The love hate story
The love and hate story
“ It's over and don’t me call ever again” screamed a message on my WhatsApp minutes after I boarded my Delhi to Mumbai flight !! I had spent 3 wonderful days and nights with her and her smell was still lingering within me when this message literally knocked me out of my senses. I frantically replied back with numerous messages but neither the lack of read receipts nor any replies gave me any sense of confidence. The flight was ready to take off and the flight attendant Neha, was urging me to switch off the phone. How would I explain to her that, it was matter of near life and death. Needless to say, Neha's fervent pleas fell on deaf ears. Several messages evoked no response and eventually I lost the signal after we took off from Delhi airport. I was simply not able to comprehend as to how a magical weekend could end up in such a misery. So much so, that she was the one who had come to drop me at the airport and sealed the trip with a kiss.
It was quite disturbing to say the least and I had a long 2 hours of lonely flight ahead of me to reminiscence on what really transpired between us two and about the 13 years that we shared together. A loving memory for me and a forgetful one for her. While we loved each other to bits, it was a reality that while I was over the moon being with her, she regretted the fact that she is still connected with me. Admittedly, it was a strange kind of a relationship that had stood the test of time and that too on a long distance mode.Tragic in way, nonetheless survived to see through the signs of times.
To be honest, this was not the first fight between us and like we would call it “going away” was what you call as frequent but natural. It was something that we had attempted, sometimes willingly by both of us and at times single handedly by her, over a 100 times in the past 10 years or more. For some reason, including love, the relationship remained, the connection retained and the love continued to blossom.
As I stuck my head to the window pane of my plane, I started to rewind the years and even the first meeting was fresh in my mind as if it had happened just a day ago.
It all started somewhere with me looking for a talent who could represent us for India. Multiple talent scoutings later, we finalized a few and Priya was one of them. Openly I can admit that it was love at first VOICE ... it was that kind of love. I had not even seen her yet but could envisage her to be a wonderful & endearing human being. Someone who cared and yet had enough smiles to share.
The interlude began with a call as to which place to reach for the interview and while I was certain that the lady is taking her time as she was getting late, I was running out of options. Finally, Priya did end up for the interview. I was down with a bit of a cold and sniffles and constantly sneezing and coughing. She sat across me with those wild vivid eyes which expressed a lot without having to talk. She aggravately kept brushing her hair behind as the wave of black dark misbehaving lock of flicks kept disturbing her focus. I do have a penchant and probably a fancy for good hair and it took me my best professional effort to resist from reaching out and helping her out in her discomfort. (My Dimple Kapadia.. from good old days). Years later, I would know that similar to my resistance, she too wanted so much to help me between my sneezes and coughs. This is how this love story began ... over a call and voice which I flipped over but thought to be a bunch of lies and that hair and my sneezes. I almost did not hire her. The job was not quite tailor made for a woman and I was still debating within if a right candidate or a gender should get the nod. I also knew that I would be head over heels over her in no time and it would be a serious professional hazard for me. But when has life gone according to plan ? Eventually we all succumb to the vagaries of life and live enough to enjoy or regret it.
I freshly remember it to be a morning in September when I picked her up from Mumbai airport. She was working with me for 6 months now and while we both maintained the professional composure, it was proving difficult to maintain the emotional balance. The long distance helped in a way to keep the sentiments away, as this was the first meeting after the interview, other interactions limited to calls and sms.
She walked tall like a fairy out of a story book. It was those simple yet endearing things that she did that so appealed to me. The way she would drape her dupatta (I have never seen anyone else do that till date), her radiant smile, the talking eyes and how to forget about her constant tripping over all the time. She could hurt her toe with a doorbell for God’s sake !!!
That evening we went to Juhu beach after a long hard days work. A Delhi girl was getting to see a beach for the first time in her life. It came as surprise to me that what we take as a common day visit could be such a big occasion for someone from outside of town. A simple vada pav or a gola and pani puri chaat was a bookmark event. A walk along the beach ensued and it went on to be the start what proved to be a long love hate story. A short hug and my fiddling with her hair was enough to seal our fate for the rest of our lives.
The young couple thrived in each other’s company and while trying to find a name to the relationship got lost in the world that questions the fabric of relationship that you are into. Similar questions lies within you and they take fruit as you go deeper. Questions that have no answers !!!
Jaipur happened next and as her and my work required a lot of travelling, chances to meet frequently increased and so did the number of places. I was fondly remembering those loving moments as I pensively sat in the plane and could not but help recollect the numerous love filled moments we have had over the years. That walk along Marine drive in Mumbai or that chug along the streets of Jaipur or some cheap restaurant in Hyderabad or a jazzy pub in Chennai ... all of them befittingly similar. And yet... The “going away” prevailed for years and continued to be an infection that would last till this day.
The pilot started making the cursory announcements and my dear flight attendant Neha was duly clearing the decks as I gathered my thoughts and the pilot did what best he could to descend. It was a journey with mixed emotions, full of joy for the love that I experienced and lived through and sad for the woman I loved so much and yet left her in pain.
I landed at Mumbai airport and switched on my mobile with a heavy heart, knowing very well that my messages will be unanswered and worse still that she will have something more bad to say. The beep beep on my mobile sounded the impending doom even as I was collecting my luggage.
