Dream, Secrets revealed – I

The story continues from @ A Dream within a dream, Inception? (Click)

It was the 7th of February, one week left for Valentine's day. I was posting a Valentine's Day card to a girl, for the first time in my life. I chose to be an anonymous admirer, who would be meeting her soon. I never believed in such things, never saw a point in doing this for a girl before... but exceptions are made for exceptional situations.
This was the first time, I confessed, about my love for her.

Recap :  Little over a year before the above event.

It had been more than two years since I had this feeling, but I didn't reveal it to her earlier. I was in a dilemma.
** Whether it had been, mere attraction to an old friend or was it something more? **

I couldn't have jeopardized our friendship if, I wasn't so serious so, I had to be sure. That's what made me keep it to myself, till then. My best friends knew I loved someone, but none knew her identity for a very long time. Moreover, she was with someone else back then, I didn't want to put her in an awkward situation. I was content with meeting her, getting some time to spend with her. Soon, she got her call letter for a job and moved out to another city. Till then I hadn't realized that, when you love someone or have something very important in life.
**you should never wait for the right time and the right situation. There is no right time or situation, it is always now.**

I guess, I learnt it the hard way...
Now, I was sure that, it was not mere friendship there was more to it. I needed to tell her before it was late.
A few weeks after she moved to her new city, I got my itinerary take a detour to her city while on my way back from a vacation with my folks, much to my parent's surprise and annoyance. I found out her office address from her and surprised her, in the middle of the street when she came out of her office...
She couldn't recognize me for a moment, partly because of my long hair and obviously she never expected me to be there in person, although I always joked I would be there to meet her one day.
Anyway, it took her mind a few moments to process everything, her eyes sparkled. I saw that familiar big smile on her face, but I had never seen her so happy before. She just leaped at me and hugged me tight. Holding her arms around my shoulders, she lifted her feet off the ground into the air, all her weight was on my neck.
As for me, I had never expected this reaction. I held on to her, lifted her and as if, it was a reflex, I turned around to complete a circle, like they do in the Bollywood movies. (Yeah lame, but that's how it was, I guess) Though, unlike the movies, there were no violins playing in the background. :P Only an invisible Mariachi band !

In those moments, I had forgotten where I was, who all were around us. It was just her and me and this feeling, that, ** everything I ever wanted in my life was there with me in my arms. ** I couldn't have asked for anything more from life, at that moment. Time seemed to have stopped, until I realized my neck couldn't bear her weight any longer and I had to put her down.
It was well past lunch time, so, on her insistence we walked around a mile over a flyover on the busy road to some small cafe(It was more of a Tea Place!) and ordered a glass of fresh lime soda. I still remember it like it was, just yesterday. She was pointing out at all the I-pills and condoms strewn on the road. (I have no clue, why!) And all I had cared about was cherishing each precious moment I had got spend with her.
In our myriad of conversations that day, she mentioned she had broken up with the guy in the previous city.
**Haan mann main ladoo phoota!** 
The waiter unlike the norm, handed the cheque to the lady. Even she insisted on footing the bill, since according to her she was earning now. So, it was her treat and I wouldn't want to contradict her wishes. :P
Too tired to carry on we decided to meet up the following day, which happened to be a holiday and to hangout together for a little longer.

For the next day, I had planned to give her another surprise, to confess about my feelings for her. It seemed to be the right time. I thought of taking her to a fine dining restaurant to make it special. Everything planned right to the last second.
Well, the next day, apart from being three hours late, she gave me a bigger  **surprise.** Turned out with Mr. Mini-me. (click on the link to refer to it) I decided to drop it for the moment. She never mentioned, she was seeing him and even me, being the ever optimistic fool, thought he just came along. (She did admit a week later!) I missed out on the "The Window" (if you didn't get it click on it)
So, asking her out was postponed, indefinitely, again. The day didn't have anything of much significance after that. But I had to wait for the events of "A Dream within a dream, Inception?", since she moved further away to another city.


Recap over: Coming back , to where we had left.
I had come back to the city chasing her. But before I was there, she got a project in some other city, like I mentioned before. So, I decided to take up a job to work my arse off,to earn and save every penny I could, to be able to give her another such surprise in her new city on her B'day and along with that, ask her out irrespective of what situation existed at that time. I had booked my air tickets, but the only two friends who knew her identity and the backdrop, then, advised me to meet her before that B'day surprise.
They said "it was too big a surprise and God forbid if it didn't go well, you would be in a different city, far off, without the knowledge of your family. No one you know, would be around. You should tell her when she is visiting her parent's and then carry on with the plan later. If her reaction is positive, she will be thriller bybtge surprise, when you decide to execute it."

I didn't want to listen to them, but I knew what they were saying had a lot of common sense.
So, here I was back in the city, which we both called home. After almost having resigned (okay, I just threatened my manager that, he wouldn't get many- no fuss overtime working morons like me) because my manager wouldn't approve my leave. He finally did get blackmailed, at the last moment. I had to rush to the airport the next morning caught in the city's (in)famous traffic snarl. I missed my flight, paid a fortune, got another flight ticket, because she would have left after her leaves were over, if I hadn't made it on time I would again be left without having confessed my feelings. It was difficult now, I had to tell her this time.
Now when I did reach home, much to the my parents' dismay, I just had a light snack and a bath and left home to meet her, immediately. I reached her place only to know that she was at the parlour and her mom called me over for tea. I went in, had a glass of water, gracefully declined the tea. A sudden feeling of guilt overcame me, I was about to ask this woman's offspring out, in a few minutes, wow!
I said goodbye, to her, to make a move towards the parlour. More guilt. Her brother turns up just as I was stepping out of the gate, wow, I'll be asking this chap's sister out in a few minutes.
I just made a wish in my mind,
** Dear lord, now please don't send her bapu(dad) too! **

That was, the only wish the Lord answered that day.(use wishes judiciously!)
I had to run to the parlour, it was late evening, we had little time before her mother's imposed curfew hours started. She was done with her hair cut and copper streaks. As soon as we stepped out on the street, her face lit up, she smiled and gave me a rather tight hug.
We went for coffee, followed by rolls, but I couldn't muster the courage to tell her. All my nervousness showed up in the photos we took that day and the obvious, worried expression I had carried all through the day. If it were any other random girl, I would have done it without flinching my eyes, the fact that she meant so much to me made it very difficult.

Her Mom called me,as her phone's battery had died. Curfew time was about to start. PANIC! We crossed the road and as always she was scared to do that and held my hand like she always used to, while crossing roads. We took an autorickshaw to her place. I couldn't have said all that in the brief autorickshaw ride, with Mr. Auto Maama staring at us from his mirror.
I was tense, ** Had I missed another opportunity? Did I just postpone it again? **

I was too nervous yet, I had to say it. It had been buried within me for too long. I had to let it out. It was either now or never.

Suddenly an idea occurred to me. I asked her to go up, keep her bags at home and come down to see me off, till the Cab (non-existent) that I had (never) booked came to pick me up. In the meanwhile, I called the first of the only three people who knew of her identity, to motivate me to say everything. My friend had just this to say, "No matter how it comes out, do it. Don't try to sound perfect. Just say whatever comes to your mind. Don't bombard her with I love you, the very first time. Best of luck!"

The story continues @ Dream, Secrets revealed – II (Click)