A SWIPE TO

BID ADIEU

PRATIK RAVINDRA
KHANDAGALE
Copyright © Pratik Ravindra Khandagale
All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 978-1-63781-840-4
This book has been published with all efforts taken to
make the material error-free after the consent of the
author. However, the author and the publisher do not
assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any party for
any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or
omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from
negligence, accident, or any other cause.
While every effort has been made to avoid any mistake or
omission, this publication is being sold on the condition
and understanding that neither the author nor the
publishers or printers would be liable in any manner to any
person by reason of any mistake or omission in this
publication or for any action taken or omitted to be taken
or advice rendered or accepted on the basis of this work.
For any defect in printing or binding the publishers will be
liable only to replace the defective copy by another copy
of this work then available.
 Dedicated to family, friends and all the people in
the world who are waiting for the love of their life.
1.
It’s A Match
2.
Veer And Romit
3.
Rendezvous With The Past
4.
The Breakup
5.
Lockdown Begins
6.
Malika, The New Match
7.
The Law Of Attraction
8.
Lockdown Ends
9.
The Reunion
10.
Reconciliation
11.
Veer Meets Malika
12.
The Party
13.
The Past And Present Meet
14.
A Walk In The Rain
15.
A Play Of Souls
16.
The Last Few Days
17.
Bid Adieu
 Preface
I wrote this book with the backdrop of changing
scenarios of modern day relationships. These days
the use of dating apps is at an all-time high. People
meet each other through these apps. For some, it is a
good experience and for some its vice versa. While
writing this story, I decided to focus on the bright side
of using such apps. This story is all about human
relationships and how we must handle situations
which are tricky. Love is all about acceptance and in
this story, I have tried to justify this. Reckless
behaviour kills the relationship and drifts people
away. How one can avoid such behaviour and
surrender to love, is the crux of this book.
"If we believe we can achieve". You will find this
saying being brought to reality as you read the book.
It is a story of almost every person who has been
through a breakup and is looking out for someone
new in their life. This book is written to give a message
that love is all that is important than anything else and
a hope that we can meet the love of our life
anywhere, on a dating app too!!
- Pratik Ravindra Khandagale
 Acknowledgements
This book is the result of the efforts of all the
people who have motivated me to pursue my hobby
of writing. Cristian Dina from Pexels whose photo I
have used as the front cover.
 CHAPTER ONE

It’s a match
It’s a match!! The phone buzzed out loud. Veer
who was lazing on his bed half naked raised his hand
to check his phone. When he unlocked his phone, he
saw a notification that he had matched with some girl
on a dating app he had recently downloaded. He
immediately jumped up on the bed. “Yay!!” he
shouted in joy as it was his only match in days. When
Veer opened the profile, he was awestruck. This
match was something he had never dreamt of and he
couldn’t believe his luck. After swiping right for days
and days he had finally received some good news. But
it was still only half done. This app had one catch. The
conversation could only be initiated by women.
Again, his wait for that magical day began. He kept his
phone and went back to his lazy activities.
But he had become restless now. Some kind of
desperation had set in. He again picked up his phone
and logged into the app. He had forgotten to check
the girl’s profile earlier. So, he started to scroll
through her pictures. Here was this pretty girl, dusky
complexion, a bit thin, curly hair. A girl just like the
ones shown to describe an Indian beauty. Any guy
would fall for this girl in a jiffy. Go weak in his knees
and have big, big butterflies fly all through his
stomach.
She had an impressive bio. The one which
reflected her soul out in the open. Also, she loved
dogs!, a plus point for her as Veer was a dog lover
himself. Veer was obsessed with dogs. But what
caught his attention was that she was a tarot card
reader. It fascinated Veer as he was reading about
tarot cards and its effects a lot these days. The
excitement to talk to her had reached its peak by now.
But waiting was the only thing he could do.
Twenty-four hours had gone but there was no text
from her. Time was running out. If the match didn’t
respond within one day they would automatically
vanish. Veer was worried that he would lose this girl
but then he read somewhere on the app that it was
possible to extend the time duration to one day for
one match at a time. This was like a ray of hope for
him. He extended the time, and again his wait for the
magical moment began.
“Hey hi, how are you? I am sorry I couldn’t text
you before, had some work,” she had texted him.
Veer was in a sweet shock. Happy and excited, but
scared at the same time. This was the moment he was
waiting for, but he froze as it happened. It was a new
experience for him to talk to strangers. He was too
much into his comfort zone. His hands were
trembling, and his mind was out of thoughts. He
somehow gathered some courage and texted her
back.
“Hi, I am good, you? Phew!!!! He gasped. “That
was one task!!!” he murmured.
Bing!! His phone buzzed again. It was a text
message from her. This time she had just sent him a
smiley. Veer was confused now and had no idea what
to do next. Then something clicked his mind. He took
a deep breath and texted her back.
 “Hey, what’s your name? It only shows ‘S’ here”,
and then he immediately logged out from the app to
avoid any kind of a conversation with her. But he felt
that he was doing something wrong and he logged in
again.
“Hi I am Samaira,” She had texted back.
Veer texted her again. “Hi Samaira, what do you
do?”
“I am a writer and I work for a media company,
you? replied Samaira.
“I am a civil engineer, but I have recently started
an e-commerce business of selling my paintings”
“That’s kinda unusual, I mean an engineer doing
an e-commerce business that too of paintings.’’
Veer was caught again and had no answer to this.
He thought for a while and then began typing. “I just
wanted to do something different” he replied.
“Haha ok,” replied Samaira.
That was it for the day. No more conversation
after that. Veer had already begun searching for her
profile on Facebook and Instagram but all his efforts
were in vain. He couldn’t find a single profile. His head
started spinning as he thought that it was a fake
profile and some random dude was fooling him.
“Hi, Romit, wassup? Veer had called Romit, one of
his closest friends to tell him the whole scenario.
“Hi Veer …where were you for the past few days?,
I had called you up, I even texted you…but you didn’t
reply” Romit replied.
“There is something I want to tell you. I matched
with a girl on that dating app you had told me about,”
“Oh my God!” Exclaimed Romit. “Finally, someone
is going to get hooked”
 “No, no, nothing like that, just listen to me. I had
a very normal chat with her. But the thing is that I
think it’s a fake profile. I can’t find it on any social
media site” shouted Veer.
“Dude chill, just because you cannot find it,
doesn’t mean it’s fake. Next time she texts you ask
her”. Romit assured Veer and hung up the phone.
Veer was assured for the moment but still an iota of
doubt was hammering his mind.
After two days Veer again texted Samaira. “Hi
Samaira, so what brings you to this app?”
“Nothing great as such. Just going with the flow.
Let’s see what happens. What about you? Samaira
replied after sometime.
“I am here to meet new people. If I genuinely
connect with someone, then maybe I would think
about something serious”
They had a random chat for some time. “So
Samaira, do you like poetry?” Veer asked her out of
curiosity.
“Yes, I love poetries but why did you ask me this
out of nowhere?”
“Actually, I am a poet and I have a page on
Instagram, so just asked you” Veer replied.
“Oh wow!! That is so cool, I would love to read
your work, Mr Poet”
He asked her for her Instagram id. That day all his
doubts vanished, and he was dancing in joy as
Samaira was a real person and not a fake id. They
continued to talk for days on Instagram. Slowly
uncovering bits and pieces about each other.
“So, tell me Veer, after reading all your poems I
have realized that you are still in love with you ex”
texted Samaira. Veer was startled on reading her text
message. He had never expected such a googly from
her.
“No, it’s just that I write about what I feel, what I
see around, from my friend’s experiences ….” Veer
replied.
“Ok, if you say so” she replied. “But I want to know
her name, and what was she like, from your poems
she looks like one lovable person”.
“She is lovable, but you know sometimes things
don’t work out the way you want”
“I understand that, and I think we are sailing in the
same boat” said Samaira.
“Haha, same pinch for that” Veer replied
immediately.
The days to come were very hectic for both of
them. They were busy figuring out what’s best for
them in life. Late in the night Veer received a text
from Samaira.
“Veer what made you swipe right when you came
across my profile”.
Veer read the message and immediately replied as
if he was waiting for it.
“When I was reading your bio, what you had
written about the three things you look out for in a
relationship, caught my eye. There you had
mentioned about being vulnerable. I agree with you.
One must be able to express their deepest emotions
their darkest fears freely to their partner. Showing
vulnerability is not being weak though many think it
is. But I differ on it. Being vulnerable is a sign that you
truly love the person and are not afraid to show your
true self to them. This is a good sign of
communication and trust between the two.”
“Wow!!!! OMG, OMG, Veer I think you just read
my mind. I am shaking right now. This is so accurate.
Are you for real? Are you stalking me? Do you know
some trick to get into the mind?” replied Samaira in
astonishment. She was numb.
“Haha, I just said what I feel, I am happy that even
you feel the same” he replied.
That night they exchanged numbers. “You seem to
be a very decent person Veer, and I have no problem
now in sharing my number with you” texted Samaira
before saying good night.
From the next day began a series of conversations
between the two. They both were glued to their
phones all day long. Samaira would text him from her
office. She would send him photos of her and also
photos of random street dogs. He would send her
poems and funny memes. They gelled up quickly.
“Do you believe in the Law of Attraction?” Veer
randomly texted Samaira in one afternoon.
“Yes, I do, I believe in it a lot. It works” she texted
back.
“Oh yes it does, I have experienced it. Especially I
believe in visualizing and the two-cup method” Veer
replied.
“Veer you are a trickster I think…How can this be
so true all the time? How do we match with each
other all the time? This is too true to believe. Let’s
meet as soon as possible now, I am so eager to see
you in person.”
“Ok boss, we will catch up on Friday.”
“Will this be a date?” questioned Samaira.
 “Umm, let’s not call it anything” Veer replied.
Friday, the day Veer was waiting for. The reason
for downloading a dating app was about to be
fulfilled. He texted Samaira in the evening before
leaving his house. He took a cab from his place to
Bandra where they were supposed to meet. Samaira
had decided on the place. It was a cosy café
overlooking the Arabian Sea. It was her favourite go-
to place. Veer reached there before Samaira and was
waiting for her. The moment arrived. Veer saw
Samaira.
Samaira was wearing a green top with polka dots
and black jeans. The jeans were enhancing her curves.
Her hypnotic eyes and magnetic smile were
something out of this world. Her curly hair left all
open were waving in the wind. It created an effect of
a halo behind her head. Veer was stunned to see her
in real. She looked even more beautiful than in her
pictures.
They greeted each other and sat down at her
favourite spot. “How are you Veer? I am so happy to
see you,”
“I am feeling the same Samaira, you just look
wow. I am not trying to be creepy, but you are so
beautiful Samaira” Veer said while admiring her
beauty.
“Haha, thank you Veer. You are a good person and
you are very cute too” she said while blushing. Veer
was quiet. All he did was smile like an idiot.
They ordered coffee, chocolate tart with
strawberries, and a pizza. They started a conversation
after that and spoke for hours on random topics from
breakups to memes to love and life. They also had
their selfie sessions. Samaira clicked Veers photos
while eating and immediately sent it to her friends.
Even she was hypnotized by Veer’s presence. The
cupid had struck already. After the café, they went for
a walk to Bandstand to witness the glory of the setting
sun and the play of the wind. They walked for an hour
and then sat down at the promenade.
“Samaira,” said Veer. “You know, as I am talking
to you, I have realized that it’s not always difficult to
hang out with people you don’t know much about. It
feels like I know you for a long time and that today is
just a formality of meeting you. Everything is going on
so smoothly. I don’t have to force myself into
anything. I am at ease while talking to you. Though I
was a bit scared at the start, but you made everything
so easy. I am so happy to have met you today”
“Even I feel the same. While I was coming here, I
was a bit hesitant. But then after meeting you I was
at peace. You have this superb vibe Veer. I can feel
that”. They both laughed and continued their
conversation.
“Universe works in mysterious ways. It wanted us
to cross paths. You know, Veer, this whole dating app
thing was actually of an experiment for me to meet
new people and hang out with them. After six months
I am going to New York for my masters and before
that, I wanted to experience as to how it feels to
connect with strangers” Samaira said. Veer was just
listening carefully to what she was saying.
“But Veer, today after meeting you, I am happy
that I downloaded that app as I was so against this
idea of online dating” Samaira continued. “It was in
that café where we went that I downloaded the app
only because my best friend forced me to. But it all
makes sense now. It’s all an alignment by the
universe. These are signs that something good is
waiting for us in the future.
When I asked you if it’s a date or not and when
you said let’s not name it, I was a bit sad. I wanted it
to be like a date. But it all makes sense now” Samaira
said completely lost in her world.
Veer was gazing into her eyes. Her eyes were
expressive and they sparkled every time she took his
name.
“What is meant to be will always happen,” he said.
“The universe wanted us to meet at this point when
both of us have been through pain in the past and are
healing. Maybe we are supposed to help in healing
each other. It so strange that a few days back I had no
idea that you even existed on this planet and here we
are today enjoying each other’s company. Also, I said
that let’s not call it a date because I think people act
fake on dates and portray a different version of
themselves just to please the other person. I maybe
be wrong but it’s what I feel.”
“True that Veer. You know, you are a wordsmith. I
feel like I can listen to you all my life” said Samaira and
she smiled, looking at Veer in awe.
It was 9 PM in the night and it was time to leave.
They hugged each other and then started walking
towards the taxi stand. All along they sang their
favourite songs, sometimes alone and sometimes a
duet. That meeting changed the equation between
them. They both were at ease with each other and
started meeting regularly. They spoke on the phone
every other day. Telling each other what all happened
during the day.
One day after office they both decided to meet in
the garden. Again, it was the sunset in the backdrop
that made their meeting heavenly. They sat on a
bench looking at the sea. The reflection of the sun had
lit the sea as if it was on fire. The waves were soothing
the air, as if trying to calm down all the agitated minds
around. Veer and Samaira looked at each other and
smiled.
“Veer, today I want to tell you about all my past
relationships. I think you should know about it.”
“Cool, let’s tell each other everything today. Let’s
just clear our minds from the past” Veer replied.
Samaira smiled, “I’ve been in three relationships,
the first was for six years. We had met in tuitions and
it continued up to graduation. We broke up because
we were bored with each other and had no clue what
to do. So, we decided to part ways. But we are still
friends. The second one was for a year. That guy
dumped me and went back to his ex, actually it was a
rebound for him. But I have no grudges against him.”
Samaira paused for a moment. She again continued.
“The last one was for two years. We work in the
same office. It was a very intense relationship. I
wanted to marry him, but he did not. All along he was
just playing with my feelings. He was caring, but it was
just one of his tricks to get to me. I have suffered a lot
because of him. But I have overcome that negativity
and depression now. And one more thing please don’t
judge me Veer for my relationships”
Veer was all silent. “Samaira you don’t have to
worry about that. I am never gonna judge you. The
fact that you had three relationships, only shows that
you are one likeable and admirable girl that all the
boys wanna be with you. It’s their bad karmas that
they lost a girl like you.
Our relationships do not define us. The past is just
a place to look out for when we want to reflect on our
mistakes and take the lessons it has taught us.
As you know, even I’ve been in two relationships
the second one being very intense. I have made
mistakes but it has only made me a better person
than before. Morality is just a tool used by people to
chain women.
The definition of morality also keeps on changing.
We cannot satisfy everyone. We will always be the
villain in someone’s story. So just chill. You are the
best.”
Tears started running down from Samaira’s eyes.
She couldn’t believe what was happening. It was like
a fairy tale for her. She was with a guy who could
understand her deeply. Both had connected at a
deeper level. She just looked at Veer and smiled. Her
teary eyes and the smile on her face was one sight to
look out for. The setting sun reflected in her eyes and
tears. It brought with it a hope for Samaira and also
for Veer, who had till a few days back forgotten
everything about love.
They both held each other’s hands. Samaira’s
touch was the warmest he had ever felt. She hugged
him while walking. Veer put his hand on her
shoulders, and they went to a nearby café.
They ordered food and sat there for an hour or so
talking about the moments they wanted to have with
each other. In the café, they confessed their feelings
for each other. Samaira even promised Veer for a
Tarot card session just to see what was in store for
them.
They left the café late in the night and decide to
walk till they reached the place where Samaira would
head towards her home. While walking through the
by lanes of Bandra under the night sky they came near
a church. There Veer looked at Samaira, held her
close to him and kissed her.
That was a moment when the time had stopped
for them. She hugged Veer back even more tightly. It
was a cosmic connection between the two. Their eyes
were closed, and they felt each other’s presence
deeply. They moved away for some time and then she
kissed him on his forehead. Veer had told her that he
admired forehead kisses and found them to be
intense. Veer kissed her back and then they both
walked till she reached the place from where it was
her lone walk back home.
While walking they held each other’s hand firmly
only to leave when they parted ways. When it was
time for Samaira to leave Veer kissed her again and
said, “I would like to come to New York to meet the
girl I like!”
 CHAPTER TWO

Veer and Romit

Veer and Samaira had become inseparable now.
The bond between the two had thickened. Samaira
had told all her friends about Veer. She would post his
photos on her WhatsApp group to let her friends
know how cool Veer was. Veer, on the other hand,
was a bit secretive about this. He had only told Romit
about his romance with Samaira.
One day in the evening Veer was in his balcony,
sipping coffee, lost in his thoughts, maybe on a
journey down the memory lane. Suddenly he became
restless. There was a grin on his face. He wanted to
let out all his inner demons but was not sure what to
do. He then thought of Romit. Veer immediately
picked up his phone and dialled Romit’s number.
“Hello Romit, are you free right now? I want to talk
about something that is pricking me for a few days
now” said Veer.
“I am all ears bro” Romit replied.
“Romit I think I am rushing things with Samaira. I
feel this is not right” Veer said this in a low tone.
“Why do you think like that, tell me what’s going
on in your mind. Unless you tell me everything in
detail, I won’t be able to help you” Romit replied.
“The thing is Romit, I cannot stop thinking about
Esha. I feel like I am betraying her. I know we are not
a couple anymore but still, I feel a strong connection
with her. As you know that I and Esha have come a
long way after our breakup.
 We are good friends now, but there is this subtle
romance between us. I know deep down she still feels
the same love for me, but she is just being adamant
now and not expressing it. I know I have said a lot to
her but so has she. It’s equal between us in terms of
who said what” said Veer and took a beep breath.
“I know all that Veer, but you are just being a fool
here. You need to stop being a saviour. You are no
Superman to save people. You must come out of this
saviour mentality. What happened between you and
Esha is the past. You cannot cling to it. You should
learn from my mistakes. You know what crap I’ve
been through and I don’t want you to follow my
footsteps. No doubt Esha is a good person but you
both were not meant for each other. Wake up, bro!!!
There is no time to waste now. You must be serious.
You cannot step on two stones. You are not a
teenager anymore!!” Shouted Romit.
“I know I know…but it’s just what I feel” replied
Veer.
“I know you are feeling guilty about what you’ve
said to Esha. But you have to understand one thing
that it’s not about you, it’s more about her. She does
have an emotional problem. She is very inconsiderate
at times. Couples do fight but that doesn’t mean they
break up so easily. And the fight between you two
was so childish. She blew it out of proportion. She
could have just forgiven you and continued. But she
decided to move on. So, I think even you should do
the same” said Romit.
Veer was perplexed. His inner turmoil was on the
verge of explosion. He couldn’t fathom out what was
going on around him. His conscience had suddenly
taken a wrong turn. All that he had overcome in the
last year, had surfaced back. It was dragging him to
the dark hole he had put himself in the past.
Negativity had crept in. It was as if he was living in
two-time frames. One where there was Esha and the
other where there was Samaira. A tug-o-war of
emotions left him stranded with loneliness. He hung
up the phone and went back to his room.
His room was dark. He switched on the light but
then again switched it off as he preferred darkness.
Veer jumped onto his bed and buried his face under
his pillow. The same pillow which he had named as
Esha. Veer would always tell Esha that this pillow
would give him a feeling as though he was hugging
her and that he felt the same warmth. But now he was
in an ethical dilemma. One where his love was at
stake. “Is it Esha or Samaira?” he said to himself.
He decided to meditate as he thought that it
would calm down his mind. He sat on his bed with legs
folded and closed his eyes. He started with breathing
exercises. But his mind was too cloudy to settle down.
He couldn’t concentrate on his breath. His mind
jumped one thought to another. But he decided to
hang on and give a strong fight. After some time, he
felt at ease. His body had become light and some
freshness had prevailed in his mind.
Veer had now become calm. He decided to
practice the law of attraction and started visualizing.
He visualised being a happy and peaceful person. Of
being in love. He would whisper in his mind that he
was ‘love’ himself and attracted love to him. That he
was a love magnet. In between, he would also repeat
in his mind that he was in a happy and romantic
relationship with Samaira.
He repeated it for more than a minute
continuously. He visualized holding Samaira’s hand
and walking at their favourite place in Mumbai. He
then expressed gratitude and thanked the universe
for everything. He had by then started believing in
this practice a lot. Veer also thanked his spirit angels
for always looking after him and protecting him
wherever necessary. He then opened his eyes and
took a deep breath.
He again called Romit after some time. “Hey
Romit, sorry I hung up before. I was very tensed and
confused”.
“It’s alright, now tell me what you couldn’t
before” Romit replied.
“You know Romit that before meeting Esha I was
so against relationships. Being tied down to one
person made me feel irritated. I always wanted to be
as free as a bird and wander all around. Flirt with any
girl I wanted to. I didn’t want any accountability. I
would make fun of marriages. I still don’t believe
much in marriage but now I do not make fun of it. I
had always thought that I could live alone all my life.
I didn’t need anyone in my life. But Esha proved me
wrong. Since the day she entered my life, everything
changed for me. It’s because of her I started believing
in love and relationships. I became more responsible.
Before I had misunderstood what freedom is but Esha
made me realize that freedom doesn’t mean being
irresponsible. It means to be more responsible and
accountable. You know how lazy I used to be before.
Esha changed that too.
 She is the reason I am what I am today. She is still
very close to my heart. She has done a lot for me. I
can’t tell you all the details, but she is the first for me
in a lot of things. You know that she has been through
too much crap in her life. Yet she taught me how to
be happy even in times of unhappiness. Now tell me
Romit how can, I forget her so easily. It has become
very difficult for me to choose between Samaira and
Esha. Though I want to go on with Samaira but Esha is
still in the hidden corners of my mind. The first time I
touched Samaira I could sense that Esha is looking at
me. It was so creepy, the whole feeling.” Romit was
listening silently to what his love-struck, dilemma
ridden friend had to say.
“This is something I had no idea about Veer. I
knew that you are into Esha but this deep!!! It is
strange but again I am saying do not cling to the past.
Esha is my good friend too but what’s gone is gone.
You focus on Samaira. Think of ways to build up your
relationship with her. Maybe Esha was sent in your
life to help you to be more mature as a person. And
Samaira will help you to achieve glory in life. I am not
sure of all this. I am just saying.
But you should not back out now. People cry that
they do not get any matches and here you are who is
trying to sabotage his chance, that too given by the
universe. I mean I don’t have to tell this to a law of
attraction practitioner like you. You know better” said
Romit.
This conversation between Veer and Romit had
somewhat become like a philosophy podcast. Both
were at their intellectual best. Trying to reason out
every pros and con of the whole situation. The ball
was in Veer’s court. Now he had to decide whether to
hit a six or leave it. On one side was Esha the girl Veer
considered very close to him. His so-called ex. On the
other hand, was Samaira the girl that had made a
place for her in his heart. She was his present and
maybe could also be his future if he wanted it to be.
Both the girls were poles apart from each other.
Esha was headstrong, strait forward, she had her
emotions under her control, very practical. A bit
reckless in her disposition but at the same time a little
soft-hearted when it came to love and marriage. She
loved babies. Veer would always tell Esha that she
would become a good mother one day. Esha was a
rebel, a fighter, who had fought her way through all
odds and had achieved success in life. Esha was a
party animal, she loved clubbing.
Samaira was a bit naïve and goofy. She was timid
but could turn into a monster when angered. She was
very talkative unlike Esha and could go on for hours
and hours without stopping. She like Veer was a firm
believer in the law of attraction. Veer and Samaira
would talk endlessly on these topics. Samaira was a
pampered girl.
She had always got everything in life without
much struggle. Though she was at loggerheads with
her family but still she loved them a lot. She unlike
Esha would cry too much. As if her eyes were all the
time filled with tears. Samaira would easily get
offended over petty things but would not express her
anger that often. She was creative and would script
wonderful stories out of nothing.
And then there was Veer. The fun-loving guy who
hardly cared about what the world said about him. He
would always do what he wanted to. A rebel but with
a cause. A dreamer. A poet and a painter. He would
always try to look at the brighter side of things. But
always ended up writing about loss and pain. The pain
was something that fascinated him a lot.
He was one person who every girl called cute but
was also the one who was single for the most time of
his life. He had his ways of messing up all the time.
Unknowingly he would do things that would lessen
his probability to hook up with girls. A kind-hearted
person with too much sensitivity. He would get
emotional very fast just at the thought of something,
Veer had a big problem in expressing his emotions.
So, he had resorted to writing poems and painting.
He lived in his dreams more and his thoughts were
his life. A world which he had created just to escape
the mundane world out there. He was jovial and had
a good vibe around him.
He believed in seeing the good side of humans
more than the bad one. He was a people’s person in
the sense that everybody would feel happy after
meeting him. These three had now become
entangled by invisible threads in an unknown yet to
be fulfilled love saga. Only Veer had the strings in his
hands. He had the power to free everyone or keep
them chained. One thing was for sure that the days to
come would be an emotional roller coaster for Veer.
Veer had things planned in his mind. He had
decided to meet Esha and tell her everything about
Samaira. Veer thought that, by doing this he would
take off some kind of a burden from his shoulders. He
wanted to be true to her and tell her what was going
on in his life. Veer felt morally obligated towards
Esha. He had wronged her in the past. Had kept a few
things hidden from her.
He decided to meet Esha on one weekend over
coffee. Starbucks was their favourite hangout place.
They would often go there in the evening after having
walked at Marine Drive. Esha just like Samaira adored
sunsets. She would often drag Veer with her to the
beach to witness the setting sun.
Esha would just stare at the evening sky. In
between, she would try to get glimpses of Veer. Veer
on the other hand rarely looked at the sunset. He
would be more interested in watching Esha enjoy it.
Esha and Veer would remain silent until the sun
vanished in the backdrop of the horizon. Silence was
their only mode of communication. Then they would
hit the stalls to eat Paani Puri. There they would
always fight as Veer loved sweet Paani Puri and Esha
loved the spicy one. She would pull his leg over this all
the time.
At Starbucks, they would only order a tiramisu and
share it. They both were suckers for it. It had become
a weekly ritual for them. They had started a tiramisu
cult. Eating small morsels of that heavenly, coffee-
filled delight, they would sit there for hours
contemplating the nuances of life. Love and death
were their favourite topics. Though extremes, they
both would try to relate the two topics and then drift
into the flow of time.
Esha always loved to eat the cake more than the
cream. So, Veer would cut the tiramisu in such a way
that the cream would be separated. He remembered
all the likes and dislikes of Esha. In Esha, he would
search for a partner who would pamper him like a
child. Veer was a bit submissive when it came to Esha.
He would agree with her most of the time. Though
there were many instances where he had strongly
objected to her.
A few days after his call with Romit, Veer texted
Esha one evening. “Hi Esha, wassup? Are you free?
Can I call you now? He then kept his phone and
continued with his chores. But his mind was still stuck
to his phone. He was eagerly waiting for Esha’s text.
Veer had become anxious. He also texted Samaira.
But both Esha and Samaira didn’t respond.
Sometime later he got a text from Samaira. “Hi
Veer, I just came home. I had a hectic day at the office
today. A new brand had approached us for some
content and my boss made me the in charge. So, I was
busy with that stuff. You say, what have you been up
to? How was your day? Done with dinner?
Veer immediately replied to Samaira and
answered all her questions. But he wasn’t happy. He
was still waiting for Esha to revert. All his thoughts
were centred around Esha now. Samaira had become
like a side actor for some time in his movie.
He sat on his chair looking at the ceiling. The
ceiling was now like a screen for him where his
thoughts played one after the other. Memories after
memories just flashed in front of him. He
remembered the days when Esha would immediately
give him replies. They would have long text chats
before any one of them dozed off to sleep. Veer
checked his phone. Esha was online, but she had not
given him a reply. This infuriated Veer. His anger knew
no bounds and he felt like a fool. He decided to delete
the text but then he stopped.
 For the next two hours, he was just fidgeting on
his bed. He would check his phone after a few
minutes. And Esha would be online but still, there was
no reply from her. Veer just threw his phone away
and went to sleep. But then his phone buzzed. Esha
had texted. “I am awake, you can call me now.” Veer
checked the message but then was too angry to
respond.
The next day he called Romit in the morning. “Hey
Romit, something happened yesterday. I texted Esha
but she didn’t text me back though she was online for
two hours. I mean who does this man. I never do it. If
I am online, I immediately text back. I am so pissed
about this behaviour of hers. I am not gonna text her
ever again” he said. Romit was in his office. He was in
the middle of an important meeting. He just texted
Veer saying he would call him later.
Later Veer went to the bank to update his
passbook. The bank was unusually crowded for a
weekday. There he sat down on the bench waiting for
his turn. Already frustrated with what happened the
night before he texted Esha in a fit of rage.
“This is not done Esha, you were online for two
hours but didn’t care to reply. What kind of friendship
is this? This is just not acceptable” he texted and then
continued to wait for his turn.
His phone beeped for two-three times. He
guessed that it must be Esha and from the continuous
beeps he figured out that she was angry. He checked
his phone and his guess was right. Esha was very
angry.
“Huh??? Two hours!!!, I wasn’t online for two
hours, my WhatsApp must’ve been open" she texted.
 “Don’t lie, I saw that online sign for two hours”
Veer replied.
“I was talking to a friend of mine Veer, she had
some problem and wanted to talk to me. I am so done
with you” Esha replied. Veer saw the text and
immediately texted Romit saying he had messed up.
After some time Esha again sent him a text “On
your birthday I did seek blessings for you. I even went
late to meet my ex-boss just because I wanted to be
with you on your birthday. I was so happy that day
and thought of reconsidering our friendship. But you
are playing this blame game. You just don’t deserve
anything from my side Veer”
Veer was shaken. He woke up from his frustration.
He had realized his mistake and decided to apologize.
He texted her back
“It’s just that I express myself freely to you. On my
birthday I had planned to meet my school buddies but
cancelled it only for you. You are the only person in
this world who knows my darkest secret. And you say
I don’t trust you. It was just out of anger as I
desperately wanted to talk to you last night. I am
sorry I didn’t want to hurt you but just expressed my
self without any hesitation. I am extremely sorry"
Somehow that message from Veer worked
wonders. Esha had calmed down. She texted him back
saying that even she blew it and that she had forgiven
him. She also warned him to not repeat this and ask
her first before jumping to conclusions. Veer
breathed a sigh of relief. He was happy that things did
not unfold like the last time when they had broken up.
They agreed to bury this incident and continue with
their friendship.
 CHAPTER THREE

