34/100

This short story became SPIXer (Most popular story) on 10 Aug 2013 and won INR 500

It was almost night at that time. I was trying to write a love letter in my laptop. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. I and Aditi have been friends for last 2 years. I think it is the right time to tell her. She might have surprised but definitely will accept. I want to do it all by myself. But I can’t because I am clueless; I need help of these guys, glaring their photo on my laptop table. The photo has three guys picture, me and my roommates. They were totally different and equally interesting guys.

The one on the left was Sarath, a short, fat guy. He broke up last summer with his girlfriend Pialli. She left him for some other guy which left him heartbroken. He started drinking and develops some weird attitude. He turned even fatter. But the flip side of it, He was very good in academics. Last three years, he was the topper. Another exceptional skill he has, he predicts things before it happens. Whether it may be cricket match or college gossips, it always happens as he told.

Another one on my right was Sid; Siddarth, a handsome muscular good-looking guy. Sid was born for three things in this world “GIRLS”,“GIRLS”,“GIRLS”. Yeah, He is always the ladies man. He is the college Romeo and he will go on a date almost all weekend. His girlfriend system works differently where he won’t have the same girl for more than two weeks. He will change again and again. Sid never got bored with it. Sid and Sarath often fight for silly things but they are the best for me.

The one in the center was me, Sam. I am tall and slim not having the perfect body of Sid neither the prefect brain of Sarath. The thing is I am not good at anything. That’s why I need help from these guys. I heard some footsteps. I turn back, it was Sarath.

“Dinner got ready, Hurry up!”

Sarath was the one always intimate us dinner. He was not the best guy to help in this matter. I want to know his thoughts on this. So, I need to explain him softly.

“I need your help, please sit down.”

Sarath can’t tolerate delays at food time. He yelled

“We can solve these Maths after dinner, Egg won’t be there, if we go late.”

He rushed me to do this. So, I hit the topic straight away.

“It was not Maths; it was love, I am in love with Aditi.”

As expected, he doesn’t like it.

“What, that’s disgusting man. Don’t do that?”

Sid entered the room. He queried

“What problem?”

Sarath always found a reason to fight with Sid and today it was me.

“You are the problem; you turned him as like you.”

Sid reasoned himself.

“What I do? What is your problem Sarath; I have just arrived can’t you see? ”

If these guys started fighting, it will become endless. So, I interfered and expressed my point.

“Guys, don’t start again. The thing is I am in love with Aditi and I am going to propose her tomorrow.”

It brought a smile in Sid’s face.

“Hey, that’s a great news dude. Look Sarath, not everyone is a saint like you.”

Sarath puzzled a set of questions.

“Sam, what happened to you? Why are you doing this all of sudden?”

I answered him clearly.

“This is our last year in college. I need to be with her all my life. If I don’t tell her now, everything will fade.”

Sid comes nearby and gives me a hug.

“That’s my boy. Be strong in your decision. I will teach you, how to do it.” “Got an idea, call her and ask her out tomorrow to Valentine Park.”

Sid always interested in giving ideas. It was something, he good at. Straight away I queried.

“Why?”

Sid explained just like a lecturer.

“Every year I celebrate Valentine’s Day there. It’s quite famous and a lot of couples choose this spot for their proposal. Everyone knows it’s a lover’s garden. If she agrees, she might find the clue of your intention. It will be a good sign.”

Sarath asked Sid to shut it and worryingly told me

“No Sam, don’t do that?”

I cooled him down.

“Relax Sarath, it will be a good start to a perfect day. I am going to call her.”

I call her often. So, no second thought in it.

“Hello Aditi.”

Aditi was always talkative. Most cases, she speaks and I listen.

“Hey, Sam. Thank god you called. I am very bored right now.”

Aditi won’t often get boredom. It seems like she is missing me. Anyway, I came to my point straight away.

“Are you free tomorrow? We can go and catch up some coffee.”

She loves going out.

“Brilliant Idea, Which place?”

I told her with slight hesitation.

“A place called Valentines Park. It is a beautiful place.”

She was quiet for a few seconds and then told slowly

“Can we go some other place?”

I was desperate to know the reason

“Why? Do you have any problem?”

She reasoned it. It was a bit of funny reason.

“I have some assignment works. That place is some far away. I need to get back home in the evening.”

