One Haunting Past.......

“Eric Seagal’? Asked Tarun. “Now who the hell is Eric Seagal! “ Don’t tell me you don’t know him now”, Forced Neha! “Undoubtedly he has to be the greatest writer on love stories, the subtlety, the polish and the unknown emotions that he provided to his readers are unheard of, he was this kid when we talk about love and love making, you should definitely buy some Seagal copies for Bhabi”, Neha confirmed Now! “Ohh, I don’t read much Neha, but will definitely purchase her some copies”, Tarun affirmed! “By the way, where is our Bhabi, for how long You will hide her from us”, Toby interrupted! “Arrey, She is getting ready, I just see and come”, Tarun said and rushed inside.
Well, to say the content and the context, We three friends are sitting at Tarun’s House to celebrate his marriage, he arranged a small party for us and we are awaiting for our Bhabi to get introduced. The set up is pretty simple but enticing, some scotch, some chicken and an old gramophone which is singing old songs! We all were sitting on the floor and were enjoying the old songs of 1960’s and 1970’s with scotch glasses in hand. Neha was in my arms in the extreme corner, I was silently drinking, she was the one who was taking the most with everybody, Tobby only listens, he rarely speaks, but definitely was enjoying the moment. I remember the exact lines on the backdrop when Tarun introduced us to his wife.
“ Kisi ka Pyar Leke Tum, Neya Jaha basaoge,
Ye sham jab vi aegi, tum humko yaad aogey”
“Hey guys, let me introduce Preeti to the gang”, Screamed Tarun. I just froze when I saw the person in the context ten meters away from me, because, no one on earth, knows preeti better than me, she was my first and only love!
Neha quickly went to her and hugged her. Tobby hand shacked and she just set facing me on the opposite side of the middle table. She looked at me, equally stunned, just smiled a bit, I returned the gesture with a blatant smile. She was looking out of this world, a sky coloured saree with open straight hairs, a very familiar soft perfume, with a silver whitish bindi. An angel…..

Here was I, in between my own group of buddies celebrating the wedding of my old friend, and what I come across is the person whom I loved most on earth sitting on the other side of the line…where on earth I go with this fact? Why this night and why is this unlikely coincidence.

Well, these were emotions that I never felt before! I could not express the feeling of rage and anxiety in me when she just sat opposite in some one’s else’s arms. It was as if my haunted past just stood infront of me, I was frozen, finished the drink as quickly as possible, and tried to get normal but the grim backdrop was sulking me into it. I just donno how to react to the situation!

Tobby notices most of the things and as soon as he found me uncomfortable he could guess what has happened! Surely he doesn’t knows the name of my ex, but you don’t require rocket science to understand things especially when you are living with a friend for three and half years now.

Neha , however, as chirpy as she can be, started asking those questions, which well, makes no sense in reality. She asked both Tarun and preeti about how they first met and how love happened in between them! Poor girl, she doesn’t even knows, the month we broke off was the month when preeti’s parents arranged a guy for her for marriage. Relatives told me, she was very unstable and disturbed and that’s why her mom insisted, later forced that she should now get along with someone legally, As if they were transferring all the weight and the burden they carried for 23 years over someone stranger that they even don’t know!

It will be less if I recollect how our lives changed after the breakup of a relationship of four years, faith and trust of a lot of people around were also compromised, I, for a change, went so far away from my family and my close buddies that now a days they must have forgotten whether Neo is there or not! And she, as heartbroken surrendered herself to a fate that she never deserves yet there was no way else to go for her!

I just realized over the next pegs how love has the power of taking away own identity, own self! How it actually changes us from where we were, to where we end up! Love was never meant to be that way but we two actually belonged to that league which surrenders themselves to fate and destiny because they don’t want to make any other choice. Its easier to say love hurts, but its very hard to quantify how much it changed us over a time.
“ Oye Neo, where on earth were you”?, asked Tarun! It suddenly broke my illusion. “In his Girl Friend’s Dreams”, tobby smilingly said and winked at me. Neha Revolted, “ Shut Up, his girlfriend is sitting in his arms only, isn’t it Neo”?
“ Yes Neha, true and shut up Tobby”, I slowly said and looked at Preeti! She just looked back in return and well I can’t explain that look ever! She was as if saying that we were not only on the opposite side of the table but we were in the opposite sides of a THROWN DICE called life!
I just closed my eyes for a moment, thought something, opened and then screamed, “Guys, I have a declaration to make tonight”! Everyone, surprisingly looked at me, I was never sane when I was drunk but always said the most sane words when I was drunk! Well, it was there reaction to vulnerability.

“Guys When I saw Tarun and preeti together, I just realized the virtue of moving on in life, as you all must have known how much haunted I was by my past and my being this dumbshell hopeless guy without any sort of entanglement towards life never helped the cause, I slowly went away from my own self only. And when I saw Tarun and Preeti together, I realize the virtue of being in a relationship and being bonded together, so without any hesitation, I wanna conclude saying that, all this prologue was to declare that I want to be with you, Neha from here on, right now in this moment, to ever after, and I wish to get bonded to you in the same way 35-40 years down the line when we both won’t have any teeths left also”!

Silence prevailed! Eternal silence! Tarun’s eyes never winked! Droplets from Neha’s eyes! Preeti knew someway that was coming, satisfaction in her eyes and toby, the kind of wit he has, has to break the silence by saying , “ Neha Darling there goes your deshi Eric Seagal”! Everyone around was laughing, Neha gave a big big hug! Hmmm, its strange the kind of warmth women generates when she is in love!

We never spoke much after that because all were drunk and too high to provoke any more meaningful thoughts. But I still remember the song on the backdrop when Preeti left to sleep on that old Gramophone----------


“ Jaaney who kaisey log the jinko Pyar se Pyar Milaa”...........