Ideal Match

(Wrote in 2000)

She was an ideal match – same religion, similar families, same college, same stream, same class and in future even same industry – everything similar but … is it fate

———————————————————————————————————————-

The summer had passed, the college selected, the stream chosen. Was it my good luck that we were in the same class? I was an introvert and I never noticed her at the first look. It took me more than a semester to notice her and had it not for an incident I wouldn’t have ever noticed her.

It was Girls vs boys (Hum Tum). Scores fluctuated but any bystander would notice we were slowly losing hold of our fort. We were playing anthakshari, a game where one party would sing few lines of a song and the other group had to sing another song starting with the ending alphabet of the previous song. I literally spend time hearing the songs, shy to use my vocals.

The game had been going for a long time when one of the boys commented
“Hey Suraj is supporting the girls. See he does not even hum. Why don’t you join the girls?”
I was pretty embarrassed.
“What about you. You are also doing a great job helping us?” It was a well targeted sarcastic comment passed at my critic. Everyone laughed.

It was then that I noticed this sweet, bold, witty, interesting girl. She had come to my rescue.

Days passed and I started observing her and the more I observed, the more I liked her. She was no timid girl like me. She was sweet, smart and active and she was beautiful for my eyes.

I would say she was beautiful for my eyes as opinion of beauty is a matter of individual senses. Another boy would have chosen some other girl above her but nevertheless there could be no opinion that she was not beautiful. For me she was beauty in perfection. This was why I thought she was made for me.

Now I was a social disaster. I rarely talked to girls and never ever really talked to her. I would observe her wishing for some signs of interest.

Four semesters had passed and I was getting braver by day. I would skip classes, watch movies, participate in anthakshari and enjoy the college life. Love was budding all around. I decided to propose to her.

It was then that my best friend told me that shocking news. He was in love with her and he was going to propose. He was an extrovert unlike me and was much admired in friend circles. I knew I had no chance against him. There was also that moral pinch of proposing my best friend’s love. At least he had the guts to openly admit that he loved her. So, with much pain I decided to forget her. So I made a tale that I loved another girl in my hometown.

Days went by and the proposal failed but I had already floated story about the non-existent girlfriend. I later knew from my friend that she would have loved to be with him had he been of same religion. She had mentioned him that her parents won’t approve her in marrying a person from another religion and she believed in finding a boy whom her parents would accept.

———————————————————————————————————————-

Today years have passed. I have become more mature. I have lot of girlfriends but still I can’t forget my love for that girl.

Marriage plans had been passing rounds in my home. I decided – I will ask her hand through my parents. I pinged her and chatted.
“Howdy?”, I typed.
“Doing fine What about you?” she replied
“I am fine”
“Hey are you – not marrying”, My fingers tapped the keys weaving its way for the final question.
“Yes, actually I am engaged. It’s a big love story. I am very happy”
“Great. I am also happy for you. Congrats.” It was finger muscle memory but my heart had stopped ticking.

———————————————————————————————————————-

I should have proposed earlier. She was an ideal match – same religion, similar families, same college, same stream, same class and in future even same industry – everything similar but …