Rendezvous
with the past
“A Tiramisu for Esha! Shouted the barista at
Starbucks. The barista’s there had a peculiar way of
giving out orders. They would call out the person’s
name in a symphony. It was funny and fascinating. A
musical treat for the ears. Veer would always place
the order and give Esha’s name. This was his way of
showing that he did care about her. Veer got up from
his place and went to the counter.
“Veer please bring an extra spoon” Esha said from
behind. He picked up the spoon and went back.
Veer and Esha would always sit at their favourite
spot. It was a corner table from where they could see
the entire café. A dim-lit place with a rustic charm to
it. The cushions and the seats were fluffy and
comfortable. There was a wall painting above the
seat. A barista making coffee and a dog looking at
him. It gave a feeling of an art museum, but it also
blended with the atmosphere of the cafe. That corner
was a witness to their lingo. It had seen the ups and
downs of their relationship. It was like a home for
them away from home.
Esha had folded her legs and was sitting
comfortably on the couch. She had camouflaged
herself. The colour of the couch and Esha’s shirt was
the same that day. Veer, on the other hand, was in a
complete mismatch. He never cared about his
dressing style. He would wear whatever clothes he
would find. They both were opposites in this matter.
Esha was a fashionista and Veer a goof. Veer sat down
and placed the tiramisu on the table. As a ritual, Esha
would always take the first bite. She stabbed the
spoon right into the pastry as though she was trying
to kill it.
“Hey, chill!! Why are you so angry today?
questioned Veer.
Esha looked at Veer with a smirk on her face.
“You legit don’t talk to me for days. Then you text
me one day and blame me for some stupid reason.
Then you argue with me on that. And now you tell me
to chill. What do you think this tiramisu is your saviour
from your sins?” said Esha in a sarcastic way. Esha was
still stuck on the petty fight they had a few days back.
“Oh, please Esha, get out of it. It’s just that I
expressed myself without any hesitation and I will
continue to do it again and again. I have no remorse.
I am the boss here. I do what I want to. I am invincible.
Hahahaha!!” said Veer trying to lighten the moment.
This always worked for him. And it did work that
day too. Esha calmed down and engaged herself in
eating. Veer too did the same. There was no
communication between the two. They both were
now engrossed in savouring every bite of that piece
of sinful pleasure.
Suddenly Esha bombarded Veer “Tell me Veer,
why have we met today? Do you want to talk to me
about something? Have you done anything stupid
again? Tell me Veer, tell me.
“Do I need a reason to meet you? Can’t I meet you
even if there is nothing specific to tell you? Why can’t
it be a friendly meeting? Stop asking me such stupid
questions Esha. I just met you because I wanted to see
you. It’s been days since we had met. So, I thought it’s
better to catch up here”
“See Veer don’t be such a stud. There is surely
something you want to tell me otherwise you
wouldn’t have come today and that too when this
stupid coronavirus has made an entry into Mumbai”
The dreaded coronavirus had stretched its fangs in
India. From a small town of China where it had
originated the virus spread like wildfire engulfing
other countries all around the globe. Though it was
still in its nascent stage in India, but it had created
panic. There were rumours that a lockdown was on its
way.
Many people had already been advised to work
from home. Esha had also started to work from home.
Though the public transport was operational, a
minuscule number of people were travelling. People
were wearing masks. This was something out of a
science fiction movie. No one had ever expected that
such an event would take place. It was surreal.
“No Esha. I am here to meet you only. Nothing
else. Let’s enjoy the time we have now. I don’t know
when we would see each other next once the
lockdown starts” said Veer.
“Fair enough” replied Esha.
They talked to each other for a while. They
gossiped about their work. Esha told him stories
about her office. How men in her office flirted with
their female colleagues. About her clients. One client
in particular she spoke about. He was in his late
thirties. A handsome man with an enigmatic
personality. How he would invest his money wisely
and earn a lot.
Veer told her about his upcoming projects and
what he had planned for this year. He also thought of
giving her his visiting card. He had recently for the first
time in his life printed a visiting card for him.
“Hey Esha, I want to give you something,” he said.
“Is it a gift?”
“No, it’s my visiting card. You are the first person I
am giving this to” said Veer.
Esha took the card and started to look at it
carefully as if trying to find out a hidden clue. “This is
so beautiful. Congratulations Veer. I am very sure that
all your dreams will come true!” Esha exclaimed. Veer
blushed and they continued eating.
Veer wanted to tell Esha about Samaira. This was
his main motive for meeting her that day. He had
risked himself, tried to dodge the virus just so that he
could tell her. Even during the journey, the only thing
in his mind was Samaira and Esha. It had become his
obsession now.
He had left his home that day against his mother’s
wish. The bus journey from his home to Starbucks was
one hell of a ride. He was physically present in the bus
but mentally he was into both the girls in his life. He
was overthinking. Playing out different scenarios in
his mind. Though none of them would come true in
reality but he was still scared at the thought of it. He
had texted Samaira. He also sent her his selfie. This
was just to garner her attention. So that she would
text him back and ask him to stay safe.
“Tell Esha about Samaira now” … “Not now you
fool, this is not the right time” his inner voice was
playing with his mind. Veer closed his eyes for a few
seconds and took a deep breath. He imagined how he
would feel if Esha told him about any other guy in her
life. He felt a blow in his stomach. He couldn’t digest
the thought. Though they were not a couple
anymore, but they still had a hidden sentiment for
each other. They both had in them a fear of losing
their resurfaced friendship.
Though not a romance but there was an amicable
bond between the two. And also, the fact that Esha
had asked him for another spoon earlier had pricked
him. They would always eat with the same spoon. This
made him believe that Esha had moved on even
though she wasn’t showing it. He decided to scrap the
plan of telling Esha about Samaira. This was a tricky
situation. All his plans had gone down the drain. But
he still decided to tell her about another incident that
had happened in his life.
“Esha I want to tell you something”.
“Aha, now you got to the point. I won Veer. I knew
you had come to tell me something important. I know
you inside out.’’
“A few days back a girl approached me. As in she
asked me out”
“Asked you out for a movie? Esha replied while
laughing.
“Not a movie you dumbo. She proposed to me”
Veer replied. Now Esha’s face had become dull. A
slight reddish colour tone had set in on her face. This
would always happen when Esha was anxious. Her
eyes became the mirror of her soul and reflected her
angst.
 “What did you say? I am sure you must have said
yes to her. By the way, what’s her name, and how did
you guys meet?” Esha asked him while almost on the
verge to spill the tiramisu.
“She is my friend’s friend. We met at a party he
had hosted a few months back. We talked to each
other but that’s it. Nothing more than that" Veer said.
He had a devilish smile on his face.
“But did you say yes?” she asked again.
“I said ‘no’. I just couldn’t connect to her. She is
pretty n all, but we just couldn’t gel in. Though we are
friends on Instagram but we hardly talk. We only like
each other’s posts”
“What’s her name? asked Esha with intense
curiosity.
“Why do you want to know her name? It’s not that
important”
“Veer if you don’t tell her name, I will never talk to
you again” Esha threatened him.
“Her name is Esther” Veer replied.
Esha burst out laughing “Don’t lie to me. Who has
such a funny name? Esther!!"
“I am not lying Esha, this is what has happened.
This is the naked truth” Veer said.
They got up from their seat now. It was already 10
PM in the night. The café was also about to close early
as the staff was given a guideline by the management
due to corona. They walked out of the café onto the
street.
“I’ll go by bus Esha, I am too scared to go by train,”
he said and they both walked till the bus stop. All
along Esha kept laughing and taunting Veer.
 “Who has such a funny name?” she said again.
“This is not true I know it. You are again cooking up a
story like how you used to do before. Take your
mom’s swear Veer”. Esha had this childish notion that
by taking moms swear one would always tell the
truth. Veer was a bit irritated now.
“Think what you want Esha, I am not gonna take
my mom’s swear, this is the truth and yes I have now
stopped making any stories. And I have refused to be
with her. So, the topic ends here now” Veer said. Esha
still refused to believe him but she said ok.
"If you say it’s true, then it might be true. But as
far as I know, you only have three female friends. One
is me, another one is Priya and the other is that lame
ex-flame of yours … Ritika" Esha taunted Veer again.
“That is what you think Esha, I have many female
friends. You only know the two, but I have many"
boasted Veer. He took out his phone from the pocket
just to prove his point. He opened the picture gallery
just and showed Esha a picture. It was a picture of a
café where Veer and Samaira had met for the first
time. But the picture was of the food they had eaten.
"See this Esha, I went to this beautiful café with a
female friend of mine. See I have other friends too”
he said.
Esha saw the picture and started enquiring about
his friend. Suddenly Veer realized that the girl in the
picture was Samaira. But luckily her face was cut. Only
her body could be seen. He was cold for a second and
realized his stupidity. He immediately put back his
phone in the pocket and tried to divert the topic. He
then asked Esha about her mom and dad so that she
would forget about the picture. And Esha too
answered him completely forgetting about what she
was talking earlier. They reached the bus stop. The
bus had arrived. They both just shook hands and then
said goodbye. Veer boarded the bus. Esha walked
back to her home.
“One ticket to Shivaji Park,” Veer said to the
conductor. He took the ticket and looked out of the
window. The spurt of cold air as he passed through
the sea face of Haji Ali made Veer nostalgic. He again
entered into the maze of his mind reminiscing the
memories. A subtle smile graced his face.
He remembered the days he and Esha had met. All
the memories glittered in his mind. His phone buzzed.
He checked his phone. Samaira had commented on
the status he had uploaded on WhatsApp. It was the
photo of that tiramisu he had eaten earlier. He just
sent her a smiley and again, got lost in his memories.
Veer was an aspiring artist. He had joined a
painting class a few years back so that he could
enhance his painting skills. There he became friends
with Priya. Priya was a typical snooty South Mumbai
girl who took pride in her colonial mannerisms. But at
the same time, she was friendly too. A kind of an
extremist who could go on from being friendly to a
stranger in a blink of an eye. Somehow Priya and Veer
got along well.
Over time they became best of friends. They
would hang out after class and roam around the fort
area which boasted a plethora of beautiful old
buildings and amazing architecture that both
admired. Even when they would be at home, they
would text each other most of the time. Though they
were close their relationship was very platonic. No
romantic angle to it. Veer would often ask Priya to
introduce him to her female friends too which Priya
would naughtily refuse.
One day after the class Priya and Veer decided to
go for a pizza.
“Veer we’ll have pizza today after class, but I want
to tell you that we’ll have to wait for some time as one
of my friends is tagging in,” Priya said.
“It’s ok; we’ll wait but hope it’s not too long as I
am very hungry.” Veer replied. After the class ended,
they both got out and walked towards the pizzeria.
They went in and sat at the table waiting for Priya’s
friend. After some time, her friend arrived.
Veer turned back. When he saw her, he was
smitten by her beauty. He rubbed his eyes. He asked
Priya to pinch him. It was as if he was dreaming. He
had never felt this jittery before. The girl came in and
sat down. She greeted both Veer and Priya. Priya then
introduced her.
“So, Veer this is Esha. Esha this is Veer. We both
attend that same art class” Priya said looking at Veer.
“I and Esha are best buddies since school. We are
like sisters. She is one of my oldest friends. My babe,
she is” Priya continued. “You know Veer, Esha is the
only person who knows me more than I know myself.
I trust her more than my life” said Priya.
Priya then looked at Esha and continued her talk
“Veer is my buddy Esha. He is the only one in the class
I am comfortable with. He is an amazing painter and
an amazing poet too”. The three of them ordered
pizza and continued with their conversations.
That evening Veer called Priya. “Hi Priya, wassup?
I hope your friend had a good time today.
 “You bet Veer; she was extremely happy” Priya
replied.
“Actually, I called you to tell you something”
“I know what you want to tell me Veer” Priya
replied.
“What??? Stop bluffing you have no idea what I
want to say. But anyway, it’s about Esha” he said.
“Bingo Veer” my guess was right. I knew you
would call me for this. I know you liked her. I could
read your mind I guess” Priya exclaimed.
“What? Lol, was it so evident,”
“Yes, it was all over your face lover boy” replied
Priya.
Veer then asked Priya for Esha’s phone number.
But Esha refused to give it to him saying they all would
meet again, and Veer would tell Esha that he liked
her. Veer was scared to death to do this but
somehow, he agreed.
A few days later they all met at Starbucks. The
same place which was to become the second home of
Esha and Veer. That day Veer somehow gathered the
courage to talk to Esha.
“I like you Esha” he said hurriedly and looked here
and there so that Priya and Esha couldn’t see his
emotional face. Priya was laughing all the while. But
Esha kept silent. She looked at Veer with a stern face.
It was as if she was disgusted when she heard what
he had said. Veer was very scared by now and started
to apologize. Just then Esha burst out laughing.
“Look at your face Veer … it is so hilarious, look at
you Veer:” …she said looking at Veer and then at
Priya.
 “It was not my idea, Priya asked me to do this” he
replied.
“Chill, Mr Poet… I know everything…I know that
you like me. After we went home the last time, I told
Priya that I like you and would want to know more
about you. Also, I told her not to tell you this so soon.
I wanted to see whether you liked me or not. And my
guess was right. I wanted you to ask me for my
number. This was all a setup Veer” Esha said still
laughing at him. At this Veer breathed a sigh of relief
and he started blushing.
They exchanged numbers and then went ahead
with sipping coffee which they had ordered earlier.
Thus, began the love life of Esha and Veer. Not a
typical romantic couple they were. Veer was shy and
hesitant to make out in public. Esha on the other hand
was carefree. She would never hesitate. They would
talk to each other every night for hours. Esha was the
first girl Veer and made a video call to. She was also
the one who had introduced Veer to the law of
attraction. Though she was not a firm believer but had
praised the techniques to such an extent that Veer
had become a follower of it.
Esha would go to Veer’s house when there would
be no one at his place. They would make love for
hours; she would bring him chocolates and pastries.
Veer would write her poems in return. It was a not a
fairy tale romance, but it was an altogether different
genre. A genre which was yet unknown to the world.
Days became years and their love grew stronger.
But as they say that everything comes to an end.
Their relationship also ended. A little
misunderstanding between the two destroyed the
years of love they had. Ego was more powerful than
love in their case. They both refused to budge. Just
one incident was enough to tear apart the bonds
between them.
One day Veer had seen Esha hang out with a male
friend of hers. Later when he confronted her about it,
she told him that he wasn’t a friend of hers but her
dad had forced her to meet him for marriage. She just
met him for the sake of it so that her dad would be
happy. She told Veer that she had informed the guy
about him and he was ok with it. She also requested
the guy to reject her. But Veer was furious by now. He
felt betrayed as asked Esha as to why she kept this
hidden from him.
This led to a series of hurtful talks between the
two and they just cut off each other forever. But
destiny had something else in mind. After a few days,
they both met again at the same place they had
broken up. Happiness that day knew no bounds. They
greeted each other and talked for hours. They
decided to be friends once again and bury the
hatchet.
The bus stopped and the conductor yelled at Veer.
He woke up from his mental slumber and hurriedly
got down at his stop. He started walking towards his
building. As he was walking, he was reflecting at the
events that had occurred today. He focussed
especially on Esha’s behaviour. She was affectionate
yet aloof at the same time. She was giving out mixed
signals. The spoon incident and the one before he
boarded the bus stung him. They would always hug
each other before leaving, this would happen every
time even after they had restarted their friendship.
But today was different. It was just a handshake. No
hugs no good nights. Veer was now too tired to think,
and he just walked his way home.
Later that night. He called Romit to tell him about
the day’s incident. He spoke to Romit for some time.
“Today was strange Romit. Though Esha was very
jealous and showed her affection when I told her
about Esther. Yet somewhere I felt that she is not the
same Esha I know. Something was different today”
said Veer.
“She gave you mixed signals Veer. One cannot be
more transparent than this. It’s high time you
understand that she only wants you in her life as a
normal friend and nothing more than that. Please try
to understand this. There is no hope my friend. If you
want, I will talk to Esha about it. I’ll ask her if she likes
you like before or is it just a platonic friendly-like
relation. I don’t wanna do this but if you say I can do
it” said Romit. Veer refused to accept Romit’s
proposal. And said good night and cut the call.
He again reflected on the behaviour of Esha and
realized a few things. Their conversations had faded.
They would go days without talking to each other.
And also, there was a reason he had downloaded the
dating app. It all made sense now. It was an
enlightening moment for him. He had somehow
solved the jigsaw puzzle in his mind by connecting the
last piece,which he was searching for days and nights.
That night his mind was cleared of all the clutter from
the past. It was free now and there was space for new
beginnings.
 CHAPTER FOUR

