LOVE STORY

                                   "I HATE LOVE  STORIES"

(This is not fiction, but real incident from my teenage days)

Famous title of a not-so-famous, but trendy, young and ubercool bollywood film. As it goes in the movie, imran khan doesnt believe in love stories but likes to flirt around, till he actually falls in love with a girl and then goes all-out to woo her. In midst of it all, there are heartbreaks, sweet moments, funny moments, and of course, songs and dance.

Well, in real life also, i think 90% love stories are like that. i mean, no guy or girl (okay some girls are an exception here) is looking for ‘love’, they are all looking for some fun initially, before they fall in love with the other person. Love at first sight never happens, it is attraction at best (if not lust!). However when it happens, at first, it shocks you, amazes you. then grows on you and makes you speak up.

Anyway getting back to the concept per se; my love story also had some real filmi-moments. and thats why i pick the same title, even though the story is different. also this is just an excerpt from the story, a particular incident you could say…

*

I was a regular guy in school, back-bencher like most not-so-serious guys are, who come to school for checking out girls and please their hormones. I wasn’t tall, dark, handsome but certainly knew how to get female attention. And so, besides many other girls, managed to get her’s too. For cinematic reasons, my name is Jay and her, well, Simran.

So Simran was this cute looking girl having short hair which she always crowned with a white hairband. She was fair, chirpy and basically had the right features and proportions to be overall termed as an attractive girl. Perfect 2 people i guess, to weave a love-story with.

However there was a slight problem. I not only liked to flirt; but that I flirted with so many of them that really, Simran could never make out if I liked her or not. And so, she also never let her real feelings come to fore. We both were very friendly with each other, often sharing the same seat, poked fun and jokes at each other and had almost same set of friends as well.

But there was no love, yet.

Ofcourse i can elaborate all the pranks and fun we had in each other’s company. But all that, you’ve seen in the film already. And in another film, and in another. So I’d come straight to how this love story started surfacing, even though its seeds were already there in our heart without we knowing about it.

We were in class 12th, final year of school. It was valentine’s day eve. I came up with an original (pun intended) and novel thought of calling up girls, all of them, one by one and playing a love song. I knew all of them will like it. I secretly hoped that some of them will relate to me and I will be a stud, next day in school. The songs chosen for the occasion were super-romantic song of our times, “KABHI TO NAZAR MILAO” and “WORDS ARE ALL I HAVE TO TAKE YOUR HEART AWAY”.

After a lot of pondering, I couldnt finalize which girl to start with.

“Sonali, umm naah, she’s not worth it”

“Reena, she’s probably too dumb to even understand whats going on!”

Then who? “Shefali? ummm, no she is a bore and might not appreciate this”

Finally after much thought, I decided to start with Simran. Why, because she was a ‘safe’ choice. She was sporty. She liked me a lot and so even if she found out, she shouldnt mind. She is a smart enough girl to understand the cue. (you love her as**ole admit it!)

So sharp at 5.30 pm, I confined myself to my room, shutting all doors and windows and instructed everyone in the house not to disturb as board exams were approaching. I put my computer on and configured both songs on itunes, boyzone followed up by Adnan Sami. ’30 seconds each song’ I thought and dialed her number.

Cellphones werent common for school-teenagers those days so I hoped that Simran will pick, otherwise the plan will be a non-starter. ‘Cant say hello to her mom and then ask for her you stupid’ I thought as she picked the phone. so after a pause of 3-seconds, I hung up the phone.

10 minutes later, I called again. lucky you, as this time Simran picked it up (or maybe her mother asked her to, considering that it was valentine’s day, the next day. Progressive thinker – if she really did so).

“Hello”, she said.

Silence.

“Hello Who is it??”

“Smile an everlasting smile, a smile can bring you near…to me”

She enjoyed. She didnt hang up. time for the next move.

“Kabhi to nazar milaao…kabhi to kareeb aao, jo nahi kaha hai..”

Again she heard patiently. After this one was over too, she said, “Are you done? Now can we talk?”

Silence again.

“Jay i know its you. Come on, lets talk.”

WHOAAA. Has she been meeting my psychiatrist or what? How the hell did she know? What am i supposed to do?? ‘Gather yourself stupid, she is just guessing..”

“Come on. Who is it then? Akash? Ankur? no? Varun?” she genuinely looked confused.

