Gone By (34 page)

Nineteen

....................

The night grew older. And I could find myself asleep writing down the last word. The tube were still glowing. The diary laid open. Everything scattered within my bed. The next day I had to wake up early for college. Since for the last week I was away from college routine. Now, that I had to resume back for a week again. So, by the next Sunday I had to leave for Goa, the reason was Isha would be waiting for me. As I had promise her to be there within a week. Like the normal days, I started the next day going up to college. I had to walk few distance from where I had been living. More or less few yards away from college premise. On the very first day of my long gap resume, I could meet up some of my few friends who do accepted me as their one. Passed the day with them, attending classes. Some even inquired about my absence. I had to give a long explanation for their satisfaction. Some believed in my story, some said fake. But, that wasn’t a matter of important issue after all it was amongst the friends.

I had the cell phone in my pocket. And I could feel the vibration. I was leaning against a railing the moment. Beside me a friend stood up, gossiping with me. I was adding myself to his gossip. “Your phone is vibrating” he said.

I slid in to check out the calling number. It was a call from Isha.

“Hey” accepting the call.

“Wow! You took so long just to say hey” she said from the other end.

“I’m sorry...I was actually gossiping with a friend”.

“How about the day” she asked.

“Well, nothing new..classes on and now heading back to my den”.

I could hear the hiss of her breath, she mildly smiled out.

“What about you” I managed to asked her.

“Well, I have been working on my thesis...really excited to show you up”.

“Wow! That’s fantastic”.

“What about your story” she asked.

“It’s going good”.

“I just can’t believe you....you loved her so much that you began to write a book for her” she said softly.

“Oh! C’mon Isha”.

“I appreciate you. I’d do the same if I was you”.

“That’s what love has taught me..a gratitude to show”.

“Ok! Do take care” she dropped her phone.

“Bye” I added.

So, with that small gossip I bid bye for the day to my friend and walked off to my room. That was after a long period of time I attended classes. On my way back, I collected some stationary materials. I needed some assignment papers. Some sheets to draw. By now the time elapsed away, and I could take a glimpse of my wrist watch to be 5:00pm. My steps slowly reached up to my front door. Unlocked it and opened up to let myself in. The very first impression of my room was that it had an exotic smell of a perfume. So, that was first step of welcoming any guest into my room. As the door opened up, the thrash of the perfume drops flashed out along with the air and spread into the open space. The smell attracted every incoming guest and gave a warm welcome for them. For me it was a daily part of my routine. Basically, I used to spread perfume before I would leave my room, so while returning back I get the aroma to live in back. There was only one thing that kept triggering my mind. Every time and always I did thought about my diary to complete. And it was all to show my humble gratitude to Anannya. Doesn’t matter if she never happens to exist in my life. That would create me as a new personality which I would love to see in coming future. Every moment would be about her in my life, such was the arcade of love that grew inside me. It’s better not to forget her instead do something that remain forever, which I always wanted to do. I was a silent person inside my room. The only object that accompanied me was my laptop. A music that charmed me, was to be played and the presence of six strings at one corner was the decent decoration of my cubical den. No posters, no label of any arousing pictures but a shelf with complete stock of Novels and books of various genre.

So that evening after I returned back, I managed to unequipped myself. I grabbed a book out of my shelf to read. I laid on my bed and flipped a page out to proceed. That was the everyday routine I performed. Neither, I would grumble out with my friends. Hence, I had many few friends who did liked my nature and most were a part of for sake. But I never felt lonely cause I always had some creative activity to do. I read books, I wrote my story about Anannya. That’s how my time used to spend. Gradually I could lift up higher from the ground to see who was I. So, the evening of my life gave me the most free hour to perform my personal activity. At the time of loneliness, I did used to send messages to Isha. That would continue for hours. She was the only one who would support me at that time. And I would never forget her for such wonderful words which she did used to message to me. Spending the days back to college, I really began to feel the real need of Isha alongside me. Almost not a single day I would not talk to her. She never mind about that. In fact, she always wanted to know about my life and I had been sharing it to her. Most of all she always used to ask about my story. Maybe it’s because she began  to fall in love with my story and the girl of my life Anannya. Days went on passing, like every other night I wrote my story in my diary. So, this night was also the same. Before I opened to script I made a call to Isha. Some beautiful words were exchanged between us. And then I picked the pen to script down the rest part of my story.

So, now I was a second year student. Still I had no location about Anannya. Like every other empty days, each went shallow. Only little bit smiles and joy smeared on my face. And every time I thought about her. Neither I could break any rules to look out for her. All I kept praying let she be happy wherever she may be. Sometime, I said and whispered to myself “I really miss her”. Nostalgic memories about school days did used to flash back. That’s the moment when I used to miss her more than anything else in this world. Now, that year 2010 the use of internet has increased among my friends. I didn’t know what’s the reason behind, in true I wasn’t so aware
about the launch of social network. Neither I had any interest in using it. It
was one night, I had a friend invited in my room. He was indeed the only friend whom I could put trust. He was seated on my chair. I was laid on my bed with assignment papers. For something he was checking out in my laptop. I could see he opened one web page.

“What page is that” I hinted to know.

