All that I wanted...

It was a hot Friday morning; Advika had just finished the basic morning chores of preparing breakfast and packing her son off to school, with her husband. As she stretched her legs and let her hair down and relaxed on the sofa, the corner rack in her drawing room which looked totally messy caught Advika’s attention and she knew it required some disciplining.
After sipping through some cold Orange juice, Advika got herself prepared to clean the rack. There were a lot of old files and invitation cards and bills and what not that had been dumped there. She slowly began to segregate each one of it, when suddenly one the items which happened to be a wedding invitation and the names in it grasped Advika’s attention enough to take her through the past.
11 years back
Advika was 18 then, tall, dusky -skinned sexy looking teenage girl with extreme brains.
She was studying her 2nd PU and academics was her sole obsession till she met Sudan .Sudan was Advika’s tuition friend, looks that of a totally chocolate guy, he was a level-headed human being who loved to take life as it came.
It was a couple of months that the two had met.
Advika was thirstily moving her eyes all around the campus but every time getting disappointed that she still couldn’t find Sudan. As it was getting really late she entered the class, but even as she sat there her concentration was all on the bench where Sudan sat, She had glanced back thrice and all the three times she found the seat empty. Fourth time when she looked back, her heart slipped away for a moment and a sense of joy suddenly sank in when she found Sudan dressed in a Red T-Shirt and blue Jeans silently opening his note book and preparing for the class. He happened to see Advika and gave a faint smile. A smile enough to take Advika off her heels! It was umpteenth time Advika was telling herself that Sudan was just her best friend and there was nothing more to it!!!
“Can you never be on time? God ! You are always late” Shilpa beamed towards Sudan as they came out of the classroom.
Without taking his eyes off Shilpa even for a minute Sudan blabbered on “ Actually had to walk up all the way, My bro needed the cycle, Can I have your notes, will return it tomorrow, I can give it back today if it’s a hurry, I’ll come to your place” Sudan said enthusiastically. He had developed this huge crush for Shilpa for quite sometime now and was totally bonkers over her. He always looked for a reason to be close to her. “No, you can keep it, but better come on time tomorrow and give it” Shilpa replied.
Advika who was walking along with them found it rather amusing to see how much Sudan fancied Shilpa.
“Ok girls; see you tomorrow then, Bye”
Shilpa was really close to both Sudan and Advika.They were great friends.
“What do you think of Sudan?” Advika queried Shilpa now that they were all by themselves.
“I know what your question aims at, but trust me neither does he look at me in “THAT” sense nor do I” Shilpa replied back.
Bur heart of hearts Advika knew it all.
All that Advika did that night after returning home was prepare a questionnaire for Sudan.
The next evening Sudan was well before time for tuitions and Advika had just entered the premises. She was more than happy to catch hold of Sudan as there was quite sometime for the class to start.
“Hi, how was your day?” Advika asked.
“Oh a hectic one had 2 practicals!!!Phew I am tired, just waiting to hit the bed” Sudan replied tiredly.
“Can I ask you something? Promise me you won’t go wild” Advika demanded.
“Shoot, I won’t”
“You love Shilpa don’t you?” Advika said with a mellow voice, though she really prayed that the answer was a NO.
“Well what made you ask me this?”
“I don’t know, your behavior and all the crazy things you do for her” Advika replied.
“You are right, I am in love with her, I don’t know if it’s too early to say so, but I really feel something deep for her” Sudan replied.
Talks went on and Sudan asked Advika to swear that she would never let Shilpa know about their conversation.
With a kind of disappointment and sadness Advika attended the class. She repeatedly thought of only the conversation that took place between her and Sudan .Had he only said that “No Advika what you are assuming is wrong, well the true thing is that I love you”, Advika would have been more than happy.
Suddenly a pat from Shilpa who was sitting beside her made her come back to reality.
That night Advika had a really hard time, she never knew she felt so strongly for Sudan. She was really tough by mind. She made up her heart that she would stop having so called weird feelings for him and move on.
Hardly did she know that there was a surprise awaiting her the next evening.
Next evening Shilpa looked unusually happy.
Advika could sense that Shilpa could no longer wait to tell her something.
As soon as the class got over. Shilpa caught up with both Advika and Sudan.
“Guys I need to tell you something”.
There was huge question mark on both Advika and Sudan’s face.
“You know that you two are really close to me and you guys would have hated me had I tried to hide it from you” Shilpa went on.
“Yesterday night Vikas called”.
Vikas was a tall dark and handsome guy who also attended their tutions.Everyone knew that he had a candy eye for Shilpa.
“He proposed to me, I don’t know what made me say so, but I instantly replied a yes, I am so happy, I can’t believe this happened to me” Shilpa said.
Advika could see Sudan’s face turn green; he had an expression on his face like he had lost the greatest battle of his life.
Advika sensed an unknown happiness within herself. She didn’t know why though. Whether she had a chance with Sudan now or this incident would get her really close to Sudan.
Days rolled on, Months passed by Advika and Sudan got closer every moment, Long walks, coffee shops and there was never an end to their talks. By the day they seemed to understand each other better. It had become a usance that Sudan would call her up once/twice a week.
It was Examination time and these exams would decide their future. Tuitions wound up and with that Sudan and Advika meeting also faded. The phone calls reduced to once a month, but the conversations still carried the charm.Advika had moved on she truly cared for Sudan, but no feelings more than that.
Time just passed by, Results were announced and both had secured fairly good marks.Advika went ahead to take Computers as her subject in a top college. And Sudan moved on with an Electronics seat in a fairly reputed college, both remained in the same city.
