What does one do when everything they have planned gets ruined? What does one do when all their hard works and efforts go down the drain? Do they give up? Work even harder to get it done? Do they take some time to think things over and plan it all over again? Or do they just wait for things to take its place naturally?
This is a story about a man who had planned the perfect settings to propose to the love of his life but unfortunately even after all the help he got from his best friends, Google, things just did not go as planned. P.S. Google is a guy's best friend as much as diamonds are a girl's best friend.
So who is this poor guy? He is Jalalludin Muhammad a 25 years old successful business tycoon and his girlfriend's name is Jodha Sharma, his childhood friend who later became his girlfriend and hopefully after she says yes' , his wife. He has been waiting for this day to come and planned it for God knows how many years.
He had everything planned out, like how he will take her to her favorite Italian restaurant on a very special day and propose to her there. There will be photos of the two of them from childhood till present there, he will hire a violinist and a pianist to play a romantic piece, he had even on how the lightings will be. What kind of foods, drinks and desserts that will be served. Basically he planned everything.
Coming back to his perfectly planned proposal, Jalal had booked a reservation at Jodha's favorite Italian restaurant for the 17th April 2015 as it was a very special day for them. (Are you wondering why is it special? I could tell you but where would be the fun in it right? So, I'll just leave it to your imagination as to why that day is special.)
Jalal had already bought Jodha a ring, a simple yet classy one carat diamond ring with their initials engraved on it, J&J. Now all he has to do is take her to the restaurant and propose to her. Jalal had asked Jodha to keep that day off any plan. Little did Jalal know that everything he had planned for so long would just go down the drain in a mere second.
On the morning of D-Day
"What?! How can that be?! I have booked this reservation two weeks ago and now you tell me it was cancelled?!"
"We are really sorry sir. There has been a mix up from our side sir."
"I specifically told the receptionist that I wanted to book a reservation on the 17th April at 8 pm. She said she understood and now you are telling me that there has been a mix up?!"
"We apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you Mr. Muhammad. The fault is on our side. Our receptionist mixed up your reservation with another Mr. Muhammad's reservation."
"So, do I have a reservation for today or not?"
"I am afraid not sir. Your reservation has been cancelled and another customer has reserved that time."
"Someone else booked it already? Okay fine, what about some other time today?"
"I am sorry sir, we are fully booked today. We will compensate you sir, if you want we can arrange for another reservation for you some other day."
"No, it is okay."
"We are really sorry sir."
Noon of D-Day
"Hello, Jalal?"
"Hey Jodha, what is it?"
"You are asking me? You were the one who told me to keep today free off anything. I was waiting for your call but you never called. So, what are you planning for today?"
"What do you mean planning?" *Does she know I planned to propose to her today?! Damn it how am I suppose to tell her the whole plan is ruined?!*
"Are we not going to hang out together today? Why else would you ask me to take the day off?"
"Oh, right. Sorry, where do you want to go?"
"Jalal, is everything alright?"
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"It is just that you always decide where to take me. Are you sure you are alright? Are you sick? Do you want me to come over?"
"No Jodha, I am fine. It is just... ... It has been a really rough day today."
"Did something happen?"
"No, just woke up on the wrong side of the bed I guess." *That must be it or else why would things not go as planned?!* " I could really use a hug right now." He said absentmindly.
"Really?! Then we should meet up soon so that I can hug you and lift up your mood."
"Sure. I will pick you up at 6pm, will that be okay?"
"Yes, see you later. Bye."
"Bye."
Jalal hung up the phone. I can't believe I was all excited two weeks before about today and when today finally comes, everything gets ruined and the last thing I feel is excitement. I should probably take some time before proposing to Jodha. Today just does not seem to be a lucky day for me at all. Damn it! Of all the days why does it have to be today?! I wanted today to be even more special for Jodha but I guess that is not possible anymore. I guess I will just hang out and spend some time with her today.
Later in the evening Jalal picked Jodha up from her house and drove to a shopping district.
Shopping District
"Why are we here?" She asked as she got out of the car.
"To walk hand-in-hand, do some of your window shopping and spend some quality time with you." He said.
"Are you by any chance being sarcastic?"
"No, I am serious. Why, do you not like it here?"
"I love it here."
"Shall we then?"
"Sure."
The two of them walk along the shopping district, went in a couple of stores, did some window shopping. Jodha was enjoying herself whereas Jalal spent most of his time thinking what a horrible day he had. As he thought back about the ruined plan, he looked down to Jodha and told himself It is not ruined.
