See You Again

Painting by: Leonid Afremov

It was the last night of my little trip. Despite being borderline apprehensive about going to Pokhara alone, the 4-day vacation had felt very...freeing. I had left all my electronic devices back home. No schedule to follow, No places to be, no calls to answer...it was bliss. I was anxious about getting back home because I knew a desk full of papers were awaiting my arrival at work. I gulped down the remaining beer in my mug. I motioned to the bartender to bring me another one. My plan for the night was to drink as much as I could keep down without feeling sick. Well, as far as an unplanned plan could go.

I looked around the bar. It was buzzing with enthusiasm. At 8 pm on a Friday night, I imagined what I must look like to the world. A guy in his mid 20s sitting alone at a bar. But, I was having fun. Many people don't understand it but solitude isn't all that bad that people make it out to be.

I was feeling slightly hazy, when a girl approached the seat next to mine. I looked at her and my heart skipped a beat. I don't know if it was the multiple shots of tequila, her messy hair or the way she looked in that orange sundress, but,

"Woah, you're gorgeous" slipped my tongue.

Embarrassed, I turned my head away when I realized a second later what I had done. But she just laughed and said a joyful little "Thank you". It might be the alcohol but she had the most wonderful voice I'd ever heard. Most definitely the alcohol, because no one deserved to be that perfect.

She ordered a beer as well and looked at me.

"Aren't you too young to be drinking alone on a Friday night? " she asked.

I looked at her again. She didn't look any older than I was. "Well, aren't you? Or are you waiting for your boyfriend? " I mentally cringed. Ahhh classic guy move. Why did I have to ask her about the boyfriend?

"Fair point. No boyfriend on the horizon, or friends for that matter...for the night.... That was a little too much information. Hoping you aren't a serial killer who kills girls for their hair. If you are, Oops" she chimed.

"You got me. Definitely behind your hair"

I smiled and she smiled back.

"So, What brings you to this beautiful city alone? I hope I'm not prying. "I asked.

"There's not much of a reason really. I came home from the states after 2 years and all my friends back in Kathmandu are busy so I came alone. What about you? "

"I had to get away from my life for some time. It got too much for me too handle as I was having a rather horrible week"

She smiled sympathetically. "I'm so sorry. I'm sure it'll get better. "

"A person, who I thought was my bestfriend, is marrying my ex-girlfriend. I was demoted at work. I got into a fight with my other friends. Best week ever" I replied, with false enthusiasm.

She said, "Does your life suck or what" followed by " I'm so sorry. I have no filter when I'm drunk"

My laugh was hollow.

"It's fine. Few days in Pokhara has helped me sort my head. I'm leaving tomorrow sadly. Would have loved to stay longer"

"Me too. Getting back home tomorrow. My mom keeps calling me every two hours to make sure I haven't died. Young girl, travelling alone and all that. This is what I like most about staying away from home. No nagging....and I could go alone anywhere"

"I can imagine. I have a little sister and she's very vocal about the double standards regarding boy and girl privileges in Nepal"

"Your sister sounds amazing" she said and both of us laughed.

We chatted about things from here and there like what I did for a living and how her life was like in the US. I was having fun and she was constantly smiling, so I knew she was having fun too. After a while, we decided to get away from the noise at the bar and take a walk.

Pokhara looked even more beautiful at night. The yellow street lights caramelized everything under it. And I had good company. That was the best part. And I realized something...

"Wait. We don't even know each other's names yet"

"Wow. you're right. Totally slipped my mind. How is that normal? "

"Classic Alcohol" I replied.

"I guess. But isn't this so much better. If we knew each other's names, you would secretly check me out on Facebook and realize I was such a boring person"

"Ofcourse. I would judge you based on your facebook profile because that's totally sane....... And to be fair, the word "boring" is the last word on my mind right now"

"Whats the first word on your mind? " she asked as she looked into my eyes.

"Beautiful" , I said looking at her.

"Fun, wonderful, one of the best nights in a long time" , I added.

"Thats more than one word..."

"What the first word on your mind? " I asked.

"Hmm.... Glad"

"Glad-that-I-didn't-turn-out-to-be-a-serial-killer or glad-I-met-him glad?" I joked.

"Thank-god-my-mom's-worst-fear-weren't-realized glad" , she smiled cheekily.

For a few moments, we just walked. Taking in the breeze, the ambience and the peace that made Pokhara... well, Pokhara. Our steps matched and without anyone saying anything, we were holding hands. Her hands were soft and I had to push away the urge to kiss it.

I was lost in my own thoughts, when she said,

"The real reason I came to pokhara alone is because my boyfriend of 3 years broke up with me"

"I'm so sorry"

"Don't be. The thing is, before going to the States, I was very much in love with him. We constantly texted, called each other 24/7. But you know Long distance relationships. It was hard because I wanted to touch him and I wanted to talk to him whenever I wanted. As time flew by, the calls grew rarer. And When I was coming home, I knew break-up was on cards. It just feels strange to me because I used to love him. But, I'm just not that person anymore. He isn't as well...... I'm so sorry about this rant "

"It's okay. I understand", I responded, honestly.

