A FINAL GOODBYE- A LOVE STORY.

“She must be somewhere here”, Pranav thought.

“I need to find her. I need to see her for one last time before she goes back to Mumbai. “

Today is the day when the love of Pranav’s life is going back to Mumbai after her semesters break is over. And she isn’t coming back for another 6 months.

“Priya, where are you?” he called her.

“I am standing right here Pranav. Why don’t you come? I want to see you. Please come na.”

Pranav wondered in irritated amazement and thought where the hell she is. He has visited the Delhi Railway station quite often and he could not understand why he is not able to see her even when the station is at its quietest possible. 

(It is 4 A.M in the morning and Pranav, after travelling the length and breadth of the platform a record 4 times in 4 minutes, seemed to lose his cool when the phone rang)

“Where are you Pranav? Tell me if you do not want to meet me? I will not say anything and just go.”

In the span of this conversation, Pranav recalled the hard ordeal he had to go through to come visit her at the station. He had to make a pillow arrangement on his bed so that he seemed asleep to his mother who was sleeping right next to him. Also, he had to push his scooter a fair distance to make sure that nobody came to know that he is gone at 3:50 in the morning. Also, he drove at almost 100 km/hr to reach the station just in time. 

He wanted to tell all of this to Priya, but he managed to say something totally different.

“Baby, of course I want to meet you. I am sorry. Now, please tell me exactly where you are? And on which platform?”

“I am standing right at the footsteps of the bridge that separates the 2 platforms. How many times do I need to tell you the same thing? I think you are not even on the station and you do not want to meet me either.”

(There is a very interesting fact about love. It has no place for reasoning. When you are in love, you cannot apply logic to most of the things. And when you are in a situation when you just have 5 minutes before a final goodbye, logic is hard to come.)

The situation was going out of control. Pranav was standing right at the footsteps of the bridge where Priya was supposed to be present too. 

“I am standing right where you told me you are but I can’t see you. I have been running on the platform for the last 5 minutes and I see no sign of you. “

“Pranav, please go back. I think we are not destined to meet for one last time.”

In the course of this conversation, Pranav suddenly found himself moving upwards on the stairs and in no time he was at the top of the bridge from where he could see the whole station.

“I see you Pranav.” Priya shouted.

Suddenly her voice seemed new and fresh. All of a sudden she seemed alive.

“I told you that I am right at the footsteps. Why don’t you listen to me? Now come down from the stairs please. “

Now, Pranav started to come down from the stairs, as told, but still there was no sign of her. He was getting impatient.

“I still can’t find you”, he said.

“Come back to the bridge again.” she said.

“Ok.”

“I can see you again.”

Suddenly something dawned on Pranav. He realized that he might be searching on the wrong platform. So, he went down on other side of the bridge. 

(You see, they both were at the footsteps of the bridge but on different platforms. Pranav was searching on Platform 1 while Priya was at Platform 2)

“There she is”, Pranav smiled.

“If you would have told me that you are at Platform 2, things would have been easier Priya.”

“You never asked me Pranav.”

Pranav knew that he had asked her. But he knew that doesn’t matter now. What matters is right in front of his eyes. They both could see each other now. But, Priya was not alone. Her parents, other girls who were going with her, and the parents of those girls were also present there.

Pranav was hiding behind the tree on the station and he was looking at her continuously. Priya wanted to, but she couldn’t.  He was acting as if he was talking on the phone just to be safe. His phone rang.

“I love you.” she said in a voice that could melt ice even in a snow storm.

“Wow. How do you look so beautiful even at this time?”

“I said I love you Pranav.”

“I love you too babe.”

(The train is approaching to the station. It is coming closer and closer. The engine is making huge amount of noise. But, the connection between two hearts is making its own sound. A sound that is unheard but is always in the air)

“I need to go”

“I know.”

Pranav could see her board the train. After adjusting herself in the cabin with other girls, she came out for a final goodbye. She was standing on the door with other girls. He could see her eyes filled with water.

There was a complete chaos on the station, but there was complete silence in the eyes of both of them. They just looked at each other and understood everything. They were now one in their own world.

(The train finally started to drift away. The moment had come)

Pranav could not see her now but he knew he had found something today. And he couldn't wait any longer to call and tell her.

“You looked different today.” he said.

“What?”

“You looked like my wife today.”