The Breakup
Veer was at his poetic best these days. Thoughts
just flowed out of his mind. Beautiful verses filled with
love and emotions decorated the white papers and
gave them life. The poems he had written were his
reflection in words. One day in the evening as he sat
on his couch he started typing. He stopped, smiled
and again continued typing. He had visualized
Samaira in his arms. Both of them relishing the nectar
of oneness. He blushed and thanked the universe for
bringing Samaira in his life. It was everything he had
dreamt about. Samaira was like a colour in his
colourless life. A pinch of salt in his bland routine. A
panacea for all his ills.
“With you
I need no words to speak
Just your presence is enough
To communicate
In ways that directly
Touch the soul…..
He continued writing. All along his fingers
automatically synchronized with his mind and
continued to type words onto his laptop. Veer
decided to send this to Samaira but somehow held
himself back from doing so. He thought that it was too
early in their relationship to send her poems. He
thought that she would take him to be a creep. But
there was a jolt of confidence in him and he decided
to give it a shot. He transferred the poem on his
phone and sent it to Samaira.
He sat down in anticipation with his fingers
crossed. His normal chair had now become a rocking
chair. Veer moved it to and fro just to contain his
anxiety. Suddenly his phone buzzed. It was Samaira.
She had sent him tons of messages. Veer was scared
now. He thought that he had pissed Samaira off and
that she had texted to thrash him. Veer had this habit
of creating meaningless situations in his mind and
then worry about it.
“This is so nice Veer. I am on cloud nine. No one
has ever written a poem on me. I am honoured. This
means a lot” she texted.
Veer was now relaxed. His habit had once again
proved futile. “I am relieved. I thought you would take
me as a creep” Veer replied.
“Oh, shut up Veer. Why would anyone think like
that? You should stop overthinking so much. You are
such a dumdum” Samaira replied to him and
promised him to text back again after dinner. Veer
too texted her back and again sat on his chair scrolling
through some Instagram posts.
He started reading all the poems he had written in
the past few days. He realized that he was completely
submerged in the ocean of love. Samaira was his new
lady love and the centre of his world.
“Veer come for dinner, it’s ready” his mom
shouted from the kitchen.
Veer went to the kitchen and brought his plate to
the dining room. He plugged his phone on charging
and started eating. But his mind was all in his poems.
With one hand he was scrolling on his phone and with
the other he was eating. Seeing Veer do this irked his
mom.
She shouted. “What is this Veer? You can tell that
girl you are texting to, to stop for some time. These
are not good manners. Using your phone while eating
is just not acceptable. At least have some respect for
me and the food. Even though I am tired the whole
day working in the office, yet I cook food for you in
the night. From now on I’ll cook food in the morning
only, eat the same for dinner also. Then only you will
understand”
Hearing this Veer looked at his mom and smiled
sheepishly and continued eating his dinner without
uttering a word. After he finished eating. We went
back to his room. But he came out again and started
talking to his mom.
“I was not chatting with any girl. I was just reading
my poems.”
“This has been happening for some time now.
Every day I see you staring at your phone and smiling.
Don’t lie to me” She said.
“Oh, please mom just because I am smiling
doesn’t mean that I am talking to any girl. I just go
through memes and they are very funny”
“I don’t believe you. I know what youngsters do
these days. So, keep your logic to yourself.”
“Stop it, mom, bye I am going back.” Veer said and
he hurriedly went back to his room. His mom just
looked at her son trying to dodge the situation and
then she too walked to her room.
“Oh shit, how did mom come to know about
Samaira? Am I making it too obvious? I must stop
doing this now. These thoughts clouded his mind. He
jumped on his bed and dragged his pillow towards
him. He would always do this whenever he missed
Esha and now Samaira. He checked his phone but
there was no text from Samaira. Then Veer decided
to check Esha’s profile. She had changed her DP. She
had put up a picture of her office group. He
commented on her picture. He thought that he
committed a blunder by commenting on her picture
but then again decided not to overthink. Esha texted
him back. But still there was no text from Samaira.
Veer kept his phone down and went to sleep.
In the morning he woke up to Samaira’s texts. “I
am so sorry I couldn’t text you back. I was a bit busy
with my admission process. I had a skype call with the
representatives of the university. Let’s catch up in the
evening.”
Veer saw the text and then texted her back
agreeing to meet her in the evening. He went on with
his daily chores. In the afternoon he wrote a poem
again for Samaira thinking he would recite it in front
of her. He put on his thinking cap and began
pondering. He tried hard but couldn’t come up with
anything.
So, he quit writing and continued with his work.
He was working on a commissioned portrait of one of
his friends. His online painting business had kick-
started with a bang. Time passed in a jiffy. It was
already 5:30 PM. Samaira texted Veer and asked him
to pick her up from the office. They had again decided
to go to Bandstand.
“I have left my house now and will get a cab in 5
minutes” Veer texted.
 He went to the taxi stand but there was no taxi
there. He waited there for fifteen minutes. Many taxi
drivers had refused to come to Bandra. In the
meantime, Samaira kept on texting Veer to know his
exact location. Finally, an old taxi driver agreed to
take Veer. Veer was delighted. He called Samaira and
told her to wait at the usual spot as he was coming
there in no time. He picked Samaira and they
continued their journey. Samaira had a corporate
attire that day. Formal shirt and trousers with a
leather side bag. She was looking as if she was the
CEO of a very big company.
“Damn! You look so beautiful today” Veer
exclaimed.
“So, you mean to say I look ugly on other days? Is
it what you mean?” Samaira said with disgust on her
face.
“No, I mean you look more beautiful than ever”
Veer replied looking at Samaira. His expressions were
as though he had regretted complimenting her.
“Haha Veer…I was just joking. Thank you so much”
she smiled and put her head on Veer’s shoulder. They
hugged each other tightly for a long time and then
began chatting.
“How come did you have an office on a Saturday?”
he asked.
“You remember I had told about the big company
that approached us for content, they had come today
to the office for a meeting” she replied and then
pulled Veer’s face towards her and kissed him. Veer
closed his eyes.
The kiss was very passionate. Their tongues
collided. They sucked the love out of each other as if
it was the end of the world and that they wouldn’t see
each other again. Veer caressed her hair while
Samaira moved her hand on his back. Occasionally
she would kiss his nose and bite his lips. Veer would
tighten his grip around her and hold her tight. He then
kissed her on the neck. That was Samaira’s weak spot.
A kiss on the neck would shoot up her wildness. Veer
would stop suddenly and again continue. This went
on till they reached Bandstand.
“Good I was hidden in your arms Veer, otherwise
people would have seen me, you know I am the
queen of Mumbai,” she said while laughing. They got
down and started walking on the footpath.
The sun was about to set. The pinkish-yellow sky.
The gushing sound of the waves. The happy people
around made the atmosphere enthusiastic.
“We are free birds caged in this human body. Who
dream to fly but are bogged down on this planet”
Veer said looking at Samaira.
She laughed. “Hello, Mr Philosophical poet,” she
said. What’s with this melodrama? I think what
happened back in the taxi, has affected your mind".
Samaira looked at Veer, all puzzled. Veer would
sometimes say things which though were meaningful
but made no sense at that situation. They continued
to walk till they reached the benches. They sat down
and both took a deep breath. They would always do
this just to feel the presence of nature. Then they
continued to talk.
“Can I ask you something Veer?
“Yup” he replied, looking at her with curiosity.
 “Back in the taxi why were you stopping all the
time? I mean I was so in the mood but those pauses
pissed me a lot”
“Samaira, it’s just that I get very conscious in
public. I was checking the taxi driver. Whether he was
looking at us or not. I was also looking outside to see
if anyone from the cars around was looking at us. I
don’t like to display affection out in the open but with
you, I don’t hold myself back. These are just some
precautions I take”
Samira started laughing and pulled Veer’s cheeks.
They then called the vendor selling coffee on his
bicycle. Samaira liked to have that coffee. She would
always say that this coffee was her lifeline. It would
boost her up instantly.
They sat there for some time till Samaira finished
her coffee. Then they decided to fill their tummies
with some delicious pizza from their favourite café.
They got up from the bench and began walking in the
direction of the café. While walking Samaira told him
that earlier in the day she was stalking his Instagram.
She had gone through his entire profile and that she
wanted to meet his friends specially Romit and Ritika.
Veer had told Samaira about Ritika.
Ritika was Veer’s ex. They had dated for only a few
months before calling it quits. But they were good
friends after that. Veer would hang out with Romit
and Ritika a lot. They would click pictures and post it
on Instagram. This had raised the inquisitiveness of
Samaira as she wanted to get along with Veer’s
friends.
They reached the café. That café was unique. It
was situated on a small hillock. The entrance of the
café was decorated with small lights which dazzled as
one passed through them. There was a dessert
counter right next to the entrance. A few tables were
arranged near it for the people to sit. Ahead of it was
a slope. They had strategically arranged the tables at
every corner of the slope. Right on the top was
another counter which served food and sweets. The
décor of the café was old and colonial. Portuguese
style architecture with a dash of Spanish windows
made it hypnotic.
Romance was in the air all around the café. It was
always thronged by youngsters who looked for good
quality food and an amazing and cosy ambience.
Small chandeliers with colourful lights graced the
ceiling. It mesmerized every person that walked in.
The café was like a time machine that had the power
to take one back in time
They ordered pizza and took their seat in a very
secluded corner. Only one another couple was sitting
next to them. The couple were arguing about
something and then suddenly the girl started crying.
Veer and Samaira overheard their conversation and
began to discuss it. The girl was crying because her
parents were forcing her to marry the boy of their
choice. The girl’s boyfriend was assuring her that
everything would be ok. And that she need not worry
about anything as he had thought of something to
sort out the issue.
Samaira looked at Veer and said, “What would you
do if something like this happened with you?”
“I have no idea Samaira. Maybe I would panic first
but then I would look out for solutions. In no way, I
would leave my partner”
 Samaira had a contented look. She smiled at Veer
and then tug her hair with her clip.
The pizza arrived. They pounced on that round
cheesy piece of dough topped with mushrooms and
onions. The bite of the pizza made them forget about
the couple besides them. They looked at each other
and continued talking and eating at the same time.
Samaira kept looking at Veer as if she had a fangirl
moment. Veer looked at Samaira in a confused way.
“What’s the matter, why are you looking at me
like this?” he asked.
“Nothing” she replied.
“Oh, don’t do this now, tell me fast or else I’ll eat
the entire pizza by myself”
On that Samaira laughed and replied to him. She
told him that she wanted to kiss him more and not
stop at all. She wanted to re-enact the scenes from
the taxi in the café but couldn’t as it was filled if
people. Veer started blushing. He held Samaira’s
hand and kissed it. “Let’s do it,” he said when we
leave the café. Suddenly a poem struck his mind and
recited it before Samaira.
“Every time your name
Pops up on the screen
There is a smile on my face
That resonates with all
That is considered to be divine”…
He continued the poem. While still holding
Samaira’s hand.
They left the café round 9:30 PM. Before leaving
they clicked photos near the entrance as it was one
picturesque background. They decided to walk again
to the point where Samaira would leave for her home.
While walking they held each other’s hand
continuously. Suddenly a girl approached them. She
was looking out for an address. They told her the
address and she left.
“Wasn’t she beautiful Veer? Samaira asked him.
“Not as beautiful as you”
“Veer please be truthful. I would like a partner
who says things as they are and not just to please me.
That girl was beautiful"
“Ok if you say so. But for me you are the most
beautiful girl in this world” replied Veer.
After that, they walked and reached the point
where it was time for Samaira to leave. Veer kissed
her on the forehead and said goodbye. She left and
he too continued walking to his bus stop.
During his journey back home, Veer called Romit
to tell him that he had met Samaira.
“Bro I think it’s time to propose Samaira. She is
‘love’ my friend. I think I could marry her too” said
Veer in an excited tone.
“Go ahead Veer. I am with you. You rock lover
boy”.
They both talked for some time. Veer got down at
his stop and started walking home. When he reached
home Veer texted Samaira to inform her that he had
reached home. Then he had dinner and went back to
his room.
Late in the night Veer put on his headphones and
started listening to romantic songs. That day the lyrics
started making sense. The songs which he had
disliked before suddenly became his favourites.
Samaira was also floating on the cloud of love. When
she returned home, she texted her best friend and
told her about her escapades. She also sent her their
photos and explained to her how happy she was to
meet Veer. The night was young, and the moon was
bright. The moon was witnessing the play of those
two love-struck souls. Veer texted Samaira to wish
her good night. But they both ended up chatting the
whole night.
The next day was a typical Sunday for both. Veer
got up late and laid down on his bed changing
positions. Samaira had woken up early as she had
promised her parents and her kid sister that she
would make Idlis for them. Veer freshened up and
began completing his commissioned portrait. He
continued until lunchtime and took a nap after his
meal. He got up in the evening and texted Samaira.
She was online but didn’t text back. But this time Veer
did not panic and decided to wait. After some time
Samaira texted him.
“Veer there is a problem” she texted.
“What happened?” he replied.
“Yesterday a relative of mine saw us together
walking hand in hand. He called today and told my
mom about it”
“Oh crap. “What did your mom do then?”
“She scolded me Veer, she threatened me that she
would tell everything to dad. We had a huge fight.
Luckily dad was not there at home that time” texted
Samaira.
“Thank God!! You were saved. What now
Samaira?
“I am panicked Veer and I don’t know what to do.
Though my mom and dad are open-minded, but they
are already pissed that I didn’t tell them about New
York and surprised them directly and now this.”
Wait I’ll call you Samaira.”
“Can’t talk to you now Veer, let’s text-only” she
replied.
The situation had become grim now. The sunny
days of their so-called companionship was marred by
a thunderstorm. Confusion had set in. Samaira was in
a panic mode and Veer was dumbfounded. He started
cursing that relative of Samaira in his mind. He was
enraged. Samaira, on the other hand, had tears in her
eyes. She had found the guy of her dreams after
unsuccessful attempts in the past at finding love. And
suddenly their boat had taken another bend. One that
led to nowhere.
They stopped texting each other for some time.
Samaira texted Veer that she needed some time to
think and that she would text him back once her mind
was calm and composed. Veer agreed to this and he
sat down on his couch. He kept his phone down. But
kept on staring at it. He was in a loss of words. It was
6 PM and the sun was still bright. But it was about to
be night on Veer and Samaira’s relationship.
“Veer let’s not continue as a couple. Let’s just be
friends” texted Samaira.
Veer had anticipated this. But his mind was not
ready for this. He had fallen in love with her and the
thought of just being friends with her hurt him.
“No Samaira I don’t want to be just friends with
you. It’s difficult for me” he replied.
“I know it’s difficult but I’ll help you out with it
Veer.
 “No Samaira I cannot be friends with the girl I am
in love with. I know I haven’t officially proposed you,
but yes Samaira I am in love with you"
“Even I love you Veer, and I want to have a stable
committed relationship with you. But what’s the
point. I’ll be going away after a few months"
There was a moment of silence after that. Veer
had nothing more to say. He was shocked at Samaira’s
behaviour. The girl who had just a day back kissed him
and held him tight was talking of just being friends
with him. He couldn’t accept this fact. He kept mum
and threw his phone. An invisible weight of emotions
was crushing him. He hugged his pillow and closed his
eyes. The scenes of the cafe and the taxi screened in
his mind. It was a movie that was about to end now.
He somehow picked up his phone again and texted
Samaira.
“We had decided it before, that we would go with
the flow. Then why are you doing this? Why are you
spoiling the present for an unknown future. Let’s just
be together till the day you go. Let’s make these days
count and add up to our good memories”
“I listened to you and went with the flow till day.
But I cannot do this Veer. I have to put a boundary. I
cannot let the past get back to me again” She replied.
“Please don’t say that you went ahead with this
relationship just because I told you to do so. It was
mutual. Would you be comfortable to be just friends
with me after knowing the fact that I am dating other
girls since we couldn’t be in a relationship?” Veer
texted.
“Yes, I would be comfortable with that. I have
been friends with my ex’s even after they married”
 “I am not on dating sites to just be friends with
girls especially after I have started loving one. If you
can put a boundary then even I will put one. I don’t
want to be just friends with you and that’s final” Veer
replied. His message had a tone of anger to it. It
clearly showed that he was hurt
“I am sorry to have hurt you Veer. But I cannot go
back to being with you as a couple. I have just
recovered from a heartbreak before meeting you and
I don’t want another one. You don’t know Veer, but
I’ve had sleepless nights and suicidal thoughts
because of my earlier relationship. I have somehow
come out of it. I have somehow overcome the fact
that I have to leave my parents and my sister who I
love a lot. And I don’t want to feel guilty of leaving you
also” Samaira sent a long passage like text to Veer. He
was silent again. He just stared at the screen re-
reading the message again. He then replied.
“Samaira you are not a sex object to me. You know
that. My love and affection for you is beyond the
boundaries of your skin. You feel like home to me.
With you, I can be myself. I don’t have to wear a mask
that I wear to portray to the world an image of me
which is fake. Even you have said that I feel like home
to you. Please don’t do this Samaira. Let’s just be with
each other for the rest of the days. I don’t want to
force you to do anything against your wish but please
think again. Don’t worry about an unknown future.
And please do not overthink”
“I am sorry Veer. I cannot do this. Try to
understand. Let’s just be friends. I don’t want to lose
you as a friend” Samaira replied.
Veer refused to be just friends with Samaira.
 “I am hurt now Veer, please don’t do this. Let’s be
friends” she replied again. Veer refused again “You
please listen to me Samaira. We can work this out
please”
There was again a brief moment of silence
between the two. It was already 8:30 PM in the night.
Suddenly his phone beeped again. It was a text
from Samaira. She had only texted “I am sorry”. Veer
saw the text and he began typing. But then Samaira’s
DP was invisible. Her status had also become invisible.
She had blocked Veer. He instantly checked his
Instagram account to text her there. She had blocked
him on Instagram also. He deleted the message he
had typed. What he had typed was a truce message.
He had decided to be just friends with her and had
written “I think I’ll agree with you. You are too
important for me to lose you”. But he couldn’t send
it. She had blocked him everywhere.
Just then his mom called him outside to check the
news. A lockdown had been announced. Twenty-one
days of quarantine. It was as if the universe had
punished him for an unknown mistake. The
coronavirus had entered, penetrated his relationship
and had forced Samaira to take the decision of social
distancing from Veer. The night was young, and the
moon was bright. But this time it was a witness to the
misery of two souls who had just lost each other
because of an avalanche of emotions that they
couldn’t predict and dodge.
 CHAPTER FIVE

Lockdown
begins
Corona Virus had bought Mumbai to a standstill.
The streets had a deserted look as if it was some ghost
town. The Local Train the so-called lifeline of Mumbai
had stopped. The platforms and stations were silent.
People had to force themselves to stay indoors. There
was a buzz all around social media. The situation had
gone haywire. Only essential services like hospitals,
groceries, banks, and some other government
institutions were working. The police were deployed
all around. They worked for long hours to ensure that
everything was being followed strictly. The doctor’s,
healthcare professionals, police and sanitation
workers were the superheroes in this time of crisis
Veer’s love life had also been affected. The cupid
felt helpless and miserable. There was a mist of
confusion and humdrum in his life. He would just
spend his days doing nothing productive. Wake up,
eat, watch a series, play Ludo online, and again go
back to sleep. This was his only routine. In between,
he would call Romit to talk to him. His talks mostly
focussed on Samaira. He couldn’t believe and accept
the fact that she had vanished so soon. Veer would sit
by the window looking outside for hours and then
would check his phone to see if Samaira had texted
him. He would always get this feeling that Samaira
called him up.
 These little hallucinations clogged his mind and
sucked the happiness out of it. Veer felt an anger rise
in him all the time. He had started arguing with his
mom on petty issues. Veer had become very lethargic
and unproductive. He hardly sat on the couch. He
would lay down the whole day on the bed as if he was
tied to it.
One day in the evening Veer decided to change
the whole scenario. A pep talk from a motivational
speaker on YouTube changed his mind. He said to
himself “enough is enough now, I am not going to stay
stuck.” He reinstalled the dating app and began
swiping rigorously. He just swiped and swiped
without looking at the profiles, without knowing who
the person was. It was a way of venting out his
frustration.
After he finished with his angry demeanour, he
felt a bit awkward. He had completely lost himself just
prove that nothing mattered to him. Veer had just
acted out of desperation. He kept his phone down
and got up from his bed and rushed to the bathroom
and splashed water on his face. He looked into the
mirror and started staring at his reflection. Here was
a boy, sunk in desperation and anger, a boy clueless
and confused. He felt pity for himself and went back
hurriedly and called Priya.
“Hey Priya, how are you? How are you dealing
with this quarantine? He asked.
“It’s normal for me. You know I am not a people’s
person as such so it doesn’t bother me to be home all
the time” She said.
 “It’s all messed up for me. I didn’t tell you this
before but I and Samaira are not a couple anymore. I
was too embarrassed to tell you"
“What!!!! This is so bad. Such a big thing
happened in your life and you are telling me this now.
Am I even your friend Veer?” Priya shouted from the
other side.
Veer felt sad on hearing this. He paused for a
moment and scratched his head. What he told Priya
looked unconvincing and farfetched. He continued
“Just before the lockdown me and Samaira had an
argument on WhatsApp. She wanted to be ‘just
friends’ with me, and I said no. I think she got pissed
and she blocked me everywhere”.
“Veer you deserve that. Dude, she was just
expressing her confusion. She wasn’t sure about her
feelings at that time. You are an idiot”.
Priya was Veer’s confidante. He would always ask
her for advice when it came to dating and
relationships. But this time Veer didn’t tell Priya
about his breakup. He thought that had wronged
Priya when things between him and Esha didn’t work
out. Esha was Priya’s closest friend and Veer had
messed it up with her. Though the relation between
Esha and Priya wasn’t affected by this but it wasn’t
the same as earlier either. Esha and Priya had a bit of
a misunderstanding between them because of Veer.
Esha unknowingly had said a few things to Priya after
her breakup with Veer which Priya disliked.The three
of them hadn’t met in a group in a long time. There
was a communication gap between them which had
stretched to some extent.
 Priya was a good listener and a good adviser. Her
advice would always work for Veer when it came to
Esha. She was his agony aunt. Priya was practical in
her approach and had a good sense of judgement.
She had the patience to listen to broken souls and
hear them out for long hours. She would then give her
opinion. She was straight forward in her approach.
Priya never sugar-coated her words and would say
things even if they would hurt the person. She always
believed in telling the truth bluntly as it is instead of
giving any false assurances.
Priya and Veer gelled like buddies since the
beginning. Though their camaraderie had raised
suspicion in their art class. The relationship between
them was congenial but there was no romance in it.
Their wavelengths matched but not on the love
frequency. Priya had a very different approach
towards love than Veer. She had a set of rules which
Veer would often find irritating. Veer, on the other
hand, was a carefree vagabond who didn’t believe in
notions. He believed in going with the flow. The
friendship between the two was unique. Though Priya
and Veer would argue a lot on many things but that
didn’t come in between their bond. They always had
a way to make up to each other after arguing.
“Listen Veer, girls have a very different approach
to express their feelings. We are complicated Veer!!!
She said while laughing. You have taken the literal
meaning of her texts. I mean you are a poet my friend.
Why couldn’t you decipher the hidden meaning of
what she said? From what you have told me so far, I
can assure you that she’s head over heels for you. It
was just her frustration and nothing more”
 “I don’t know Priya whether Samaira loves me or
not. This is so confusing. If she really loved me, she
wouldn’t block me”
“Veer girls go hard on the person they are madly
in love with. Trust me she loves you”
They talked to each other for a while and then
they hung up the phone. Veer also told Priya not to
tell this to Esha as he didn’t want any more drama in
his life. Priya assured him that this would be a top-
secret between the two. Veer then went back to his
room and put his phone on charging. After that, he
opened his cupboard and took out his guitar. He was
in a mood for some music. Though he hadn’t played
his guitar in a while, yet he hadn’t forgotten the
chords of his favourite songs. He sat on a chair and
placed the guitar on his lap. He tuned it as it was out
of tune and then he began playing it. He played many
songs that day but the one he played repeatedly was
“Let her go” by Passenger. Passenger was one of his
favourite artists and he would listen to his songs every
day. The lyrics made sense more now after his
incident with Samaira.
A few days passed. His days went by following the
same routine. Wake up, eat, play Ludo, sleep, and
repeat. But now he had started writing poems again.
Every day he would post poems on Instagram. But this
time his poems were full of pain and loss. It was
evident from them that he was missing someone a
lot. Most of his poems had Samaira as the muse. He
put his heart out in words and crafted beautiful
verses. One such evening he wrote a few lines
“There is a long wait
To meet you again
 On the path of love
Till then let’s be silent
And hear each other’s words
Which we couldn’t hear
When we walked together.”
And he continued. That time a thought struck his
mind. He decided to talk to his mom about
relationships in general. Veer was very close to his
mom. She was more like a friend to him. But Veer was
always shy to talk to his mom about these topics. But
now the situation had gone out of hand. His
behaviour had changed so much that it was evident
that something was wrong with him. And his mom has
sensed it though she did not ask Veer directly about
it. He went to his mom’s room but then again walked
backwards. He did this two-three times before his
mom noticed it.
“What happened Veer, do you want to talk to
me?” she asked him.
“Yes mom, I mean how did you come to know
about it?”
“Veer I am your mom; I can guess it easily.
Anyways what is it about? Is it something serious?
“Nothing serious as such, it’s just that I want to
talk about things in general"
"Wait I’ll make some coffee for us then we will sit
and talk" I am happy that you’ve come to talk to me
today. It’s been a long since we’ve had a proper chat.”
His mom said this while going to the kitchen to make
coffee.
They both went to the balcony with coffee mugs
in their hand. His mom had made a small garden
there. To drink coffee in the presence of the plants
and looking at the open sky was her favourite thing to
do. They both took sips of that steamy hot cup of
caffeine and continued to talk.
“Mom I want to talk to you about relationships. I
mean just random stuff. Like what is important in a
relationship and what is not” His mom had
understood the tone of his questions. But she decided
to talk to him in a general way.
“The most important thing in a relationship other
than love is trust and respect,” she said. Veer was
attentively looking at his mom. She continued talking
while taking small sips of coffee.
“If there is no trust, then the whole base of that
relationship becomes shaky. However tall the
building maybe it will always fall if the foundation is
weak or affected”
Veer was just looking at her with no expressions
on his face. He had stopped drinking coffee by now.
The only thing in his mind was to listen to what his
mom had to say. He had this feeling that he had
opened up a treasure chest that was right in front of
him but he always ignored.
“These days I see youngsters especially of your
age are very hasty. They don’t think before they act. I
am not generalizing, but this is what I’ve seen. The
two people or partners should be the best of friends
before they are lovers. You would think twice before
hurting your best friend, then why hurt your partner.
I know all days are not the same and some days things
go wrong and there are fights but you shouldn’t
stretch it. And cheating is a strict no!!! She exclaimed
getting up from her chair. “Once you cheat its game
over. There is no going back.”
 Now Veer’s mom was engrossed in the topic. She
went on to tell him valuable things about
relationships and marriage.
“Mummy, I want to clear one thing. If there is a
fight between two people in love. How to sort it out?”
He questioned his mom again.
“Time! give the person some time and space. Time
heals everything. Let’s say time helps you to live with
the pain if not heal it. Do not bombard the person
after a fight with the same topic again and again.
What happens is, though the person wants to forget
about the fight, the constant nudging reminds the
person of the fight. And that is extremely irritating. If
the person is important always forget the fight. And
also, don’t let your ego fool you.”
The conversation was very fruitful for Veer. It had
opened the closed gates of his mind. He had realized
a lot about relations from a different perspective.
Silence was sometimes the best answer. Silence plus
time had power in them. Samaira had become too
important to him to let her go abruptly. But to his
dismay, he had deleted her number. Veer acted
foolishly in anger many times and it had troubled him
in the past also.
Veer was thinking of solutions to reach out to
Samaira. He then remembered Samira telling him
about her best friend. Veer unplugged his phone from
charging and began typing. He had decided to send
Samaira’s best friend Kadambari a message on
Instagram.
“Hi Kadambari, this is Veer. I am sure you know
about me. I am also sure that you know what has
happened between Samaira and me. I just wanted to
know if Samaira is ok.” he texted. After texting her
Veer went back to writing a poem.
Time was crawling like a snail for Veer. His mind
had become his biggest enemy. He picked up a diary
where he would jot down his poems and began
writing. After some time, he just scribbled vigorously
on the page and tore it and threw the diary in a fit of
rage. This had become a regular scene in Veer’s life.
He had no control over his emotions. A wave of anger
of high or low intensity passed through his mind now
and then.
He slid his chair behind and looked at the ceiling.
The fan swirling rapidly above his head hypnotized his
mind. He folded his hands and just stared at the fan
before going back to his dream world. Samaira was all
over his mind. She hugged him and kissed him on his
forehead in his thoughts. He replayed scenes in his
mind that things between Samaira and him were
cordial and that they had no fight. This continued for
some time till is hypnotic fuss was interrupted by a
buzz on his phone.
There was a message from Romit. He had texted
Veer to tell him that Esha had called sometime back
and was enquiring about him. Veer got up from his
chair and picked up his diary and kept it in the first
drawer of the cupboard. He then picked up his phone
and typed a message to Romit.
“I’ll call you later bro, kinda not feeling well today.
My head is paining since the evening. I’ll get back to
you soon” he texted.That night Veer went to sleep
without having dinner. But he couldn’t bring his
warring mind to peace. From one side to the other he
just kept on changing places on his bed. This
continued for a long time.
A few days passed like hell for Veer. He would just
sit idle the whole day on his bed and stare at his
phone. Samaira would come to his mind and then in
seconds vanish making it difficult for him to maintain
his sanity. Such was the impact of his tiff with Samaira
that Veer had forgotten to live cheerfully. A dull face
with an expression of remorse and guilt was the new
look he had dawned. Veer would type messages on
his phone but then delete it without sending it to
anyone. He had distanced himself from every social
media platform. His misanthropic behaviour made it
more difficult for him to focus on his work. Many
paintings just lied on his drawing table uncovered and
unfinished. The colour palette looked like a dust bin
where dirt had settled on top of the colours. He had
also not written a poem in days.
Just then his phone buzzed. He looked at it with
disgust as if it was the last thing he wanted at that
time. He picked it up and looked at the screen. It was
a call from Romit. He kept the phone back as he
wanted to ignore every single human interaction. But
then there was a smile on his face. His friend for years
had not abandoned him though his behaviour was
such erratic. He picked up the call. Veer had a subtle
smile on his face. His hands were shaking. All
emotions that were dormant in him had exploded.
“Hi Romit, how are you. Before you say anything,
I want to say sorry"
“I was very worried Veer. I continuously texted
you. I wanted to call but I couldn’t because of some
work from home stuff. What’s up with you? Have you
gone down the negative spiral again?” Romit asked.
There was a feeling of calmness on Veer’s face. He
closed his eyes for some time while talking to Romit
for cherishing the first human interaction in days.
Veer had also hardly spoken to his mom. He would
just, like a robot, do everything mechanically. He
spoke to his mom only while eating or sometimes for
other things.
“I was having terrible days Romit. I don’t know
what’s wrong with me. I just cannot stop thinking
about Samaira” he replied.
There was a brief moment of silence between the
two.
“Romit are you there?” Veer shouted.
“Oh yes I am there, it’s just that I was thinking
about what to say. I know its difficult Veer but please
don’t do this to yourself. You have already wasted a
lot of time after your breakup with Esha. You know all
the ills of such a behaviour. So please stop it and get
back on track” Romit replied.
“I know it, but it’s better said than done. I so want
to get out of it but just cannot find the motivation.
There is a lot of pending work that I must finish by this
weekend. By the way, what did Esha talk to you
about?” Veer asked him while fondling his beard. His
beard had grown like a bush. The long curly,
untrimmed hair gave him a look of a hermit that lives
in seclusion on the mountain top.
“She just asked me about you in general. I think
she’s texted you, but you haven’t replied yet” Romit
said.
 “But why did she call you instead of asking me
directly” Veer said in an irritated tone.
“I don’t know that, but I think you should talk to
her once. Let this be an opportunity to freshen up
your mind and get away from Samaira for a while.
Buddha has said ‘Pain is certain, but suffering is
optional’. So, my dear friend let your suffering be an
option and not a part of your day and night” Romit
replied.
After that they spoke for some time and then they
hung up. Veer kept his phone down and looked at the
skyline outside. The tall buildings looking like tiny
blocks of Lego from far and the blinking lights of the
sea link changed his state of mind from being dull to
being lively. He then decided to join all the broken
pieces of his shattered mind and get back to being
creative. A thing which he was good at.
The next day Veer picked up the painting brushes
from the drawer, cleaned the palette thoroughly
giving it a brand-new look. He picked up some empty
drawing sheets and pinned them to the drawing
board. It was his day of being at his creative best.
Before starting to paint he took a deep breath to let
all the negativity go out of his body. He looked at the
sheets and started drawing some lines with his brush.
Right to left to up and down he just went on drawing
without any thought. Colours spilled on the floor. But
that didn’t hamper his actions. He would rub the
brushes onto the palette and then on the paper.
He was completely sucked into the creative
pursuit. The clock kept on ticking and buzzing every
hour, but Veer just continued. His mom knocked on
his bedroom door to call him for lunch, but he didn’t
open the door. His mom started shouting his name
from outside. Veer paused for a moment and shouted
back. He had refused to come out for lunch. He again
continued with his painting.
There was a sense of satisfaction and
contentment on his face. He had become productive
after a long time. After five hours of painting
continuously, sitting at one place he finally got up and
walked back to the door. He turned around and
looked at his painting. There was an instant smile on
his face. He had painted a portrait of Samaira.
Samaira was in the middle of the road holding an
umbrella waiting for someone. He just stared at the
painting for some time and went ahead and hugged
it.
That day his mind was as clear as the river water
that flows from the icy mountains. His face reflected
some kind of joy that one feels after achieving one’s
goals. He swirled around his house like air and danced
with his mom for some time. He even talked to her
for hours that day. They enjoyed a cup of coffee and
some French fries in the evening in the backdrop of
the setting sun.
In the evening he took out some books to read. He
had decided to read some of Osho’s books. Veer
admired Osho a lot. He would read his books and
write down meaningful quotes from it. Videos of
Osho’s lectures were stored on his laptop. Osho was
his refuge in moments for inner crisis.
He started reading one such book and turned the
pages one after the other continuously. He came
across one such quote which was so perfect for the
situation he was in. In it, Osho had explained the
difference between being lonely and being alone. The
quote was “Loneliness is the absence of the other.
Aloneness is the presence of your eternal being”.
Veer laughed out loud. Though he had read this quote
a million times before but today it had revealed its
true meaning to him. He kept the book down and
walked to the mirror. He looked at his reflection and
pointed out to it.
“You, do you know who you are? What have you
done to yourself? You read these books of Osho and
the Buddha, you practice the law of attraction, and
then to you let yourself sink in the dungeon of
destruction. Shame on you!!
Veer talked as if he was schooling himself through
his reflection. He clenched his fists and banged in on
the wall slowly. He was all charged up now. He then
went out of his room to the living room and switched
off the lights. He only let the light on his balcony and
went there and sat on the swing that hanged there in
glory.
After finishing his dinner, he went back to his
room. Picked up his phone and dialled Esha’s number.
That night he wanted to talk to Esha as advised by
Romit. He waited for the Coronavirus caller tune to
play without hearing it. These days the government
had left no stone unturned to spread awareness
about the virus. There was an official caller tune
informing about the corona Virus which would play
before every call. Esha picked up the call. It was 11
PM in the night. They would always talk to each other
after 11 PM as Esha’s parents would go back to their
room to sleep. Even now Veer and Esha followed the
same protocol whenever they called each other in the
night.
“Hi Esha, how are you?” he asked.
“Hi Whatsupppp” she replied. Esha had this
peculiar way saying what’s up. She would stress on
that word and say it for a long time. It almost sounded
musical. Veer would always enjoy this symphony of
Esha. Veer laughed and he continued talking.
How are you dealing with this quarantine?”
“It’s so boring Veer. Though I have a lot of work to
do but it is affecting me mentally. I am not used to
staying indoors all the time” she said.
“Yup I know that. I thought that this would affect
you mentally. I can only say that whatever is going
around you just don’t let it go to your head” said Veer.
Veer had this charm of soothing others with his
words. Though he seldom followed any such
philosophies but he was best at projecting them on
others.
“You know that that none can destroy the iron,
but its rust can, and none can destroy the person but
their own mindset,” he said.
“Ya Ya look who’s talking" Esha replied. “Why
didn’t to reply to my message? And please don’t tell
me that you were busy. I am not going to accept that
reason.
“I was not busy, but I had decided to stay away
from WhatsApp for some time. I needed a break. Veer
said while moving his hand through his hair.
“Ok whatever. So, tell me how are you dealing
with this house arrest?” Esha enquired.
“For me it’s just like another day, I’ve been in
quarantine for the past seven years right after my
graduation. You know it. Now you must be feeling like
how I feel on the rest of the days when everything is
normal all around”
“You had a purpose to stay indoors. I don’t have
any. So, it’s difficult for me. Esha replied. They
continued talking for some time till there was a call
drop.
Esha called again. “I think it’s already been forty-
five minutes since we started talking. There’s always
a call drop after that”
“Yes, I know that. It’s a signal to tell us that we’ve
been talking a lot. Veer said while laughing loudly.
“That was a PJ Veer” Esha grinned.
Veer paused for some time and then said “Esha I
want to know what was I like when I was your
boyfriend? I am sorry I do not want to dig the past,
but I am very curious to know your side of the story”
Esha was taken aback by this question. She had
never expected this. She too paused for some time
and thought for a while.
“Umm you were a good boyfriend Veer” she
replied.
“I want to know in-depth Esha. Please tell me”
Veer shouted.
“Ok ok just chill …I am telling you” She said in an
annoyed tone.
“You were a good boyfriend. I loved being around
you. I would feel safe with you. You are goofy and also
courageous. A mix of both qualities which I liked in
you. But at the same time, you were eccentric. You
portrayed an image that you were not rude at all.
Romit would also support this claim of yours. But you
are rude Veer. Unknowingly or knowingly, I don’t
know but you said things that hurt me a lot, though I
never told you this. Esha continued talking.
On the other side, Veer was completely silent. He
only listened to what Esha had to say.
“You were a kid too Veer, there is a lot you have
to learn. You don’t know what to speak and when to
speak. Everything is not a joke all the time. I had never
imagined in my life that you would raise your voice on
me. I couldn’t digest it for days that you were so rude
to me. You have to control your emotions otherwise
it’ll be difficult for you. I was the caring one and you
were mostly rude” Esha said and then stopped. She
was waiting for Veer to reply.
“I was not rude Esha. Ok on that particular day I
was rude, I admit it, but I also cared for you. I always
told Romit and Priya how much I liked you. Anyways I
just wanted to know it from you” he said.
“The problem with you is that you don’t listen to
other people’s opinions. You only like to hear your
praise and not your negative points. Learn to listen
first without any prejudice”.
Esha was now scolding Veer. The conversation
was heating up. But Veer was very calm in his
approach. A fight with Esha was the last thing he
wanted now.
“I truly believe in what you say Esha. I have no
doubt on your opinion about me. Thanks a ton. You
are the best” Veer said and then they both greeted
each other good night. Veer went back to his bed. He
placed his head on his pillow hugged and began
reflecting on what Esha had said. He then dozed off
to sleep
 Days went by quickly. The lockdown was about to
end in a few weeks. Veer now spent his days
completing his unfinished artworks. He had also
started writing poetry again and would post poems
daily, most of them related to Samaira. Though he
missed her a lot but he didn’t cling to the thought of
missing her. Though in the back of his mind he always
wanted to be with Samaira but somewhere he also
had this fear that she wouldn’t come back again.
One such morning after giving final touches to his
painting Veer jumped on his bed. He unplugged his
phone from charging and logged in to the dating app.
He had matched with many girls this time. There were
around ten to twelve matches and a few of them had
texted too. The problem with dating apps was that
though there were matches a very few girls would
actually respond and initiate a conversation. Many
would directly un-match without ever chatting. He
texted back. This time he had decided to be
innovative with his approach.
“Hi, how are you? What was your last travel
destination?” Veer had used Google to search for the
top questions to ask girls on dating apps. He had
mugged up all the questions and had decided to
experiment with them.
“Hi, I am good, how are you? “My last travel
destination was Maldives” the girl replied”
Oh, wow that’s nice. I want to go there once” he
texted.
“So, what are you looking for here” the girl texted.
Veer had a generic reply to this. He would always
say that he was up for something long term and
meaningful with the one he would connect to.
 “What about you? he asked
“I have come here because of the quarantine.
Though I have a boyfriend, but I just want some fun.
She replied.
Veer’s eyeballs became big and wide after reading
this. He was startled. This was something new for
him. He logged out of the app. The girl in a way had
helped Veer in easing his guilt as he was feeling at
fault for downloading the app again though he was in
love with Samaira. He chatted with many girls on the
app after that but couldn’t connect with anyone. He
was bored in a way to have the same clichéd
conversations with girls where they would ask each
other about where they lived, what did they do for a
living, why were they using the app, and whether or
not they were in a relationship before.
One early morning Veer freshened up and got
back on his bead. He folded his legs and sat down with
his spine upright. He closed his eyes and took a deep
breath. He then visualized a white ball of light in his
chest that slowly moved down through his stomach
to his legs and then from his body deep into the
ground. He was practising the mediation to reach the
theta state of mind. In the theta state practising the
law of attraction was very powerful. The ball of white
light moved upwards again from his legs to his
stomach to his heart to his head.
From his head to the sky above. It then moved
sideways in a white and blue coloured light. His body
was relaxed and calm. His breathing had become
subtle. By now he was in a trance. He started
visualising about Samaira. Samaira was sitting next to
him and they both were looking deep inside each
other’s eyes. In Samaira’s eyes, Veer could see her
hugging him. He visualized this for some time and
then switched to practising gratitude. He then
opened his eyes, got up from the bead, and went
straight to the balcony. He opened the curtains and
the sliding door and stepped outside to breathe in
fresh air.
Poetry and painting had become Veer’s world
now. He had merged his pain with his creativity.
Thoughts of Samaira would translate into verses that
touched the heart to its core. His paintings had
matured in their outlook and their theme had more
depth to them than before. He had become best
friends with his mom. The lockdown had made him
realize the sacrifices his mom had made for him so
that he could have a good life. He bonded with her
more than ever. Every evening they would go out for
a walk in their building. He would help his mom in
cooking food and also in cleaning the house. There
was an air of joy in his mind. He had decided to be
happy and let go of the thought of not having Samaira
in his life.
One night before going to sleep he wrote a poem
and posted it on Instagram. The poem was an instant
hit and got many likes within no time. But still, he was
waiting for that one like which would fulfil his reason
for writing the poem. He had written
I search for you
In every soul I meet
In some I get a glimpse of you
In some you are nowhere to be found
In me you are still there
But I cannot touch you
 I can only feel you
In me you are fading slowly
And one day I’ll become a
Soul where you would be
Nowhere to be found.
He suddenly got a text on his Instagram dm. It was
from a girl he had met on the dating app. Though they
both followed each other but there was no
communication between the two. They would
sometimes text each other good morning or
comment on each other’s Instagram story.
“Hey, this new poem of yours is so good. Keep it
up. She texted. Veer replied to her saying thank you.
She again texted Veer.
“Your ex is so lucky to have you as her ex. You still
keep her alive in your thoughts unlike many who just
curse their ex”
“This is not for my ex, it’s just a random poem that
I have written. I was watching a series actually and
wrote this on a particular scene from the series” Veer
replied.
“Ok, nice” she replied, and their chat ended. Veer
went back to reading his poem as it played out loud
in his mind. He banged his hand on the bed twice in a
fit of helplessness but then just decide to let the
thought of Samaira not being with him drift through
is mind without any resistance to it
Just then his phone beeped again. He unlocked his
phone to check who had texted him at this time of the
night. It was from the same girl again. He opened his
Instagram chat to read the message.
“I want to tell you something, are you there?” She
had texted.
 “Yup I am awake”
“Cool, I want to tell you that a few months back I
met this guy on the same dating app where we met.
And we slowly got to know each other better, now we
have decided to take our relationship to the next
level. We have decided to get married” she replied.
Veer immediately got up and jumped from his
bed. He rubbed his eyes and pinched himself to check
if he was awake and not dreaming. He was delighted
and shocked at the same time.
“I am so happy for you, this is unbelievable. I wish
you a very happy married life” he texted and then
hugged his pillow.
Veer considered this as a sign from the universe
that something good was about to happen in his life.
He went back to sleep. After closing his eyes, he
started visualizing about Samaira and him having a
gala time till he slowly sailed in the deep ocean of his
dreams.
 CHAPTER SIX

