“Hello, have you left work? Listen, can I pick you up if you do not mind. I have something in mind and I just want you beside me tonight. Please do not deny it! I urge you.” Suryansh pleaded over the call.

I was tired but listening to his voice was like therapy and I could not turn down the offer. I finally agreed. I reached my place and had a quick shower. I decided to put on my red halter-neck maxi dress. Straightened my hair and I chose my favorite super stay red lipstick that would match my outfit. After all, one stroke of lipstick was enough to make me feel upbeat. Isn’t dressing up important for women? Do we, women not feel empowered after pampering ourselves to look better in the mirror. I love dressing up for myself. I love clicking pictures of my own self. But today, somehow I was not doing it for me. I wanted to look good for him. For Suryansh. For a man who has been respectable towards me keeping my needs as a priority. For someone who has been my safe space. I wanted to show him that I cared and that, I was taking it all seriously. I wanted to show that I wanted all this to last … maybe forever. I had a smile on my face even though I felt hunger pangs after work. Love is like magic … after all!

He had arrived, right on time. Dressed in a white shirt & rugged blue jeans, he looked dashing and my heart made a little dance. Probably what they say is right. You need patience and it will fall in place. Maybe all my heartbreaks were a path to lead me to him. He looked nothing less than a prince charming who had arrived on a horse… to rescue his princess… rescue me from my darkness.

I saw his eyes glow with happiness. He looked at me for a minute and then suddenly put his hand on his heart & acted as if his heart was aching!

” Uff… you look ravishing and I am sure, I will be meeting you tonight in my dreams!”

I laughed so hard with this pickup line. These light-hearted moments with him make me forget my anxiety and I want to believe that life should be lived in moments.

“I am starving! Let us grab something first and maybe, then I will have the strength to tolerate such Bollywood-style compliments from you!”. I felt a little shy but I was over the moon listening to his compliments.

We drove to a fancy restaurant. Our table was reserved at the topmost floor of the hotel. It was luxurious & seemed quite expensive. I was a little apprehensive about seeing the detailed arrangements. My heart skipped a bit. What was he planning? Is it the D-day! Will he be asking me the big question tonight? A proposal! Oh my God! I mean, we had our intimate moments and he has never forced me to be physical with him. Do such men realky exist in today’s world? It must be his mother. The real queen who has taught her son to be a perfect gentleman. But there are many aspects to discuss before a big step like this. And we are yet to do all of that!

“Hey, what happened? Aren’t you hungry now? What are you thinking?”. My thoughts were interrupted by his question.

” What’s all this? It could have been simpler.” I complained.

“Nothing is simple when you are around. Why do you undervalue yourself? I mean look at you! A self-made woman, an artist, a compassionate human being, and most of all…. what elegance! The honor is all mine! And today is special. ” He said & winked.

I ordered our favorites from the menu and we ate to our heart’s desire. I was so caught up in the conversations & laughter sessions that I had no clue that  almost more than one hour had passed! I wanted to use the restroom & just when I stood up from my chair, I accidentally collided with the waiter & he spilled the beverage on my red dress.

“Hey, you moron! what have you done? Bloody rascal. You ruined it all !” Suryansh had fire in his eyes.

“Hey, it is okay. He did not do it intentionally. Chill. I need to use the washroom. And I will take some time.” I said plainly. I had never seen him this angry and it irritated me when he looked down upon the poor fellow who stood there helplessly saying sorry multiple times.

I went into the washroom to clean myself. And just then I found out that I had got my periods as well. I looked into the mirror feeling restless. Today was full of little unpredictable moments. I had to return to my seat to get the sanitary pads that I usually carry for an emergency, like today. As I entered the sitting arena, I saw Suryansh busy on a call overlooking the balcony, facing his back to our table. Must have been a call from his business team! I thought to myself as I slowly approached our table. Suryansh seemed to have been engrossed in the discussion. I did not want to disturb him. However, I could hear a few words.

“Babe, I miss you. I can not wait to be with you tonight! This old hag will be done soon. I need to trap her a little more. She is almost in. Once the loan is approved, we will be together, just us. My sweetheart, you know how much I love you. You know that you drive me crazy, every single time”

My heart beat so fast. I had sweat on my forehead. I felt scared but I knew what I had to do. With trembling hands, I picked up my purse and with a lot of caution, I almost ran out of the hotel. Quickly I booked a cab & put Seema’s house in the destination space in the app! I felt claustrophobic as if trapped in the center of a spider’s deadly cobweb. I wanted to run away from that place, from this phase of my life. How could I not see it coming? Why did I believe that it was all love in its purest form? Why did I forget that this world is dual-faced? Why did I ignore all the tiny red flags since I met him? Why did I seem to be okay with all his lies? Why was his happiness been  more important to me than mine? Why? It was not just humiliating but made breathing difficult for me. I was in tears.

************************************************************************************************

It was lunchtime. I missed Seema today. A new branch. New colleagues. I had still not been able to bond well with everyone here. I sent a WhatsApp text.

” Hello, Seema. How are you? I miss our gossip ya during this hour.”

” Oye, just be happy that you got the transfer to a new city. Three odd months of total chaos !! The zonal manager understood the gravity and took such quick steps. Thanks to my networking skills with the zonal manager. Ok? You can not complain now. I am eagerly waiting and if I ever meet that fraud again, I will just hit him, so hard, between his legs that he will never dare to do such stunts on single women… like ever! Btw, you take care and be more vigilant. keep changing all your passwords frequently. And no social media for some months now. ok? Anyway, leave all this I am sending a pic of Priyanka Chopra that she recently posted. I want an outfit like hers. Tell me your take on it and be honest ok? “

A glamorous pic of Priyanka Chopra Jonas adorning a black gown with noodle straps, where she cozily leaned on her husband, Nick Jonas appeared on my screen.

I looked at my screen.

“Age gap? Do they not look perfect? Why me? What was I even thinking! Why do I trust so easily? When will I ever learn? ” I said to myself and laughed so hard at myself as a little tear dropped from the corner of my eye. And my heart ached with a lot of pain as if it was about to explode.

I sighed as I typed my reply.

THE END

Part 1 of the story – Click Here

Part 2 of the story – Click Here

Part 3 of the story- Click Here

Part 4 of the story – Click Here

Love,

Chinmayee

This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2024