For you, a thousand times over

(The phone is ringing. She picks up after 4 rings. Let’s call her ‘The Girl’)

‘The Girl’: Hello..... Hello... Who’s this?

Guy: Hmmm. Hello

“Are you fucking kidding me? After all that has happened yesterday, you still have got the guts to call me Rahul. Seriously! And whose number is this anyway.”

“Please. I am sorry alright. And you know I do mean it, when I apologize. What happened yesterday was my fault, I agree. And I do feel bad about what you had to face. But you were not completely true either.”

“Look who is talking about the truth and the lies. You were the one, who told me that you were no longer talking to her.”

“And you were the one who told me that you would start trusting me. You very well know that I called her up after ages yesterday. I can’t let people go away from my life. You have been my friend since long. Of all the people, I expect you to understand me. I just can’t just chop people off from my life. She was an important part of me back then. She would keep coming back to me, okay!”

“I asked you, not to talk to her, because it was she, because of whom you were back to your old dark ways and days, and I don’t freaking want you to see that way again. Is it too much to ask for, that I want you to be happy?”

“I know, trust me, I know. That’s why I called you up, as soon as I woke up. Let’s meet up. Please, please. I have got to talk about something to you too”

“Forget it. I am not doing that! You can go and talk to your old friend. FRIEND!” She laughs, giving in, almost.

“We can do it two ways, alright. Either, you can say no and hang up on me, and feel bad, call me later in 30 minutes with an affirmative answer. Or I can keep on repeatedly saying please until you agree.” “Oh wait, Or you can simply say yes now. The third one’s a much brighter.”

“I’ve always wondered, and I guess would keep on wondering. How have you figured me out so well? 

You’ve got to tell me that. Anyways, you made me smile, you made my day. To thee I shall come, this evening.” (Giggling)

Sighs. “The same place?”

“Yes, the same place. Now go, I don’t want you to be thrown out of the class again, because you were late cause of my call. Bye, take care!”

“See ya, love!”.

‘The Girl’ arrives. The guy is already waiting. He sees her, and as usual, he gets all nervous. His eye balls all alert. ‘I have got to do this today. I can’t wait no longer. She needs to know. I need to tell her.’

They meet, they hug, they share a smile.

“Can we go for a walk?”

“What’s with you and ‘walking’. But to where?”

“Let’s just walk? Plus, give up with your ‘tough girl attitude’. Things are okay now”

“You have no idea, how worried you make me. All the times, all the bloody times you have to do something or the other. And it is me, here, who gets all worried and nervous.”

“See, okay. I understand! I totally do. Probably, that’s why I called you up today.”

“The way you are speaking, it does not sound good, at all!”

Hesitantly. “Let’s date?”

 “Are you out of your fucking mind? We have had this conversation a hundred times before and yet you are still at the same point. I cannot Rahul. I simply cannot. Not that I hate you or something. You know how much care for you. The thing is I don’t think it would work. It just won’t. Plus, you are smart, handsome intelligent, you can get any girl that you want.”

“You are beautiful, gorgeous, amazing, witty, and I can go on and on and run myself out of adjectives but I won’t be done, even then. You have been with other people and so have I. Why is that any of them did not work. ”

“Because I cannot be serious! My story ends there. I know what shall become of me some day. I have got no other option.”

“And I don’t need any fucking option. All that need is the assurance that I have you. Remember, ‘together we shall rule, see and swim the world’.”

“I do. Old days!.”

“Beautiful old days. Come back to the reality now!”

“I cannot do it. If things go wrong, both of us would lose each other. You have had the experience earlier, haven’t you?”

“After today, things would never be the same again. I very well know that”

“Well, hmm..”

“I am not asking you to be my girl friend or something right away. Let’s go out, let’s date. Let’s spend some time with each other that way. If things have to work out, we both would know it for sure. And if there is nothing up on the horizon, I won’t bring this up ever again. All I want is a serious effort from your side. Something that you have not ever dared to try. Be mine, even if for a little while. Like those trial versions period. Let’s try to make things happen please”

“You should learn how not to make people cry! I just don’t know what to say. Yes, I do want to go out with you. Who would not want too? But the fear is too, too big for the love to survive.”

“If you are not happy the way things are working, you walk out. I shall not utter a word. Promise and yes, I would still be your mate.”

“You promise? And not a word if I say no later on? No questioning?”

“None, whatsoever”

“Why do you want this thing to work so badly? I know it’s killing you, yet you say yes to everything that I am asking for”

“That’s cause I want you to say yes for something that means the most to me. I want this; I want you, in my memories and my life both. That’s what I want. What I shall get, we will see. For the time being, all that I need is an assurance. Of togetherness, with you. of few hours, of few days, of few weeks!”

“In that case, your wish has been granted. Yes, I will date you, I would go out with you, and I will spend time with you. I will try to make it work”

“So................ let’s get moving then”

“To where?”

“I have arranged things.”

“How did you know I would agree?”

“I just knew”(winks). “And yes, no more questions. I have already said lots of ‘Yes’ today. I am not revealing anything.”

“I hope it’s something good mister. The future depends on it.”

She laughs, they both laugh. They drive off.