#WritcoAnthalogy
You must be Priya!!! I said with all the confidence & zeal. They say that the 'first impression is the last
impression'. I wanted to make the best first impression. But deep down I was very nervous & full of
anxiety. I was asked to meet a girl who was chosen by my parents as one of the candidates for becoming
my life partner. My parents were not happy with the idea of this kind of meeting without the presence
of families from both the sides. But keeping in mind about the 'age threshold for getting married &
settled' that I was about to reach they agreed.
Yes and you must be Aakash.How are you doing? She replied very naturally unlike me who practiced
thoroughly even on the first line. But God, she was beautiful, as beautiful as she was in her matrimony
profile picture. But believe me after few seconds her good looks started rising my nervousness.
Funny but true fact 'For guys with low confidence like me nervousness is directly proportional to girl's
beauty'.
I am good, how about you? I answered her with question. This exchange of formal questions has always
been my favorite. Simple and closed loop. However, there are some questions with similar length that
may leave you wondering like anything.
She said-please don't mind I am having the coffee already. I know I should have waited for you to come.
Actually I came to Starbucks after long time so I couldn't resist, I love the coffee here. That is all right I
said with my not so natural smile. I was actually thinking about the etiquette that she violated.
You see this is us, the human beings. We start to judge others very fast. Just before few seconds I was
admiring her beauty and now I just added a negative point in her 'personality list'. After all meetings like
this are supposed to give us positive and negatives about the other person. Then we do math on these
numbers and make our mind.
I will have another coffee what you will have? I will get it for you, She asked. I will have cappuccino, I
answered with adding a plus for caring in her 'personality list' and I was back to her beauty again. I don't
think that she did anything different to look special that day, yet she was amazingly beautiful. She came
back with our coffees and I started wondering what to say next. I asked one of the 'small but difficult'
questions. I asked her- So tell me about yourself. This question always horrified me because I never
understood how to answer it. You will find lots of answers and suggestion on this if you search it on
internet. I always searched for this before any interview and surprisingly every time.
Isn't it bizarre that every time we need to search and take opinions of others to know our own insight?
I was not worried this time as I asked this question to her first. She looked at me as if I was an
interviewer and deliberately chose the 'favorite interviewer question'. She smiled and replied I know it feels awkward for two complete strangers to meet and know each other. Don't you agree? But fact is
that our first encounter with every relation starts from being a stranger.
I realized that suddenly I was at ease. Yes I completely agree with you, I replied. She continued-actually
with the families around, it could have more awkward. That's what I thought and asked my parents that
I will meet you alone first. So did they agree easily? I asked her. I realized I started opening up and
getting comfortable. She answered-yes they agreed but they asked me if we like each other than both
the families will meet and discuss. Their opinion also matters. My father always tells me that we should
meet new people with excitement not with pressure. I was listening to her carefully. How simply but
effectively she was putting herself.
She continued-well here is something about me. I love to travel and see new places and explore. I do not
have many friends but yes I do have close friends. I also do some work for an NGO for woman
empowerment whenever I get time in weekdays or weekends. I think it is very important to keep you
engaged in something or other, something that interests you. That's really great I said. I was actually
impressed with her answer to 'my so called difficult question'. There was no mention of her
qualification, job, salary, experience and achievements in her answer. You want to share something
here? She asked. It was my turn now.
I replied-well I am kind of introvert person. I am not that confident when it comes to socialize. I don't
know but there is something that stops you. You try to overcome that, you succeed some times and
sometimes you don't. In fact to be frank I was very nervous before meeting you.
It is really strange when we talk about our weak points we always talk with confidence. Problem comes
when we talk about our strengths. But why I was talking about all my negatives with her? She was not
my psychiatrist who invited me over coffee to solve my issues.
I kept going-I love to compose poems and write short stories. I know that I don't sing that well but I
think I am terrific singer. I also like to travel it always inspires me and gives something to compose and
write. But you know Priya that I feel there is some void in me which I try to fill but it empties out fast.
She was listening to me carefully. She said-I know very simple thing if you are happy the way you are its
fine, but if you are not than try to change yourself the way that makes you happy. Everyone has
different nature right? You know I was also nervous about this meeting but in a different way. I was
worried if this meeting would be comfortable for both of us to share. You know I am not worried now,
because you shared things with honesty and without any hesitation.
Maybe she invited me over coffee for sorting out my issues. Maybe she was my shrink. I laughed inside
me.
We shared with each other our interests, our likes, dislikes, our beliefs and many other things. I shared
few of my poems with her. I realized that slowly was falling in love with her.
I don't know if it was love at first sight or love at her insight.
Well Priya said yes for me. My father asked me about my opinion, little he knew, that I was in love with
this girl. Anyways I told my father in the formal way that it is yes from my side as well. I was very happy
but very curious at the same time. For me she was perfect beautiful, intelligent and most importantly
someone with whom I shared so much over a small meeting. But what she found in me. I presented
myself in way that I was - a guy with low confidence who doesn't have the skills to mixing up with
people. My poems maybe she liked my poems, I thought & tapped myself on my shoulder. But I was still
puzzled so I called her up and asked. She laughed at me first then she asked me why I said yes for her? I
wanted to say many things but what came from my heart instantly was -because you are a very good
person. She laughed and said I also said yes for the same reason. She continued - I loved your poems as
well. Creativity is very important Aakash, it keeps you happy, positive and alive. I was listening to her
mesmerized same as I did in our first meeting.