Malika, the new

match
Why does the drifting heart
Feel like home
When one day it will
Beat for someone else
Why do the lost eyes bring peace
When one day we will
Lose their sight
And why do the words flow
Only when the heart is broken
And the eyes have shed tears…
These words etched onto the paper out of the love
deprived thoughts of Veer. Though he had engaged
himself in his artwork and writings his mind still
moved towards Samaira. His mind was like a boat in
the vast ocean waiting to anchor itself and Samaira
was the land. Every evening Veer would look out of
his balcony in the direction of Samaira’s home. They
both lived nearby but the distance between them was
now miles apart. An invisible attraction of the
unknown gave him goosebumps every time. The hair
on his hand would rise and give some ticklish
sensation. He would feel Samaira’s touch at that
moment. Days had gone by without any signs from
the universe. Veer’s mind had become like a
pendulum that swung between good thoughts and
bad thoughts. Though he had Osho, Buddha, his
mother, and friends to his rescue Veer himself
wanted to be trapped in the nexus of foolish
thoughts. He would realize his mistakes but was
happy in committing them again and again.
“Hi Veer, what are you up to?” asked Priya. She
had called Veer in the evening randomly. Veer put his
colour palette aside and sat on the table.
“I was finishing a painting. What are you doing?
He asked.
“I just baked a cake today. That’s why I called
you”. Priya had excellent culinary skills and would
cook different cuisines. Especially during lockdown,
she would upload photos and videos of what she
cooked every day.
“It’s a Nutella cake, your favourite,” she said.
“Oh wow, my mouth is already overflowing with
water” he exclaimed. “I want it right now.
“For that you’ll have to come here, which isn’t
possible, maybe after the lockdown is over, I’ll bake
one for you” she replied.
“You better do that or else I’ll never talk to you,”
he said laughing out loud.
“Use these tricks on Samaira or Esha, not me”.Oh,
I am very sorry” Priya hurriedly retracted what she
had said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just said it as a
joke"
“Haha, you cannot break an already broken heart
Priya so chill” Veer replied. They spoke for some time
till Priya’s mom called her for some work.
The thought of Samaira and Esha struck him and
he decided to compare the two. He took out a pen
and paper and started writing the qualities of Samaira
and Esha. He drew a line on the page. On one side he
wrote Esha and on the other he wrote Samaira. Point
one, Esha is an extrovert. Samaira is more of an
introvert. He continued comparing the two but
stopped writing after some time and folded his hands
behind his head, laid down on the bed, and started
staring at the ceiling.
He couldn’t reach any conclusion. The way he was
swinging between both the girls raised some guilt in
him. He knew he was doing it wrong. It was a moral
crime to compare between two people. Just a few
days back he had read somewhere in Osho’s book
that comparison is a disease. Every individual is
unique, and no one is ahead or behind the other. Veer
was comparing between a person from the past and
someone who he had no idea would be in his present
and future. It was a fallacy, on which he was wasting
his time.
He got up from his mindless activity, crumpled
that piece of paper, and began completing his
commissioned artwork. It was a portrait of a couple.
The man had decided to surprise his wife on her
birthday with the photo of their portrait. Seeing this
kind of love made Veer happy. He then realized that
this was a sign from the universe that he and Samaira
would be together. The signs are always around us,
it’s just that we are unable to see them” he thought
to himself.
“Veer how is your friend Esha?” Veer’s mom asked
him.
Veer jumped out of his chair and spilled the coffee
on the floor.
“Why did you suddenly ask about her?” he replied
in shock.
 “What happened to you, why are you so shocked?
I just asked you randomly.
“Ok, I didn’t expect you to ask me about her, and
also I was lost in my thoughts so got a bit surprised”
Veer replied.
“I hope she is fine in this lockdown. You should ask
her. She is a good girl. I like her. You must call all your
friends’ home after the lockdown is over. A small get
together would be a good idea” his mom said.
“It is indeed a good idea mummy. I’ll surely plan
something.” He said as he walked towards the kitchen
to get a mop to clean the mess. Veer’s mom looked at
him and smiled. She had seen Veer act strange and
disoriented at times and wanted her son to get out of
his mind. Therefore, she had suggested this get
together.
In the night before going to bed, Veer was busy
scrolling through Instagram posts and came across
one such post which caught his attention. It was
posted by a very famous page on Instagram which
had millions of followers. This page was unique. They
would share life-changing and inspiring stories of
people from across India. This particular story that
they had shared was about a couple who had met on
a dating site. How they had instantly connected but
had to go through hardships before getting married.
That story had a million likes and comments. After
reading the story Veer immediately shared the link
with his friends telling them to read it.
He shared it with Esha too. His eyes sparkled with
joy and he blushed continuously. “I wish Samaira also
reads it,” he said to himself. He kept his phone on the
other side of the bed and closed his eyes. Before
going into deep slumber Veer would visualize about
all the things he wanted in his life. This was one of the
law of attraction practices he thoroughly followed. He
started visualizing that the famous Instagram page
had shared his story the same way they had shared
about the couple. A picture of him and Samaira
holding hands and looking at each other graced the
screens of millions of its followers. He thanked the
universe for another sign.
The next day Veer and his mom went to the
market. The situation outside was grim. The streets
were empty devoid of any crowd. Swarms of people
moving here and there was the forte of Mumbai. But
the COVID-19 virus had reversed the entire scenario.
Wearing a mask to cover the mouth and nose had
become a norm. Police vehicles continuously
patrolling the streets was a common scene now.
There were barricades at regular intervals to check
the people travelling in vehicles. Only shops selling
essential items and medical shops had their shutter
up. Veer and his mom walked past a café where Veer
had taken Samaira the first time she had come to his
place. On seeing that place a wave of nostalgia passed
through his mind. He looked at it for a moment and
laughed subtly and then went ahead to buy the
essentials. There was a line outside the shop where
people were standing at an interval of one metre
from each other. They finished buying the essentials
and returned home after an hour.
At home Veer picked up the packet of Jim-jam
biscuits they had purchased. These were Samaira’s
favourite biscuits. She had a distinct way of eating
them. She would remove the jam from the biscuits
before eating and would eat all the jam at the last.
This always fascinated Veer and today he had decided
to do the same. He followed Samaira’s footsteps and
ate the biscuits. He then rushed to his room and
removed his diary from the drawer. He had forgotten
to write his wishes in the morning. He hurriedly wrote
on the paper
“I am eating Jim-jam biscuits with Samaira” And
then kept the diary back in the drawer.
He then jumped onto his bed and logged into the
dating site again. This was his guilty pleasure.
Checking the matches everyday gave him a sense of
validation. It made him feel wanted and desirable.
The recent spat with Samaira and the one with Esha
before had shaken his self-confidence. So, every
match was like a booster for it. He had a few matches,
and some had initiated a conversation. The same
clichéd questions were exchanged with every match.
What do you do, where do you live and what are you
looking for here? It went on.
One particular girl he clicked with was Malika. A
thirty-one-year-old divorcee living alone in Mumbai.
Malika was looking for a casual relationship as she
was over with the whole excitement of being married.
They both had a chat and then exchanged numbers.
In the night Veer wrapped up his work, played
Ludo online, and replied to all the less important texts
he had received during the day. There was a text from
Malika too. She had sent him a photo of a chicken
recipe made by her. Veer replied to her photo and
kept his phone down. Suddenly his phone buzzed
again. It was a text from Malika.
“If you are awake let’s do a video call”
 This was something new for him. He had never
before had a video chat with a girl he met online. At
first, he was sceptical but then gave in to the
temptation of talking to her. His phone rang and his
heart started racing. He fidgeted for a while but then
picked up the call. He could see Malika clearly on his
phone screen.
Malika was a sultry Indian beauty; every guy
would easily fall in love with. A fair-skinned woman
with a devilish charm. Her persona was so magnetic
that Veer stammered for some time in the start while
talking to her. She was wearing a maroon coloured
silk nightgown that had a low neck cut. Her phone was
placed in such a way that her cleavage could be easily
seen. Veer was now a bit shy to talk to her. He could
not resist looking at her cleavage than her face. All his
repressed sexual desires had erupted quickly. He
somehow gathered the courage to talk to her.
“Hi, how were you? She said.
“Um… um. Hi I am Veer” he replied.
“Haha I know that you are Veer, I asked you, how
are you?” Malika said while laughing out loud.
Veer was embarrassed. He realized that he had
just messed up.
“I am good, you? he said
“I am good too. If you want, I can talk to you over
a normal phone call also” she said after seeing Veer’s
shyness.
“It’s fine, we can talk here.”
“Relax, you don’t have to get so tensed while
talking to me, I am just another person,” Malika said
trying to contain his shy behaviour.
 “Thanks, frankly this is my first time on a video call
with a person I don’t know that’s why I freaked out a
little” Veer said.
They both talked for some time on topics ranging
from food to travel to movies and songs. Malika
enquired about Veer’s family and his business while
Veer asked her questions regarding her job and
family. They had nothing in common except the fact
that they both loved action movies, especially the
Chinese martial arts movies. Then they came on the
topics of love and relationships.
“Why did you get divorced? I know it’s personal,
but I just asked you out of curiosity" said Veer.
“It’s ok, I have no issues in telling you” She replied.
“I got married very young at the age of 23 to the love
of my life. The first two years were good, it was like a
fairy tale for me. Then things started to change. My
husband switched his job and got into a multinational
company. His job required him to travel a lot. This
caused a lot of problems between us. Most of the
time he was on tours. At home, he would again be
busy with his work. His behaviour had also changed.
He would shout and argue with me on small issues.
This continued for over three years. Then one day we
fought and he raised his hand on me. That day I
decided to call it quits. I didn’t want to live with him
anymore, he was not the same person who I loved
once. He had changed a lot. I am happily divorced for
2 years now” Malika replied and then took a deep
breath.
“What about you? Have you been on a date with
some you met online?” She asked.
 Veer first decided to tell her a lie but the thought
of Samaira made him do the opposite. He told her the
whole scenario and also told her that he missed her a
lot.
“The fact that she blocked you, shows that she
loves you,” Malika said. “We get upset and irritated
more on the person we love. She spent time with you,
shows that she got attached. She couldn’t make up
her mind and ended up shutting all the doors. It’s
more difficult for her now as she has to deal with all
the emotions at once. Though I am not the right
person to say this, but you should give her another
chance if she comes back.
Don’t let your ego reign your mind. Love is a very
delicate feeling. It makes us do stupid things. The
person we love becomes our world. We try to expect
more from them. I don’t know if it’s right or wrong
but this is what it is. Our over expectations from each
other sometimes suffocate the relationship. I have
learned this the hard way. I am sure she’ll come back
to you if she has fruitfully used this lockdown for self-
reflection. I hope you too are doing the same” Malika
said.
The clock had struck 2 AM in the night. They both
wished each other good night and went to sleep. The
next day Malika texted Veer
“I was happy to talk to you. You are a good person.
Hope we remain friends”. Veer was elated on reading
this and assured her about their friendship.
In the morning Veer got up early and hurriedly
clicked pictures of the portrait of the couple he had
sketched a few days back. It was their anniversary and
as promised he sent the pictures to the man who
wanted to surprise his wife. Veer added a small note
along with the pictures wishing them a happy married
life.He walked out of his room and went straight to
the kitchen to help his mom.
“Mummy what are you making?”.
“I am cooking Rava Dosa today, come here and
help me break open this coconut. I want to make
chutney"
Veer helped his mom for some time without
saying anything.
“You know today I sent a portrait’s photo to a man
for his wedding anniversary. I am so happy for them.
Though being married for more than twelve years
their bond is only getting stronger”. Veer’s mom just
looked at him in awe.
“I am happy to hear this from you today. What’s
with this sudden change of mind, you never believed
in marriages, so what happened now?” she asked.
A chat with Malika the night before had changed
Veer’s perspective towards a few things. Here was a
woman who despite being through a rough marriage
still believed in love and also believed in guiding
broken souls towards their destination.
“Nothing as such mom, it’s just that I was thinking
about this couple. Being alone is kinda boring I think
now” he said.
“It all depends on your thoughts. Being alone is a
wonderful time to get to know yourself. Because that
is what matters. In a relationship, your partner is your
reflection. You can love the other person only to a
level you love yourself”. His mom continued talking
while flipping the Dosa on the pan.
 “Do not force yourself to be in a relationship just
because you are alone. This is a recipe for disaster.
Relax. Take yourself out on dates, go to your favourite
café alone and enjoy sipping coffee there. Go out for
walks alone and enjoy the company of nature. In this
time, you will connect more with your inner self. You
will realize what inspires you. You’ll curate your
dreams and goals. Your clarity about different aspects
of life will sharpen.Then when you meet the person
who makes every cell of your body dance, you will be
sure of it, you’ll be sure of being in love with the
person because you are now sure of yourself. You are
now in love with yourself”
Veer was stunned on hearing such things from his
mom. He went ahead and hugged her tight.
“You are the best mom in the whole world,” he
said while smiling at her.
They both then went to the living room to enjoy
the South Indian delicacy while continuing with their
talks.
Days were passing with a blink of an eye. There
was no distinction left between a Sunday, Monday, or
the other days. Every day felt like a weekend. Life had
become sluggish and mundane. Though Veer was at
his creative best his mind yet felt a hollow in it. A
cacophony of deafening thoughts made it difficult for
him to concentrate for long hours. After a few
minutes, he would get up from his chair, leave his
work aside, and would just walk all around his house.
This repeated throughout the day. One such evening
when he was sketching a commissioned work, he
decided to play a prank on his friends. He texted
Romit, Priya, and Esha saying he was about to get
married in December. Romit and Priya ignored his
messages as they realized that it was a prank. But
Esha called him immediately.
“Who is the girl? Where did you meet her? She
shouted. Veer was laughing silently. “Is it the same
girl you told me about? What’s her name…Aaaa
…Esther?
“Chill, why are you being so eager? I’ll tell you. I
met her through a common friend and now we are
thinking of getting married.”
“Huh! When did this happen? We just met before
the lockdown. We spent so much time with each
other that day. You didn’t tell me then” said Esha.
“I was not sure back then about marriage but now
I am”.
“What rubbish!!... Does she love you? Esha asked.
“Of course, she loves me otherwise why would we
decide to marry.
“What’s her name?
“I’ll tell you her name only when we meet” Veer
replied.
“Stop lying Veer, if you tell me that time that it was
a joke, I’ll straightaway block your number and not
talk to you forever,” Esha said in a stern voice. Veer
had now realized the gravity of the situation.
“It’s just a prank Esha. I sent this text to Priya and
Romit too. But they immediately realized that it’s a
prank. I had never thought that you would take it
seriously and call me. I did it out of boredom” he said.
“Anyone would get serious. If it was a joke, then
why didn’t you use a laughing emoji?
“Just because I didn’t use an emoji doesn’t mean
it’s not a joke”
 “I called you because I was so happy when I read
the message, that my friend is getting married. You
know how sacred I consider marriage to be” Esha
replied.
Veer later apologized for the prank. After the call
Veer went back to his room. What Esha had said
echoed in his mind. He realized that Esha had
completely moved on. He took a deep breath and
smiled. His mind was cleared from the fuss he had
created about having an iota of chance with Esha.
The world didn’t seem to be recovering from the
corona pandemic. Everyday news channels ran news
of the number of people dying because of the virus. A
countdown was started by many news channels that
showed the number of new patients testing positive
in each state. Though there were stories of people
recovering but there was still a fear looming around.
Veer again texted Kadambari to know how Samaira
was. The last message that he had sent her week’s
back was still unread. He threw his phone on the bed
and went out of his room in anger. Thoughts of
Samaira being infected by the virus flashed in his
mind. He went to his mom and sat next to her.
His mom was watching a video on YouTube about
how to make wheat flour cookies at home. He
interrupted his mom. “
Do you think that people who leave you should be
welcomed again? He asked with a disgust on his face.
His mom just looked at him for a moment and
laughed subtly.
“Has anyone left you? She asked.
Veer refuted her question and asked her again.
 “It depends. If the person has cheated, then it’s a
big no. If it was a misunderstanding or a petty fight,
then you can always have a healthy dialogue to sort
out the differences. No one is perfect. To err is
human. But to repeat the same mistakes, again and
again, is a crime. You can always forgive the person
the first time. Again, that depends on the reasons and
intensity of the fight.These day’s especially young
people have a very low emotional understanding. Like
fast food, you people want everything very fast. Just
one disagreement, and you change partners.
Relationships do not work like this. There are a lot of
compromises to be done.
To be in a relationship is like coming out of your
comfort zone. You welcome another person in your
life. Your likes and dislikes are not limited to you
anymore. It has an impact on the other person
too.The secret for having a good relationship is to let
go of small things. Or else they’ll mount up and
destroy it. To respect each other’s freedom is also
important. Give the other person their space to grow.
Again, having freedom does not imply that you do
anything you want. There must be some reasonable
restrictions. Keep your ego aside.I have said this
before also ‘Bloated ego is a killer’.
Veer had an expression of satisfaction on his face.
He looked at his mom and again asked her a question.
“What to imply if a person doesn’t see your texts
for days and also doesn’t reply?
“You have to understand that the world does not
revolve around you. People are busy in their lives.
They have a set of priorities. The message must have
slipped through their eyes. You cannot expect the
person to give you a reply. Everyone has the freedom
of choice. If they chose not to reply you must accept
it.
And don’t let such matters get into your head. And
even if they do get in don’t let them stay there. Just
observe the thought and let it pass naturally. Because
if you forcefully try to forget the thought then you are
unnecessarily creating a resistance. Remember that a
thought only lasts till you give it power.” And now you
go back to finish your work. Let me continue watching
this video as I want to make those cookies today
itself.”
His mom replied as she resumed watching the
video. Veer was in a state of bliss. He returned to his
room with a clear mind and began finishing his work.
 CHAPTER SEVEN

