Epiphany

Chapter 8

Idli with sambar tasted heaven at the hill station. I went to my work after a long time and surprisingly my boss has his wedding planned this week. It's taking place in this hill station. I love hill stations a lot. Wait I have seen him somewhere and he is now smiling at me. He is looking really handsome but I kind of find him familiar. He is now walking towards me.

He gave me a gentle smile and sat beside me. He took a bite from my food and told it tasted really good. I was more than surprised when he took that bite. "How are you Snow? I thought you were in kotagiri after your cancelled wedding. Never expected to see you here. Wait don't tell me you don't remember me." He asked me with a glint of amusement.

I just gave him a smile but there was hell lot of an emotion turmoil in my mind. It was too much to handle as the guy that you were just sighting coming and sitting beside you and initiating a The conversation. god what am I supposed to reply to him. Do I know him?

"I am planning to leave this place soon. so please do excuse me." I told him with a gentle smile but he had other plans. He held my hands so securely...what securely you might ask me? Well, I'm an overthinker, what do you even expect from me. He gave me a smile and told asssuringly, "I am Veer, ding dong..does the bell strikes now?". Oh god how can I forget him. He is my lovely cousin who is the most openminded person among us. It had been ages since I saw him. I am seriously surprised seeing him.

"Veer!!!!!!!is it seriously you. Oh god. I'm not able to believe this. How are you?", I asked him. He gave me a wide smile and told me, "I am fine Snow. Why don't we take a stroll." I gave him a nod excitedly.

We are now standing in the viewpoint. It looks really good with all those sounds of the little insects and our favourite song playing in the background making this moment even more unforgettable. I'm in love with this place.

"So, I told my story. It's your time now. Please do tell me about your cancelled wedding because I guess I have heard enough rumour and versions of the same story in the past week. Tell me only if your comfortable." He told me.

This question of him took me off guard because I never thought about that incident after that day. It brought a small smile in my face and few drops of the traitor tears in my eyes. He panicked. I just held his hand and started narrating my story.

"I loved my college at a lot, it was so huge. I was studying my favourite subject in one of the best institutions. The days were really good. one fine evening I saw him looking at me in the mess. He was wearing white t shirt with black pants. His look was really intense and it intrigued me to no extent. It was the first time someone looked at me like that and it scared me to no extent. But as weeks passed I started noticing him everyday and after a month I went to the most famous club selection. During the selection I fainted, it was the most embarrassing moment in my life and as usual he came to my rescue. He helped me at that time and it was my first time hearing his voice. I had no idea it was him until I opened my eyes. I thanked him and ran away from that place. I guess it made him enter my heart easily. Surprisingly I got selected in that club and as time passed with a lot of effort I found his Instagram id with the help of my friends. I gave him a request and he gave me back request sharply at 11.11pm. I still remember what I thought at that moment. Instagram was like the place where we talk with each other indirectly like you know if something happens we put story and the reply or something based to that will be put in story by the other one.

It's funny thinking of how I used to wait for his story all night. I started becoming mad for him like literally I was obsessed over him. My friends literally warned me but I paid no attention to them and funnily on top of that the girl whom I thought as one of my best friend flirted with him and proposed him. I hated it and found it really hard to trust my friends after that but because of this incident I was able to find my true best friends. I will never regret looking at him because I found a lot of things and learned a lot because of it.

At one point I heard that my so called best friend was committed with him and I cried the whole night in the arms of my best friend. after that day I used to cry suddenly during the odd time whenever I thought of him. I wrote a lot of poems for him. I was in my most vulnerable state and found out that he was never really committed with her. I blocked him and thought of starting a new phase in my life it never happened. I stopped talking about this to my friends as they hated him to the core but one fine day due to my confession during a game about it they were really angered. I have this friend of mine from my school who now studies in a different state. My friend and him planned a meeting with Dev without my knowledge.

I literally spoiled the meeting but I told everything that was in my heart. He just told ok when I told him that I had feelings for him. It took a lot of effort for me to get over him. The reason why I hated him was that he did everything that he could do to give me hopes, and I fell for it. My friends then made me realise I was just being played by him. He neither told no nor did he say yes when I proposed him but it was not just for me there were 4 girls played like me at the same time. He had told 2 girls from my own class that he was in love with them. I got fed up of what was happening and started hatting him but then realised he never did anything like that to me and on top of that it was all my delusion from the start. It was an epiphany for me and I forgave him for the mistake he never did. It was easy for me after that to move on from him but it took 4 months for that.

I didn't accept that wedding proposal because I know how much I love him even now after all those. I know my love for him is not really healthy. I know he influences me to no extent even before we know each other so I know how much hurt I will be after, if this wedding ends in divorce. I don't want to read the same book twice because I have always regrated giving a second chance to people as well as books. I don't want to regret my first love."

I had tears in my eyes with a small sad smile present in my face. He gave me a side hug and I started sobbing hard in his arms. It's been years since I cried like this. I never cry even in front of my closed ones but crying in front of him was really unexpected because he would be the last person whom I would have cried to but it was really comforting to let go of all those hurtful tears after years of holding back.