A tale of love, Episode 1

He drew the curtains of his room, to let the sun in. Waking up early was innate in him. Since childhood till date, he always woke up early. As a kid, Paarth used to wake up early because he had to study before he got ready for school. Now, as a 32 year old adult, he woke up early because he had to finish his work out session, get lunch box for himself and his siblings and then go to work. He usually woke up by 4:30 a.m.. However, lately he had been waking up by 5:30 a.m. because the weather outside had been gloomy. He barely went out for his morning jogging because of the weather. Today was a different day. The sun shone brightly and a cold whiff of breeze touched his face. A smile lit up on his face at the touch of the breeze. When he smiled, his two canine teeth made themselves prominently visible, making him look super cute. With a height of around 5 feet 10 inches, sharp pointed nose, wavy hair, intelligent eyes and super fit structure, Paarth was a handsome guy. He had a huge fan following of girls as well. All the same Paarth was single. No one knew why.

Paarth lived with his parents and two siblings in a cozy apartment in the heart of the city. His younger brother and sister were both working in the software sector. His sister, Pratiksha, was the youngest in the family. She would be getting married this year. She was already engaged to the love of her life. Paarth’s brother Pawan also had someone in his life. He too was on his way of settling down soon. As far as Paarth was concerned, he still took his own sweet time in deciding whether to get married or not.

After cleaning his room, Paarth got ready to come downstairs for his jogging. His mom was already awake. She said, ‘ You are going jogging today? Why? You could have got some sleep son.’ Paarth smiled. When he smiled, his eyes smiled too. He said, ‘Maa, I am not a baby anymore. I am a big boy. Right? I got my share of sleep and if I don’t get my share of exercise, my immunity will go down the drain.’ His mom said, ‘ Yes, will you ever listen to me? Anyway, come soon. I will make piping hot ‘aaloo parathas’ for you. Paarth hugged his mom and said, ‘ Maa, I will get the lunch boxes ready. You go and get some sleep.’ Praniti brushed her son’s head and said, ‘ I am blessed to have a kid like you.’ Paarth kissed Praniti’s right cheek and said, ‘I will be back soon.’ Paarth then went out for jogging.

After running for almost 45 minutes, when he was about to reach his home, he saw some people shifting furniture to an apartment right in front of his apartment. The packers were carrying the stuff, while an elderly couple stood there guiding the movers and packers. Along with the elderly couple stood a girl. Paarth got a glimpse of her. She stood there smiling at whatever her parents said. Her plum shaded hair glistened in the sunshine while her smile brightened his day. He jogged his way to his home but he kept on turning his head back to get a glimpse of her. She did not resemble a fairy from heaven, but there was something about her, which made him look at her twice. Her subtle looks, her plain features and her heart warming smile made him feel happy in a way he could not explain.

Usually after reaching home after his exercise sessions, he would immediately take a shower, get into some comfortable homewear and then rush into the kitchen to make his lunch, before getting ready for work. He loved helping his mom because he felt she should not be the only one taking responsibility of the kitchen. So, while his mom, made breakfast, he would get the lunch boxes ready for himself and his siblings. Today, he was unable to focus on anything. He came home, but instead of going for a shower, he went to the balcony of his room to get a glimpse of the girl he saw downstairs. Clad in a plain black t shirt and jeans trousers, she was now helping her mom carrying a heavy porcelain flower vase to their apartment. Paarth kept on looking at her when his mom’s voice startled him. She said, ‘Parth! You are not ready as yet? Look at the time! Hurry Up! I made breakfast and lunch. You don’t have to come to the kitchen now. Take shower and get ready.’ Startled, he stammered and said, ‘Uh… oh yes! I will get ready right away.’ He hurried away with his shower, breakfast and while driving to his workplace, he again stopped and looked to see if he could get a glimpse of that girl. There she was. She was now in the balcony of her apartment, arranging the flower pots. Paarth was unable to take his eyes off her. He said to himself, ‘Charming! So charming!’. He drove away with his heart beating fast.

After coming from work, Paarth usually freshened up, made tea for everyone and himself and then sometimes watched tv and then later on helped his mom with dinner. However, today he went to the balcony with his cup of tea. He wanted a glimpse of her. However she had not come out to the balcony. Paarth waited for couple of minutes. He saw the balcony door of her apartment opening. He couldn’t wait to see her. However, it was not her. It was her father who had come out with his cup of tea. Paarth assumed that the girl might be a working lady and she might not have come back from work. Paarth went inside disappointed. After 15 minutes he came back again. As luck would have it, she was there. Paarth’s heart knew no bounds. He kept on looking at her. The dusk sky had become dark. Because of the lights in her balcony, he could see her, but she could not see him. All the same, Paarth did not want her to see him. Being an introvert, somebody catching him glancing at a lady would be a harrowing situation for him. Nevertheless, he could not stop himself from staring at her.

The entire night he kept on tossing and turning on his bed. He wanted to see her again. He wanted to know her. But how? He knew himself well. There was no way he could approach her upright and introduce himself to her. He had never done so in his entire life. Approaching a girl, asking her out for a date was the last thing he could do. His shy nature would never permit him to do so. All the same, taking her out of his mind was not something he had in his mind.

The next day, he went for usual jogging while glancing at her balcony. She did not seem like an early riser. After his shower, when he went out to the balcony hoping to see her before he left for work, he was in for a pleasant surprise. She was there in the balcony, offering prayers to Sun God with closed eyes. He could not take his eyes off her. Clad in a painpink kurti and leggings, her hair shining in the sun, and her cheeks kissed with the sun rays, she looked like an epitome of simple beauty with the most elegant charm. He was so engrossed in looking at her, that he did not notice that she was done with her prayers and she caught him staring at her. He came to a nasty jolt when his mother called him and he realised he was caught red handed by his crush. He did not know what to do. The girl apparently found it funny and laughed. He brushed his hair, smiled awkwardly at her and waved at her. She was still laughing and she waved back at him while smiling. That’s it. Paarth was bowled over.

To be continued………..