It was a quiet evening; Harsh was all by himself in his suave apartment in California in deep thoughts, when the phone rang. It took a while to get a grip on himself, as he took the phone. He stood in silence as he heard the shuddering voice on the other side. He walked back and laid himself on the leather sofa in his living room. He made a few hasty calls before he went in to take a shower. He was plunged in thoughts as the cab driver drove him through the familiar streets of the city which had become his second home, right from the day, he arrived here 4 years ago. That time, he was just a nervous guy in her early 20s who landed up here. A great job and a seemingly bright career brought him here that day. And the city never disappointed him. But Harsh had to go back to India immediately to keep a promise he had made 4 years back.
As the cab approached the driveway, he was quite content, having arranged his travel to India on a short notice. The travel was on cards and he had been making arrangements to get his vacation sanctioned, but this call was too sudden and he couldn’t bother about the complications of work he had to face once he returns back. This is an emergency; he had to take the next flight out to make his life meaningful.
On board, the instructions of the flight attendants echoed in the background, his focus was on only one person. As the flight took off, soaring high, making its altitude, his thoughts spun backward into a distant past. He was young and a careless teenager who went to an engineering college 30 Km from his home. One day, it is amidst those hours of travel to his college in the trains, he saw Nisha. He was struggling to stand due to excess of passengers in that compartment; a girl offered him a seat beside her after adjusting herself in a cringed space. Initially showing reluctance due to his shy behavior; her continuous request made him sit beside her. After a second of odd silence, he introduced himself and asked her name. She nodded towards him. Her glance made him attracted towards her. The glances turned to glares that made way to a typical friendship. And she became ‘his’ Disha.
Every day, they made it a ritual to meet up at the park near his college. One day, this continued many days, weeks and went on for the next 3 years. The stage reached when even the thought of detachment from each other would make both of them numb. Such was their love towards each other. But, the fate tested them, 4 years back at the Trivandrum International Airport when he was going away from her for a year to the US for his job. But he didn’t return till date to her as his parents relocated with him to the US. And he began to take his professional life way too seriously.
‘Seatbelts on’ He looked at his wrist watch. Another 15 minutes to land. Engulfed in the pleasant thoughts, he knew he had a task ahead, his future was at stake. He was pondering hard, in another few hours, he would be meeting Disha’s father, as her wedding is fixed with another guy, which he had to stop. How would he Disha’s father? How can he convince him to let them marry? He had to get his approval at any cost. Disha was shattered and she needed him now, more than ever. As his thoughts went on accumulating the plane touched the runway with a small thud. As he felt the felt the fresh air of Kerala embracing him. He could feel his energy rising.
He knew he had a herculean task in front of him. As ‘his’ Disha is deeply waiting for him for a new beginning with him.
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