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"When you grow up you'll find a man who'll love you immensely," the mother tells her daughter.
A very pretty smile graces the girl's lips.
"How do I find him? How will I know it's him?" She asks.
"You'll just know. The heart will tell you."
"What if I don't find him?"
"If you don't, he'll come looking for you."
"What if he loses his way? What if he mistakes someone else for me?"
"Oh ho...you're very inquisitive! I have office tomorrow. Sleep child go to sleep."
"Maa tell no...please... What if he loses his way?"
"It will make him late, simple. If he meets the wrong person, sooner or later he'll realize it and then again you both will meet. The moral of the story is you'll meet him.The question is how long are you ready to wait. The wait might just be endless."
"I can wait," she said, " I'm very patient. I can wait for forever. I'll marry only for love."
The mother smiles at the innocence of her daughter. Jane Austen, she thought. She is reminded of her own teenage self, of her expectations and dreams
"And dear daughter what if you find love after marriage. It is quite possible no?"
"Umm...I haven't thought about that."
"Don't worry you're still thirteen. Lot of time you have in your hands. Think about it all you want.Now sleep please."
The girl closes her eyes. " Someday I'll get my Mr.Darcy too," are her last thoughts.
She is just back from school and found her parents arguing about something.
"I have a job too. I look after the house, take care of our daughter, look after your ailing mother. And just for once I ask you to visit my father's place, you come up with thousand reasons why you can't," her mother shouts at his father.
"Don't use that voice with me. Can't you understand I can't take a leave. And you aren't doing a favor on me by doing all these things. It's your duty."her father shouts back.
"Duty ? Hah.And you don't have a responsibility towards my family? My father is dying...You still can't take a leave? So I am to attend your sister's child's muh juthi even if I had to sacrifice my most important meeting. We attend all your family functions. But when it comes to my family..." her mother's voice breaks. She can see the tears floating in her mother's eyes.
"I am not going. I just don't want to," her father says with a finality in his voice.
Her father has turned to television and has tuned out everything else.
The girl returns to her room.
My family...your family...
But in one of the places she has read I and you becomes we, when people are together.
Her parents have been married for the seventeen years and yet they don't understand each other. Yet the ' I' and 'you' hasn't become 'we'? Does not his father love his mother?
Love, does it really exist?
She is scared. She doesn't want to let go of her belief. Her man won't be like this. They won't be like this.
She opens her diary and picks up her fountain pen and writes.
She writes the most romantic story. The story of two people, the story that doesn't have words like you and I. It's only we.
She is twenty one. She watches as her best friend's boyfriend flirts with other girls unbashedly.
She grimaces at the sight.
She is scared again but refuses to let go of her belief. Her man won't be like this.
And while waiting for her man she picks up her pen again. And writes one of the most beautiful story. The story where the guy has eyes only for his girl.
She is twenty five. She is slowly climbing the ladders of success. Her parents have started looking for a suitable man for him.
She rejects every photo. Doesn't like any man she meets.
She is waiting for him. The one who'd complete her life.
So she writes again. She writes of a man and a woman meeting in an arranged date. They like each other and slowly fall in love.
She is twenty nine. She's starting to lose faith.
Perhaps she'll marry this year.
Perhaps it's time to let go of her belief.
True love, does it really exist?
The wait is endless. She thinks she can't wait forever. She isn't that patient.Her life feels too lonely. She craves for love. A man's love and pampering.
She thinks it's time to lower down her expectations.
Sitting in a restaurant, sipping her coffee, she writes once again. One last time maybe.
Lost in her own world, she doesn't realize a pair of eyes that watches her with keen interest.
He had had a bad day and so he'd come to refresh his mind. It was then he'd noticed this girl.
Not a very striking face, but her simplicity drew his attention.
Her head bent low, the tendrils of her hair all about her face, her fingers busy in their task, she makes a fetching picture.
He gets up from his table and walks towards her.
"Are you mad? What are you doing?" His inner voice asks.
"Hi," he says.
She looks up and raises her brows in confusion.
"Do I know you?"
"No. Neither do I. But I'd like to change that," he says with smile.
"Umm...I am not interested. I am not into talking to strangers."
He pulls the chair and sits next to her.
"There's always a first time. Maan Khurana. Senior Executive at ST company. Born in Hyderabad, brought up in Mumbai. But a Delhite at heart."
She looks baffled.
She has written scenes like this so many times but when it's happening to her she finds herself speechless.
"Okay let's see how much I can guess about you without you telling me...You are a writer. You like coffee. Umm...like wearing long skirts maybe beacause you're wearing one now. You're wearing danglers so maybe you like wearing that too...And your handwriting is curvy and beautiful...And I think I should leave before you think I am some psychopath.," he says getting up, " It was nice meeting you...Ms...Ms?"
"Geet... Geet Handa.Software Engineer at TX Company. Born in Delhi, brought up in Delhi and a Delhite through and through. And apart from the other things you guessed about me, I also love Pride and Prejudice."
"Who doesn't?"
A smile spread across his lips and not ready for the attack, her heart somersaults within her chest.
She returns the smile.
Seher Hone Ko Hai
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