Fate always has its way!

FATE HAS A HAND IN EVERYTHING WE DO!
         As a small girl I had always dreamt of a handsome guy who would one day propose to me in front of the whole world and promise to be there for me forever. I had waited eagerly for years searching for my to-be-soulmate, sometimes intentionally sometimes unintentionally, in every individual that I would come across. But fate often has things planned differently for us.

         In spite of having a lot of friends my dream boy was missing and somewhere down I had got used to the idea that he would be sought only by my parents and that I would have to wait till the day they decided to start their search.But I was completely happy to wait for him to come into my life. Having completed my H.S.C examination when the time came to opt a career I chose architecture, something that I planned for right since school days. It was a new step in my life and with this step I had to make new friends and adjust in a totally different environment.

      Architects are supposed to have a lot of fun in their curriculum with study tours, site visits and parties more than in any other course. Coming from an ordinary middle class family, I was not at all used to this part of western culture where party meant loud music, disco and exhibiting your wild-side for once. My first year went in enjoying all these new things. Being a shy person I never attended any party unless I was accompanied by atleast one of my close friends(and I had very few of them).

      On the fourteenth of February the committee of our college had organized a valentine’s day party in a well known hotel in our town. Apart from parties the other thing that our college was famous for was the “senior-junior relationship”. Hence, we had to do what our seniors said. All the freshers were forced to attend the party as a couple. This was the other part of western culture to which I was completely new again. I had always dreamt of having a nice, caring boyfriend who would marry me and prove to be the ideal husband. However, dreaming and actually having one are two different things. Having been the ideal, innocent and intelligent daughter I had never really indulged in all these things. Had been friends with guys, but had never thought of any guy in terms of a having the potential of a boyfriend. So obviously had noone to go with to the party.

      I had decided I would not go, rather I could not go without a partner. But as I said, I may not have had a boyfriend but I definitely had a boy – friend who then persuaded me to come to the party with him. Since all my other friends had a partner and were going I finally ceded. We decided to meet at the hotel entrance and then enter as a couple. However, as always fate had different plans for us. My friend could not make it on time and my seniors did not have the patience. Hence, I was asked to enter with whoever was present there at that time.

      Well there were two divisions in our batch and I did not talk to everybody from both the batches. However, there was a guy from the other batch whom I knew and had spoken to quite a few times. He also had no partner and like me was asked to enter quickly. Hence, when he came over and asked me to go with him as his partner I naturally said yes. Before we entered, though, he had some work and he said he’d be back in a few minutes. While I was waiting for him, another guy from my own division approached me. Although we were from the same class I had hardly spoken to him and from what I had known, I took him to be a very serious and slightly reserved sort of guy. But when he came forth and asked me to be his partner I was surprised to hear myself say yes.

        Well, first I had no partner and now I had said yes to two guys. I had to say no and sorry to one of them. Logically I should have said sorry to the second guy as the first one had obviously asked me first. But before I could think what to say and whom to tell, I found myself in front of the first guy apologizing that I could not be his partner as I was going with someone else. Once I entered the party I found myself running away from the guy with whom I had entered because I was still shy and afraid that if he asked me to dance with him I couldn’t do it. But even today I find myself wondering what was it that made me act so unpredictably and choose a person with whom I had hardly spoken to be my Valentine.
         While in the second year of my course, our class had decided to go on a picnic. However, we had less number of vehicles. Hence, a few girls would need to ride on the  pillion seat with guys. I once again found myself sitting behind the same guy who was my valentine the previous year. We were still just acquaintances.

         By the end of the third year I had finally gotten to be friends with this guy. However, I was still not as comfortable around him as I would be with my other friends. Being one of the intelligent students in my batch my books were often desired by all for last minute completion. However, I was often choosy in lending my books as I believed in helping only those who had themselves taken sufficient efforts and yet needed help. I believe that it is wrong to help those who never actually give it a single try on their own.  It was a final history submission that we had to make when one of my close friends had borrowed my journal for completion. In the meanwhile, as  I was done with my work, I was just relaxing and chatting with a few friends. It was then that he came forth and asked me to assist him in a particular topic that he had not found. Without thinking about anything I just went over to my friend, took my journal and handed it over to him to refer. I usually give complete priority to my friends, hence, my action was a little disturbing even to me!

         By the fourth year, however, we became good friends. Then one day he came over and asked if my number had changed? I really felt guilty then to know that he had been messaging me for the past whole year whereas, my number had changed around 8 months back. He hadn’t known it and had kept on messaging inspite of never receiving any reply from me. That year we began chatting over internet and I was surprised to see how well he understood me. Manytimes he would correctly interpret my actions, understand my fears, and my hesitations without me having to say them out.

         We knew each other for the past four years, however, we got to know each other by the end of the fourth year. The two months that we spent chatting with each other brought us so close that we fell in love without either of us having to say out that feeling explicitly. Today, when I think back about all these incidences, I feel that fate had kept hinting at us getting together, but we never understood it. We kept being the pawns in the game that destiny had spread out for us, but understand the actual game at the very end. But then I think these years that we spent accidentally being with each other is perhaps what has brought out the real essence in our relationship. Getting your love in an easy way sometimes makes you take it for granted. But Destiny or Fate slowly guided us towards our true love making us realize its real value along the way!