"Enough about me. Tell me about you. Do you still love her? The girl who's getting married? "

I thought about it for a while.

"I dont love her per se. But, as I was very much in love with her once, I think a part of me will always care about her. And the fact that my supposed bestfriend is getting married to her just enrages me. To be honest, I don't even know why"

"Maybe because you love them both, in a way, and them getting married makes you feel alone"

"Maybe" I said, deciding if that was the answer.

At that point, I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep down the multiple drinks I'd had. But I was sure about two things: I wanted to taste her lips and I didn't want to not meet her again.

"I think we should go back to the hotel. I mean not together. I mean, to our own hotels rooms. Damn it". She sighed loudly. "What I mean is, It's getting pretty late. I'm returning to Kathmandu tomorrow but I don't have a ticket yet so I'd have to go early. I'm sorry. I have to go now" she mumbled.

"I know me too", I said and turned to look at her.

We stood underneath the street lamp. Alcohol was long gone from my system then and, she still looked every bit beautiful she had looked earlier that night. My heart started to beat a little faster and I knew it was now or never. I did the thing that came easiest to me since I met her. I kissed her. And she kissed me back.

Breathless, we looked at each other. Both of us knew the kiss didn't make things easier for us in any way.

"You know this isn't possible right? I'm going back to America in 3 weeks. I don't want to repeat what happened in my life again"

I knew. I closed my eyes and I had this idea.

"I know and I'm just thinking out loud here. But I haven't felt this at home with someone in a very long time. I'm not saying we should date or anything. We met today under very suspicious circumstances. Either fate is at play here or someone is playing a cruel joke on us. And this is coming from someone who is not completely sold on the idea of fate"

"What do you want to do then? " , she whispered.

"I don't even know. But I'd like to start by returning to Kathmandu together. I know it's a lot to ask "

I pulled out a business card the bus service had given me and handed it to her.

"So, if you think you'd like to see me again, be there at 8. Because I'd like to see you again. No pressure though, but think about it alright? We can do proper introductions this time , names and everything ", I pleaded.

She looked awry but nodded her head. After that, we went our separate ways. As I was walking away, I turned to look at her to see if she was looking at me as well. She was definitely not looking at me. I waited hoping, pleading to the universe that she'd turn to look at me one last time, but she didn't.

She turned a corner and I never saw her again.

Comments

20 Things To Do Before 20

This post is a little different than the posts I usually do and it's "fun-er" than the rest of them too. I still have a year or two before I hit the twenties and that's where things get interesting. Teenage is probably going to be the most interesting part of our lives so I wanted to make a bucket list to make sure that this phase ceases in its full glory. So, this is my take on 20 things to do before 20 . Hope you enjoy going through it ! :) 20. Bunking classes 19. Reading a good book and crying 18. Not studying for an exam but still acing it 17. Having a "love at first sight" moment 16. Watching a TV series until you get sick....literally 15. Trying a food you can't pronounce 14. Having at least 20 crushes 13. Talking to someone through the night till dawn 12. Going for shopping... alone! 11. Watching back-to-back movie at a cinema hall 10. Dating someone who isn't your type 9. Going to a dance party 8. Drunk dial...

Shipwreck

PC: pinterest.com We sailed into the vast unknown Never knowing it’d leave us so torn Almost failing several times, We persisted Only to be flooded, We still resisted. Both knowing it wasn’t right, We fought Sometimes one another Sometimes together Wanting the ship But never each other. The voyage was cursed A shipwreck pending We needed to face facts, Risk it all Once and for all, Stop pretending.

Encounters.

I had known it the second second I woke up that day. Something atypical was going to happen and I could tell. I lazily turned off the alarm on my phone. I just couldn't help but stare at the date. It was like the calendar was giving me signs. It just didn't feel "normal". The thought was insane so I just brushed it off and got off the bed. I hurriedly got ready, had my breakfast and ran off to college because as always I was late. The rest of the morning was as mundane as any morning could be. I felt stupid for all the thoughts that came to my find earlier. I made a mental note to not buy romance novels the next time I went to a book store. I had some really boring classes that day and dreading it made those preposterous thoughts slip off my mind instantly. I had to sit through two consecutive Chemistry classes first thing in the morning and I was losing my mind. When the bell rang for break, I couldn't wait to get a breath of fresh air. I caught my...

about love

When I was 10, love was Familiarity. Love was big eyes and sweet smile, coming over to give me his share of chocolates that he got for someone's birthday. Love was getting picked to play with him first. Love was random calls to my house that my mom picked up. Love was waiting for his silly emails over long summer breaks. Love was knowing I was his best friend. When I was 14, love was a Secret. Love was staring at his pretty eyes from far away. Love was the music in my ears whenever I heard him call my name. However, love was also sly. Love was accidentally brushing against his skin while walking beside him. Love was catching him looking at me and at once looking away. Love was the crescendo of heartbeats that came after. Love was... finding out it was love. When I was 17, love was All-knowing. Love was thinking pretty eyes wasn't love at all. Love was realizing I hadn't met love yet but knowing exactly what he looked like. Love will.... definitely be taller than me....

