Just Another Story

Today I am proud to introduce one of my favourite bloggers as the guest for Tuesday Love Ramblings. Akki is a very gifted writer though she would never in her life admit it. And even though she couldnt believe i really want her to write something for my blog, i will repeat again and again, it was an honour for me when she agreed!!

She has chosen to write a story and i am proud to announce i have been there on all stages of writing this one, starting from Akki's "Awww... it has been half an hour and i have not written a word yet" and ending with "I got it, here we go!!" And it is my pleasure to introduce to you "Just Another Story" written by my good friend Akki. (Dont forget to check her blogs if you have not yet!!)

*****************************
"Manu! Remove the clothes from the lines. Its raining!"
She keeps the book away reluctantly and goes to do what her mother has told her to do. She doesn't like anyone bringing her back to reality from her beautiful world of books where each story has a happy ending.
Like every other girl, Manu has believed in her knight in a shining armour and unlike many other girls she has had her knight.

Raghav came her way one evening not very different from this one, when it was about to rain. The lovely smell of the earth getting wet. She was waiting for her friend to show up at the mall, when she saw him parking his car in the basement parking lot. He wasn't that strikingly handsome. But, there was an aura about him. Some indescribable charm that drew her. Those lovely dimples which showed up even without him making an effort to smile. She just stood there ogling him.

She never saw him and barely had the time to think of him later. He was just a fleeting vision or so she thought. The same friend of hers threw her 21st birthday bash. She made a lovely sight in her cream coloured salwar kameez and her waist length hair falling in slight curls. She smiled inwardly, thinking that her own 21st was a silent small affair celebrated at home.

In the far corner of the room, he smiled looking at her smile. He wondered what was it that made her smile like that. Was she thinking of a guy? He hoped not. It would be really bad if she already had someone. There was a weird heaviness as he weighed down that thought. From time to time, his gaze turned towards that vision in cream. He had to do something about it. Well, he was not the kind to believe in love at first sight or the second sight for that matter, but he wanted to take a chance. Something within him propelled him to go talk to her.

"Hi, I am Raghav.", he said. He was shocked to look at her wide-eyed look and wanted to check himself in a mirror if he had suddenly sprouted an extra head.
"Hello", Manu replied. By this time she had gathered her senses and composed that weird look that she must have given him. Those dimples! How could she have forgotten those!
"I am Ashima's brother's friend. We went to the same school.", he said. He wondered why she had given him that odd look in the first place.
"Ashima and I go to the same college now." She told him by way of introducing herself.

That was the first bit of conversation they had. A million were to follow that before they progressively fell in love with each other. In Raghav, Manu found a saviour. Someone she could rely on always. Someone who would take care of her after all these years of loneliness without anyone in her life.
In Manu, (Manasvitha being her full name which he loved) Raghav found a heart with love and care in abundance. Something that he had always searched for and it amazed him that he had found it with such ease.
As time passed by, they grew inseparable. Like every other couple they had a picture-perfect love story on the surface peppered by little fights now and then. It made life seem beautiful.

Like every other love story there was a snag awaiting them too. Born and raised in trite traditional customs both Raghav and Manu found themselves in a quagmire of sorts. Manu's mother who was widowed a couple of years back was against her marrying a boy whom she had not chosen. A devout believer in arranged marriages and her own strong opinions against love compelled her to refuse Manu the right to her happiness.
On the other hand, Raghav's parents were unhappy about the fact that Manu was not one among "them".
Caught between the metaphorical rock and a hard surface, Raghav and Manu only had each other for solace.

This brings us back to Manu's reluctance to leave her world of happy endings as her own ending was a blur of hot arguements with the words love, caste, marriage, refusals sprinkled here and there.
Raghav finds that he is helpless in convincing his parents about Manu and he gives up the fight. He tells Manu that he is leaving her as he is not able to stand the turmoil anymore. Like every other guy he takes an escape route from possible happiness.
Manu tries to get over the love. She wonders how she can ever finish the mammoth task of forgetting him.

Time rolls by. Manu and Raghav live in denial. In denying their feelings for each other. They refuse to marry anyone else their parents choose for them. So engrossed are they in their denial that they don't see time with its hands ticking steadily.

Just when you thought this story was running out of cliches and metaphors and weird twists in the tale, life dishes another one out to them!

At Ashima(ah, the same sweet friend!!)'s wedding both our sweet lovers are thrown together again.
Raghav mentally kicks himself for playing the escape artist.
Manu is embittered with Raghav's deeds.

Some love stories are worth giving a chance. Some, well, despite the ample chances given don't have a dream of growing bigger.
As for this story, there is no ending.
An ending is possible only if someone truly believes in it. Truly believes in their love enough to bear the consequences. Enough to suffer the hardships. Enough to look beyond the wonderful time spent and actually build a future. Enough to convince themselves and even the most stone hearted of hearts that they deserve happiness.

**************************
I hope you enjoyed this story as much as i did :)

PS: just a small note, i will catch up with all your posts and comments, i promise. Just have some tough phase right now. Thank you all for having patience with me and reading this blog of mine even though i am not frequent at yours which will change once i find myself again. The previous post is still actual for me, am on the search which sees no end. Anyways, have a great day everyone!! :) :)