They met new people, made a lot of new friends and life went on.
One fine day Advika was with her friends in the parking stand of her college during a break time.
Suddenly there was 'Knock' on her back and she was really surprised to see Sudan standing.
“Hey, what you doing here, seeing you after a long time how have you been?” Advika asked.
“I am good, I am here to see one of my ex-crushes from school” Sudan smiled as he replied.
Believing what he said, they exchanged a few gossips and said goodbye to eachother.Advika found it rather funny that Sudan didn’t even bother to look/talk at any other gal after their conversation and moved right out of her college. It had become a habit that Sudan would visit Advika at her college at least thrice a week and every time say that he came to see one of the gals in that college who was his past crush!.
One fine day as usual Sudan was at Advika’s college. He looked a little tense. Advika’s friends took leave of her as soon as they saw Sudan to let the two be alone.
“Can we have a walk at the park, remember good old days?”
“Sure, but what’s the matter? You look dull” Advika questioned him.
“Well that’s why I am here, and promise me whatever I say now will not let things change between us”.
“Sure, but tell me what it is all about”Advika snapped back as both sat on stone bench in the park...
“Remember you once told me, no matter what happens we will always remain friends”
There was an unsaid question mark on Advika’s face; she could not figure what made Sudan say so.
Not hoping for any replies Sudan continued “I am madly in love Advika and it’s you”
Before Advika could say anything Sudan was on his Knees,
“You are the one I want to spend the rest of my life with” Sudan said in a rather filmy way.
After quite some silence from her side Advika spoke
“Look, I really don’ think this is Love, it’s some kind of infatuation and nothing more, you will definitely get over it, trust me”
Sudan was taken aback for a minute “Look, I am going to wait no matter how long, also this isn’t going to change the friendship we had”
Advika was silently delirious about what had happened like any other teenage girl, but her level headedness didn’t let her think that the Sudan’s feelings for her were anything more than plain puppy love.
Things were quite different from that day, on some or the other pretext Sudan used to visit Advika at her college and she was more than happy to bunk her classes and go out on dates with him.
On one occasion when both were sitting at a Coffee Shop Sudan suddenly
Got up walked across the table and planted a kiss on Advika’s forehead.
Though she some strangeness dawned Advika, she truly felt that was the most passionate thing that had happened to her till date.
“Why”
“Sweetheart it’s been a week we are seeing each-other, Cheers to that” Sudan said rather confidently.
Advika couldn’t help but laugh her heart out and she knew that this was something she couldn’t prevent herself from getting into, she knew she was for it.
Time just flew by, they went through their share of thick and thin,
Both had entered into their adulthood where each had responsibilities, goals to fulfill in contrast to an immature teenage from where they had started.
4 years had passed for the two being together; both were successful software engineers at reputed MNCs now .Frequent meetings, timely phone-calls, SMSes and above all a strong commitment had still kept the passion going.
One Thursday afternoon as usual Sudan was busy discussing some issue with his boss when a SMS on his cell-phone drew his attention.
“Lal Street Coffee Shop, 5.30p.m sharp, See you there” was what the message read and it was from Advika.
Upon reaching the place Sudan knew that something was wrong, gravely wrong.
Advika began to sob uncontrollably.
“What’s the matter, tell me will you” Sudan shouted not being able to take it anymore.
“Dad...” Advika paused amidst a few hiccups she got due to continuous sobbing.
“He has planned to get me married “.
Sudan couldn’t believe his ears, for the first time something was not as he had planned.
“I don’t know what to do now” Advika said as she continued with her
Sobbing.
“Ok Listen to me, stop crying now, you know at my place it’s not going to be a problem, you will have to put your foot down Advika otherwise we can’t work this out” Sudan said though feeling a little more nervous than Advika herself.
A week of drastic events took place at Advika’s place, her father couldn’t digest the fact that his daughter wanted to marry a guy OF HER OWN choice and above all who was not of their caste. He had strictly asked everyone at home to advice her against her OWN decision and agree to the proposal he had got. He was firm on a BIG NO to her having any relationship with Sudan. He had even thrown a warning at her; it was either her father with whom she had 23 years of relationship or Sudan who was just 4 years in her life. On the other side Sudan’s parents took it rather lightly and told him to get into the instituion of marriage only when he had finished his further studies. Which Sudan felt was amicable.
A week passed by Advika had made up her mind. Her face had swollen out of all the crying and sleepless nights she had for a week from when she had told her dad about Sudan. But no way was she going to go against him. NO WAY!
The following day she met Sudan, it was going to be the last time Advika ever saw him. She felt this was the worst that could happen to anyone. As she waited at the table, she saw Sudan park his bike, a sudden rush of the past made it even harder to tell him that it was the last ever time she was going to meet him.
“Hi…Actually I was…” Sudan tried to reason why he was a little delayed.
Advika cut him short “I am standing by my dad Sudan, its good that way, All the best to you, I am sure you will do well” Advika hugged him tight as she completed saying so. She could feel the incisive pain in her heart and eyes as tears began to roll down. She had said this to the one she had dreamt of living together, cooking together, having kids …..Everything was over forever. Both felt life was at its unfair BEST. Without giving Sudan a chance , Advika had crossed the road to a standing rickshaw,boarded it and was out of his sight, even before Sudan could say a few convincing words.