The Law of
Attraction
“I am a happy and peaceful person. People who
come in my contact also become happy and peaceful.
I am love. I am in a happy and romantic relationship
with Samaira. Samaira also loves me a lot.” Veer
wrote this in his diary early in the morning after he
had finished meditating. Scripting was an integral part
of his life now. He watched videos on the law of
attraction practices and read about it too.
Synchronicity was his new best friend.
Repeated patterns and numbers would follow him
most of the time. 111, 222, 1111… would make a
landfall before him out of nowhere. Veer was assured
by now that something good was about to happen in
his life very soon. But there were many hurdles in his
mind which he wanted to overcome before the
lockdown was called off. The wind was favourable to
steer his entangled boat in the direction of positivity.
He sat down on the chair and started writing a
poem. Just then his phone rang. It was a call from
Romit. He picked up the call and started talking. They
greeted each other and spoke about the Coronavirus
for some time. The situation had become grim in
Mumbai. Many people near Romit’s house had tested
positive of COVID-19.
“Bro any news from Samaira’s side? Romit asked.
 “Nothing! I did text Kadambari again but it’s all in
vain”
“Chuck it, no need to text her again. By the way is
Kadambari single?” Romit asked as he giggled.
“Haha, hard-luck bro, she’s been in a relationship
for the past three years. Samaira has told me a lot
about her. In fact, every time we met, she would tell
me about Kadambari. And you must focus on that
friend who lives in your building. How’s it going on
between you two”
“Though we stay in the same building, yet I
haven’t seen her in days. We just chat on WhatsApp
sometimes, that’s it. This virus has infected my love
life. Rarely do I get girls in my life and when I actually
like someone, this happens” Romit laughed.
“Haha it is ok, at least you have someone to talk
too. Imagine the ones who have no one or the newly
married couples who are stranded at different places.
I feel sorry for them. But you know the ones in a live-
in relationship are having the best time of their life”
Veer said.
“True that, I so envy them right now, they are
getting to live my dream,” said Romit.
They both laughed and talked about other things
in general. They planned to go on a food hogging
spree after the lockdown and even shortlisted the
best cafes in Mumbai.
The house arrest had started affecting the mental
health of people. The loss of movement and freedom
had enraged every atom of the body. There were
reports of rise in the cases of domestic violence. In
this time of crisis maintaining one’s sanity was of
utmost importance. Veer had come a long way from
being delusional to being focused and happy. Though
sometimes he would feel the heat of not being with
Samaira, but he had learned to overcome that feeling.
The resistance to these negative thoughts had
reduced tremendously. He would let them pass
through his mind and then let them vanish naturally.
“Hey, how are you? Malika texted Veer.
“I am good, you?
“I am good too. Can I call you now? She asked.
“I’ll call you after some time, having dinner”
After he fished eating, he went back to his room.
He switched off the lights and entered the balcony to
call Malika.
“Hi, just got done with dinner. So, how are you?
How are you spending your days? he asked.
“Same as everyone else, but it’s good that mostly
I am working so not bored as such”
“It’s the same for me. Even I keep myself busy the
whole day to avoid being negative.”
"That’s so cool. And I’ve been following your
poems on Instagram. They are just superb. Some of
them clearly show that you miss Samaira” Malika
said.
They spoke for some time on poems and movies
in general and then drifted towards philosophy.“You
know Veer I just want to say this, please don’t get me
wrong. But after reading your poems I feel that you
are still clinging to pain and loss”
“Umm..... you are right, but I just cannot write on
anything else other than heartbreak and loss. My
mind, I think is auto-tuned to writing on pain” he
replied.
 “Try writing something inspirational. Like where
there is hope and love. Malika said trying to
encourage Veer.
“I will definitely try it”
“The thing is we attract what we think. If you keep
on writing on heartbreaks, then you’ll always get
heartbreaks in return. The universe is listening to us
constantly. It’s all energy and frequency. And the
universe is very receptive” Malika said. She had now
dived deep into the conversation. Explaining Veer,
the outcomes of his actions was her prime motive.
They continued this topic for a while.
“As you sow, so shall you reap. It’s the same with
thoughts also. Send out positive frequencies of higher
vibration to the universe and it will reward you. And
if you do the opposite it will punish you. By painfully
writing about Samaira, it only shows that there is a
lack in your life. And this ‘Lack” will attract more of it.
You must always say to yourself that you live in
abundance. This will help you achieve your dreams”
Malika continued.
"I understand what you are saying, and I will try to
write more positives poems" replied Veer.
Their conversation had now reached to a point
where Malika was at her philosophical best. Veer was
only a mute spectator in their talks. “Yes, ha, right,
ok” were the only sounds coming out of his mouth.
“It also feels like you are seeking forgiveness
through your poems. But that forgiveness is not
wholehearted. It seems that you are just satisfying
your ego by it” she said.
“What do you mean by it?” questioned Veer.
 “I mean that you want forgiveness because you
did this and did that and not because you are sorry. If
you want to seek forgiveness in this manner, then it is
just a scam. Please don’t feel bad, but I had to tell you
this. I don’t want you to repeat the mistakes I’ve
made in my life. Ego is a bad phenomenon. It thrives
on misery and vanishes when we are blissful. So, drop
that idea. It will not fetch you any good” said Malika.
Veer was now quiet for a while.
“What you say makes sense. But I’ll take some
time to reflect on it” said Veer.
“Take as much time as you want but don’t let it
slip through your mind”
They talked for hours that night and seemed to
enjoy the conversations. Veer was being enriched by
the lessons given by Malika.
“Veer there is one more thing I want to tell you”
“Go ahead, I am waiting for it”
The way you text is very dry and boring. You’ll
have to be more engaging in texting"
“Actually, I am not a text person, I like face to face
conversations more and also over a call”
“Now that I’ve spoken to you, I know that you are
a good guy, but your texts show that you have a lot of
attitude. Don’t give blunt replies and also use emoji’s
my friend. I know that this is unintentional, but you’ll
have to change a bit. In today’s world texting on social
media matters a lot. What you have in your mind,
you’ll type a message and send it. But the other
person may not be able to interpret it in the same
light. So, what I want to tell you is to use your words
wisely and try avoiding words that can create
misunderstandings” she said
 Malika was like an unexpected blessing in disguise
for Veer. A person with whom he had randomly
connected on the same app where he had found the
love of his life Samaira. The wisdom gained from his
conversations with Malika had brightened the inner
dark corners of his mind.
“Thank you so much for sharing insights with me.
They matter a lot” Veer expressed his gratitude.
“My pleasure, I am always there to help you. Be
strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know
when you need help and brave enough to ask for it”
Malika said and then they wished each other good
night. It was already 4 AM but both of them were
fresh as flowers with no signs of sleepiness.
The wisdom had impregnated Veer’s mind with
bliss. It had sowed seeds of metamorphosis in him.
The struggle to use the lockdown for self-
development was bearing fruits. The emotions that
ran helter-skelter before had somehow been
disciplined to a large extent. The fight with Samaira
was a boon for Veer. The opportunity of tuning his
mind had bought him close to his demons. He had
succeeded in confronting many of them and was on a
quest to defeat the ones that had been left out. Veer
was enjoying the entire process and hardly cared
about the outcomes of it.
One afternoon while having lunch Veer was
watching a movie on the television. It was a romantic,
philosophical movie where the main characters meet
each other in a train while both are on a trip to Paris.
The whole movie revolved around the conversation
between the two and how with time they become
friends and then lovers.
 The whole experience was intense, magical and,
romantic. The situations shown in the movie
strangely resembled the ones that had happened
between Samaira and Veer. A particular dialogue
from the movie caught his attention. He remembered
Samaira saying the dialogue many times when they
met. Veer was astonished with the uncanny
coincidence and felt like someone was watching him
all the time and playing with his mind. But then he
took it as a positive sign from the universe. He went
to the kitchen and kept his plate in the sink, washed
his hands and, rushed to the room.
He switched on his laptop and opened the
YouTube channel that he had been following for days.
It was a channel where the law of attraction
techniques were shown. He saw a video of one such
technique in order to perform it. It was known as the
two-cup method. He saw the entire video and rushed
back to the kitchen to get two glasses.
He filled one glass with water and the other he
kept empty. Then he took a piece of paper and cut it
into two parts. On one he wrote his current situation
that he was not with Samaira. And on the other, he
wrote his desired situation that he was with Samaira
in a romantic relation. He pasted the current situation
label on the glass filled with water and the other on
the empty glass. He then sat down on his bed and
looked at the two glasses and visualized his current
situation. After a few minutes, he visualized his
desired situation and held on to the positive emotions
and frequencies. He continued to feel the good
feeling from some time and then poured the water
into the empty cup that had the label of his desired
outcome. He then drank the water to its last drop.
This was one powerful method of manifestation.
The method involved one to set the desired intention
and feel the positive emotions as if it had come true.
Then it required the person to be in that state of bliss
for some time and raise their frequency to tune it with
the frequency of the desired goal. It was all about
alignment. According to this technique, there
happened a shift in the dimension. From the current
to the desired one. Though there was no scientific
evidence supporting the claim, it was all based-on
speculations and empirical evidence.
Personally, Veer was a person who believed in
science but since his breakup with Esha, he had
started to believe in the law of attraction a lot. He had
in the past got experiences which further
strengthened his belief. So, when it came to such
techniques, scientific evidence wasn’t at matter of
concern to him. He got up from his bed went out to
the balcony and took a deep breath. The air around
had become fresh and clean as there was little to no
pollution because of the lockdown. He got in and
sprayed some room freshener in his room to elevate
his state of happiness. Veer had credited the law of
attraction for bringing back Esha in his life. And this
time he was using it to get back to Samaira.
In the evening Veer went out for a walk in his
building premises. While walking he came across an
old crumpled newspaper page. He picked it up to
throw it in the dustbin. But then something pricked
his mind and decided to open it up before throwing it
away. When he opened it, his eyebrows reached their
zenith and his eyeballs inflated to the size of a
balloon.
There was a photo of Samaira on it. He rubbed his
eyes and called the watchman.
“Uncle please pinch me fast”
“Why? What happened? The watchman asked
him in curiosity.
“Just do it Uncle” I’ll tell you later”. He said as he
put his hand forward.
The watchman looked at Veer with a surprise and
then pinched him and went away. Veer then looked
back at Samaira’s photo. It was an interview. The
company she was working with had collaborated with
an NGO that worked for the upliftment of children
living on the streets. Samaira was given the
responsibility to lead this initiative and therefore had
given an interview to the correspondent from the
newspaper.
Veer hurriedly went back to the elevator to go to
his house. In the elevator, he continuously looked at
Samaira’s photo. His mom opened the door. He
entered the house and rushed to his room and placed
the newspaper under his pillow to remove the
creases. Then he scrutinized the paper carefully and
again the same thing repeated. He got astonished.
The date on the newspaper was the same as his
birthdate. It was an overload of synchronicity for the
day. He couldn’t comprehend the meaning clearly
and decided to tell this to Malika.
“Hey, are you free right now? he texted.
There was no reply from her. So, Veer dialled
Romit’s number. His excitement to tell this to
someone knew no bounds.
 “Hey Romit, something really strange happened
today” he said.
“What? Romit asked.
“So, I went for a walk today and came across a
piece of newspaper. When I picked it up and opened
it, it had Samaira’s photo. It was an interview
regarding her company’s philanthropic initiative. And
the best part is the date of the newspaper is my
birthdate!!” Veer exclaimed.
“Oh wow! This is unbelievable. What a
coincidence my friend. She is surely coming back to
you. Just wait and watch”
“Hope so, but I am shaking right now. This was too
much to handle” daid Veer. He continued expressing
his love for Samaira, and how much he missed her.
“I have a plan? said Romit.
“Plan for?
“I’ll text Samaira on Instagram, and ask her about
you, I’ll tell her that Veer doesn’t know anything
about this and let it be a secret between me and her.
I’ll tell her that Veer told me about what happened
between you two and that he misses you a lot”
“This looks like a stupid plan Romit. Samaira hasn’t
unblocked me, she yet hasn’t replied to my SMS.
Kadambari has also not replied, in fact she hasn’t yet
seen the message, it will be more than a month now.
It would look so creepy” Veer replied.
“Why do you care about that, I am sending the
messages, I’ll take care of it. Everything is fair in love
and war my friend. So just chill. Let me do my job”
said Romit.
While talking to Veer, Romit simultaneously sent
a message to Samaira on Instagram.
 “It’s done bro, now we’ll wait for her to reply”
“You have just doubled my anxiety Romit. Now I’ll
be hooked on to this. Tell me the moment she texts
you back. I’ll go now, mom is calling me for dinner.
Bye” Veer said, and he went out of his room to eat
dinner.
In the night before going back to complete his
artwork Veer decided to text Malika again. When he
went on to send her a message, he saw that she had
already texted him.
“Hey, so sorry for replying late, was busy with
work, call me when you are free” she texted.
“Hi Malika, wassup, done with work? Veer asked
“Just got done with work some time back. Had a
hectic day today I was very busy with client calls. You
say, how was your day?”
“My day was the most exciting ever. Today an
unexpected thing happened. I desperately wanted to
tell you about it. That’s the reason I texted you
before” said Veer.
He narrated the entire incident to Malika. Veer
was moving his hands, raising his eyebrows and
walking to and fro in the balcony while narrating the
incident. He couldn’t contain his excitement.
“That is unbelievable Veer. The universe is surely
helping you get back to Samaira. It is sending you
these subtle shocks just to remind you that you are
on the right track and need to hold on and not lose
your mind”
“Even I have started to believe the same, it’s just
that sometimes it becomes a bit tricky”
“I know that, I can relate to what you say. Miracles
like these bring hope. I’ll suggest you to just let go off
this incident before it consumes a big chunk of your
brain. Express your gratitude to the universe and then
just continue with your daily routine. You should not
think only about her. To get Samaira back you’ll have
to forget Samaira. This is the only way” said Malika.
“Yes, I’ll do the same. I have become more mature
now than I was at the start of the quarantine. I’ll just
let things unfold naturally at their right time”
“Maturity is when you decide to keep silent even
though you have the power to destroy the person and
the fact that you’ve not spoken ill about Samaira only
shows your love for her. But just don’t be hasty in
your actions. That is something you need to work on.
Even now you sometimes say things that directly
pierce the heart. Last time you said something to me
which was not a good way to say. I ignored it but then
I thought that I must tell you” she said.
“I am sorry if I have hurt you. I need to be more
careful now. You know, even Esha had told me this
once, but I took it lightly. I thought that Esha is saying
just to annoy me or something like a revenge thing to
belittle me. But now that you said it, it must be true”
“Veer again, please don’t think that I am bossing
you all the time, it’s just that I feel you are a very
genuine person and you should be at your best”.
“I believe you and I know you want good things for
me.” Veer said and then they wished each other good
night.
After talking to Malika, Veer texted Esha
“Hey, hope you are good. I just want to thank you
and also apologize for the time you told me that I was
harsh sometimes. I have realized my mistake”
 He then switched on his laptop and went ahead to
watch a few videos on YouTube. These days most of
his recommended video list was flooded with “How
to get your ex back” type videos. He would watch
these videos and try to implement the techniques
shown in them.
“It’s ok, no need to apologize. Happy realization!!”
Esha texted.
Veer checked the message and sent her a smiley.
He then continued watching the videos. His phone
buzzed again.
“Can I call you now? Esha texted. Veer thought for
a while before saying yes.
“Hi Veer, why are you up so late?” Esha asked.
“Just watching random videos on YouTube”
“Your message was unexpected. I was a bit
surprised after reading it. I thought, what’s happened
to him”
“Let’s say I had a divine intervention” he replied
while laughing loudly.
“Haha, if you say so” replied Esha sarcastically.
“Why are you awake? Veer asked.
“I was watching a web series. And I liked it. It was
a very mature love story. I wish I had a love story like
this.”
“You’ll have one too, hope for the best,” said Veer.
They talked about the web series for some time
before coming to serious topics. Esha told him about
the chemistry shown between the two people in the
web series and that she wished to have such
compatibility with her partner.
“So, what is the definition of compatibility
according to you? Veer questioned Esha.
 “Umm for me it’s all about trust. And being true to
each other.
“That’s cool but what if there is a fight between
the two people?” he asked.
“Then there was no compatibility between the
two” replied Esha.
“I don’t think so, we are humans and we have our
bad days. Let’s say out of three hundered and sixty
five days there will be twenty days where we would
be at our worst. So just because there is a fight
doesn’t mean that the people are incompatible”
“I disagree with you on this” Esha said sternly. The
conversation between them was on the verge of
becoming an argument.
“Ok Esha let’s talk about something else or we’ll
end up fighting” Veer said jokingly.
“Yup, you are right, that’s the last thing we want
now” She replied. They both then continued talking
for hours on random topics before going back to
sleep.
Veer was very unsatisfied with Esha’s answers and
this made him restless. He turned from one side to
the other till early morning before he dozed off. He
got up at 10 AM the next day, freshened up and went
straight to his mom. He wanted to clear his restless
mind and his mom was his only refuge.
“Are you free right now, I want to ask you
something? He said.
“Yes, tell me, you are thinking a lot these days,
every other day you come up with something new
and that too related to relationships, tell me honestly,
what has happened"
 “I just want to clear a few things, that’s it, nothing
else. So, tell me what is your definition of
compatibility?
His mom pulled down her spectacles and looked
at him with a smile on her face. “Well, compatibility is
the total acceptance of the other person. It is about
how well you understand each other without saying
anything. Your communication through silence
matters a lot. Being compatible means letting the
other person be themselves and not to try to enslave
them. I only say surrender to the feeling of love. Enjoy
being happy with each other, be with each other in
sad times, just enjoy each other’s presence to the
fullest. It’s live and let live.”
Veer was speechless. But then he asked her again.
“What if the two people in love fight with each other?
Wouldn’t that mean they are incompatible? What
should be their approach after that?
“Well, we are humans and are bound to fight. So
just because you fought doesn’t mean you are
incompatible. Again, it depends on the reason and
intensity of the fight also. Compatibility means how
well you get along with each other even after fighting.
It is about how you adjust and compromise when it is
necessary. In a relationship both the partners are
equal. It’s about how you pass through the storm
together and not push the other or watch them
struggle. Compatibility means it’s always you and
your partner versus the problem and not about just
blaming each other for the problem. Even after a fight
instead of ignoring each other or hating each other,
both should just reflect on the core of the issue. Ask
questions like, why did the fight start? What can be
the solution? How to avoid such problems in the
future? Also let go off this feeling of dominating each
other. Peaceful coexistence filled with love must be
the goal. I may be wrong and I don’t claim to be
perfect either but this is what I feel. Life is too short
to hold any grudge especially against someone you
love” his mom gasped.
Veer went and hugged his mom. He sat next to her
in awe.
“What would I do without you? I think I would be
like a lost traveller searching for his destination in the
wrong direction”
“I am always there for you no matter how far we
are I’ll always be near you.” His mom said while
pulling his cheeks.
The insights shared by his mom and Malika were
having a profound effect on Veer. There was a sudden
spurt of happiness and a wave of change in him. After
talking to his mom, Veer went back to his room and
checked his phone. He sat down on his chair and
started thinking. Words had clouded his mind and
were waiting to take the form of poetry. He typed for
some time, then erased it, he typed again
Let’s rip up the pages which we wrote
That made the book miserable
Let’s write new ones all over again
And change the story, So that
It has an ending which would
Be the start of something
Divine and intimate.
 CHAPTER EIGHT

