searched someone, he didn’t know who, but yes he didn’t want to leave. He left the room, protesting against his heart. He reached his car and realized that he had forgotten his car keys, he kissed Shanaya good bye, and returned to get his keys. As he entered the room, he saw this beautiful lady in a white fairy like gown, flaunting her curves and golden curly hair flowing down her back.

Nan… Nan… Nandiniiiiii..!! What are you doing here alone? His eyes widened, his heart skipped a beat, to him it seemed as if he had his answers for the evening. He realized what his heart was craving for, why his feet felt heavier, why even Shanaya’s kiss didn’t soothe him. He was missing Nandini.

What are you doing here Nandini? He possessively inquired. Nothing, my car’s broken down, and Ramu kaka is off to fix it.

“Oh! Come I’ll drop you to your place then, it’s not safe standing all alone here.” Mukund’s voice had an authority.
“No I am okay, he’s just on his way, and he’ll reach in no time”. She replied,
“No I cannot let you stay here alone, come on I’ll drop you.” He caught hold of her hand, and walked towards his car.

“Mukund”, Nandini said with a soft whisper.
“Yes”, he said and turned towards her.
“I’ll miss you”, she said.

The glitter in her eyes hit him hard. He had a sudden urge of hugging her and kissing her tight, but what he did was just staring at her sparkling eyes and glossy lips. Nandini had just said the words he could not manage to toss out of his throat. There they stood, in the moon light, the lady elegant in the white and the gentleman in black, staring at each other; their eyes did the talking and their souls the embracing.

Suddenly there was an abrupt sound of honking, “Nandini bitiya, sorry I am a little late, the mechanic took long”, Ramu kaka said.

That’s okay kaka, Nandini replied and she started moving towards the car.
“Bye Nandini take care”, Mukund managed to utter. She never replied.

He stood there, all alone, lost within, no inkling of what happened and what might happen.  Suddenly a tear rolled down his face, testimony to his ache, deep within. He wiped that innocent tear, but every time he wiped one, another came rolling down.

Back in the car Nandini sat resting her head on the car cushion, eyes closed. She too had teary eyes, and was trying hard not to cry, sporting a fake smile, as if to console her mind.

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Very soon both of them got busy with their new lives, new job, new friends, and new priorities. Mukund kept waiting for the time he could walk up to Nandini’s family and ask for her hand in marriage.

A couple of years had passed. The day finally arrived. Mukund was now a well settled man and decided to approach her parents.

He sat in front of Mr. and Mrs. Verma, his hands folded, knees closed and sweating profusely. His nervousness was visible.

“Sir”, he started and gulped down a huge amount of saliva.

“My name is Mukund Shrivastava, I am an HR manager at singhania’s corporation. I  have a good salary. I have been studying with your daughter since we were kids; I love her a lot and want to marry her, I seek your permission to marry her.

Nandini, who was sitting quietly at one corner of the room, was staring at her toes and was as cold as snow, had a chill run down her spine. She looked at her father.

Mr. Verma’s face had a million dollar expression, his deep eyes and calm demeanour was now changing to that of an angry, impatient look. His wheatish face turned red.

“Are you out of your mind”, he blasted.  

Mukund gulped another lump of saliva, and started again…

“Sir, I am sorry to have come in suddenly.” he said. He then turned to her mother, “Mrs. Verma your daughter is a princess, and I have loved her, ever since I had no clue about what love is. I can’t imagine my life without her”. He tried talking to her mother thinking that convincing her would be comparatively easier, and it indeed was, the ice appeared to melt.

‘Mukund beta’ she addressed, it’s nice to know that you love my daughter this much but we are bound, we live in a community where we need to answer a lot of people, I hope you understand what I am trying to say. He nodded his head in answer and bent it low.

Mr. Verma charged up again, “You may get out of my house now, or else I’ll have to take my gun out”. Mukund stood up and walked to her father, and started saying something.

Nandini ran out of the room, to the adjoining terrace. Her father’s voice faded away in the background, along with Mukund’s. She rested her hands on the grill, staring at the sky up there, or may be stars, her beautiful face dull, and her eyes moist.

For the next one hour, Nandini had no clue of what was going on in the room, with every passing second making it more difficult for her to imagine what must be happening. She slowly started feeling numb and dizzy, bending a little, towards the grill, her head turned towards the sky, chilling cold biting her nose. Suddenly someone hugged her from the back. She felt a shock, and turned to see if who it was.

Mukund!

What are you doing, and why the hell are you here? Nandini went berserk .

“What do you mean!” he asked her back with squinted look and a sly smile. “You are mine, I can hold you the way I feel like”, he declared.

Nandini was shocked.

“Did they agree?” she asked.
He smiled and shrugged. “My magic worked”, he said.
“How?” she asked.
“That’s not important at this point of time”, he replied.

Nandini tried asking another question, but he covered her lips with his hands. Mukund went down on his left knee, took out the platinum ring and said,

“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,
You came into my life like an angel,
And when you went away I had no clue about what do I need to do with myself,
I know I realized it late, but to feel the pain of separation was indeed written in our fate,
Since I have grown, I have only loved you, I promise, to be there always be with you, I’ll never leave your hand, I promise, I’ll apologize for the mistake of staying away a thousand of times, but I cannot afford again to lose you……….
I LOVE YOU.”

Nandini was dumb struck, she was smiling at him, and her shy face, blushed cheeks and wide eyes were glowing.

With a pause, came his words, “Will you marry me?”
Nandini was in a shock and said nothing.
Nandini my knee is paining like hell, please say a yes,
“Will you marry me?” he shouted this time.
Nandini smiled, and said a yes.

Mukund kept saying yes, a hundred times over, as if he was the echo of Nandini’s voice, jumping all over the terrace.

Nandini stood there smiling.

Mukund came close to Nandini, very close, and echoed in her ears, I love you baby.
Nandini still felling shy said “I know”.
Mukund smiled, and kissed her cheek. “Mukund, I love you too” she said in a shy voice.
He smiled back again, and said, “I know”

“By the way, when did you realize that I loved you?” he asked.

Nandini laughed and said, “When you would purposely come to wish me good morning, and I would ignore you, and then you would come again, and I would ignore you again, and ….”

Mukund felt shy, and caught her face, trying to kiss her, Nandini ran, and he ran behind her, caught her and hugged her tight, as tight as possible, as if trying to say, that he loves her, will always love her, and no matter what, will always be with her.