NOW:
Tiny drops of tears had already shed, as Advika recalled the past 11 years of her life.
A knock at the door brought her back to the present.
As she opened the door,
“Oh! I forgot to take the chequebook, had to write it for the bank, why are you looking pissed?” the person who spoke now had snatched the wedding card from Advika’s hand.
“Yes dear this is our wedding card, it reads the same it read 7 years ago
SUDAN weds ADVIKA, how many times do you want to go there” Sudan laughed as he was always amused at how Advika was ever successful at shedding a few drops of tears every time she hoped flashback.

Sudan had not given up hopes even then, he had moved to US to pursue his further studies, upon hearing of Advika’s wedding, he had taken the next flight back home. He had approached her dad along with his parents, after long heated discussions , Advika’s dad was finally convinced that Sudan was indeed a good choice and caste wasn’t a great compromise in return. A lot of events followed, he had to call off the previous wedding with the guy he had seen for Advika.Advika had also spoke to the guy and apologized for the entire scene that happened and also assured that this was the best for all of them.
Finally the D-Day had arrived with Sudan as the handsome bride-groom and Advika the beautiful bride, both feeling extremely lucky & happy about having it worked out.
It was now 7 years of happy marriage for both of them and they were the parents of the 5 year old boy –Sudav.
Life had been at its FAIR BEST!!! :)

And they lived happily ever after....Is it?!....Not really...like any other family , couple, both had their share of ups and downs , BUT THEY WERE TOGETHER to face it all.:))

‘Never give up on anything, Miracles happen everyday’.

-- By Deepa Padaki