"This Crazy Thing Called Love, Maybe?"

~Aashika Singh~
Sitting on the stairs, near the college cafeteria, a novel in my hand, reading those lines from the book, The Last Song, "Sometimes you have to be apart from the people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes it makes you love them more."

I adjusted my glasses and looked straight. It was him. Sameer Rajput, the college's cutest guy and even the most popular one. He was hearthrob of many, and i was in that list too. It had been almost an year, i was noticing him. Everyone used to call him a flirt. Maybe he was, but i haven't actually seen him with a girlfriend since the day i joined this college. His deep brown eyes had secrets in them which i wanted to explore. But i knew, this would always remain a fantasy. I was just his classmate, an average girl with glasses, zero sense of this ever changing fashion, always lost in her novels and completing her lectures, While he was someone always surrounded with those popular glam girls who died for his attention. He never looked less than perfect. Black leather jacket, white t-shirt and blue jeans, and that billion dollar smile, how can someone be not crazy for him. And i saw him passing. I tried not to fix my gaze over him i didn't want to be embarrassed if he caught me.

Did he smile? In my direction? Am i dreaming? Maybe it was for someone else around. Maybe i love him so much that i am daydreaming about these things. Silly me! And i moved into the class where i saw him sitting on the very same bench where i sit everyday. And he smiled, this time, it was for me. And i smiled back. While i was taking my notes, i caught him staring at me. And then again smiling. Am i getting crazy or was he actually smiling, looking over at me?

~Sameer Rajput~
Like every other day i see her sitting on the stairs, like always with a novel in her hand. This girl is crazy. I don't know why but i feel as if there is something inside me, there is something which i feel for her. Her gaze was fixed in my direction. And i smiled, i smiled at her. But she didn't react, and started to look around, thinking it wasn't for her. Maybe i was a flirt, but when i have a girl, i would be faithful to her.
 And then Aashika, this girl was different, while others roamed around me for attention, she always maintained a distance. I like the way she adjusts her glasses. She doesn't know how pretty she is. And i moved into the class, an idea popped up in my stupid mind. I went and sat on her bench and after a minute or so, she came and sat next to me. She was surprised when i smiled at her, and she smiled back. There was a different kind of happiness that i felt. I didn't know what to call this feeling, love maybe? And i laughed at my silly thoughts.

And then i looked over at her direction, she was busy taking notes and tucked that strand of hair behind her ear and adjusted her glasses. And she looked at my side, and saw me looking over at her. And all i did was just smile.

Just then Ranbir Kapoor's Dialogue from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani popped up in my mind,

"Tumhare jaisi ladki flirting ke liye nahi,
Ishq ke liye bani hai,
Aur Ishq meri sehat ke liye acha nahi."

And i looked away thinking that maybe, just maybe this was love. But a girl like Aashika deserved someone lot better.

"The New Girl"

It was 1st January. Her friends had insisted her to accompany them to a picnic. An hour or so drive from her town, and they were near to the beautiful Shiwalik Hills. The place was decided, it was a small lake. She didn't want to join them, the reason being that her friends, the six of them were three couples. She didn't want to hurt herself anyhow. She didn't want to feel as a loner or a nobody on the very first day of the year . But after her friends constant insisting, she couldn't say no. She went along with them.

On reaching there, she faced what she feared. The three couples were busy romancing and she found her solace under a big tree. She opened her bag, and took out a book "The Fault in Our Stars" by "John Green". She didn't want to feel left out, and a novel, what could be a better way to start the year than that for someone who couldn't even live a day without her novels.

One of her friends noticed her deep in thoughts, she called her, "Hey Geet? Listen, come and join us. Why are you reading even today? I'm really sorry if we are making you feel left out. I'm so sorry."
And Geet knew this was coming.
To which she said, "Im not at all alone. Im having a good time reading this, you guys enjoy. My happiness lies in this.", she said waving her novel.