How I Met Your Mother vs Friends

Photo:Pinterest I watched How I Met Your Mother for the first time when I was in 7 th grade. At that time, the jokes most likely went right over my head and I probably didn’t understand the context to many things but still something about Ted Mosby resonated with me, even then. I have always struggled with keeping my love in check like him which has led to various failings throughout the years but Ted’s always had my back by being one step ahead. For these reasons and more, I whole-heartedly love the show. On the other hand, I watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S. a couple years later and thought it was mostly nice. I’d all but forgotten about it until last year when, for some reason, everyone started talking about it. I, by no means, thought it was a bad show but I couldn’t fathom why everyone liked it so much . People started labelling it superior to HIMYM which didn’t sit well with me. So I decided to re-watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S to gain perspective which led me to the conclusio...

Rust & stardust

There's not much to say about love beyond what has already been said But in the past, every time we fell apart I always used to find new ways To bleed on paper about you. Yet, this time has been different Because the words I spit out about you now don't make any sense Just like how we fell apart doesn't make any sense. Every time I sat down to write this, My thoughts always went back to that one time When you said I'd never be able to write anything without you in it, ever again. I laughed and rolled my eyes at you then But I knew you were right Even during the long stretches of radio silence between us, my words always seemed to find their way back to you. You were sometimes the hero in my stories Sometimes the villain And yet, you were there Car...

Reminiscence

My jar of memories :-) Ever since I was little, I've had this affinity with Roses. I don't know if it's the overlapping petals, the sweet sensational smell or the fact that that level of beauty can blossom midst the nastiest of thorns. Or maybe its the whole package. It might be the romantic in me showing its colors, but gifting someone Roses always felt like the right thing to do. And in return, receiving Roses still feels like the best thing ever. Years passed, friends broke away and lovers drifted yet I always saved the roses- pressed and dried. A sane person would throw away the memories of people who don't matter anymore. However, I like to save it because no matter what happened afterwards, that moment is a happy memory. And happy memories are like bottles of wine in a way. As our brain has a way of blurring out negatives, moments become sweeter the farther down you travel in time. In a way, my jar of memories (as I like to call it) provides me ge...

The Day I.....

My heart was still fluttering and it was only aggravating the situation further. It meant I still hadn't died, didn't it? But Why ? In the recent times, everybody has the day they’d die tattooed on their arm immediately after birth. It probably makes for a more sustainable living as people know their days are numbered so nobody does anything stupid at all. When someone is born, the medics check the Total Health Factor (THF) of the baby and calculate the day to which that person could live with no health-related obligations. People have THF ranging from 10 to even 35 years. People having THF lower than 10 are sent away, nobody except the government knows where. My THF is 16. And the date tattooed on my arm is 20th November 2311. Today. My providers had once told me about a time when death was uncertain. People lost the value of living because at one point everyone was just surviving for the sake of it. And the other major problem of that time was pe...

One More Day

Photo Credit: Tumblr.com If I had one more day with you, I don't think I'd do many things differently. We'd still wake up next to each other. You'd wake up first like you always did. As the morning sun pierces the curtains, I'd curl into you unconsciously, shielding myself. You'd smile unto yourself silently, embracing me. We'd be a tangle of messy hair, blankets and warmth. You'd be the first one to get up from the bed. "We'll be late", you'd say. "Can't we just take a day off? Go for a picnic maybe? It'd be our first date after getting married" , I'd suggest. "Sure honey", you'd say laughing. I'd wake up next and start making tea. After a while, you'd come out of the shower, all steam and water drops. Gently sipping my tea, I'd look at you. "What are you looking at, missus?" you'd say with pretend innocence. "Only my favorite person in the world...

The Arrival

My inspiration for this story. Picture by your one and only. The arthritic and stubby branches of the peach tree in the garden was our harbinger of winter. The lonesome tree would look deranged and we'd know to unpack our winter clothes and start the tea regime in the morning. For the rest of us in the family, the tree being there didn't make any difference to our lives. But for my grandmother, it was a different story. It was her only answer to solitude. It was the whisper of a long lost love for her. Ever since my grandfather died of heart attack , it was like a part of my grandmother died with him. She was no longer the cheerful person she used to be. She remained unhinged by the things that were going on around her. It was like a piece of her had drained from her body. My father said that it might be because of the sudden and untimely demise of my grandfather, but for none of us knew for sure. And we were too taken aback by her strange activities that we never a...

...I speak my mind =)