Love Story..

"So where are we going out tonite!", Vasuda asked me cause I think I had bored her enough. Vasuda was one of my old friends visiting me from Bangalore to Mumbai in the June of 2004. It was a Saturday night, a time when the whole of Mumbai comes alive. I knew I had to meet an old school friend of mine called Tania the very same day in Bandra. It was just going to be a small meeting I knew, just the "hey good to see you again types".

"Ok Vas, lets go to Bandra side and we can meet some old school friends of mine..and then we can go out with them". So there I was on my way to Bandra and I was supposed to meet Tania at this restaurant called "The Great Punjab" near Shopper's stop at Bandra. I had hardly had time to dress up for the night out...I was wearing an over loose grey shirt which made me look like a magician ready for his act...my hair like always was all over the place...

As I entered the restaurant, to my surprise Tania was there with a whole gang of girls....Now for a single guy, what else do you want ...I mean it was like Christmas and Diwali together...These were MBA students from the Tata Institute of Social Science in Mumbai...all of them batchmates of Tania...and quickly I scanned around....

After the customary introductions, I saw a girl with a bright face and an even brighter smile sitting at the far end of the table...! and I was standing at this end...all of the other girls except Tania were busy enjoying some food and conversation...I could just tell by the look of them that not even one of them was interested in me...neither was I interested in talking to anyone of them...except that girl at that far end...who was quite noticeably the life of the table...

Before I left that restaurant, I made sure that I exchange a quick glance with her and possibly a smile...I spoke to her also ...about some non sensical shit ...I generally talk shit on meeting new women...you know the "cool" act...I at least got to know her name..."Shraddha"...

Only Tania went out with me and my friends that night ...much to my disappointment....her friends or rather her one "friend" chose to go back home ....I dont think I even spoke to Shraddha for the next three months...! But then suddenly one of those oh so anticipated Saturday afternoons, Tania called me again "Lets Party...me and my friends are going out again"...And this time I did have time to dress up ...and not to mention I was positive that Shraddha was going to be there...so that extra bit of after shave was justified...

I was with two other very good friends of mine...Karan and Alluri...so all three of us went out and met this whole gang of girls...Shraddha was looking even prettier this time...and the writing was on the walls...'Get her number'!!!

After a serious night of clubbing and some serious drinking...You know how it is when you are single, find this girl very desirable, and you are extremely drunk and its 2.00 AM in the morning right...Its like your mind is not thinking....its racing...to add to the aura...the whole group went out to Bandstand in Bandra...its the seaface and in spite of me trying to stick to Shraddha's side...that stupid boy Karan went and sat next to her on the parapet next to the sea... i cursed him like mad...she was laughing and talking to everyone around...except me ...! I was sitting next to Alluri...and he was just sleepy...he was yawning like mad...I was like what a effin nite...and then it finally happened .....these girls decided to leave...and I still had made no progress...Karan was still with Shraddha...she was walking five steps ahead of me now...and I was still with Alluri....he must have yawned for the 10031st time...they finally left and I had no phone number, no memories to hold on to...at least she could have just ruffled my hair or something....

The next weekend was long and boring... I was reading this book called "Shantaram" ...In a fit I just picked up the phone..and asked Tania for Shraddha's number...thank god she did not ask me what I needed it for...maybe she just guessed...

So I called Shraddha up..and I must have practiced my conversation some 5 times...I worked out all the cool things I had to say " I just came back from the gym"..." I was writing a poem"...."I was making some Thai food"...actually I was sitting on the couch in my shorts and watching TV...!

Inspite of all my preparedness ....she told me that she will call back ...thats the worst you know when you are told that you will be called back but not told by when...5 minutes...1 hour...two hours...in my case it was one and a half days...

But then gradually I started speaking to her, we started sharing stuff...but still she never gave me the impression that she was treating me as more than a friend or something...But then gradually...and slowly ...and very very subtly...we started going out alone...! and the rest as they say is history....
There is a lot more to this story than you would want to know...but right now the fact that Shraddha will be my wife in another weeks time...is all that I can say...and I am still as delighted to see her everyday as I was when I saw her on that fateful evening in June of 2004!