Lockdown ends
A few days after his fruitful conversations with
mom and Malika, Veer decided to connect a few dots
from the past. Somewhere this thought had come to
his mind that he had to figure out the reason for what
he was today. Why couldn’t the relationships in his
life last long and why the girls that had come in his life
become close to him only after their breakup? He
decided to take the day off from his paintings and
writings. The wheels of his mind were churning at full
speed now. He laid down on the bed and drifted
slowly into his self-evaluation world.
Years ago, when Veer was in college, he had
decided to lead a bohemian life and write and paint
at some of the beautiful destinations around the
world. He would call himself a wandering ascetic.
After graduation, he did not take up any job and for
the first three months, he wandered around the rural
areas of India to experience its rich and varied cultural
heritage. This had opened up the Pandora’s Box for
him. The memories he collected there were some of
his prized possessions. After coming home from his
trip, he started his freelancing. Days passed and
Veer’s determination grew stronger. His life only
revolved around his paintings and poems.
But one fine day at a party hosted by one of his
friends, Ritika made an entry into his life. That was the
first time he felt that he was in love. The moment he
met Ritika the ascetic in him vanished and the lover in
him came to life. His outlook towards life changed a
lot after meeting her. Though they only dated for two
months but those two months had an impact on his
mind.
Ritika introduced him to the world of
relationships. An uncharted territory for him which he
had decided to not walk on. Though Ritika was his
inductor it was under Esha that Veer flourished as a
partner. Esha was responsible for making Veer more
mature and responsible. Each girl had come as a
teacher in his life to give him lessons which would
help him in years to come. These thoughts had
engulfed him completely, but he couldn’t come to any
conclusion. He got up from the bed and went towards
the cupboard and removed his diary from the top
shelf. He took out his pen and wrote that “I have
reached to a conclusion of all the questions in my
mind, and I am very satisfied and accept the
outcome.” He then kept the diary back and took a
deep breath before going back to work.
He continued painting one of his works for some
time before being interrupted by a phone call.
“Hi, Romit, why do you sound so excited? Veer
said.
“Didn’t you see the news? questioned Romit.
“You know that I’ve stopped watching the news
these days. The Coronavirus pandemic is scary and I
don’t want to be panicked”
“Dude the lockdown is about in end in a week and
there will be no extension. That’s the reason I am
super excited. Finally, we’ll get our freedom back!!
Romit exclaimed.
 “This is such good news; I was a bit worried before
but you’ve made my day. I feel like dancing now” Veer
said while laughing out loud.
“Finally, I’ll get to meet my crush and friends. I am
looking forward to propose her”
“That is so cool, you should go ahead with this.
And I am very sure she also feels the same for you and
she’ll accept it immediately”
“Our favourite mall is waiting for us. It has missed
us a lot already and I don’t want to keep it waiting”
Romit said while giggling.
“Yes, bro how can we keep it waiting. That’s the
first place we’ll go to”
“Sure bro, I’ll call you later,” Romit said and cut
the call.
Veer was delighted by the news but at the same
time, his mind again went back to the fact that
Samaira was not with him now. He let the thought
pass through his mind without any resistance and
went back to his work. After finishing his work Veer
went out of his room. His mom was sitting on the
couch cutting vegetables for lunch.
“Did you hear the news? he asked her.
“Yes, I did, I had come to tell you about it but you
were busy on a call”
“I was talking to Romit, he was very excited"
Veer then sat on the chair next to his mom and
started helping her with the cutting. They both now
switched between cutting the vegetables and
watching the movie.
“The labourers and poor people can finally
breathe a sigh of relief. They can go back to their
livelihoods and start earning,” said Veer.
 “Yes, I felt sad for them and also the police. They
were the ones along with doctors working night and
day to ensure everything is under control.”
“I agree” he replied. “But do you think that it’s
normal now. I mean I am still scared to go out. There
is certainly a fear in people. I don’t think this mental
block will end so soon” His mom said.
“I couldn’t agree more on that mom”
This virus had certainly brought with it some social
changes. What was normal before won’t be the same
now. People will be very cautious in the future. She
then went to the kitchen to cook the food.
The news had relieved people from all the mental
stress. The internet was flooded with the news. Many
had kept it as their status on WhatsApp and
Instagram stories. Veer wondered if Samaira had also
done the same. She had the habit of uploading status
now and then and Veer would comment on every
status and then he would upload something relevant
to her status. This was some kind of a secret
communication between the two.
After having lunch Veer went back to his room and
his mom followed him.
“I’ll sit here for some time before going back to my
room,” she said.
“Sure. You can check out my new painting,” said
Veer.
His mom picked up his painting and looked it in
awe.
“This is very beautiful, there is a depth to this
painting. The combination of light and dark shades
brings out the contrast perfectly. But just one thing,
why is the bird here shown as having his one leg in the
cage and the other outside? And why is there a storm
over him?” she curiously questioned.
Veer had drawn a picture of a beautiful bird with
one leg in the cage and the other outside. There was
also a storm over the bird though there was a
pleasant atmosphere shown all around.
“I want to show that the bird is confused and still
attached to the past. And about the storm, it is to
show that the bird is overthinking. The storm depicts
his unhappiness that’s the reason though everything
is pleasant around, its raining on the bird. Here I have
shown rain in a bad light”
“That is very thoughtful,” his mom said as she
looked at him in amazement. “Overthinking is a
poison and it takes away our present moment. It
drags us to an imaginary world where we are held
captive by our thoughts"
“Very true, that’s the whole concept behind the
painting. Overthinking destroys our mental health
and though everything is the way it is, we look at it
with a different perspective. We have a more
negative outlook towards things” said Veer.
“Yes, and also because of overthinking we
sometimes have to go through those negative
emotions twice. Once in our imaginative world and
then if the same thing takes place in reality. Though
it’s easier said than done but one needs to control
overthinking. We are bound to do that; I think that’s
ingrained in human nature but again we can work
towards controlling it. It will only save us from being
doomed.”
“Yes mom, but it’s difficult. I try to do it every day,
but I fail to control it. Most of my time is wasted
because of overthinking. And this leads to
procrastination”
“Hmm, right, why don’t you do meditation? You
know the proper technique also”
“I do it though not every day. It’s that when I
meditate, immediately after that and for some time
more I feel relaxed and blissful but then again I go
back to being stupid” Veer laughed.
“Keep on doing it, you are not going to be
enlightened overnight. Just like how you have come a
long way in your painting the same way is with
meditation. You cannot expect to eat the fruit
immediately after sowing the seed” his mom said in a
stern voice.
“Is this bird depicting you? His mom asked him.
“Not exactly but to a considerable extent” Veer
replied.
“Haha very diplomatic answer. But I feel it’s you
and that you are attached to something. Is it a girl?
Veer was surprised. He had this feeling all along
that his mom knew about Samaira, but he decided to
act neutral.
“No, it’s in general. There are a few things I am
attached to. Though I know it’s not going help me but
still, it’s very difficult to get rid of it”
“Attachment is the root cause of suffering, always
keep this Buddha’s teaching in mind and try to
inculcate in life. Attachment in relationships kills the
love. It is a contrast to it. Many a time we think that
we love the person but, it’s just attachment.
Attachment puts a blanket over the toxicity between
the two people. It’s like a mirage actually, giving us a
feeling of love but in reality it’s not. In attachment,
there is some fear of missing out. We think that we’ll
not be loved by someone else so we cling to the
person however detrimental it may be for us.
Though love and attachment feel the same, but
they are not. Let’s say that attachment is just an evil
twin of love. Twin in the sense, in appearance and not
in value. In a relationship when we say we are
attached to the other person; we are treating the
person as our possession. This is not true love. I know
it’s not easy, we get possessive but that feeling should
not overpower your feeling of love. Again, these are
just my views. It may be different for people. I am not
trying to generalize but just trying to tell you the
subtle meanings of these emotions. You are free to
feel otherwise or come up with some different
understanding of your own. But let not that be
harmful to you and others” She said.
“Mom you always make things so easy for me. You
are my greatest teacher, thank you so much” Veer
expressed his gratitude to his mom.
The painting had now become too close to his
heart after it. He clicked pictures of the painting and
then uploaded it on his Instagram profile. Within
minutes of posting it, he got many likes and
comments saying how beautiful it is. Esha also
commented. Seeing Esha’s comment Veer
immediately called her.
“Wassup Esha? What are you doing? He asked
her.
“Nothing much was just listening to songs. By the
way that painting is superb. I loved it”
“Thank you so much. I am glad you liked it"
 “Veer you know that the lockdown is going off
soon, I think we should hangout after that, just like
old times,” Esha said in excitement.
“Yes, we’ll surely meet. But I am not sure
when."he replied.
“Let’s have a house party at your place. It’s been a
long time I haven’t been to your house"
“Ok Esha, done. I’ll let you know, even mom was
saying the same thing. She also said that you are a
very good girl” Veer said this in excitement.
“Oh wow! Say thank you to aunty, I am already
blushing. I admire your mom a lot and also you are my
good friend too! exclaimed Esha.
“Thank you so much, you are a good friend too.
Hope to see you soon” Veer said and then he cut the
call.
Esha’s behaviour seemed unusual to him. On one
side she was calling him his friend and on the other
side, she was trying to get close to him again. Veer
was confused by her behaviour but took it as a sign of
closure. This was the second time she had exhibited
such a behaviour. He remembered Malika’s advice “If
the behaviour of the person confuses us that means
it is over. It’s better to move on”. He texted Malika to
thank her for the lesson which had just saved him
from overthinking.
Veer also texted Priya to tell her about the house
party. Priya immediately texted him to confirm her
presence. He then began scrolling through Instagram
posts and replied to all the comments on the painting.
In the evening he went for a walk with his mom in
the building premises. They both would often come in
the evening to witness the sunset. The reddish-
orange tinge on the sky and the gradual sinking of the
sun into the Arabian Sea with the mighty Sea Link in
its backdrop was one spectacular scene to watch out
for. While gazing at the evening sky his mom said “You
know this sunset depicts the fragility of life. What
rises must set some time. This is the universal cycle"
“Very true, you know mom you should’ve been a
poet rather than me,” he said while smiling at her.
“Though life is fragile, we must live it to the fullest.
Try to be present in the moment as much as possible
as this is the only truth we have. Tomorrows are all
imaginations only the present is true” she said.
Veer then pointed out his finger in the direction of
Samaira’s house.
“One of my friends stays there, right next to that
tall building,” he said.
“Is she the same friend for whom you keep on
asking me questions?” she asked while laughing.
“Oh, please don’t start it again. I just told you as I
happen to look at the building. If I genuinely like a girl
or I am in a relationship, you’ll be the first one know”
“Ok I believe you, do keep your words later and
don’t take a U-turn,” his mom said. Then they both
went upstairs and sat down to enjoy the fresh brew
of coffee.
In the night before going to sleep Veer checked his
phone to answer all the messages he had got in the
evening. There was a text from Malika. She had
replied to his text. “I am glad that what I said helped
you. I’ll always be there to guide you if possible, in the
future too. We’ll meet after the lockdown” . Veer
thanked her again and then kept his phone down.
 He remembered the time he had thanked Samaira
for one of the advice she had given him regarding the
shade of the colours to use for the painting. That
advice had earned him praises. Veer then opened his
Instagram account to see if there were more likes and
comments on his paintings. He replied to all the
comments and then suddenly saw the notification
that he had a direct message. He opened the chat, it
was a text from Kadambari, Samaira’s best friend.
Veer immediately jumped on his bed and hurriedly
checked the message. She had given him a reply after
one and a half month.
“Hey Veer’ Kadambari here. If you see this text,
then just ping me. I have something to tell you.”
Reading this gave Veer a mild shock. His hands
started sweating and his head became heavy. The
overthinking in him reached its peak.
“What does she want to tell me, is Samaira ok, is
Samaira infected with the virus?” Thoughts like these
jumped up in his mind.
He immediately texted Romit. It was already past
midnight. “Are you awake? he texted and waited for
Romit to reply. Fifteen minutes had passed but there
was no reply from Romit. Veer had become very
restless now.
He ran to the balcony to get some fresh air. The
sight of the moon hiding behind the clouds calmed is
mind for a moment. He went back inside and checked
his phone. Still, there was no reply from Romit. In the
meantime, Veer decided to text Kadambari.
“Hi Kadambari, what do you want to tell me? I am
awake, you can text me now.
 Veer’s phone rang. It was a call from Romit. “Hey
bro what happened, is everything ok? asked Romit.
“I just got a text from Kadambari. She had written
that she needs to talk to me. I am scared now, and I
am sure something is wrong with Samaira” Veer said
as he wiped the sweat off his forehead.
“Relax Veer, you are overthinking. What if she
wants to talk about something else related to
Samaira? What if she wants to say that Samaira is
ready to talk to you and wants to reconcile? Be
positive. I mean this is what you tell me every time
and now you are saying such a thing”
“You are right Romit. But it’s just that her message
was a sweet shock to me. After one and a half month,
she’s replied. I had given up on the thought of her
completely” Veer said.
“I know you were waiting for this moment, so just
chill and don’t overthink. We’ll talk tomorrow after
you chat with her. Good night” said Romit.
Veer kept his phone aside and sat in an upright
position with legs folded. He closed his eyes and took
a deep breath. He continued this for some time and
then let the negative thoughts come to his mind. He
observed them neutrally and let the thoughts vanish
naturally. He then laid down on the bed and hugged
his pillow. He closed his eyes and visualised that
everything was normal and Samaira was fit and fine,
they were at friendly terms with each other, were
holding hands and walking in the garden. This thought
continued in his mind before he dozed off to sleep.
In the morning Veer woke up before sunrise. The
moment he opened his eyes he checked his phone.
But there was no text from Kadambari. He got up
from the bed and rubbed his eyes in disappointment.
But then he sat up straight and closed his eyes again
to focus on his breathing. “I live in abundance. Thank
you, universe, for this beautiful day. Thank you so
much.” He said this out loud to express his gratitude
before going ahead with his daily chores.
He went to the living room for breakfast. As he
started savouring the food there was a moment of
déjà vu. An uncanny feeling struck his mind. He put
the plate aside and went to the washroom and
splashed water on his face.
“This can’t be real, why do I feel like this has
happened already” he muttered. His mom called him
from the living room. “Veer why haven’t you come
out to eat this, it will get cold” she shouted.
“I am coming. Just a minute” he replied and went
back.
“I just had a déjà vu. Have you experienced this? I
mean this is normal, but I feel that just yesterday the
same incident happened. This freaked me out a little”
Veer said.
“It’s normal, this happened maybe because you
were thinking a lot, or something is bothering you”
she replied.
“I think you can read my mind; how can you be so
accurate all the time” He said. His mom just looked at
him smiled.
This brief eerie moment left Veer with a thought
of Samaira again. He had completely forgotten about
Kadambari’s message. He continued with his painting
work. On one side he moved the paintbrush on the
canvas and on the other side he enjoyed his dream
world. Suddenly his phone buzzed. Veer was too
engrossed in his activity that he didn’t care much
about it. But it buzzed again and again. This broke his
dreamy slumber and he picked up his phone. There
were a series of messages. When he opened it, it was
from Kadambari. He hurriedly read all the messages.
“Hey Veer, sorry to text you this late. I want to tell
you something about Samaira. Are you free right
now? If yes then give me a call, this is my number”
Veer immediately dialled her number.
“Hi Kadambari, Veer here, what do you want to
tell me?
“It’s actually about Samaira”
“Is she alright, please tell me, Veer said in a broken
voice.
“I haven’t spoken to her since the lockdown
started. Her mobile is also out of coverage area”
“What? What do you mean by that? I cannot
understand anything.” Veer shouted.
“She is not there at home, neither is her family. I
heard that they went to their ancestral place before
the lockdown started. But that’s it. No contact after
that” Kadambari said.
“I am worried now; this is not a good sign” Veer
replied in a pale voice.
“I know you’ll panic that’s the reason I didn’t text
you at the start of the lockdown. I had seen your
messages through the notification. I was online at
that time. I thought that if I tell you about her then it
would trouble you mentally.”
Veer was silent for a moment. He couldn’t
comprehend the whole scenario. “Thank you for your
concern Kadambari. I appreciate it but it’s started to
hit me now. Here I was thinking that Samaira would
be at home, safe and sound but then this happens. I
have nothing more to say. But anyway thank you so
much.” Veer said and he abruptly cut the call.
He went to the washroom to splash water on his
face. He then looked in the mirror. His beard and hair
had grown, sort of giving him a caveman look. He
muttered something to himself and came out. He
dialled Romit’s number.
“Hey bro, I talked to Kadambari just now” he said.
“Oh wow! This is good, what did she say? Romit
asked.
“What I feared has happened, Samaira is at her
ancestral home and her phone is unreachable.
Kadambari hasn’t spoken to her in a month. I am
worried now”
“Her phone must’ve been damaged or there may
not be any signal. Don’t relate this to the virus. I have
this gut feeling that Samaira is fine and doing good”
Romit assured Veer.
“I hope so, and deep down even I feel the same
but it’s just that somewhere my negativity creeps in.
This has never happened before. I’ve never been
worried about any girl in my life the way I am worried
for Samaira. She is special to me” Veer said and then
hung up the phone.
Veer laid on his bed and hugged his pillow. He felt
the touch of Samaira around him. There were tears in
his eyes. He had never thought that something like
this would ever happen. He had become a bit
vulnerable at the moment and decided to pen down
some words to let off those feelings stuck in him. He
closed his eyes for some time and visualized Samaira.
That he was hugging Samaira and a protective love
shield was protecting them from all the threats. This
he visualized for more than a minute and then started
typing on his phone. He wrote a few lines but then
remembered Malika telling him to write something
positive. He deleted the lines and wrote again.
You are out there away from me
But your presence can be felt in my heart
My soul can hear your soul speak
In the language of silence and love
One day we will be back together
And see the morning sun
Till then hold on to our memories
And let the darkness run.
 CHAPTER NINE

The Reunion
The lockdown had ended, and normalcy was
restored. The freedom of moving around made
people cheerful. Mental blocks and deranged
thoughts that had mounted during the past few
months were slowly subsiding. The sight of people on
the road, vehicles on the go, open shops and street
food joints gave a feeling of nostalgia and happiness.
The lockdown felt like an eternity, the thought of
going back to the routine work was a much-welcomed
feeling. Veer was also excited. He could finally meet
his friends and go for walks in the evening at Shivaji
Park.
The day after the lockdown ended Veer called
Romit.
“Hi Romit, what are you doing?”
“Nothing much was finishing some office work.
They have extended the work from home for a few
more days” Romit replied.
“Let’s go to our favourite mall in the evening then.
It’s been ages” Veer said.
“Sure bro!! Come to my place, we’ll go from here”
“I’ll come around 6:30 PM, you be ready by then”
“Should we invite Esha? I mean if you are ok with
it” Romit asked.
“It’s not a good idea. We’ll meet her after a few
days. I just want to breathe freely for some time.
Don’t want the past to interfere in my daily life now,
at least for a few days more”
 “No problem, we’ll go there and enjoy. I am
craving for a Shawarma. The mere thought of it makes
my mouth water!” Romit exclaimed.
Shawarma and Donuts were Veer and Romit’s
favourite. They would often hog on it at the mall.
After talking to Romit, Veer went back to do some
sketching. He was making a portrait of an old woman
who was in her eighties. Her grandchildren were
Veer’s friend and had requested him to make her
portrait to gift it on her birthday. Artworks like these
always gave Veer some feeling of satisfaction. The
thought of the smile on the old woman’s face after
seeing her portrait gave him the zeal to give his best
efforts.
He put on his headphones and played his favourite
songs. Music was his drug. He would work for hours
at a stretch just with some help of music. He
flawlessly drew lines on the paper and worked
wonders with the charcoal pencils. After three hours
he finished his work. He looked at the clock, it was 2
PM. He got up from the chair and went to the
washroom to freshen up before going for lunch. His
mom had already kept his plate ready on the table
and was calling him out to have it.
After finishing his lunch Veer went back to his
room. Just then his mom called him.
“Now since the lockdown is over, you don’t want
to talk to me,” she said. Veer looked at his mom in
confusion
“What’s this supposed to mean?"
“You got up from the table after lunch and directly
came to your room without saying a word. This is not
good manners”
 “Oh, sorry for that mom, it just didn’t strike me at
all”
They had a chat on this topic for a while. His mom
told him about the cons of such behaviour and Veer
assured her that he would not repeat it.
“By the way. I am going out with Romit in the
evening so don’t make dinner for me. I’ll come late in
the night”
“Since you are going out why don’t you buy some
formal clothes for yourself? You’ll need them now,
when you go for client meetings.”
“I’ll see, if there is no rush, I will buy some shirts”
he replied and then continued his work for some
time.
It was 4 PM and Veer had just finished with his
work. Suddenly a thought came to his mind. He
picked up his phone and started typing.
“Hey, how are you? Has Samaira come home?
Veer texted Kadambari. Kadambari was not online.
There was just a single tick on the message. He kept
his phone down and started thinking about Samaira.
The fact that Samaira was not in contact with her best
friend gave him shivers down the spine.
There was no other way to know about her other
than through Kadambari. Veer put his palms on his
eyes and took a deep breath. He immediately took
out his diary from the cupboard and started scripting.
“Samaira is fit and fine. I and Samaira are in a friendly
and romantic relationship with each other”. He wrote
this in the diary and let this feeling sink in him. The
peace and bliss of this thought lightened his mood
and brought a smile to his face. He let this thought
play in his mind for some time and then expressed his
gratitude, thanking the universe for giving him all that
he wishes for.
The lockdown period had changed a lot of things
for Veer. He had grown stronger mentally. Though
overthinking, negativity and stress would set in, he
had learned to handle them effectively. After
scripting Veer logged in to his laptop and watched a
few videos on YouTube. He had got into this habit of
watching success stories on different channels. These
were stories showing how people had used the law of
attraction to achieve their goals.
He clicked on one such thumbnail titled ‘massive
success story using the law of attraction’. It was a
story of a girl who had dreamt about buying a
particular house, which was in some way out of her
budget. The girl had taken the pictures of that house
and had pinned the print outs on her vision board so
that she could see them daily and feel good about it.
She visualized of purchasing the flat and living in it.
After a few months, there was an increment in her
salary and her loan application to purchase the home
was passed. Veer smiled on watching the video and
again visualized holding hands with Samaira. The
positivity induced after watching such videos would
charge up Veer and strengthen his belief of being with
Samaira.
He sat down on his bed for some time thinking
about the ways to get to Samaira. Ideas were popping
up in his mind but many of them were too imaginary
to be carried out in real. Kadambari was his only
chance to make amends with Samaira. He again took
out his phone and texted Kadambari.
 He texted her to call him the moment she comes
online and checks his message. Then he texted
Malika.
“Hey, sorry for replying so late. The message just
slipped my mind. We’ll surely catch up next week. I
am excited too!
Malika had texted him two days back but the
whole fiasco around Samaira had clogged his mind.
He immediately got a reply from her.
“Hi Veer, it’s ok. Even I am excited to meet you.”
Looking forward to have some great time with you.”
Veer then replied and sent her a smiley. Veer had not
told Malik about Samaira’s issue and had decided to
talk about it when they would meet. He wanted to
keep it to himself till he would find some solutions on
his own. Other than Romit no one knew about it, not
even Priya.
The sound of his phone ringing continuously woke
up Veer from his thought world. It was a call from
Romit.
“Hey bro, where are you?”
Veer checked his watch, it was already 6 PM. Two
hours had passed in a jiffy. “I am still at home; I’ll
leave in some time. I’ll call you when I reach near your
place, you just come at the usual spot. I’ll pick you up
from there” Veer replied.
“Sure, I’ll be there just don’t be late,” Romit said
and he cut the call.
After talking to Romit Veer hurriedly opened the
cupboard and started searching for clothes to wear.
He put on his watch after days and wore his favourite
black jeans and olive green coloured Chinese collared
shirt. He applied his deodorant and the rushed out of
the house, shouting out loud to inform his mom that
he was going.
The excitement of going out after months to their
favourite hangout place was overwhelming. Even in
the taxi Veer continuously looked outside the window
gazing at the tall buildings around. Travelling through
the old route took him back to the memory lane. He
and Romit would go cycling around the area early in
the morning and then go to the beach to enjoy the
early morning freshness of the sea. The sight of Romit
waiting at the spot brought a smile to Veer’s face. He
stopped the taxi and got out. He then put an arm
around Romit’s neck and pulled him towards himself.
They would always do this first on meeting each
other, it was like a greeting ritual from them. They
then got back in the taxi and told the driver to take
them to the mall.
“I am so happy today bro, finally tasting freedom
after a long time,” Romit said.
“I agree, it was one hell of a time. It feels like we
are out of a prison, just that ours was a comfortable
one”
“True that, I hope all the shops in the mall are
open. I am craving a lot. Was bored of eating home-
cooked food”
“Let’s hope for the best, since you mentioned
about Shawarma even my mouth is watering now.
Let’s eat first and then roam around” Veer said.
They continued to talk for some time till they
reached the destination. They got down paid the
money and went straight in.
The mall was a centre of attraction of the city. A
gigantic place stretched in an acre of land and styled
to match up with modern standards. It attracted
crowds from all over the country. The maze of
escalators and a big round chandelier on the roof
gave it an elegant and classy look. It housed many of
the big international brand names. From food to
clothing, from electronics to cosmetics and from
jewellery to coffee shops, it had everything. It was like
a mini-city within Mumbai.
Veer and Romit went inside the mall and looked
around in awe, it was as if they had come home. The
touch of the cold air coming out from the centralized
air conditioner and the aroma of the perfumes from
one the shops put them in a trance. They both rushed
toward the escalator to go to the first floor. This was
also one of their rituals to first go the washroom to
freshen up and then roam around. That mall had
some of the cleanest washrooms in the country. They
had a luxurious look to them. Everything was
automatic. They finished with their ritual and then
began strolling around.
They walked the entire first floor before going to
the outlet serving Shawarma. As they entered the
shop the owner recognised them.
“Hey young friends, how are you all? He asked.
“We are good,” Romit said.
The owner then instructed the helpers to make a
regular order for the two. Their order arrived and
their eyes sparkled with joy. They were so excited to
feast on those succulent pieces of chicken wrapped in
a bread that they pounced on the plate and started
hogging. No words were exchanged between the two
during the entire time they were eating.
 After finishing it they thanked the owner and
came out of the shop. “Let’s have a pastry now” Veer
said.
“I am too full, let’s roam around for some time and
then go” Romit replied
They roamed around the mall for some time and
went out to sit in the open area. The weather was
pleasant and the sight of people roaming around
added to its beauty.
“So, did you meet your friend? Veer asked.
“No bro, though I saw her in the morning. You
know she looked at me and blushed”
“That’s is awesome. She likes you, now don’t
waste your time, tell her what you feel”
“Yes, I have decided to meet her at a café and tell
her all that I feel. This is the first time I am gonna
express myself to someone upfront. In the past, I had
done that on text. I am scared bro,” Romit replied.
“You have to do some things for the first time in
life. This is your moment, seize it” Veer said while
laughing out loud.
“I will, I want this to be her best moment. She told
me that she’s never been on a date before. So, I want
to make that day special for her. I’ll order her
favourite dessert and pasta. She loves pasta too”
“That is great Romit. She’ll cherish the moment
forever. But just a friendly advice, don’t pretend to be
a person you are not. Be yourself. And also, don’t
overthink. Let everything flow naturally”
“Yup, I’ll keep that in mind”
Veer got up from the bench and stretched his
body before yawning.
 “It’s just 8 PM and I am already feeling sleepy,” He
said.
“You have become lazy” Romit giggled.
“Let’s go to the mall, its dessert time. Veer said in
excitement.
“I am gonna have two pastries,” Romit said as he got
up from the bench. They both charged up towards the
mall as if they were going for a battle.
“You know the dark chocolate pastry at this joint
is very famous, we should try it today,” Romit said.
“Yes, let’s try it, at least we’ll have something else
today otherwise we always eat that Belgium
chocolate pastry”
They entered the mall and took the escalator to
the first floor. As soon as they reached the floor Romit
placed his hand on Veer’s shoulder.
“Bro just look at your right side,” he said.
When Veer turned his head towards the right, he
froze completely. There was a catch in his stomach
and his breath got stuck in his throat. His hands
started sweating and his eyes got wide. It was
Samaira, standing in front of him with another guy.
Samaira looked at Veer. There was a brief moment of
silence between the two. Samaira was also frozen.
She stood still looking at Veer without any expression
on her face. Suddenly Veer got back to his senses and
waved his hand at her. Seeing Veer making a gesture
she too came out of her hypnotic slumber and smiled
at him. They just smiled and smiled for over a minute
as if that was their mode of communication.
“Hey, how are you? Veer asked.
“I am good, what about you?
 “It’s aaaa…aa… surprise to see you here” Veer
fumbled.
“I just came here for some shopping” she replied.
The boy who had accompanied Samaira walked
past Veer and stood on the other side. He let the two
of them talk to each other without any interference.
Romit too did the same, He stood behind Veer at
some distance and just looked at them talk to each
other.
“Hey by the way that’s Romit, you already know
about him.”
Veer said this intending to know who the other
guy was with Samaira. Samaira just waved her hand
and greeted Romit. He too did the same. She then
looked at Veer and smiled gain and politely asked him
to excuse her for the moment. She went towards the
other guy and then they walked towards the escalator
to go down. Veer was just stunned. He couldn’t
comprehend the whole situation. He was in a shock,
sweet yet bitter. He had never imagined of meeting
Samaira abruptly.
“What was that? Romit asked Veer.
“I just don’t know. I am still trying to figure it out”
Veer replied.
They both just stood there for some time looking
at Samaira walk away with some other guy.
“Let’s follow her, let’s see where they go,” Romit
said while trying to get down the escalator.
“No, let her go. I don’t want to be a creep. She has
the right to hang out with anyone”
The expressions on his face had changed from
being cheerful to being pale. Though he was
portraying that it didn’t bother him much but deep
down he was shaken. The sight of the girl of his
dreams slowly vanishing through the brightly lit
corridors of the mall was too much to handle for him.
“I think we should just leave” Veer said.
“But what about the pastry. Weren’t you the one
being all excited about it?” Romit asked.
“I am in no mood of pastry Romit, my craving has
just died”
“Ok, if you say so. But I suggest that we just sit out
in the open area for some time. You’ll feel lively here
than in your house” said Romit.
They both went to the open area and sat down on
the bench. Veer just sat down looking at the sky like a
man who had just lost his fortune. The lustre from his
eyes had become dull and his voice sounded as if he
was on the verge of crying.
“This was unexpected. I had never thought that
we would bump into each other here in this way. I had
planned to meet her with Kadambari’s help. I don’t
know what to interpret from her behaviour. I mean
just some formal greeting and she goes away without
saying a word. Not even a goodbye” Veer said in a dull
voice.
“Maybe she just did it because of that guy. If she
would have been alone, I am pretty sure she would be
with us” Romit replied.
“I think that was her new boyfriend”
“Oh please, don’t jump to conclusions, and how
can this even happen when for months we all were
just locked inside our houses?” Romit shouted.
“I don’t know, maybe she met him online and this
was supposed to be their date” said Veer.
 “Haha you may be right,” Romit said while trying
to lighten up the moment.
“But on the other hand, I know Samaira wouldn’t
do this. I know she still likes me. I could see it in her
eyes and her eyes are very expressive. They just
cannot hide her emotions. Oh Ghosh! This is so
confusing. Why can’t things be normal in my life? Why
there has to be some drama all the time?” Veer
shouted.
“I have no answer to this my friend, so I better not
say anything”
They sat there for a while talking about the
incident and trying to reason out a few things. It was
already 10:30 PM and the shops were closing down.
“Let’s leave now, I desperately need to go home
and think. I am gonna tell this to Kadambari” Veer
said.
“Yes, that’s the right thing to do now. She’s the
only person who can get to the core of this matter”
Romit replied.
They both got up and started walking towards the
exit gate. They got a cab immediately. During the
journey Veer just kept mum. He was lost in his
thought world. Romit on the other hand was
continuously talking, telling Veer what to do and what
not to. Veer dropped Romit at his place.
“Take care bro, don’t think much,” Romit said
while getting out of the taxi.
Veer assured him that he would follow his advice
and then instructed the taxi driver to take him
home.On reaching home Veer straightway went to his
room without even talking to his mom. He
immediately opened the cupboard and took out his
towel and headed towards the bathroom. He
switched on the geyser and then removed his clothes.
The water was now hot enough and Veer put his head
below the shower. The splash of hot water on his
head loosened his anxiety and relaxed him
completely. Showers were the ‘thinking times’ for
Veer. It was like a meeting with himself where he
would just sit down and pretend as if he was in a
meeting to discuss important issues. He sat below the
shower for around 10 minutes thinking about what
had happened hours ago. Samaira’s face would pop
up in his mind and then the guy she was with would
appear from nowhere and take her away. This
scenario played on in his mind for some time before
he decided to come back to reality. He got out from
the bathroom and put on his clothes and just jumped
on the bed.
He took out his phone from the jeans which was
lying on the bed and opened WhatsApp to send a text
to Kadambari. She had replied to his texts and had
assured that she would call him back in the morning.
After reading her texts Veer scrapped the plan of
telling her about the whole incident with Samaira via
texts. He kept his phone down and hugged his pillow.
He then closed his eyes and visualized about hugging
Samaira. He held the pillow tight for some time and
then closed his eyes. The incident was playing in his
mind on a loop. He couldn’t digest the fact that he had
met Samaira unexpectedly and also that she was with
another guy.
Suddenly his phone buzzed continuously. Veer
picked up his phone to check who it was. He clicked
on WhatsApp and immediately jumped up and sat
down. It was a text from Samaira. She had finally
unblocked his number after days. The sight of her
display picture brought a smile to his face. He
immediately opened up her profile to read the
messages. She had sent him a series of texts. “Hey
Veer, I was so happy to see you today. And this is a
genuine feeling. I had never imagined of bumping into
you in such an unexplainable way. It was a bit
awkward though. I was in a state of shock. I know the
past few months have been rough for you, but it
hasn’t been any different for me either. I had first
decided to call you but then thought that sending a
text message would be better. I’ll surely call you some
other time. There is lots to tell you. I hope you are
doing well. We’ll meet soon. Good night, sweet
dreams, take care.”
After reading the messages Veer was perplexed.
Though he was happy that Samaira had texted him
but the fact that she didn’t mention anything about
the mystery guy raised his anxiety. He re-read the
message again just to be sure that he hadn’t missed
out anything written about that guy. He kept his
phone down and closed his eyes and took a deep
breath. His mind though full of anxiety was also calm
at the same time. It was like a concoction of two
emotions in which calmness overpowered the other.
He went out to the balcony and looked at the sky. It
was a new moon day. The pitch-dark sky decorated
with glittering stars dazzled him. He closed his eyes
again and thanked the universe for fulfilling his desire
of meeting Samaira. He came back in and
immediately texted Romit.
 “Hey bro, I just received some messages from
Samaira. She said that she was happy to meet me and
wants to meet soon. But there is a catch, she didn’t
tell me anything about that mystery guy. Anyways I
am happy but a bit anxious too. I’ll call you tomorrow
in the morning" He texted.
“That’s a good sign. Just meet her and get rid of all
your doubts” Romit replied.
“Yes, I’ll stop thinking about her for a while now
or else I’ll not be able to sleep”
“Haha you better do that” Romit replied.
Veer then kept the phone next to his pillow and
laid down on the bed. He closed his eyes and started
visualizing about siting with Samaira in a park while
holding her hand and having a deep and meaning
conversation with her and then dozed off to sleep.
 CHAPTER TEN