And while reading the extra-ordinary tale of Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace, her thoughts took her back in time. It was more than one and a half years that her relationship broke, and she wasn't even at fault, maybe at some points she was, but she did all she could. And today, after such a long time, she had made herself into a strong girl and she was strong enough to move herself out of the thoughts of the guy her life once revolved around. She didn't regret anything, but she believed that what is meant to be always finds a way, same happened with her.
Looking back at her friends, seeing them holding hands, walking together, and that lovey-dovey stuff did make her feel a bit sad. But she couldn't let herself down. She promised herself that she won't let herself feel low. She had dreams to chase, she had a world inside her to conquer, and if she let herself down now, she won't ever be able to rise up back again. Her dreams would turn to dust. She had to keep up with the promises she had made to herself, because she learnt that you can't really rely on someone else for your own happiness, life made her learn this the hard way.
She was broken, crushed, lost at one point, but with all her courage she stood up back again.

As a girl, she always wished for a happily ever after with the love of her life, but then she realized that life has in-numerous ways to surprise us and now she was enjoying every bit of it.
And a text from someone, got her back into reality. And she smiled, she was someone different now, no longer that girl who wished for material things. She was stronger, she was a new girl now. It was as if inside her, she had found a different dimension, a whole new different Geet.

And reading this line from the book, “It seemed like forever ago, like we've had this brief but still infinite forever. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities", a face flashed in front of her eyes. It was the same face whose text made ever smile sometime back.
She wondered how and why? But she couldn't get any answer. All she did was smile, reading the book further, and feeling good about her life.

And after she was done with the book, she was thinking about so many things on her way back, but that one name was still ringing in her head. And all she did was smile and remember this line from the book,
“Because you are beautiful. I enjoy looking at beautiful people, and I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence” .

*Forever : Love Or Friendship* [Part-20]

~"If you are strong enough to pass through all the tests life puts you through, then surely you are meant to be, you do deserve the best."~

______________________________________

The ceremony was over. Rings were exchanged. Now my sister belonged to someone else. Everyone had become a bit emotional, because soon she was gonna be married.
After everything was over, a different kind of excitement was running through me. I was gonna get my answers now.

I went to the terrace waiting for her. After some time, I heard the sound of footsteps with something clicking by the steps on the way. That clicking sound must be of her payal. That suddenly made me smile. She was coming, and this time I won't let her go until she was mine.

And my beautiful lady was here. She was wearing that beautiful red and golden lehnga which made her look even prettier.
One look from her was enough to calm the disastrous oceans of emotions flowing inside me.

And I held her hand. She didn't even oppose this action of mine.
I didn't say anything. But I noticed her eyes were full of tears and she hugged me tight.
She said, " I'm so sorry Aryan. Please forgive me someday if u can. I know I'm asking for too much, but please someday."
She had buried her head into my chest.

I couldn't let her break down. She had always been the stronger one out of both of us, but today it wasn't so.

I cupped her face into my hands.
"Ssshh. Saanvi. No. You haven't done anything. So just keep quiet. Don't cry and listen to me."

"No, I don't deserve your goodness Aryan. Even you know that.", she was still crying.

I looked straight into her eyes.
"Now keep quite and just listen to me. It was a bad time, and it passed. Life does that. These are just tests. And we actually came out from all of them. I've known you since forever. Before love, our friendship stands tall. For the sake of it and our memories, just listen to me. Everything is okay now.
Just relax. Together we can make it. All you need to is believe. What happened, happened, there was no control over it but what happens ahead, we can change it.
We promised each other, what was it ? To last till forever? And before your lover, I'm your best friend Saanvi. I would respect your decision if you walk away today. But I won't let my best friend walk away, for her happiness I might let my love walk away, but my best friend, hell no. Me and my best friend are meant to be, forever. Now I leave the decision upto you.
Which relationship you want me in? But I swear this time I won't let you walk away. I love you Saanvi."

She spoke softly, "i love you Aryan. I'm sorry. No one is walking away. You have both your love and your best friend, forever."

Tears started trickling down my cheeks too. And I kissed her forehead. All the sacrifices now stood true. This was what I was fighting for.
And suddenly an Idea popped up into my mind, I took out the ring from my finger and bent down on my knees.
I took her hand and said, "Saanvi, our forever has just begun. Will you marry me? I know it's a stupid idea of proposing you with my own ring, but I'm sure it's different, just like our love story."

"Of course, yes. How can I not agree?", she said. And I slid the ring into her finger.
I got up and hugged her tight. Finally, after so long she was mine again.

___________________________________

And our forever had just begun. I was lucky enough that my forever had both friendship and love.
And I finally understood that these sacrifices are what made us stand together today. And I'm glad to have her as a part of my life, forever.

THE END.