I had to hang up now, else she’d name the entire class. So that means she is expecting calls today from all of them, and i was genuinely offended! I mean Aakash or Ankur is still fine, but Varun? He is a jerk! So at some level, she is being friendly with all of them. That got me jealous, very jealous. No more calls for the day!

Next day in school, i reached early. Somehow my tactic hadnt worked fully yesterday as i was unsure if i was able to impress her or not, i mean her real reactions. And that offended my ego. How can a cool-guy like me not impress a girl thoroughly? So i took out a little piece of paper, wrote both songs on each side of it, and put in her bag which was on her seat as the class was away for morning assembly. This time though, i wrote my name as well. I smiled and imagined her expressions when she finds out later – she’d love it.

And so, with hands in-pocket, i proudly walked to the canteen and sat there since first period was free. I returned a little late to class, and found everyone making a lot of noise, sitting in their small groups everywhere. However, Simran and a couple of other girls were near the window, and on the blackboard, they wrote in bold letters – SPINELESS CALLER and made a joker face holding telephone in his hand, next to it!

“Sh*t” i thought and raced to my seat.

She walked upto me and said, “Jay, did you call me and do it?”

“What? What are you talking about?” i lied, scared of humiliation now that probably the whole class knew.

“You also didnt. Then who did? See Aarti made this on board so that the person himself comes up and admit it like a man.” she said smiling and sat next to me. Screw Aarti!

“Hehe. Very nice idea.” and then i realized, she hasnt seen her bag yet. Do something dude, get it out of there. You dont want to be a loser to her, and to everyone else.

I was thinking about all this when she again asked me, “You really sure you didnt do it?”

“No Simran i really didnt. Why would i? hey i am a cool guy you know, i can always say it to girls. I dont have to do k..k…k..k…kiran with them!”

“Alright. You are very sweet, i know.” she smiled at me.

“Come Simran, check this out.” Aarti, her friend called her and she went away. Giving me precious few seconds to slip that paper out of her bag. “Huff, thank god.” i said to myself as i tore that paper and threw its remains back on the floor.

That incident, however, changed me. Or atleast the way I looked at her. Before that, she was 1 of the so-many pretty girls i was surrounded with. You know, another one to flirt with. But some things changed, in my head. I could never let her know, but i was being drawn madly towards her.

A few days later, our board exams started. On the morning of the most dreaded of them all – mathematics exam, Simran met me outside our examination centre.

“Jay i have to talk to you about something.”

“Sure, what? please dont discuss trigonometry, i haven’t studied that part fully and….”

“No its not about studies. Its about something else.” she said, boldly but a little shy at the same time. I nodded.

“Jay. I like you. I wanted to say this to you for a very long time. but couldn’t. i really do. i swere.”

I stood dumbfounded. Thats the thing with guys who think they are cool – they are not!

Before i could react, she added, “Dont say that you dont like me. I know it was you who played those songs.”

“What are you talking about Simran? I didnt. I have better ways…” i said defensively.

“Oh yeah? Come on, i know it was you.”

“How can you be so sure?” i asked. just then, the bell rung, signalling us to move inside the exam-hall.

“Well, my home phone has a caller ID!” and she walked away to the hall.

For a minute i couldn’t follow her. Anyways maths was a difficult subject for me, but with so many added tensions and pressures, i was bound to not do well in that exam! i kept thinking more about what to say to her after 3 hours got over, more than what to do in those 3-hours!

As was the easy-thing to do, i avoided meeting her and ran away after the exam.

And did that for next paper and rest of exam days too.

And so, what could have potentially been a very “love story”, and beginning of a special relationship; marked end of a different thing – my interest in girls. I had met my true innermost self – that of a coward. Its easy to think of myself as a cool dude, but really difficult to accept responsibility in real life. I had disappointed her, i had disappointed myself – something i could never forgive myself for…

****

Epiloge: Life gave me another chance. This time i grabbed it. Years later, we met again. This time i didnt mess up. And like Imran Khan from the movie, was able to get my girl in the end. I also found that she had bullsh**ted about having that caller-ID at home! She was, at some level, very sure that it was me. Anyway it didnt matter to us then…

So really, my story shaped like a movie and ended like one too. but that’s a different story. Besides, not everyone is that lucky….

__END__

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