Jalal, Jodha loves you for who you are. So what if the reservation has been cancelled?! It is not the end of the world. Besides, you above anyone else should know that even if you were to propose to Jodha inside your car or even outside her house, she would say yes'. Right, I can just propose to her right her right now and I should make it really special for her. But what should I do?
Just then his idea bulb lit up. He halted, turned towards Jodha and said "Jodha, could you just stay right here and wait for me for a while?"
"Here?! In the middle of the sidewalk?!"
"No, I meant here as in here around here not here in the middle of the sidewalk. I mean... ..."
"Jalal, I know what you mean, I was just kidding." She said interrupting Jalal.
Jalal chuckled thinking how nervous he must be to blabber like that and said "Okay, you just wait for me here, I will be right back."
"Sure, I will wait for you by that bakery over there. Will that be okay?" She asked pointing towards a bakery nearby.
"Yes, bye."
"Bye."
A few moments later
A teenager patted Jodha on the shoulder calling out to her "Excuse me."
Jodha turned around and asked "Yes?"
"This is for you didi." The teenager handed a single dark red Carnation bouquet to Jodha.
"For me?! But why?" She asked taking the bouquet from him but he just left after giving her the bouquet. *Who is he and why did he give me a single Carnation bouquet?* She looked down at bouquet and found a card attached to it.
The words written were Did you know that a dark red Carnation denotes deep love and admiration?'
A while later a middle aged lady came towards Jodha and handed her another bouquet of a single purple Lilac and went away just like the teenager earlier. She search for a note and read it.
The words written were Did you know that a purple Lilac symbolizes first love?'
Strangers after strangers came with bouquets of flowers and handed it to her and just walked away without a word. But she was not surprised anymore as she guessed that this must be Jalal's doing. Among the bouquets she got were: -
A single Primrose bouquet. On the note it is written Did you know that Primrose conveys the message I can't live without you to the recipient?'
A single Stock bouquet. The words on the note written were Did you know that stock symbolizes lasting beauty and conveys the message you will always be beautiful to me?'
A bouquet of three different color Tulips with Did you know that a red Tulip symbolizes true love, a yellow Tulip conveys there is sunshine in your smile whereas a variegated Tulip denotes that you have a pair of beautiful eyes?'written on its note.
A single blue Violet bouquet with Did you know that blue Violets symbolizes faithfulness and tells the recipients that the giver with always be true?' written on the note.
A single Calla Lily bouquet. The words written on the note were Did you know that Calla Lilies are a symbol of beauty?"
A bouquet of Forget-Me-Not with Did you know that just as the name implies, Forget-Me-Nots means remembrance or memories and also denotes true love?'written on the note.
A bouquet of Orange Blossoms. The note reading Did you know that Orange Blossom symbolizes eternal love?'
A Mrytle bouquet. The note reading Did you know that Mrytle symbolizes love and it is also the Hebrew Emblem of Marriage?'
Just then Jalal walked up to her, brought his hand forward and handed her a single rose bouquet. This time there was no note, she looked at him with eyes already full of tears that came pouring down after seeing him as she was touched by this sweet gesture of his whereas he bring his hand and wipes off her tears saying with a grin "I am sure you know a red rose symbolizes love. I originally wanted to give you a bouquet of 108 roses but the florist did not have enough stock."
Jalal then kneels to the ground takes out the ring and says "Miss Jodha Sharma, I love you. Will you marry me?" She couldn't believe her ears, did he just propose to her?! She looked into his eyes and saw his eyes filled with so much love for her and nodded her head and squealed "Yes yes yes!!! I will marry you!!!" bringing her left hand forward as he slipped the ring onto her ring finger.
"I love you Jalal!"
"I love you too Jodha." And they hugged.
On the walk back to the car
"You planned all of this didn't you? I mean proposing to me here? But how did you know? Did Sukanya tell you?"
"What do you mean? What does Sukanya have to do with all this? Besides, I wanted to propose to you at your favourite Italian restaurant but things did not work out so I thought of giving it some time."
"Then why did you propose here today?"
"It just felt right. I did not want it to be another day as today is a special day for the both of us and I wanted to make it even more special by proposing to you on this very day. Sorry that it was here and not your favourite Italian restaurant."
"Well I for one am glad you did it here instead of the Italian restaurant. But to think that you would propose to me here at the place where I first realised that I loved you is just a serendipity."
"Really?! This was where you... ..." Jalal was at a loss of speech. To think that he would propose to her here at the place where she first found out she was in love with him came as a shocking surprise to him.
"Yes, and now this place is officially my most favourite place ever!!!"
The end!? Not really, it is just the beginning of a beautiful ending...
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