Her Very Own Fairy-Tale

She had been in love with him for 3 whole years. 3 whole years, and here she was, still
waiting, hoping, that maybe someday, he would feel the same..for her.
He was perfect. Good-looking, smart..just perfect. You name it, and he had it.
She, on the other hand, was a normal girl-next-door. She couldn't wear microscopic
clothes which covered nothing, she wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, and nor was she extraordinarily high on the IQ levels. She was just..normal, the most common of common
girls. Maybe that's why.
In spite of that all, she had always dreamed - of a time when he would probably come
up to her and say, 'I've fallen for you..'. She prayed to God every night just for a
miracle. One miracle - which had his name written all over it. And she always ended up
not talking to that very God when her wish wasn't fulfilled. Hell, everyone's wishes were
granted. Why weren't her's ever one of them? She wasn't asking for money out of greed,
nor harm to anyone else out of spite. She was just a normal girl who was asking some
happiness from someone who loved her as much as she loved him.
And this was the story of her life - of Riddhima Gupta, someone who had been in love
with a guy for 3 whole years..and to no desirable consequence.
Was it so hard to be loved by someone? Someone who saw her for what she really was,
and loved her entire being, not just parts of it. To some people, this kind of question
would make her seem desperate. But was she really? Didn't everyone dream of that
special someone? Then how was she any different?
She was 18 years old, and had never been in a relationship. She looked around her, and
found everyone struck with Cupid's arrow. Then why wasn't she struck yet? Why was she
such an outcast? If everyone around her wished for the same things she did, and had
been granted that wish, why hadn't she gotten what she wanted? Was it so impossible
for anyone to fall for her?
Alright, not anyone. But someone. Just someone, who could take her breath away. Till
now, she thought Arjun Rai was that someone. But her hopes, dreams, and her heart
were crushed into a million pieces when a very universal announcement of her dating
some random cheerleader was announced in the college hallways. And it hurt. Real bad.
The hurt had been piling for ages, only now, it took its true form and came out in the
form of tears from her eyes. Wiping them off, and swearing curses to no one in
particular, she made her way to the only place which could cheer her up - a book store.
Whenever she was upset, Riddhima would just pick up a bunch of love stories, be it Mills
& Boons even; love stories like them made her believe in the fairy-tales that people kept
talking about, made her believe in the whole 'magic' of love. If it existed at all. And so,
she picked up random love stories, from the best authors - Nicholas Sparks, Jill Mansel,
Eric Sehgal.. They rejuvenated her hopes and dreams. Made her have faith - that
someone was writing her fairy-tale.
But even whilst she tossed books one after the other in her shopping cart, she couldn't
get her mind of the questions which had been troubling her since..well, since a very long
time. All she kept asking herself and to a God if he existed - Why? Why did her life have
to be different from anyone else's? Why hadn't she found him yet? Why was it so hard?
Was it supposed to be so hard? Why was he taking so long to come into her life? Was
there anyone who was supposed to come into her life in the first place?

"The minute he comes, I'm going to slap him twice and curse him for coming so late!"
Riddhima mumbled under her breath, dejected and completely depressed.
"Its good to know someone still reads so much, and that too from books, not from
technologically advanced gadgets!" Someone spoke from behind her, and she turned to
see a young lad, definitely not more than a year or two elder to her, looking at her with
a soft smile playing on her lips.
"Books are just my best stress buster!" Riddhima replied with a small smile, and
returned to the stack of romance novels.
"You may want to try out other categories of fiction though - there is crime, mystery,
horror, comedy, even spirituality.." He smirked. "Or do girls only read fairy-tales and
mushy romance? What is it about girls and romance anyway? Do you people see nothing
beyond fancy looking guys and equally annoying girls who can't get over their miserable
lives?" He judged.
Riddhima was already annoyed, and this fellow here was not helping her annoyance
levels.
"Who the hell are you?" She muttered sarcastically.
"Oh, didn't introduce myself! I'm Armaan!" He grinned. Riddhima had to admit, he was
good-looking, especially when he smiled. But his personality was a turn-off, she thought.
"Um, sorry, really not interested!" She said sardonically, and turning on her heels, she
swept past him, and paced towards the cashier. She wasn't interested in bumping into
him..ever again.
Little did she know, God had just answered her biggest question - Why? If only she
would look closely, and maybe consider it a little, she would see why it never worked out
with anyone else. The answer to all her 'Why's was right behind her, smirking away to
glory as he saw Riddhima very angrily piling up books on the cashier, in front of a very
baffled and stunned cashier girl.
And as she walked out of the store, now distracted by that very unfriendly stranger, she
left behind all her answers, left behind someone who she had been dreaming about,
someone who she had praying for every night before she went to sleep; she had just left
behind her very own fairy-tale, which began in a bookstore.. But it had just begun. And
they would meet again, soon. Real, real soon.
-x-