I don’t know why girls taking this kind of school stuff work seriously. The thing is I never pushed her in any of my decisions so far. So, I stick to her decision this time as well. I go for plan B.

“Ok. We can go to the city mall for lunch.”

Aditi will never say no to food. I have taken her on few occasions before.

“It sounds good. Sounds like papa coming, I will call you tomorrow. Good night.”

Her papa is just another father who doesn’t like her speaking with boys. So, I ended up.

“Sweet dreams.”

Both Sarath and Sid were eagerly waiting to know about the call. I told them

“She agreed. I am taking her to city mall.”

Sarath started behaving weird. He asks some unnecessary questions

“When you are taking her?”

I replied him with a smile.

“At noon, tomorrow.”

He enquired like a viva examiner.

“I know that yaar. Which time exactly?”

I am clueless.

“Around 1 or 2, Why yaar?”

Sarath smiled for the first time.

“I will tell you tomorrow.”

Sarath went for his dinner. Sid prepared me all night for tomorrow’s mission. He suggests me to wear his green shirt where he considers it as his lucky one. He gave me lots of tips and I can’t keep all that in mind. So, I took notes of it in a small bit paper. These are Sid’s theory of the proposal.

“In order to propose a girl, you need to talk more about Love. There are lots of ways to start this topic. He gave me some examples like Valentine ’s Day, Dress code, Flirting, Other couples etc. Once you get it in to the topic, wait for the perfect time to propose.”

———-

Next day, I am waiting for her at the mall with Sid’s theory bit in my pocket. Next few minutes can change my life in either way. I hope it should be a good way. Aditi never made it on time. She is the very distant friend of punctuality. Finally, she arrived in a white Salwar Kameez with an open hair. She has beautiful eyes, round face and tall hair. I am pretty sure; it was the same dress she wore when we meet on the very first day; College fresher’s day party, about three years ago.

“Hey, Waiting so long.”

I always had been sweet to her. So, I lied.

“Nope. Just now came.”

I gestured her.

“Shall we?”

She replied with a smile.

“Yeah, sure.”

We entered the restaurant as many other couples enjoying lunch there. Lights and the theme were all set for Valentine’s Day. I realize this is the perfect place for this.

“Take your seat madam”

She greeted and asked the most guessable question.

“Thanks. So, what is this occasion for?”

I anticipated this and it was my first move to get into the topic.

“Hmm. Today is Valentine’s Day.”

I presume that she is acting. She mover hand to her head and tell

“Oops, I forget. Hey Sam, I want to ask you this for some time? ”

Jingle bells ring on my back. I replied

“Bingo, shoot me.”

She asked a question in a serious voice.

“Why do couples after marriage not celebrating VD? Whether their love decreases over the period?”

Who cares about them? I am here for proposing you. I said to myself. Anyway, I have also thought of it sometimes. All bachelors want to be married guys. All married guys wish to live atleast a day as bachelors. I told what it was in my mind.

“Nope. They still love each other. But they are too busy to show it.”

She inquired.

“Meaning?”

I explained it with whatever things come to my mind.

“Let’s take your watch. You first look it in Flipkart and purchased it. You are very desperate until it reaches you. The day you got it, you felt very happy and you showed it to almost everyone. But, what happens now. You throw your watch in anger on the other day. Still it was running fine just like the relationship.”

Girls always merge themselves in the talk and will imagine the worst ever possibilities. She asked me with a smile.

“So, you are saying. They need a new person like a new watch to celebrate VD.”

I don’t want to get into this topic anymore. So, I put a full stop to it.

“No. I will take my word back. It was a stupid example.”

She drifted me afar from the topic “Love”. So, I go with 2nd rule.

“Hey, you know about the dress code today. VD has a certain kind of dress codes every year.”

“Interesting, what about mine?”

I straight away give her a clue. I hope she would pick it.

“Well; you wear white which means someone is going to propose to you.”

She points her finger behind me.

“Yep, the one over there looks cute.”

I turned back; there was a guy who looks even better than Sid. He is busy with his phone. She again pushes the topic. So, I made a joke of it.

“Don’t worry, he must have better taste.”

Her eyes widened and she gives me a slight beat in my head. I tried to make it back on the road.

“I am wearing a green color which means I am goanna propose to someone.”

She put her hand on her cute cheek and asked softly

“Who is that?”