“I love you too and let’s see where this takes us”
That was our 1001st attempt at breaking up
“ It's over and don’t me call ever again” screamed a message on my WhatsApp minutes after I boarded my Delhi to Mumbai flight !! I had spent 3 wonderful days and nights with her and her smell was still lingering within me when this message literally knocked me out of my senses. I frantically replied back with numerous messages but neither the lack of read receipts nor any replies gave me any sense of confidence. The flight was ready to take off and the flight attendant Neha, was urging me to switch off the phone. How would I explain to her that, it was matter of near life and death. Needless to say, Neha's fervent pleas fell on deaf ears. Several messages evoked no response and eventually I lost the signal after we took off from Delhi airport. I was simply not able to comprehend as to how a magical weekend could end up in such a misery. So much so, that she was the one who had come to drop me at the airport and sealed the trip with a kiss.
It was quite disturbing to say the least and I had a long 2 hours of lonely flight ahead of me to reminiscence on what really transpired between us two and about the 13 years that we shared together. A loving memory for me and a forgetful one for her. While we loved each other to bits, it was a reality that while I was over the moon being with her, she regretted the fact that she is still connected with me. Admittedly, it was a strange kind of a relationship that had stood the test of time and that too on a long distance mode.Tragic in way, nonetheless survived to see through the signs of times.
To be honest, this was not the first fight between us and like we would call it “going away” was what you call as frequent but natural. It was something that we had attempted, sometimes willingly by both of us and at times single handedly by her, over a 100 times in the past 10 years or more. For some reason, including love, the relationship remained, the connection retained and the love continued to blossom.
As I stuck my head to the window pane of my plane, I started to rewind the years and even the first meeting was fresh in my mind as if it had happened just a day ago.
It all started somewhere with me looking for a talent who could represent us for India. Multiple talent scoutings later, we finalized a few and Priya was one of them. Openly I can admit that it was love at first VOICE ... it was that kind of love. I had not even seen her yet but could envisage her to be a wonderful & endearing human being. Someone who cared and yet had enough smiles to share.
The interlude began with a call as to which place to reach for the interview and while I was certain that the lady is taking her time as she was getting late, I was running out of options. Finally, Priya did end up for the interview. I was down with a bit of a cold and sniffles and constantly sneezing and coughing. She sat across me with those wild vivid eyes which expressed a lot without having to talk. She aggravately kept brushing her hair behind as the wave of black dark misbehaving lock of flicks kept disturbing her focus. I do have a penchant and probably a fancy for good hair and it took me my best professional effort to resist from reaching out and helping her out in her discomfort. (My Dimple Kapadia.. from good old days). Years later, I would know that similar to my resistance, she too wanted so much to help me between my sneezes and coughs. This is how this love story began ... over a call and voice which I flipped over but thought to be a bunch of lies and that hair and my sneezes. I almost did not hire her. The job was not quite tailor made for a woman and I was still debating within if a right candidate or a gender should get the nod. I also knew that I would be head over heels over her in no time and it would be a serious professional hazard for me. But when has life gone according to plan ? Eventually we all succumb to the vagaries of life and live enough to enjoy or regret it.
I freshly remember it to be a morning in September when I picked her up from Mumbai airport. She was working with me for 6 months now and while we both maintained the professional composure, it was proving difficult to maintain the emotional balance. The long distance helped in a way to keep the sentiments away, as this was the first meeting after the interview, other interactions limited to calls and sms.
She walked tall like a fairy out of a story book. It was those simple yet endearing things that she did that so appealed to me. The way she would drape her dupatta (I have never seen anyone else do that till date), her radiant smile, the talking eyes and how to forget about her constant tripping over all the time. She could hurt her toe with a doorbell for God’s sake !!!
That evening we went to Juhu beach after a long hard days work. A Delhi girl was getting to see a beach for the first time in her life. It came as surprise to me that what we take as a common day visit could be such a big occasion for someone from outside of town. A simple vada pav or a gola and pani puri chaat was a bookmark event. A walk along the beach ensued and it went on to be the start what proved to be a long love hate story. A short hug and my fiddling with her hair was enough to seal our fate for the rest of our lives.
The young couple thrived in each other’s company and while trying to find a name to the relationship got lost in the world that questions the fabric of relationship that you are into. Similar questions lies within you and they take fruit as you go deeper. Questions that have no answers !!!
Jaipur happened next and as her and my work required a lot of travelling, chances to meet frequently increased and so did the number of places. I was fondly remembering those loving moments as I pensively sat in the plane and could not but help recollect the numerous love filled moments we have had over the years. That walk along Marine drive in Mumbai or that chug along the streets of Jaipur or some cheap restaurant in Hyderabad or a jazzy pub in Chennai ... all of them befittingly similar. And yet... The “going away” prevailed for years and continued to be an infection that would last till this day.
The pilot started making the cursory announcements and my dear flight attendant Neha was duly clearing the decks as I gathered my thoughts and the pilot did what best he could to descend. It was a journey with mixed emotions, full of joy for the love that I experienced and lived through and sad for the woman I loved so much and yet left her in pain.
I landed at Mumbai airport and switched on my mobile with a heavy heart, knowing very well that my messages will be unanswered and worse still that she will have something more bad to say. The beep beep on my mobile sounded the impending doom even as I was collecting my luggage.
“I love you too and let’s see where this takes us”
That was our 1001st attempt at breaking up
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