Reconciliation
The sun rays peeked through the curtain and
entered Veer’s room making it a furnace. It was 10
AM and Veer was fast asleep, even the heat and
humidity had no effect on him. The night before was
a bit rough, though he dozed off easily, but he woke
up many times in the night. The thought of Samaira
hanging out with another guy gave him tremors. It
was only at 6 AM that he calmed his mind completely
and went back to sleep. This was for the first time in
his life that such an incident had taken place. Though
he was in love before but Samaira was something
different. She had booked a space for her in his heart
forever.
Veer woke up suddenly with a frightened face. The
sound of his phone ringing loudly broke his slumber.
He rubbed his eyes and picked up the phone. It was a
call from Kadambari.
“Hey Veer, good morning”
“Good morning,” Veer said sluggishly.
“Are you still sleeping, it’s already late, wake up”
said Kadambari.
“Yes, actually I slept late, otherwise I get up early”
“Cool, so what do you want to tell me? I mean you
messaged me yesterday”
“Oh yes just hold on a minute” Veer replied.
Veer got up from his bed, stretched his body,
opened the sliding window and stepped out in the
balcony. He took a deep breath and answered
 “Actually, I wanted to ask you about Samaira but
something happened yesterday. I had gone to a mall
with my friend and there I bumped into Samaira.”
“What!!! Shouted Kadambari.
“Yes, and she was not alone, she was with a guy. I
am not being narrow-minded here, but it’s just that it
was difficult for me to digest the feeling of seeing her
with someone else” Veer said.
“First of all, I had no idea that she is back in
Mumbai. I was so busy with some pending work that
I completely forgot. And secondly, I can understand
your feelings, it’s natural, so chill”
“If you meet her please just ask her. I mean don’t
tell her that I told you about it, in general, ask her”
“Ok, let’s see, I’ll do it my way. Have a good day, I
got to go” Kadambari said and she cut the call. Veer
too went inside to freshen up and start with his day.
After finishing his breakfast Veer came back to his
room and closed the door. He jumped on the bed and
sat down with his legs folded and spine in an upright
position. He plugged his headphones into his phone
and opened a video on YouTube. The video was about
a guided meditation using music to relax the mind and
body. He closed his eyes and followed the
instructions.
He drifted into tranquillity in no time. The
breathing had relaxed him, and his mind was
thoughtless. This continued for about thirty minutes.
He opened his eyes and looked around. There was a
freshness on his face. He got up from the bed and
went to the cupboard and took out his diary. He
picked up a pen that was lying on the table and
started scripting. “I am a peaceful person and I am not
affected by external events. I am in a happy and
romantic relationship with Samaira” He kept his diary
back and expressed his gratitude.
Veer was not in a mood to complete his painting,
so he decided to take the day off. He went to his mom
and sat next to her.
“What are you doing?” He asked.
“Just some office work, I have a meeting in the
afternoon, was writing down some points to discuss.”
“Ok, I am bored” he said.
“Don’t you have any painting to do today?”
“I have decided to just be lazy and do nothing.”
“Is everything alright?” I mean yesterday also you
went straight to your room without saying anything,
and today you want to procrastinate”
“Yes, everything is alright” he paused for a
moment. “Ahhh…actually no” he quivered. His mom
stopped writing and took down her spectacles.
“I figured it out the moment you entered but I was
waiting for you to open up”
“Yesterday I met an old friend of mine. We used
to be good friends before but now it feels like the
equation between us is different. This has got stuck in
my mind since yesterday and I feel terrible about it”
His mom smiled and looked at him for some time.
“Maybe it’s just your perception. Often, we make
assumptions in our mind and drift away from reality.
Maybe your feeling has risen from a past experience,
so this makes the feeling itself to be untrue. And since
you are an engineer and good in mathematics you
know how to balance the equation” she giggled and
paused for a moment. "Again, if you are overthinking
then stop it as soon as possible. Since you said you
were good friends, then why don’t you call or text
your friend and sort out the problem. I am sure you
will get back to being good friends again. Again, I am
saying this if the person is important, forget what has
happened and solve the issue. Rest is all up to you
Veer” she said.
“You made it so simple mom. I don’t know why I
make it difficult for me every time. I know all this, but
I always forget to implement it” Veer said and then he
rushed back to his room to text Samaira.
When he picked up his phone, he was surprised.
There was a text from Samaira. She had sent him a
quote related to relationships. When he read it, he
was astonished. It was the same thing his mom had
said some time ago that if the person is important
forget what has happened and solve the issue. Veer
couldn’t believe his eyes. He sat down on his chair and
looked up at the ceiling. There was some magical
touch to this moment as if there was a telepathic
conversation between his mom and Samaira. This was
a sign of synchronicity and Veer was in a way happy.
He immediately replied to Samaira and continued
with his procrastination.
In the evening Veer put on his jogging shoes and
rushed to Shivaji Park. After months he had come
there for an evening walk. The smell of the freshly
watered ground and the sight of familiar faces made
him cheerful. He started walking slowly on the
pavement and waved to every known person as he
continued walking. Evening walks were a time of self-
reflection for Veer. He would spend the hour thinking
about the measures he could take to solve the
problems in his life. That day he was thinking about
how to win back Samaira’s heart.
Though there was no major issue between the
two, yet Veer felt that it was his responsibility to make
the first move. He thought and thought for an hour
but couldn’t come up with a solution. He had realized
that when it came to Samaira it was logical to not do
anything and let everything unfold naturally. The fact
that he had met her in the most unexpected way and
also the fact that she was texting him like before
fuelled his mind with hope. He then went to the
beach and sat there to see the sunset. The waves
crashing on the rocks and the sun vanishing gradually
behind the vastness of the sea was poetic and
mesmerizing. He came home and immediately
checked his phone which he had put on charging.
There were many texts and a missed call from Priya.
Samaira had also texted him. She had sent him a
photo of hers with a bunch of flowers in her hand.
Below that she had written a message.
“Dead people receive more flowers than the living
ones because regret is stronger than gratitude- Anne
Frank”.
Veer got confused. He texted her back “The pic is
superb but what’s with the quote”. He kept his phone
on the bed and then went to the washroom to
freshen up. After he got fresh, he called Priya.
“Hi Priya, you called? he asked.
“Yes Veer, I had called up and hour ago”
“I had gone to Shivaji Park for a walk and had kept
my phone at home. I wanted to spend some time
alone” Veer replied.
 “Dude this is so stupid, I mean we have already
spent so much time with ourselves due to this
lockdown and again you want to do the same. Why
do you act like a weirdo all the time?” Priya shouted.
“I just wanted to spend the time alone, that’s it.
I’ll do what I want. I am the king.” Veer said and
laughed loudly.
“You are mad. Anyways I had called you to ask
about the house party you had told me about. When
is it?”
“I have no idea Priya. But I’ll definitely think of
something and you’ll be the first person I’ll inform to”
“Are you gonna invite Esha?”
“I have no idea, right now I have something else in
my mind"
“Ok. Do let me know. I am so excited to meet you
after such a long time.”
“Sure boss, Bye now. I got to go, I’ll call you later”
said Veer .
After talking to Priya Veer went to his room and
sat down on the chair. He opened his Instagram
profile to check whether Samaira had unblocked him
there. To his surprise, she had unblocked him and had
also followed him back. Veer was happy and started
smiling. Samaira’s account was private so he sent her
a follow request. Within a minute she accepted his
request and also sent him a message there.
It was a funny post by some comic page which
posted cartoons on relationships. Veer checked the
post and started laughing. It was a photo of a couple
who fight with each other first and then eat the same
ice cream after some time. He replied to the photo
with a smiley and then went on to check her profile.
When he opened her profile the look on his face
changed completely.
From happy to sad it changed in a second. She had
uploaded a new photo. It was with that mystery guy
with whom she was at the mall the other night. Veer’s
curiosity was now exalted. He immediately checked if
she had tagged him but to his dismay, she hadn’t. He
checked the comments and the names of the people
who had liked her post just to get a hint about that
guy. But his efforts were in vain. There was no sign of
any clue around. Veer put his neck down and closed
his eyes. He had a feeling as if he had lost a battle. The
thoughts of her being in a relationship with that
person re-surfaced in his mind. He somehow tried to
divert his attention from these thoughts and started
viewing some dog videos. Dogs were Veer’s refuge in
times of stress and he would view these videos and
share it with his friends.
Veer’s phone buzzed again. It was a message from
Samaira.
“Hi, done with dinner? she texted.
“Nope, what about you?
“I’ll have it in some time. How was your day?”
“It was good. What about you? Veer asked.
“My day was good too”
Veer was puzzled. He wanted to ask her about that
guy, and he typed the message but later deleted it.
The fact that their fight had started via texts before,
made him more cautious. This time he was careful
enough to not send an ambiguous message. He
messaged her saying he would get back to having a
chat with her after dinner. Samaira agreed.
After having dinner Veer texted Esha.
 “Hi Esha, how are you? Are you free right now?
After a few minutes, Esha replied. “Hi Veer. Yes, I
am free right now. What happened?
On reading Esha’s message Veer directly called
her.
“Hello Esha, how are you?”
“Wassuppppp Veer” Esha replied in her peculiar
way. “I am good, what about you? she asked.
“I am good too, how was your day?
“My day was awesome, did some productive
work. By the way, where were you all these days? I
was wondering as to why you didn’t text or call”
“I was busy with work, had too much pending
work to complete.”
“Oh, please Veer, no one is so busy that they
cannot send a message to someone so please find a
better reason to convince me” shouted Esha.
“Stop it Esha, I don’t want to argue with you. Even
I can say the same thing, why didn’t you text or call
me.” Veer shouted.
They both argued on this for some time before
Veer changed the topic.
“Listen I called you because I want to clear a few
things that are in my mind” said Veer.
“Ok, tell me what is bothering you so much that
you had to call me,” Esha said in a sarcastic way.
Veer paused for some time and looked at his
phone. There was a text from Samaira. He checked it
through the notification and then again continued
talking to Esha.
“I just want to know, I mean I don’t know how to
say it but, you used to send me your pictures before
on WhatsApp”
 “What about it?” Esha asked.
“I mean what was the reason behind doing it?
Veer asked her hesitatingly.
“Haha Veer, now you are asking me this, after our
breakup,” she said laughing loudly.
“I just want to know, it’s ok if you don’t want to
tell me" Veer replied in disappointment.
“See, I used to send it because I wanted to be with
you all the time. That was one way to express my love
for you. It’s so romantic” said Esha.
Veer paused for some time.“Would you do that
even after fight?” he questioned Esha again.
“I mean that would depend. I am not sure. If it was
a petty fight then I would, if the fight was an ugly one
then I wouldn’t. But why do you want to know all this?
Are you seeing someone?
Veer was startled. “No, it was just out of curiosity,
nothing else” he replied.
They talked for some time after that and wished
each other good night. After talking to Esha Veer was
even more confused. Though Esha had said that it
would vary from person to person, but it didn’t satisfy
Veer. He unlocked his phone again to give a reply to
Samaira. She had again sent him a quote related to
relationships. Veer gave a reply and then switched off
his phone.
The next day in the morning Veer switched on his
phone. As soon as the phone started a series of
messages popped up. Samaira had texted again.
“Good morning Veer. Have a great day”. She had
also sent him an emoji with an upside-down smiling
face. Veer smiled; he was always fascinated by that
emoji. He replied to her “Good morning Samaira. You
too have a good day"
Though Samaira’s messages brought a feeling of
happiness to Veer but they also caused him
discomfort. He couldn’t accept the fact that Samaira
was so cool in her approach and that she didn’t
mention about the mystery guy even once. Veer was
irritated with this whole scenario. She switched on his
laptop to listen to some music. He opened up
YouTube to watch his favourite video songs but
suddenly he got a new notification there. One of the
channels he followed had uploaded a new video. He
clicked on the notification and the video started. The
title of the video was “Things to avoid while using the
law of attraction while getting your specific person
back in your life.”
The video was about 10 minutes long and Veer
was too bored to check it out. But he decided to give
it a shot. The moment it started Veer got hooked to it
and watched the entire video. It changed Veer’s
perspective immediately. The video was like a gift
from the universe to guide him through this
tumultuous phase of mind. The video was an answer
to Veer’s confusion. The person in the video had
explained a few things to avoid and Veer was exactly
doing the same things. The fact that Veer was
expecting Samaira to apologise and come clean on a
few things was the most important mistake he was
committing.
In the video, the person had explained that one
could never achieve their goal of getting back with
their specific person if their whole intention was to
seek an apology and make that person feel remorse.
He had further explained that by doing so we send out
negative frequencies to the universe and the universe
responds with the same. The correct approach was to
feel good about the person and forget whatever has
happened in the past. Think as if the person was with
us at that time and the relation between the two was
cordial and joyful. He also explained that focusing on
the feeling that the person was not there in our life
showed a ‘Lack’ and it would create hindrances in
getting back with that person.
Veer took a deep breath after watching the video.
All that he had learnt during the lockdown and now
through the video got stuck in his mind. He went to
the washroom and splashed water on his face. He
came out and jumped on the bed and laid down on
his stomach and started talking to himself.
“How can I be so naïve? I am not following the
techniques properly and I am letting my mind control
me. This has to stop now. Samaira is a free person and
she has the right to be with anyone she wants. Even I
talk to other girls, I am still friends with my ex and
also, I’ve been swiping on the dating app. I shouldn’t
be so narrow-minded.” There was a feeling of guilt in
him. He immediately took out his phone and texted
Samaira.
“Hey, wassup? Can we catch up tomorrow in the
evening?
Samaira was online and she texted him back.
“Sure, let’s meet at the café where we had first met”
she replied.
Veer agreed and then sent her a picture of one of
his paintings. Samaira was a big fan of his paintings
and would always appreciate them but would also be
a critic at times. Veer was happy and content after
sending a text to Samaira. It was as if the lockdown of
his mind had ended and fresh and cheerful thoughts
could move around freely. He utilized this newfound
gush of cheerfulness to finish his incomplete
paintings. He painted for hours at a stretch with only
music by his side without feeling any dullness. The
universe was in his favour and the overload of
synchronicity and the efforts taken by Samaira was
bringing them closer to each other. The atmosphere
was ripe for Veer to make a move in the direction of
unchaining himself from any hesitation and getting
back to Samaira.
In the evening Veer called Romit. “Hey Romit,
what’s going on? he asked.
“Just got done with office work. Had a hectic day
today. What about you?
“My day was good. Finished a painting and was
now just chilling around”
“That’s nice. By the way, did you come to know
about the mystery guy? Did Kadambari tell you
anything? questioned Romit.
“No, my friend, I have no idea who that person is.
But I want to tell you something more important”
Veer said in excitement. “Samaira has unblocked me
on Instagram and she’s texting me just like before. It
feels as if nothing has happened between me and her.
Everything feels so normal”
“That’s a very good thing. I think you should just
go with the flow and not try to ruin it this time. I mean
just be calm and think a lot before taking any step”
Romit replied.
 “Yes, you are right. Even I felt the same. I’ll just be
cautious now”. Romit and Veer talked for some time
and Romit told him about what he had planned for his
date.
In the night after dinner Veer went to his room
and sat down on his chair. His poetic fervour was at a
peak. He picked up his phone and began typing. His
mood was lightened by the law of attraction video he
had seen in the morning. He started writing.
Love is not a contract
To chain the soul
It is a road to be walked alone
A journey with an unending destination
A journey with a single goal
To reach yourself before you reach the other
And unchain yourself before
You help unchain the other.
After writing, he immediately posted it on
Instagram and then went on to read a book. His
phone buzzed after some time. It was a text from
Samaira.
“Such a nice poem. Very thoughtful. Keep it up. I
loved it.” On reading this Veer got up from his chair
and danced in excitement. He again picked up his
phone and gave her a reply.
“Thank you so much. See you tomorrow"
Samaira immediately texted him back “Yes, by the
way, is this poem for me?
Veer was startled. This was like a beamer. He had
not expected such a reply from her. Veer thought for
a moment and decided to not give her a reply and
continued to read the book. But he remembered
Romit’s advice of not to be an idiot and act with
caution. He started typing a message.
“It’s not about any person. It’s more about what
we as humans are doing wrong. We have a very
foolish definition of love”.
Samaira replied instantly. It was as if she was just
waiting for Veer to reply. “That’s good. I asked you
because I felt that it’s about me, nothing else. See you
tomorrow. Good night. Dream about me” She then
sent him an upside-down smiling face emoji. Veer
also wished her back. He then clicked on her display
photo and zoomed it. He looked at her face and
smiled and then kept his phone down and went back
to reading.
The next day in the evening Veer wore his
favourite black T-shirt and blue denim jeans. He
specially wore the watch gifted by his father when he
had graduated. He got out of his house and took a
cab. He texted Samaira that he was on his way and
would reach the café in around fifteen minutes.
During the journey, Veer was excited to finally meet
Samaira all alone after a long time. Though he was
excited but there was some calmness in his approach.
He wasn’t anxious. All along the journey he was happy
and thought about spending a meaningful evening
with Samaira. After about twenty minutes he reached
the café. When he entered inside Samaira was
already sitting at her usual spot.
Samaira was wearing the same green top with
polka dots and black jeans which she wore when they
had first met. Veer went towards the table and
Samaira got up to greet him. They shook hands and
then sat down. “How are you Veer, it’s such a long
time. I am so happy to see you” she said.
“I am good, how are you. Even I am very happy to
see you again” Veer replied. They talked normally for
some time and then ordered a pizza and coffee.
“So Samaira how was your quarantine?
“It was awesome. I had gone to my ancestral place
and just had a blast there. She replied with cheer on
her face.
“That’s so nice, it was awesome for me too”. They
both looked at each other for some time. There was
no communication between the two. Their order had
arrived, and they started hogging on the pizza. They
again looked at each other and burst out laughing.
“I know we both didn’t have an awesome
lockdown" she said.
Veer put down his coffee cup and nodded. “You
know Samaira, all these days I was thinking about you
only”
“Same pinch for that Veer, All the time it was only
you in my mind. And to add to my misery my phone
battery got damaged and also there was a network
issue there. I couldn’t talk to anyone, not even
Kadambari” she replied with a dull expression on her
face.
“Before continuing I just want to tell you that the
guy you saw me with at the mall is my cousin. He had
come to Mumbai to drop us and wanted to see this
mall. That’s why we were there. I saw the look on your
face that day and I realized that there was some
misunderstanding. I know you must’ve thought that I
am seeing him” said Samaira. Veer smiled and
exhaled loudly.
 The smile on his was so wide and cheerful that it
could brighten up a dull mind. “I am relieved. For the
past two days, I had a tough time. The scene replayed
in my mind continuously. Seeing you with someone
else is something I couldn’t digest. I know this is
wrong, but I just could stop overthinking” Veer
replied.
“It’s ok Veer, if I would have been in your place, I
too would have felt the same. So, chill”. The caffeine
had now hit the sleepy cells of their mind and the
pizza had seduced their taste buds. They again
continued eating and sipping the hot coffee.
“You know Samaira, I had texted Kadambari to
know about you,” said Veer.
“I know. I met her in the morning, and we had a
chat on this topic. She was in awe Veer. She said that
it was the cutest thing you had done to text her
directly. Kadambari is now eager to meet you”
Veer blushed. He sipped some coffee and then
started talking. “She was my only chance to get back
to you. I was hesitant at first but then I just texted her.
But she replied after more than a month. I was very
irritated with this but when she told me the reason, I
became calm. But on knowing that you were not in
contact with her, it scared the life out of me” Veer
replied.
Samaira had tears in her eyes. She looked at Veer
and smiled, her watery eyes clearly expressing her
emotions.
“This is so romantic Veer,” she said. “I mean the
fact that there is someone out there thinking about
you and to whom you mean the world. I am so sorry
Veer. I completely overreacted. I had freaked out a
lot. Samaira said in a guilty tone.
“Please don’t say sorry Samaira. What’s happened
has happened, it’s a thing of the past now. We’ll never
again talk about it” Veer assured her.
“I know but I just want to come clean. The reason
I blocked you from everywhere is that I couldn’t
handle my emotions that day. I was caught between
the tides of confusion and pain. I so wanted to be with
you that it exactly made me do the opposite. There
was frustration and anger all over my mind. And then
when you sent me those laughing emojis, I was done.
I thought that you didn’t care about me and wanted
me to just go away. That’s the reason I said that you
would hurt me.”
Veer got up from his place and went towards
Samaira. He took out his handkerchief and wiped her
tears. The people around had now started staring at
them and gossiping within themselves.
“I am sorry Samaira, I have realized my
recklessness and foolish texting style. Now I am being
more careful and cautious before texting” Veer said.
“Why did you say that you didn’t want to friends
with me?” Samaira questioned.
“Even now I say that it’s difficult to be friends with
the person you love. But now I have realized a few
things and I agree with you that if given a try there
can be some amicability” Veer replied.
“So now you are ok with being just friend with
me?” She asked. Veer was taken aback.
“Aaaa…Aaaaa, I am not sure about it" He fumbled.
“Frankly speaking I don’t want to be just friends with
you but then again I cannot force you to have the
same feelings for me like what I have for you. I know
love is not a possession and that I can love you
without being in a relationship with you”
“Who told you that I don’t have the same feeling
for you like what you have for me? Samaira giggled.
Veer was stunned for a moment. He blushed. His
face had an expression of shyness. Samaira moved
her hand forward and kept it on Veer hand. “Yes Veer.
I love you too. And I want to be your girlfriend!! She
exclaimed.
Veer was on cloud nine. He held her hand tight,
“It’s like a dream come . I love you a lot Samaira. Veer
said while looking at her eyes.
Their conversation had moved from being gloomy
to being lit by romance. It was 10:30 PM. Three hours
of conversation felt like a minute. They paid the bill
and walked out of the café. As soon as they walked
out Samaira hugged Veer. It was the tightest hug he
had ever had. It felt as if Samaira had completely
merged into him. She buried her face on his chest and
rubbed her hands on his back. Veer too did the same.
After about a minute they loosened their grip and
looked at each other. The teary eyes of Samaira and
Veer had a cosmic connection. Veer bent down and
kissed her forehead. Samaira again tightened her grip
around him. They then held each other’s hand and
started walking.
“I wish I could take you home now and spend the
night with you making love” Samaira said while
giggling.
“I too feel the same, I mean I missed you so much
that I don’t want to leave you now" Veer replied.
 “Once again, I apologize for everything, I was just
reacting to what was happening without even
thinking about the consequences. Please forgive me
Veer”
Veer looked at her and put a finger on her mouth,
“Shhhh, don’t say this again Samaira. It’s not your
fault. Even I am responsible for this. Let’s just believe
that this incident didn’t take place at all. Let’s erase
those memories once and forever. Let’s say the
universe wanted to teach us something and that’s the
reason why it put us through the storm” Veer replied.
They stopped for a while, then Veer pulled
Samaira towards him and kissed her deeply. The
touch of Veers lips sent a jolt of happiness down her
spine. She completely leaned on him now. Veer
moved one hand through her hair and the other on
her back. They both had closed their eyes to cherish
every moment of their romance. The kiss felt like an
eternity. They opened their eyes and looked at each
other. He then kissed her nose and then they
continued walking.
They reached the spot where Samaira would go in
the direction of her house and Veer towards the bus
stop.
“Veer, thanks for teaching me to enjoy the
moment rather than thinking about an uncertain
future” said Samaira.
“Thanks to you too. Ok now this is getting formal.
No sorry and Thanks from now on." Veer said
laughingly.
They both hugged each other again and then
parted ways. Veer stood their till Samaira crossed the
road. She waved back at him and then continued
walking. Veer waited till Samaira was nowhere to be
seen and then continued to walk till the bus stop.
After reaching home. They texted each other and
called the night off. Before going to sleep Veer
expressed his gratitude to thank the universe for all
that had happened. His desire of holding Samaira’s
hand again and walking through the lanes of Bandra
had come true. He closed his eyes and visualized of
being with Samaira and then dozed off.
 CHAPTER ELEVEN