Wow. This is the reaction I am waiting all day.

“That is..”

“Your order sir”. Waiter interrupted our magic moment.

I look him up and down; he is dark, fat kind of devil look. To me, he really is. I expressively told him

“Perfect timing.”

I ordered him.

“For me, one cold coffee please”

I like having coffees; it is the perfect partner to chat with. Besides, it is also the cheapest one. I asked her sweetly.

“What would you like to have Aditi?”

She glared the menu card for a few minutes and ordered.

“I will have chicken noodles, buffets. Wait a min, let’s start with dessert. One milkshake please. Do you need desert Sam?”

“No, I have a little cold.” (Actually I had only 500 along with our room current bill. Sarath asked me to pay the bill for this month. )

I jokingly asked her

“Have you haven’t eaten last three days?”

She explained.

“Yeah, went to uncle’s house. They served pretty boring vegetarian foods. Tongue almost died of starving. Hope you don’t mind?”

I smiled outside and almost feared inside (Sarath is going to kill me).

No problem yaar.

I took a bit from my pocket to see what to do next. Flirting, How I am going to flirt with her suddenly?

Aditi was busy with her food. I started slowly

“Hey, you look very beautiful today. White color suits you better.”

She gives some serious look but inside she feels happy.

“No kidding Sam. It was one of my old chutti. I left it at uncle’s house. We took a day longer than we planned. So, I got nothing to wear today than this one.”

I stick to my flirt

“Nope, something is really beautiful about you today.”

She took a piece of meat and asked me

“Really, you need chicken.”

She turns this into a joke. I reacted back.

“No thanks.”

I saw a guy behind me trying to propose to his girl. I showed it to Aditi.

“Hey, look over there. That guy going to propose to his girl.”

She put her mouth in the straw and glance her eyes towards them.

“I bet now she would slap him anytime.”

That was exactly happened in a few minutes. I asked her

“How did you guess that? I thought they were beautiful couple.”

She explained her concern.

“Love should not propose like that.”

I am concerned asked her

“How should be it then?”

She shared her dream proposal.

“A guy should be on his knees. He should say something beautiful which will sweep her feet off completely and then he should tell that beautiful three words. ‘I Love you.’”

I got up. She starred at me completely clueless.

I took the card and flowers which I kept inside my shirt. I tried the lines which I typed in my lap yesterday. Her eyes were restless. She anxiously closed her mouth with her hands. She keeps tampering ‘Oh my god’

I proposed in my best voice.

“Aditi, I don’t know whether any other girl is beautiful than you. But for me, you are the best…. ”

Suddenly she shouted ‘Sam’

“I love Sid”

It takes me a minute to realize what she said.

“Who? Sid!!!”

Why on earth every girl loves Sid.

She felt totally embarrassed and leaves the place in a few moments.

I followed her and again asked her

“Sid!!!”

“Yeah, I am really sorry Sam. You always have been a good friend to me. I never thought you like that. Actually, I hoped you will be the one who is goanna help me with Sid.” She told me by whipping her tears.

I don’t want to hear anything more from her. It pains a lot. I expressed my anger.

“I think you should leave now.”

She angrily left the place.

I am the one who introduced Aditi with Sid. Sid never showed any intentions in her. Why everyone falls for him. He won’t even have a girlfriend more than a week.

My phone rang, it was Sid. He might have wondered, how things went here. I don’t want to speak with him not because I am mad at him. I just don’t know what to tell him.

I feel like talking to someone. So, I called Sarath.

“Where are you?”

He sounds weird.

“I am at Royal bar.”

He drinks often, but never this early.

“Bar at 2am, you are crazy man.”

He explained in a serious voice.

“Actually, it’s for you. You told me yesterday noon. I got things arranged for you. Come and join.”

“What? How do you know she won’t agree?”

“Girls won’t like guys like you, me. It’s natural truth yaar. They would go for guys like Sid.”

“Sarath, you are genius man. That was exactly happened.”

“Come and have a drink with me. Every pain will be gone.”

I am going to meet Sarath. All my life has been the same in terms of result. I studied well, not good enough to qualify the exams. I played football, not good enough to make into the college team. I loved a girl, not good enough to go beyond the friend zone. My life is the perfect 34/100. I need still the one mark to pass. I don’t know how to get that mark.

__END__