“Don’t give that shit ya,you again broke up? “I was horrified and plain disgusted. And was in no mood to give my shoulders to cry on to Ria who compulsively falls in love and goes through same boring break ups.Today I refused to be her agony aunt. Oh well, did I introduce myself? I am Shree, age 23, doing MBA and today I am particularly tensed and irritated because today is my first day of internship in a big corporate house under some Mr.Tathagata Choudhury!!!Now in 2005 whose name can be TATHAGATA which takes ages to spell and write, must be some cranky old fart.So I left Ria in her pool of tears which I am sure will be dried up soon, looked into the mirror for the last time, adjusted my dupatta over my black Kurta, applied lip gloss, combed my long mane and almost dashed out of her room as I was running real late. While travelling I thought to myself “this is why I am so Anti Love and Anti Marriage, Why cry for a Man when you have thousands reasons to smile for yourself, to celebrate your own womanhood, why does one need a Boyfriend or Husband for that matter?” I smirked and a lady of my mother’s age must have thought me to be an arrogant prude, but I am not…I am quite sweet (read sometimes a bitch too) but just anti relationships.
They say Man proposes And GOD disposes and today I know Someone up there was busy editing the script HE had written for me which would change the course of my life.”Bhaiya 7 rupaya hua na?” and handed over a 10 rupee note to the auto driver and as usual he did not have change. I cursed under my breathe and ran towards the office.
A snooty receptionist, with dolled up face looked at me like an alien has just landed in front of her, I gave her my best forced smile and said “Hi this is Shree Banerjee, I will be starting my internship project under Mr.Tathagata Choudhury from today. So I am here for the same” Ms.Snooty shooed me with a wave and made a call to someone giving my details and asked me to wait. I sat down clumsily and tried concentrating on a magazine. After 20 minutes or so a tall dark young man came out from inside and sized me up, “Jerk” I said and looked the other way. After few minutes he came up reeking of fags and walked past me.Our eyes met again and this time I felt a jolt…those brown eyes were so soulful and deep.
Ms.Doll then called my name in her sing song voice and said, “Go straight inside take the first right turn and enter the cabin on your left”. Thanking her I headed towards the direction and tapped on the closed door, “Come in Ms.Banerjee” said a baritone voice. I entered and before I could greet him I was zapped n “OH SHIT” came out instead of Good Morning Sir…Tathagata was the same man who came out few minutes back for a smoke and whose eyes unnerved me. He was quite amused and for the first time I noticed a MAN properly with a WOMAN’S eyes, he was no more than 27, 6 feet tall, back brushed hair, brown eyes and was wearing a purple coloured shirt over a black pin striped trouser. First time in life the super confident Shree was blushing, yes I was, my cheeks were on fire as his eyes scrutinized me and I didn’t feel anger or anything nasty in that look which he gave me mingled with amusement and affection.”Ms.Banerjee welcome and I didn’t mind at your Oh Shit” I felt like disappearing into thin air. “So now we need to go out to visit a major client, You all set for that, I think the HR dept. has done the basic induction with you.” I tried to speak but no words came out so just nodded.
That day it all started with the bike ride to which I was not used to. He said sensing my discomfort “you can hold me”, again a spark the moment I kept my hands on his shoulders. The day ended. I went home and suddenly Tum Aa gaye Ho Noor Aa gaya hai in Radio Mirchi blended deeply with my current state of mind, suddenly Ria didn’t seem that stupid to me.I was smiling sheepishly with no apparent reason, got a strange look from MA and went to bed.
I spent a sleepless night, my heart was in topsy turvy,I turned and tossed and waited for the first ray of sun. Kishore Kumar crooned in the radio”Keya Yehi Pyar Hai?” Or was that my heart asking my brain?
30 days of internship ended with him, those magical 30 days, as if fairy god mother had sprinkled golden shimmer on every moment we spent together. I was in awe of his poise with which he carried himself, He could lit up the darkest of my moods with his smile which showed his wisdom tooth,everytime he was near me I inhaled the masculine fragrance which stole my senses away, I knew I WAS IN LOVE,BUT WAS HE? My internship ended. It was the last day and every single cell of my existence were screaming into my ears “from tomorrow you will not see this man, not see him smile at you, not hear his voice, not see him frowning at some stupid mistake you have made…its over Shree…Your first LOVE will just be over” My eyes were wet, is this heart break? His eyes were misty too, I knew he would miss me too, although he doesn’t speak much but his gestures proved I was someone very special to him. We would part today, no commitments, no promises of undying Love but our hearts knew we had fallen passionately in love.
That evening when he came to drop me (by that time it had become a regular ritual) the sky was breaking down, as if it too was in sync with my pain of separation, on our heads. “Shree do you have 10 mins? ’I wish I could say I have my lifetime for you but my answer was in a monologue, “Yes”
We stood in front of a roadside tea stall and ordered 2 cups of tea. He stood in front of me with an earthen pot of tea in his hand and said,”Shree I am not very good at expressing my feelings, by now you must have known that, but today I have mustered all the courage in the world to ask you, WILL YOU MARRY ME? I will not ask you to go around with me or be my girlfriend and keep my options open, I Love You Shree and want to walk in this journey of life with you”, I was astounded, but I said ‘’Do you realize you just proposed to me?” “I did,yes”,my heart that was dancing with joy asked him “Will you want to marry someone who hates cooking? ’He smiled THAT enticing smile AND I GOT MY ANSWER.