Our family met and we got engaged. We both were happy. Happy for each other and happy for
everyone. We got married few months later. Our relation as a couple was beautiful, just as beautiful as
she was. We both had jobs. It was me who convinced my parents for allowing her to continue the job.
But it was her who made my parents proud of her achievements. She believed that issues come in
personal life because we do not talk, convey or share when it is needed the most.
It's not that we had no fights & issues ever with each other. But every time fights and issues ended with
more love and respect towards each other. She told me whenever we have any issue with other, we will
ask each other out and discuss. Basically her idea was to have the nuance of two people dating. It always
keeps a relation interesting and full of life. It was my idea that we will meet at Starbucks cafe two or
three times a week. The Starbucks cafe was almost at equal distance from our offices. We surprise each
other every time we meet at cafe. Sometimes we used to reach late intentionally just to have that
beautiful couple fight with each other. We did nothing extraordinary for our relation. It was same as a
dating couple, deeply in love. We just keep the charm alive after marriage.
Prototyping any relation with the constant sense of responsibilities & liabilities make it dull. Many
marriages succumb to end due to this constant realization.
The blue silk scarf was very special to her. This was my first gift to her. Whenever she had anything for
me to surprise she covered it with this blue scarf. We gave gifts to each other whenever we felt like. Our
first marriage anniversary was very special. We celebrated it with full of enthusiasm. I don't know how
and when but I started having interest in socializing with people. I was confident and happy like never
before. This relation not only gave us love but also nurtured both of us as individually. I think such is a
power of love.
Priya was always a stronger person than me-in her beliefs, in her love and in her interests. She kept
herself associated with the NGO work. Sometimes she used to get busy in the NGO work and we had
fight over this. But it never affected our relation because deep down we always had an understanding. I
also helped her in many of her NGO activities. Though she was part of the NGO on women empowerment, her perspectives on the issues related to men were always fair & rational. I once asked
her- don't you hate men when you come to know about their heinous crimes on women? She told me-
sometimes I hate them like anything and do generalize. But then I think about the founder of our NGO,
who despite having his big empire runs this NGO and gives his own time to it. It ensures me that not
everybody is the same.
That night we were returning from a newly opened multiplex in Lower Parel. The movie show ended late
at 1:30 AM and we were moving towards the parking lot. We heard a mild scream, at first we ignored it.
But then again we heard it and this time it was loud. There was an under construction part next to this
big multiplex that was kind of isolated.
In the big cities there are places with full of brightness almost dazzling you and next to it there may be a
small dark, dull and unexplored place. But surprisingly both these places have their own secrets.
I don't know why but I did not ask Priya that we should leave and avoid the situation. I also knew that
she doesn't work for this NGO only for conducting awareness programmes. She always reacts to the
situations with involvement. Whether it's a small personal issue or any unfair situation in day to day life,
she always speaks up. We ran towards the place figuring out from where the scream was coming. It was
dark and we were not able to see so I switched on my mobile lights. We were shocked for a while for
what we saw. A small girl aged five or six was getting raped by two middle aged men, like a feeble naked
prey which was being torn apart by two human vultures.
Even though we hear about these heinous crimes every day but reality strikes you at your very core, only
when you experience it by yourself.
Priya ran and hit one of the men. The man pushed Priya away very hard and she fell down. I do not know
but how I all got all that strength. I punched the man very hard on his face. I was hitting him like
anything. I don't know what it was, may be the thrust accumulated from the helplessness over the
years. Helplessness of a loser who always comes across these crimes by TV news and news papers, but
avoids even a small fight in real life. Suddenly the other man hit me hard on head with an iron rod. Both the men fled from the spot leaving humanity naked, blooded and helpless.

I don't how many months or years have been passed but I am still. I am breathing but not alive. I open
my eyes sometimes. I always find few faces around me. Some of them crying and hoping that I will say
something. I also see a face which is always steady and still like mine. This beautiful face does not react.
This face does not seem alive. Is that you Priya?
Priya I want to cry, smile & laugh with you but I can't. But I think there is no difference between our
states. You want to cry but you are not able to because you are shattered, so shattered that your soul
has been dried out. But Priya like I always say you are stronger person between two of us. I feel like I am
in the same state before I met you first time at Starbucks, not alive. I want to meet you again like we
met for the first time. I want to feel happiness, pain, tears. I want to feel anything but this void. Do not
free me. Just make me alive like you always do. Surprise me like you always do .Priya you and only you
can do this.
It was raining and everything was so beautiful. I saw a beautiful girl. She sat in the Starbucks cafe,
sipping her coffee and staring out of the window. The blood stained knife lay next to her handbag,
covered with her blue silk scarf. I went up to her and said with full of life - Hi You must be Priya!!!....