Hi I am Riya most of u know me by the name of Rio.. Today I am here to share with u my story which has a few parallels from EDKV.
Ok to start with let me tell u I will soon b getting married to my childhood friend.That's the biggest parallel to EDKV and if u read on u might find a few more!Now that u know the end or the beginning of my story ..u may like to read how it happened.It all happened just yesterday..and I am writing it today..definitely shows my excitement!And during the story u will also know why I am sharing this story here...
I will try to keep it as interesting as possible but can't promise as I wouldn't add fiction to this true story.As the story is a lil long I will break it in 2 parts.
I met this my friend of mine Rajat when I was 10 years old when my father got posted on a transfer in the same city as his. We got our house in the same neighborhood as his father and mine were in the same organization.
I also got admission in the same school as his.
He was a year older to me and coz we used to catch the bus from the same stop we started talking.
I was always interested in sports and joined the badminton team in school. Soon I came to know that Rajat was part of the badminton team which represented our school in various tournaments.
In the next 6 months I picked up well on the game and was selected for a tournament where he and I were to play the mixed doubles. It was during these rigourous practice sessions we became good friends from just being in the same neighborhood or bus mates.
After that we represented our school many times in different tournaments in which we won a few games and lost many..Rajat was good sportsman but sometimes a really bad loser.. I was more passive! After every game he wud either show immense euphoria of winning or take out his frustration of losing and then tell me where he and I went wrong or did well...I took to his moods easily..and showed lil reaction...but just heard him out..also I listened and learnt attentively whenever he. gave feedback. He appreciated that a lot!
School life was catching on and our friendship was blossoming well too..we spent time playing many other games even after coming back from School with other children in the vicinity but ensured if it was a team game we both were in the same team.
It irked the other children many a times as we were always adamant to be in the same team coz our coordination with each other was very good whether it was football tennis hand cricket or any other team game... our non verbal cues were not understood by many which always gave the us the edge over the other team. So we were a GOOD TEAM!
Years passed by and we grew up knowing fighting helping sharing caring for each other as good friends.. Honestly there was no best friend feel as I had mine and he had a gang of boys but I could not figure out who was his best friend as he was equally friendly or ruthless to every one.. a boy thing I guess!
For the next 4 years we were there for each for so many things and to name a few .. he and I would make the bus wait or leave the bus if any of us was late and then go together in a Rick or other bus.or if any of us got injured during the game we took care of each other like a baby. We spoke about so many things like movies studies new songs fight with parents good bad teachers games.. anything and everything just like good friends do and fought on silliest of things..we reciprocated friendship and care in equal fervor.
Now I was 14yrs old and he 15! My father got the news of his promotion and a transfer again and we were to now move to another city.
I was very sad as I would have to leave the school my friends and settle in a new city. And I saw a weird restless expression on his face when I had broken the news to him. Of course he was sad I was leaving ..I told myself.
We promised to keep in touch thru emails and phone and gave each other a parting gift.
Finally the day arrived when I had to leave this city. While getting into the car I was sobbing and saw him coming over. He had missed school and had come to say goodbye.. We said goodbye and shook hands... but the hollowness I felt as soon I left his hand made me burst into tears..but I couldn't figure out anything..his expressions were pretty much blank but sad and I was just 14 to interpret anything. I accounted that hollowness to missing the place and friends where I had stayed a lil more than 4 years and fear of the unknown and going to a new one.But that feeling did not leave me even when I settled in the new city.
We both remained in touch through mails not very often though as we both had come to higher classes which needed time for studies tuitions and badminton which I refused to give up despite hectic study schedule.. it was something I wanted to hold on to for reasons known and unknown to me!
We spoke a few times over the phone initially but not often and over the next few months the emails starting trailing off and almost stopped from both ends and we just got busy with our lives.
He was out of my sight but not out of my mind definitely.. and I would drop him in an email to him once in a while.. but there seemed just no reason to b in touch..as he never responded to my mails. So I stopped mailing too.
