Love Aaj Kal

My first ever attempt at 'story' writing.

Disclaimer - All the characters in this story are fictitious and any resemblance to anyone dead or alive is purely intentional. ;)

‘Damn, the rain!’, thought Rimi. ‘It never rains when I am at home with the luxury to snuggle up with a book and a cup of hot chocolate. It always makes a point to pour when I am at the bus stop with no umbrella and my arms full of otherwise useless stuff.’

She was so engrossed in her pouting that she didn’t notice him until he came and stood beside her. He was not someone you would call strikingly handsome. Yet, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. He had sharp features and a lean, but well maintained physique. ‘Who is he?’ she thought. ‘I come here everyday. I have never seen him before.’ As if he felt a pair of eyes boring through him, he turned suddenly and smiled at her. Although taken aback, she smiled back, thinking, ‘Ok stop. He can probably see you drooling in spite of the rain.’ The AC Volvo she had been waiting for finally arrived and she couldn’t wait to get into it for fear of more drooling.

She hurriedly scampered into the bus and took the first seat that came into view, and heaved a sigh of relief as if she had escaped from a refugee camp, only to notice that he was right behind her, this time grinning. ‘That was REAL smooth. Way to go, Rimi’, she thought. She assured herself that she must have done some good deed in her previous birth. The seat next to her was occupied, saving her more embarrassment in case he sat next to her. After an uneventful journey, she saw him finally get up and get down at a stop ten minutes from where she lived.

‘Phew! I am alive. I made through it!’ she thought. ‘No more what-was-your-most-embarrassing-moment situations.’ She had always hated that question when it was asked as a part of the ‘fun’ games. What was ‘fun’ about it anyway? Well, looking at it from the listener’s perspective, one’s embarrassment was indeed another’s joke. ‘Hmpf.’ She got off the bus and started walking home. The rain had reduced by now and there was only a slight drizzle.

‘So, you were drooling at a guy in the bus stop. Man, I have never seen you drool!!’ screeched Jonie into the phone.

‘Again. Why are we best friends?’ Rimi asked. ‘I never get an answer to that. Anyway, I am glad it’s over with and am never, ever gonna lay eyes on him in my life again’, Rimi said with obvious happiness. ‘Ok mom’s calling. Got ta go. Catch you later. Bye.’

She hurried to the hall. ‘Rimi, there you are. Where have you been? Come here. Meet Bala. He has moved into our apartment this week. He is in Mr. Naresh’s flat. You remember they moved out last month, don’t you?’


‘Oh yes. Ha…. Ha…. Ha…’ was all that came out. Yes, of course. It was him!

‘Rimi, are you alright?’ he asked.

Well, of all the things your crush should tell you the first time. ‘Wait a minute. Crush?! Did I just think CRUSH? Whoa! I need to get a grip. Where’s my vodka?!’

‘Yes. I am fine. Hello. How are you?’ she managed politely.

‘I am fine, thank you. So, what do you do?’

Well, apart from staring at strange guys at the bus stop, she thought. ‘I work in the IT industry’, she said.

‘Oh that’s nice. So you are from those corporate boxes.’ He smiled.

Oh, the jerk! Hmpf. ‘Well, what do you do?’ she asked, giving her widest smile.

‘I am an architect.’

‘Oh that’s nice. So you make those boxes’, she grinned her oh-so-sweet grin.

He roared into a laughter filled with amusement. ‘Ha ha’, she thought.

It was a week later after that fiasco of a meeting. Life was at its boring best. But not boring enough for Jonie. All she had to do was mention ‘Bala’, see the look on Rimi’s face, and roll on the floor (literally) laughing. All of Rimi’s effort to act as if the name meant hoot to her were in vain.

One day when she was entering her apartment building absorbed in her thoughts, she heard a sound beside her. She turned and saw Mr. Architect sporting a wide grin. He read her confused expression and said, ‘I asked how the IT industry is. You alright?’

‘Great. It was becoming a habit. It was probably his favourite line by now’, she thought.

