It was past midnight, Mythili was still awake and very restless. She was greatly worried as the fate of her love would be decided the next day. She was eagerly awaiting for the break of dawn as she and her boy friend Ram had agreed to meet at the park early in the morning to decide on their future. She had been in love with Ram for nearly five years and yet there has been no progress towards a wedding. Ram had promised her that he would give a positive answer this day.
She was nineteen when she started loving Ram who was twenty then.Both of them were studying together with her doing her graduation and he into Engineering. They had initially met at a mutual friends place .Mythili was amazed to see such a handsome tall and fair guy. He was thin built with a charming face that it was a case of love at first sight. Madly in love with him she envied everything that was close to him, she wanted to be everything for him, and she got very possessive about him. Ram was also stunned to see such a beautiful girl with big eyes, sharp nose and rosy lips, he felt he cannot see such elegance anywhere in the world. They both availed every opportunity to be at the mutual friend‘s place spending long hours in each others company. While she was very hesitant to express her feelings to him, Ram took the initiative and proposed to Mythili one fine day.Her joy knew no bounds taking her to cloud nine.She hugged him tightly and gave a peck for giving her a wonderful moment.
They both loved each other a lot , wanted to be together all the time, they never missed to meet each other everyday, nothing could stop them from meeting each other and they used to bunk classes and go to movies, parks, temples spending hours together. Mythili started feeling him as if he was her husband, and she was so much connected to him. But Ram was a very practical person rather than an emotional one and gave no expression to his feelings for her. Five years passed by and both of them still met but there was no word from Ram about the marriage even when she oblquely hinted .She sense a feeling that the intensity of his love was not that strong it was earlier.Ram had completed his Engineering and got a placement through campus interview as a Software Engineer in a big MNC. He was now surrounded by all smart young women in the office, who were professionally qualified and in comparable or better positions.She felt that he was spending more time with them than with her. Mythili in comparison to these professional girls had only normal graduation with a small position in a private firm as a clerk. She had observed the embarrassment that Ram had when he introduced her to his colleagues .She suspected that he wished his fiance to be an Engineer or Doctor though he hadn’t mentioned this t to Mythili. Unlike in the past, he started avoiding her, and skipped meeting her saying that he was too busy in his work. Gradually the daily meetings went to weekly meetings and slipped to monthly meetings.But Mythili had the same feelings and passion for Ram with her love for him not a shade diminished. She was very confident that Ram would be eventually hers only and never doubted his commitment to her. Her friends nevertheless warned her about the change in him but she was in no mood to listen confident as she was in herself.
In the meanwhile she had pressure from her family also to get married, she was unable to convince her parents and she decided to meet Ram to convince him to get married soon. She called him and asked him to meet her the next day at the park around 11am.
Ram and Mythili met at the park the next day when she mentioned the pressure at home and the urgency to get married .Instead of showing concern and seriousness, Ram laughed at her . He and kept quiet for a moment and later explained “Mythili, I want to make one thing clear. You seem to have made a big mistake in assuming our close friendship for love. Do remember we became friends at a very young age when we generally mistake infatuation for love.True I proposed to you some years back. But our mindset was not mature then to decide on such things. I don’t think what I had towards you was love, I would rather say it was just infatuation and warm friendship., Don’t you realise that , If I had really loved you, I should have had a feeling of needing you, which I don’t feel now. I am sorry Mythili that I have to say this but frankly I can live happily without you. Please understand that you are not the ideal partner I am looking for and leave me alone. I feel sorry for you but I feel no guilt or remorse in telling this.We can continue to be friends.”
Mythili was shattered and in total disbelief stared at him incredulously. Her entire edifice of love had crumbled into pieces in what appeared to be a one sided love.She was numbed into silence, her eyes welled with tears and she felt her heart would burst at this treachery and insensitive opportunism .She ran away without uttering one word.
Time is a cure for muddy waters.She gradually diverted her mind away from Ram and immersed herself in acquiring management diploma from a prestigious institution.It was difficult but the memory of Ram receded.She developed other interests to keep herself occupied.She had even agreed to her parents’persuasion to get married after a year.She did not object to their looking for a suitable match through advertiisements and matrimonial bureaus.Six months later she was surprised to receive a call from Ram.
“Mythu, Ram here.Are you surprised? I wish to meet you this evening itslef.I have some good news for you , i am sure you will be very happy to hear this. “Ram,who?If you are that Ram who ditched me few months back,I am just not interested in meeting you.Please do not trouble me.” Mythili replied
“Listen,I was a big fool.I didn’t know what was genuine love.Ignoring your true love I went in search of distant rainbows.If you get near them you will find they were just using you for their merriment.They kept on upgrading their friends for better ones.I have realised that I did a blunder in spurning your love.I promise Mythu I will not do this mistake again.I wish that we get married at the earliest.” Ram pleaded
“Sorry, Love is like a mirror.A broken love can never be set right. You have no place in my heart.I hope you will be sensible enough not to bother me any more.If you persist I may complain” said Mythili.