I was 17 now and almost after 2 years I got an email from him telling me he had secured a good rank in one of the top engineering colleges.
Seeing his mail I remember my heartbeat had become erratic but I was a nerd I acknowledge as I dint figure out what was going on and accounted it to being surprised.
I wrote a very very formal email congratulating him to which I dint even receive a thank you.
Forward almost 7 years..the studies and career choosing stress had taken the better of me and after completing post graduation I was completing 2.years of working with this company
In these 7 years ...I had received 3 emails from him one for telling me that he was taking up a job in a good company after completing his engineering...the next one for informing he had completed his Post graduation and the last one was to tell me that had won a state level badminton championship.My heart had fluttered seeing all these email but I hadn't responded to any..I don't know why.. Actually I know why.. I din't want to build up any hope of communication or for that matter anything as the time gap and distance seem to have taken away the friendship I thought...and not receving reply to my earlier emails had left me a lil skeptical of receiving any response now...but I was soon proven wrong!
We were not even friends on Facebook as I was not active on social networking and neither was he.
I was completing 2 years of working with this company when I bumped into him during one of the badminton tournaments where I was a volunteer from organization side( though I played badminton still but had fractured my ankle in a freak accident and was adviced to take it easy for atleast a year) and where he had come to represent his organization as a player.
We were coming from opposite directions when we caught sight of each other and I froze ..became numb. I don't know what happened but I turned cold. F I was taking time to acknowledge whether it was really Rajat..he looked only a lil different but so much taller. We were in front of each other after 11 years!!! He saw me with questioning look in his face he said RIYA?
First it was question and then as an answer he almost shouted Rio..Rio...How r you? I without answering lifted my hand for a handshake but he just pulled me into a warm friendly hug... it was just a friendly hug I must acknowledge. I came out of my frozen state with that warmth and returned the hug slightly and said how r u Rajat in a very shaky voice!
Before we could talk any further his name was announced as he was playing singles final and he had to queue up. He started to go just to turn back and say "cheer for me and I shall meet u after the game...don't leave please". I nodded in affirmation and took my place with the other volunteers in the stands.
The same hollowness I had felt years back seem to have come back and my heart beat was erratic and it made me feel uneasy.
I tried accounting it to the shock of meeting a good friend after almost 11.years who was now 6 feet tall and looked really handsome. But the numbness and crenching in my heart failed me and I couldn't convince myself this time. I shrugged and tried to concentrate on the game.
I excitedly cheered for him watching him play with equal passion as in the childhood. Many childhood memories came back to me during 2 straight games he played which won him the trophy and I felt I won those games! In that moment I kind of acknowledged he was very very special to me...I knew it all along but I just acknowledged it consciously...but soon denied again..naming the feeling as a crush as I dint know the Grown up Rajat..so Acknowledging this as LOVE..wud b stupid I told myself and tried to clear my mind.
The tournament continued with some games left and he came and sat next to me in the stands.
The first question he asked me why I wasn't playing. I told him about the broken ankle and also that in the next one or two months I should b back to playing in full swing as i shall b completing the year of rest as advised.. His reaction surprised me beyond comprehension .. is an understatement and to say the least..
He said ya u better get back to the game as I want my Partner back and this time for Good.
Ok... my head spinned. I was already struggling with my feelings for this man and here he was saying this.I din't know where my heart was and honestly I din't know what he really meant ..it could be just an innocent statement..I tried telling myself...
..but in my heart of heart I wanted to believe he meant what I understood.. but given we had not met each other for so many years.. he stating something like that with the meaning I wanted to interpret seemed totally stupid again.
To be continued...( Edit:.Part 2 page 2)
Part 2 will be the final part which would be followed by an Epilogue!
The second part will also answer why I am sharing it here.
edit
Part 2 page 2 ( Final part)
Epilogue Page 5
Thanks
Rio
Fan Fictions
Hindi TV Shows
Pati Patni Aur Panga
Shiv Shakti
Cricket
