A Simple Tale!

6pm. It is a little late. I know I should be there by then. Damn these signal lights. I hate being late. Everybody would have come. Priya would be expecting me. The light turned green. I press the pedal a little hard. In exactly 5 minutes, I pull over her driveway. I carefully carry the big gift box and walk towards the door. I casually straighten the tucked shirt in. I normally don't tuck shirts for birthday parties, but she likes me this way. I press the door bell. A cute little girl comes and opens the door. I smile at her and step in. I see a decent crowd of people, most of them happy and with glasses in their hands. My eyes casually scan the room for Priya. I see her with her friends on the other side of the room. The room dazzles with her beauty. A nice large cake poses itself right in front of her.

She looks at me and lifts her hands with heavy, yet controlled enthusiasm. I reciprocate and wink. She offers an inviting smile. I slowly walk towards her. I near her and greet with genuine happiness “Happy Birthday Priya!” The most impatient and a naughty creature she is, she immediately asks me what present did I get her. I smile, extend a handshake, a pound hug and give her the present. Opening the gift wrap with bright eyes, she curiously asks “Should I guess?” I say “You may…” And she goes mixed with laughter “Is it the iPod touch I have been asking for long?” I smile. And I casually deny. She continues opening the box. Then she asks “Is it a book or something?” I said “Hmmmm…No”. She then suddenly exclaims “Oh my God! I got it! It should be the Kindle!” I said with a smile, “Nope. Not even close!” She is out of options already. She thoughtfully opens the box and finds a smaller box inside. She takes the box in her hands and looks at me doubtfully. As she examines the box, I swiftly grab it from her hands. By now, almost every eye in the party is on us. I slowly make my move. I open the box, kneel and say “I love you Priya. I would like to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?!”

The room is drop-dead silent. She keeps looking at me. I try to keep my cool in spite of my heart thumping like a thousand drums. Everything freezes for those few seconds. I look at her with all the love in this world. She takes her time. A moment later, she slowly smiles, nods and extends her arms towards mine. She keeps looking at my eyes. I can never forget that wonderful moment. Everything else in this world seemed nothing. After 5 years of friendship, I never thought I’ll do this to her. Her parents have been talking about her wedding for 6 months now. I was not ok with that. Involuntarily, my mind started praying her parents shouldn’t find the right guy for her. Strangely enough, I later found something telling me that maybe I was the guy. After swallowing such thoughts for long enough now and having reached a point where I could no longer handle, I wanted to make it clear this day. And that’s why this whole proposal episode; that too, on her birthday. And as surprising as it was for me, she agrees. By nodding her head, in one second, she made the whole universe seem miniscule.

The evening quickly passes. Party ends. Everybody leaves. It is just the two of us now....

Continued here…