Hardly a week had passed since they officially became a couple. It wasn’t all music and romance but it was a nice feeling, and they both felt different – happy and complete. Since it had been a busy workday for him, and she had to stay home coz her roommate had fallen ill, they had decided to meet just for a coupe of hours that thurdsay.
The evening glided past beautifully, as it does for all young people in love. And now that the moments to drop her back home were coming close, Sid was getting restless. He didn’t want her to go so soon, but also knew there was no way he could make her stay longer. Besides, he wanted her to reach home in time. Responsibility was something they were both very well aware of.
Naina allowed herself to play kid sometimes. She begged Sid to find ways to stop time, she asked him to play nasty and make her late; and she did all this coz she knew just too well that he would do none of it.
When they were barely a kilometer from her room, Naina asked him to park his bike by the superstore and walk her home. Walking with him in the moonlight always rejuvenated her like nothing else. Thankfully hers wasn’t a very crowded area, and the road was quite and cool. Her request was something he could not and would not refuse, coz holding her hand, holding her round the shoulder, around her waist, walking in sync with her, was something he believed he could keep doing. I wouldn’t say “forever”, coz “forever” Sid thought was Naina’s favorite word. He never told me what he felt about it, but I think that the word must have knocked on his thoughts sometimes. But they were just beginning into a relationship and Sid wanted to give it all the time, so he didn’t let “forever” intrude too often.
As for Naina, she was just like any other girl, and girls usually do think too much too soon. But she was also a lady. She knew what to say and what to keep inside. She knew Sid’s fears and wanted to give him all the time. So she didn’t let “forever” intrude too often either.
Walking together thinking , and sharing thoughts, they heard all these crackers bursting around. Both stopped for a while, and then laughed. India must have won the match, and hence all this celebration. And Naina wondered aloud, “I am not a big cricket freak, but I make it a point to follow all our matches with Pakistan. They are always so interesting.”
To this Sid replied “ I am usually the kind to follow every ball of every match”. They accepted that their priorities had changed lately and walked on with a shrug!
The road was but too short. Sid dropped her off and started walking back on that road alone. Lost deep in thoughts, he was walking when sounds in the ground to the right distracted him. A bunch of boys were playing cricket there in the night. He stopped to watch. He hadn’t stopped consciously, only after a few minutes he realized that he hasn’t moved for a while. And then a sudden urge took over him, and he started walking towards them. Got closer, and soon he was a part of their game.
Sid, with whom Naina never had to look at her watch coz she knew he would always take care of the time, forgot how long he had been there.
And then his mobile buzzed, it was Naina’s sms, wishing him good night with the three golden words. He smiled. Bid his new pals good bye, and started the rest of the walk back to the supermarket.
“Probably forever isn’t that bad a word after all”, he was thinking.