“It’s actually social network” he answered.

He began to give the every detail about it. I wasn’t much interested to know yet then for the sake of knowledge I paid an attention.

“What’s the name of the site” I urged to know.

“Well, Mark Zuckerberg named it Facebook”.

“He’s a young millionaire” I said.

“Yeah..he is”.

“Don’t you think you can be like him” I said sarcastically raising my eyes towards him.

“Stop mocking...do you need to create an account?” he said.

“Yeah..make me for one”.

He signed in for me and did created a account. And the first name I searched was of Anannya. As her name flashed out in the screen, my heart burst in joy. I began to feel the real smile back on my face. I could see her picture on it. She was still the same but did turn more beautiful than before. I had no words to speak nor I could control myself. I was drown into the lawn of charm and joy seeing her after a year gap. My eyes widely opened to see her photo and with every click of her pictures I flashed out a brief and silent smile. My lips pressed and mum, just gleamed in surprise to see her. I thought of messaging her but had to bound myself. Instead I sent her a request to accept my friendship.

“Who is she” my friend inquired.

“A wonderful friend of mine”.

“Really..or more than a friend” he said with doubt in his voice.

“The girl I dream about..happy” I squished.

After a while, he left and walked towards his room. He bid me goodnight so did I wished him back. I just began to ponder around thinking about her. I searched about her every detail that she listed on social network. So surprise to know she was just few hours away from me. In fact she was studying in Pune, which was just three and half hours journey estimated from Satara. I was really over charmed. I began to kick out my legs in an excitement. Neither I could think of going to sleep. For I knew that night would be an addictive night profoundly lost into her thought. Perhaps I would begin again to dream about her. The most patient thing I could do that time was to wait for her friend acceptance. I especially thank on my mind to Mr. Zuckerberg for creating such worldwide network. Which is why I could see her once again, may not be right before my eyes but the network to stay in touch. That night went along pondering about her. Almost every hour of the next day I would log in to find notification. But, until then I had no sign of any notified symbol on my Facebook page. I waited for the whole day patiently. At the evening hour of that day I logged in once again. This time I could see a red symbol glowing at one corner of its page. I clicked to look for. Yes, she has accepted and granted me as one in her list. I couldn’t wait but to inbox her.

“Hey!!! How have you been. I just couldn’t wait to write to you. It feels so good some way I could get connected to you. I wonder if you have become more beautifu
l
. It’s after a year I finally found you through this social network. You know I’m just few hours away from you and
desperate to see you. I promise you very soon I’ll come to see you.........take car
e


”.

With that long words I logged out. I was
feeling generous within myself. If this could be so much true about my love, I wouldn’t let the things to go against me. I wasn’t sure enough if she would reply me back. But, I hoped she would do that at least for me. I waited for her reply. I wasn’t hurry to see it but hoped she do.

After  the prolonged wait about one year, now that I could at least write to her. Maybe this could take us more higher getting to know each other. We are now more grown up unlike that of school student. We have spent one year without any touch of words or connection between us. I expected the same she would too be anxious to know where I would be. Ever since we were apart how the world lasted between us we hardly knew, but now we are here again to rejoice our reunion in some way or the other. I could only wait every day, her words to read. But each day passed on with delay for her reply. I began to feel like an addict towards Facebook. Every time, I did opened her profile and gazed at her pictures for long. But foremost I wanted to read her reply. For few days I had no notifications from her. Neither I had placed any notification to any other. It was only she, my first person on my list. In contrast to that I had hardly any interest in sending friend request to anyone. But, every day I could see her list of people increasing and least bothered to reply me. I thought of writing her another message but for some reason I avoided doing so. How far was I right to write her I had no second thought about that. I began to feel the rise of immature doubts around my head. “Should I ask about her boyfriend?” such affirmative question began to rumble in me. I knew she had a boyfriend, but now no idea about her life. Maybe I shouldn’t put my interest on her now. The one year gap can be manifest in proper way, indeed I have learned to stay in her memory. So, I had finally granted myself not to expect back anymore from her.

The whole night was spent writing my diary. I couldn’t realize the dawn broke out. I began to read the page I wrote. I thought of wishing Isha a good morning. I was still seated the same on my bed, since the time I postured myself to write my story the earlier night. I typed some text wishing good morning to Isha and sent it to her. Within no seconds, her text blinked on my cell phone screen. I read it “Good morning and waiting for your return”. I thought of resending with addition of other words but I had to manage myself for the college as I was getting late. I began to reconstruct myself and got ready for stepping out of my room. That morning I felt the fresh air which touched me spreading it’s perfume of happiness all around. I walked happily with my face smiling on every step. People around looked at me in surprise. I could read out their faces not accurate but could make out what they intended inside their mind. They definitely thought me crazy for that hour of the time. I hooked myself on my way to college road, at frequent moment I glanced at my wrist watch. It showed me the time morning 10:00am. I met few of my friends on my way, they accompanied me. And I was the addition in their group.

“You look great today” one of my friend said looking at me.

“Do I” not sure whether to take it serious or the act of sarcasm.

“Yeah! You’re looking great”.

“ Thanks”.

“I heard you’re writing a Novel”.

“How did you know that”.