‘Yes, am alright. Was just thinking of something at work. The IT industry is how it was a week ago. What about you? Came up with any new boxes?’ Finally. Satisfaction.

Well, not really. He broke into a fit of laughter.

‘You know’, he said. ‘You really crack me up.’

‘Is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment’, she asked.

‘What do you think?’ With that, he left.

‘I am NOT going to think about you ever. That’s what I think’ she thought with a finality.

A few months passed with a chance meeting once in a while. One day, when Rimi was waiting at the bus stop, a car came to a halt right in front of her. The window came down and she saw Bala inside.

‘Hi. Going home?’

‘Err.. No.. I am going to my friend’s place.’

‘Hop in. I’ll drop you.’

Oh shoot. ‘Hey I didn’t even tell you where it is’, she said.

‘That’s ok. I am done for the day and was in the mood for a drive anyway. Wouldn’t mind your company.’

Ok. No escape. You had better get in.

‘So. How was your day?’, he asked once they started moving.

‘’Twas fine. Yours?’

‘Mine was good’, he said with a smile.

Silence. ‘I have never been so quiet in my entire life’, she thought. ‘Except, maybe when I was sent out of class once and there was no one to talk to. Even then I spoke to Vicki when she passed by and was sent to the Principal’s office.’

The car came to a stop all of a sudden.

He turned to her. ‘Uh oh. Is he one of those serial killer guys?’, she thought.

‘Rimi’, he said. ‘I have been meaning to tell you this for a long time now.’

‘Hold it right there, mister. I don’t want to hear another word. I am getting out of the car. If you try anything funny, I am shouting for help.’

‘What? God, girl. You really are nuts. What did you think I was going to do to you? Fine, if you want to leave, go ahead’, he said, anger evident on his face.

‘Ok’, she said. ‘I give you exactly ten minutes. What is it?’

He let out a sigh of irritation and turned to her.

‘I like you.’

‘Huh…?’

‘Is that all you can really say…? Hello… You al…’

‘Yes, yes, am alright. If I hear that from you once more, I just might .’
‘What is it then?’

‘I... It’s just... It’s out of the blue…’

‘Okay… So you need time to think about it?’

‘No!’

‘So you like me too?’

‘No… Yes… I don’t know…’

‘Ok that’s a lot of information to take in a second.’

‘I mean, I liked you from the moment I saw you. But later thought you were… a snob and a jerk.’

He roared into his now famous laughter.

‘You know one of the reasons I like you? You can really make me laugh.’

‘Hey! Is that a compliment or an insult?’

‘What do you think? I have been laughing like I’ve laughed in my life when I am with you. It really feels good. I like that.’

‘So you like me because I make you laugh? I mean… That is… I’ve never heard this before.’

‘God, no. I liked you the day I saw you in the bus stop cursing the rain. I knew you liked me too. I really feel we’ll be great together, if you’re ready to give it a chance and trust me.’

She opened her mouth, but nothing came. She felt her cheeks turning pink. ‘What the… I don’t blush. Oh, c’mon!’

‘Ok,’ she said. ‘I feel things are moving too soon. I do like you. But I would like to get to know you better. I know you would like to get to know me too. I think we should take some time before the trust factor comes in. I mean, for all I know, you could be a serial killer or something,’ she finished with a smile tugging at her mouth.

He laughed. ‘So he really meant it when he said I make him laugh,’ she thought. ‘Glad to spread some joy.’

‘Ok. I understand. We’ll take it your way.’

A few months later, Rimi was getting ready to go out with Jonie.

‘Rimi! We are getting late!’ Jonie called from the living room.

‘Ya am coming,’ Rimi yelled back. ‘Bye mom. Am running late. See you in the evening.’

‘You know something,’ Jonie said once they were in the car. ‘I really like Bala. He is such a wonderful guy. I am so glad you guys are together. So happy for you.’

Rimi smiled. ‘I really like him too. Actually, I think it is getting to become something more than that.’

They shot off onto the road with Jonie’s excited scream reverberating in the air.