Veer meets
Malika
The days after their emotional reunion, Veer and
Samaira stuck to a protocol for some time. Instead of
being clingy, they decided to take things at a snail’s
pace. Sharing selfies to each other had become an
integral part of their communication. Everyday
Samaira would click her pictures the moment she
woke up and would send it to Veer. Her messy hair,
smudgy sun-kissed face and drooping eyes was too
adorable of Veer to not blush. Waking up in the
morning to the melody of the birds and the pretty
face of Samaira brought cheerful days and a romantic
phase for Veer. He would click photos of himself with
weird faces and edit them hilariously and then send it
to Samaira. They both had followed a few romantic
relationship accounts on Instagram and would send
the posts uploaded on these accounts to each other
daily.
“How’s your day? Veer texted Samaira and
continued with his work.
The romance that was dormant for some time had
exploded and it reflected in his paintings these days.
He was giving final touches to one of his works in
which he had shown a couple sitting on a bench by
the lake enjoying the sunset. A puppy was sitting next
to them below the bench and looking at the couple
with lovey-dovey eyes.
 “Hey, my day is good so far, I don’t have much
work today. What about you?” Samaira replied.
She then sent him a selfie from the office. Veer
looked at the picture and sent her a beating heart
emoji.
“You are so beautiful Samaira. I can’t take my eyes
off you”, he replied. Samaira blushed on reading the
message and sent him a kiss emoji.
“I wish I was with you right now. I want to hug you
so tight that my impressions would be all over your
body” she texted.
She got up from her chair and swirled like a
ballerina. Her colleagues looked at her with wide eyes
and a grin on their face. She suddenly realized that
she was in office and sat down immediately and
hurriedly texted Veer to tell him what had happened.
“Haha, I wish I was there to see you swirl” Veer
replied.
He then clicked a photo of his painting and sent it
to her.
“This is so romantic Veer. You are a genius.”
Veer blushed and again texted her. “Thank you so
much. By the way while painting this I had the two of
us in mind” he said.
“Veer I am crying right now, stop it, I am in the
office. I can’t handle so much love right now. I’ll
straightway run from here and come to your place”
Samaira said excitedly.
“Please come, I am waiting for you” Veer replied
laughing loudly. They continued for some time and
then went back to their work.
In the evening while sipping coffee with his mom
in the balcony, Veer looked lost in his thoughts. He
was blushing continuously while looking at the
evening sky.
“Why are you blushing?” his mom questioned him
with curiosity.
The voice of his mom suddenly falling on his ears
woke him up. “I am not blushing. It’s just that I
remembered a joke, that’s it” he replied.
“Veer I am not accepting this stupid reply, so tell
me what it is,” she said sternly.
“Mummy, tell me when do you know that you love
a person. And when do you know that it is just
infatuation?
His mom looked at him and smiled. “It all depends
on the definition of love. It varies from person to
person. According to me, you know that you love the
person is when you feel at peace with them. When
the mere presence of the person brings a smile on our
face” she replied.
Veer’s eyes sparkled, he realized that he was truly
in love with Samaira and not just infatuated.
“And what about infatuation?” he asked her
again.
“Infatuation is a surface level feeling. There is no
depth to it. You like the person and it is fun to be with
them but that’s it, nothing more than that. The
person doesn’t feel like home. Even if you are with the
person, it seems as if you are strangers. Love is when
your souls are connected, and infatuation is just the
opposite of it. Again, these are just my thoughts. I
may also be wrong ” she replied.
“What you are saying makes so much sense. Many
a time we get confused between love and infatuation
and that creates a big mess. That is so emotionally
draining” Veer said while sipping his coffee.
“Yes, we complicate many simple things in life.
Love is a gateway to heaven, but it can also be a
gateway to hell if not handled with care. By this I
mean don’t make your love a bondage for the other.
It suffocates the person and the person tries to run
away in order to breathe. Let love be like a safe place
where both can grow. We always say that we fall in
love. I think that is wrong, not totally but to some
extent. We must always say let’s rise in love. Because
love has the power to bring out the best in a person”
she said and took a deep breath. She sipped coffee for
some time and again continued.
“Love is like a poetry and infatuation in just like
some scribbling on an empty page. I am not saying
that infatuation is bad. It’s a very natural
phenomenon but I just want to point out the
difference between love and infatuation” she said
and then kept the coffee mug on the table. “I think
now you know what you feel, love or infatuation,” she
said while looking at Veer with curiosity.
“Oh, stop it, mom, I just asked you in general. It is
not related to me” Veer replied while shrugging off
her curiosity.
“I also said it in general, I am just waiting for the
day you’ll tell me who the girl is, and I’ll answer you
properly that time” she laughed and went to her
room.
Veer went back to his room too and sat on the
chair. He picked up his phone and started writing.
Verses flowed out of his mind like a river and filled the
blankness of the phone screen. All the time while
writing, Samaira’s pretty face popped up like a
notification in front of his eyes. After finishing his
poem, he sent it to Samaira and then posted it on
Instagram. He suddenly remembered to reply to
Malika who had texted him in the afternoon.
“Hi Malika, sorry for replying late. We’ll surely
catch up tomorrow”
Malika and Veer had now become friends though
they had only been talking to each other through text
messages or call. This was their first meet since the
day they had matched. Veer was excited to meet her
as she was one of his emotional supports in times of
turmoil.
In the night Samaira texted Veer. They both had a
chat for some time on random topics. Samaira told
him about a scuffle that happened between one of
her colleagues and her boss. She also sent him a
photo of biryani that she had cooked for dinner.
“That looks so yum, I want it” replied Veer.
“Haha, for that you’ll have to come home”
“Can I call you now? Veer asked.
“Sure” She replied.
“Hi Samaira, I so envy you right now”
“Why, what happened?”
“You had biryani and I had dal rice,” said Veer in a
pale voice.
“Haha, I’ll make biryani only for you next time. By
the way, how was your day? she asked.
“It was so good, and it will always be good till the
day you’ll be with me”
Samaira laughed. “Stop flirting you, lover boy. You
know, before you texted me, I was thinking about
you. It feels like time stops when I am with you.
Though we have met online, but it feels that I know
you since ages” Samaira said in a low voice.
“I too feel the same and I am enjoying every
moment with you” Veer replied.
“That’s so cute my pumpkin!! Samaira exclaimed.
“Haha you called me pumpkin, I just felt like one”
Veer giggled.
“Yes, you are my pumpkin and I love you loads”
“I want to tell you something,” said Veer.
“Yes, go ahead”
“I am meeting someone I met online tomorrow”
“What do you mean, tell me properly” replied
Samaira.
“I mean during the lockdown I had again started
swiping on the dating app. And I connected with one
girl there. We are just normal friends, nothing
romantic as such. It’s just a casual meet” Veer said.
There was a brief moment of silence between the
two.
“I don’t know what to say. I mean it’s not that I am
angry or jealous but just a bit confused. One part of
me says I shouldn’t let you meet her, and the other
part says that I should not be narrow-minded” she
replied.
“If you don’t like it, I’ll cancel it”
“No, don’t cancel it. Go ahead with your plan and
meet her. I trust you Veer, and I have no issues. I know
that you’ll not do anything weird” said Samaira.
“Thank you so much for this Samaira. I told you
about it because there should be transparency
between us”
 “Veer you just made me happy now by saying this.
I am glad you didn’t hide it from me. I love you so
much pumpkin. Muahh!!”
“I love you too” He replied.
“11:11” Samaira texted Veer. Samaira would text
Veer these angel numbers at the exact time of the
day. If the time was 12:34 PM she would text him
1234, if it was 3:33 PM she would text 333. She had a
belief that if she sent him these numbers the
relationship between the two would last forever.
“Oh, I missed it today. I had this in my mind since
the morning to send you the number first but then I
forgot.” Veer replied.
“Haha, it’s ok. What are you doing? She asked.
“Nothing much. Same routine. Get up and do
work.”
“What time are you meeting your friend”
“I’ll be meeting her at 7 PM. Maybe a bit late also.
Not sure she said she’ll text me”
“Have fun, enjoy your time. I’ll text you later.
Imagine that I am hugging you. Muahh!!” She texted.
“I can feel your touch. I am melting in your love”
Veer replied and then sent her a heartbeat emoji.
After chatting with Samaira Veer continued with his
work.
He texted Romit to tell him that he was meeting
Malika in the evening and that he had told Samaira
about it. Malika had also texted Veer to confirm with
the time and place. They had decided to meet in a
café at Kala Ghoda. Kala Ghoda was one of Veer’s
favourite places to hangout. The café, in particular,
was one he frequented a lot. The café was famous for
blueberry muffins and croissants. The old French
décor, huge windows and a collection of antique
utensils made this café a crowd puller. It also had an
army of the most charming and cordial staff which
gave this café an extremely friendly atmosphere. The
aroma of the freshly baked cookies and the sight of
pizzas being heated in the oven was a celebration for
the taste buds.
In the evening Veer reached the café at 7 PM and
waited outside for Malika. After waiting for some
time at the same spot he started strolling down the
lane near the café. When he returned, he was
awestruck. Malika was waiting for him at the
entrance. She was in formal attire. A long black
coloured trouser and a white coloured shirt with a big
handbag that dangled on her shoulders. Veer went
near her and tapped on her back. Malika turned
around and paused for a second. The moment she
saw Veer she hugged him tightly. Veer was startled.
He had not expected this. He also hugged her and
then immediately moved behind. They then went
inside and sat at a table in one of the corners. One of
the staff members recognised Veer and asked him
about his wellbeing.
“You look to be a regular here,” Malika said.
“Yes, I do come here a lot. I love the feel of this
place”
“Let’s order something,” Malika said and looked at
the menu card. They ordered two Croissants, two
Americano’s and a Blueberry muffin.
“You look very different today,” Veer said.
“Haha, I got your point. You are comparing me
with what I was wearing during our video call”.
 Veer was embarrassed a bit. “No…No I mean you
look beautiful in this also” He said while stammering.
“Chill Veer. You don’t have to be embarrassed. So
how is it going on between you and Samaira?
“It’s going great. Everything seems like a smooth
road now”
They had a conversation for some time related to
work, food and music. Their order had arrived, and
they started enjoying the delicacies. The sip of strong
nerve awakening bitter Americano followed by the
sweet heavenly muffin was a rollercoaster for the
taste buds.
“So, Veer what are you painting now” She asked.
“I have a few commissioned works and then a few
days back I made a painting of a couple enjoying the
sunset”
“That’s so nice. I think it must be you and Samaira”
said Malika and laughed out loud.
“I mean not totally but yes; I did have a picture of
Samaira and me in mind while painting it” replied
Veer.
“I want to tell you one more thing. Your way a
texting has improved a lot since the last time. I hope
you continue this in the future too”
“Oh, is it? Thank you so much. It’s all because of
your advice”
“My pleasure. Also, since you both are together, I
hope you enjoy the moment and not worry about the
future”
“Yes, we did discuss about it and we both are
doing the same” he replied. They continued savouring
the Croissants and Muffin for some time.
 “You know Veer, when I talk to you, I feel like
there is an innocence in you. You don’t seem like the
person who holds grudges or are into pulling people
down”
Veer started blushing. “Thank you once again, yes
I don’t believe in all this. I vent out my anger but in a
subtle way. I don’t think much about anything later. I
mean I do overthink but only when it’s related to
relationships”
“That’s is normal. Even I do that. But again, don’t
overindulge in it. Also, don’t let the past hamper your
relationships. I mean the jealousy about exes. Let that
thing be dead to you both. Ex’s should only be in
memories and not in the present. Give your fullest to
each other and work towards reaching each other’s
heart. That’s where the treasure is” Malika said and
gasped.
“You are right Malika, what you say always makes
sense. It’s so meaningful and you say it in such an easy
way. You should become a relationship coach. I am
sure you’ll rescue many broken hearts” said Veer as
he looked at Malika in awe.
Malika blushed and then sipped her coffee. She
thanked Veer for what he has suggested. After paying
the bill they greeted the staff and walked out of the
café.
“How are you going home? Veer asked.
“I’ll take a cab. Should I drop do somewhere?
asked Malika.
“I am taking a train from Churchgate station”
“That’s in my route, come I’ll drop you there”
They got into the cab and instructed the driver to
take them to Churchgate station first.
 “Veer I forgot to tell you back in the café. I am
moving to Paris for six months. I have got a work
assignment there. I think it will take a lot more than
six months to finish it. Not sure though.”
Veer looked at Malika. There was a sadness on his
face. “I am so happy for you. But I also feel a bit sad
as I won’t be able to meet you. Anyways we’ll video
call sometimes” promised Veer.
The cab arrived at Churchgate station. Veer and
Malika hugged each other and then he got down,
waved a goodbye and went inside to catch a train
back home.
In the night Veer texted Samaira and told her
about the meeting with Malika. He explained to her
what happened in detail. What they discussed about
and what they ate at the café.
“Can I call you now? Veer asked.
“No. my relatives have come home, and my aunt
is sleeping in my room. So, it won’t be possible to talk
to you”
“I don’t want to type so much. It’s so boring” Veer
replied.
“Please…” texted Samaira.
“Ok fine.” Just give me some time. I’ll go to the
washroom and come” Veer said.
“While coming home. In the train, I was going
through our old chats. A few days back you had sent
me a selfie in which you were holding flowers in your
hand. There was also a quote by Anne Frank. What
did it mean? he texted.
Samaira started replying. It showed the typing sign
for more than a minute. “The photo was significant. I
held flowers in my hand because in that quote it’s
written that dead people receive more flowers than
the ones who are alive. I was using the law of
attraction to believe that you had given me those
flowers. I felt your love and care through those
flowers so that there is only love between us. It also
said that, for us regret is powerful than gratitude. I
wanted to show that it is not the case between us.
You sent me those flowers when I am alive just to
express your gratitude and love for me. The whole
point of the selfie was to do the opposite of what was
written in the quote so that the universe fills our life
with love”
Veer raised his eyes in shock. He had never
imagined that what Samaira had told him just now
would be the reason for her to send the selfie.
“That is unbelievable Samaira. Very thoughtful of
you. I am so lucky to have you in my life” he replied.
Samaira then sent him a kiss emoji and wished him
good night. After chatting with her Veer laid down on
his bed and hugged his pillow. He opened his laptop
and logged in to YouTube to check out some law of
attraction videos.
As he was going through some videos one
particular video caught his attention. It was a success
story in which the man had used the law of attraction
to marry the love of his life. The man and his girlfriend
dated for three years and wanted to marry. But there
was a strong resistance from her family. Her mom had
threatened to kill herself if she married that guy. The
girl was forced to marry someone else. The man used
some techniques of the law of attraction and
eventually got his girlfriend back. His girlfriend had
told the entire story to the person she was about to
get married. He then called off the wedding and
persuaded the girl’s parents to let her marry her
boyfriend. After months they listened to his advice
and blessed the girl to marry her boyfriend.
Veer was elated. There were goosebumps on his
hand. He took a deep breath and then switched off
his laptop. He closed his eyes and visualized the entire
scenario from the video. He wondered if something
like this ever happened between him and Samaira. He
got scared and then decided to not think about such
negative events again. Then he checked his phone
replied to all the pending texts and then went to
sleep.
The next few days were extremely hectic for Veer.
Though he and Samaira texted each other but they
hadn’t spoken. Veer had heaps of artworks to be
completed and delivered to people. He devoted his
entire time to finish them before the deadline. One
such evening after completing all his work he texted
Samaira.
“Have you reached home?
There was no reply from her. He then called
Romit. He too didn’t answer the call. Veer was
surprised. But then he thought that both of them
must be busy, so we went ahead with another work.
He went to his mom’s room to talk to her. She was
sitting on the chair glued to her phone watching some
videos.
“What are you doing mom? he asked.
“I am watching some astrology videos on
YouTube” she replied.
“I thought you didn’t believe in all this”
 “I just watch them for fun, it’s not that I follow
these videos seriously. I just now checked about
predictions for your moon sign. It says that the
coming months will be fruitful for career and travel. It
also says that be cautious in terms of love life. There
is a chance of your loved one’s getting hurt by your
actions. Also, the past and the present can come
together which may change the course of your life”.
“I don’t know what to say. Every time they say the
same things. It’s so vague” he said.
“See, I just told you. I am not saying that you
believe in all this” mom said. Suddenly Veer heard his
phone ringing and rushed back to his room.
It was a call from Romit. Veer picked up the
phone. “Hi Romit, where are you. I had called you
some time back” said Veer.
“Guess what? said Romit
“I cannot think of anything” Veer answered.
“You forgot” Romit replied in a dull voice.
“Please tell me now, what happened?” said Veer.
“I went on a date today with that friend of mine”
Romit replied in excitement.
“Oh, wow that is so cool. I am so sorry I forgot
about it. I was so busy with work that I didn’t realize
that today was the D-day. Why didn’t you text me
before?
“I was scared and anxious so I decided to not tell
you before or else I would have screwed under
pressure. I mean I was so scared about the outcome
that I thought that if I tell you and if she says no then
I would look like a fool” Romit replied.
“Oh, please bro, never again think like that. Now
tell me what happened.”
 His curiosity was on a high. There was no answer
from Romit. “Hey, are you there? Veer shouted.
“Oh yes I am there, mom was asking me about
something, so was talking to her. So, coming back to
my date. I am gonna tell you her name today. I
purposely kept it hidden from you because I was
waiting for her to say yes” Romit replied.
“Congratulations Romit, finally after days of being
single you are now with a girl. A real girl and not an
imaginary one” Veer laughed out loud.
“Stop your gimmicks and listen to me. So, her
name is Aashna”
“Oh my god!!!! This is unbelievable. Are you joking
Romit!” Veer exclaimed.
“I knew this would happen that’s why I didn’t tell
you before” Romit replied.
“Your new girlfriend and your ex have the same
name. This is so filmy. But I am extremely happy
today”
“So, we went to the café near Worli Sea face. I had
already booked a table. We sat down and didn’t say a
word for a few minutes. We were hesitant but then I
decided to break the ice. We ordered food and after
that, I directly told her about my feelings. She was
dumbfounded. She just looked at me without saying
anything. Her eyes had become teary and there was a
smile on her face. I must tell you Veer she looked
absolutely gorgeous at that moment. I thought that I
had hurt her, and I started apologizing. But then she
held my hand and said that she also loved me and
wanted to be in a relationship. After that, I got up and
sat next to her. We continued to talk but this time we
were holding each other’s hands. Then she leaned her
head on my shoulders and hugged me. That was it
Veer. My moment of Happiness. I felt so loved at that
time that I couldn’t say a word. The mere feeling of
being hugged by someone who had just accepted my
love was out of the world!!!” Romit exclaimed and
took a deep breath.
“This is like a fairy tale. I am gonna write a poem
on this. Just wait for it, I’ll send it to you. You have
made my day wonderful” said Veer.
“Thank you so much, bro. We’ll catch up soon. I’ll
tell you in detail when we meet” replied Romit.
After talking to Romit, Veer went out to the
balcony and looked at the evening sky. The sun had
just set, and the night was on its way. He thanked the
universe for helping out Romit. Veer also took this as
a sign from the universe that good things were about
to happen between him and Samaira. He came inside
his room and continued with his work.
After a few days, in the afternoon while having
lunch his mom reminded him about inviting his
friends home for a small get together. It was to
reconnect with everyone after the disastrous Covid-
19 episode. Veer was excited with the whole idea of
having a party at his home after days. He immediately
agreed to his mom’s idea and then started chalking
out plans.
After finishing his lunch, he went to his room and
picked up his phone, He formed a group on WhatsApp
and added Priya, Esha and Romit. He named the
group as weekend fest and posted a message. “Hey,
guys what’s up? You all are invited to my house for a
party this Saturday. Let’s just have a blast” he texted
on the group. Esha was the first one to reply. “Yay! I
am so excited. I am in. let’s party!!”. Priya and Romit
followed soon and confirmed their presence.
Veer asked Romit if he was comfortable in
bringing Aashna with him. But Romit refused. “I think
it’s too early to let her accompany me. Let us get to
know each other first then I’ll surely bring her along
with me.” he texted Veer. Veer agreed to what Romit
had said. After some time, Veer texted Samaira. The
thought that Samaira would come to his house for the
first time and that too for a party charged him up.
“Hey Samaira, be free this Saturday. There is a
party at my place, and you are the guest of honour.”
he texted. Samaira was delighted on reading his
message. She immediately texted him back. “I am so
happy and excited. Finally, I’ll be coming to your
house. I look forward to meet your friends and
especially your mom,” she replied. She then sent him
her selfie from office. Veer too sent her a selfie with
one of his weird expressions.
 CHAPTER TWELVE

The Party
Saturday was full of zest and zeal in Veer’s house.
Both he and his mom were busy with the
arrangements. Veer’s mom had decided to make
some traditional Maharashtrian recipes for the party.
Veer, on the other hand, was busy in writing a few
lines for each of his friends. He had also cleaned his
cupboard the day before to search for board games.
Juices, cold drinks and ice cream had made way in the
refrigerator. There was an air of delight all around his
house. After months his house was about to witness
a gathering of people. The rooms frequented by two
people were now to be graced by the presence of his
dear ones. The WhatsApp group was buzzing with
messages from everyone. There was an atmosphere
of celebration on the group. Esha, Priya and Romit
were in some sort of a competition with each other as
to who will eat more and be the life of the party.
The morning and afternoon passed with a blink of
an eye. Veer and his mom were completely
submerged in chores. Suddenly the doorbell rang.
Veer opened the door and his eyes sparkled. It was
Samaira. The moment they saw each other the smiles
on their face stretched the widest. She entered inside.
“Oh, wow Veer, your house is so beautiful!” she
exclaimed.
“Thank you so much Samaira. It’s all designed by
my mom. The credit goes to her” he replied.
 Veer then called his mom to the living room. He
introduced Samaira to his mom and then the three of
them got into a conversation. While talking to
Samaira Veer’s mom would look at him in between
with a subtle smile as if taunting him with her
expressions. Veer pretended that he didn’t notice his
mom and continued with the conversation. They
spoke for a while and then his mom went back to the
kitchen and told Veer to show Samaira around. Veer
showed Samaira his house and then took her to his
room. He peeped outside for some time to check if his
mom is around and then pulled Samaira towards him.
“What are you doing Veer, your mom will come”
she shouted in a low voice.
“Oh, don’t worry she’ll not come”
He looked outside once again and then kissed
Samaira. She hugged him tight and kissed him
passionately. Suddenly his mom called him to the
kitchen to help her open a bottle. Veer hurriedly
broke loose his grip around Samaira and ran to the
kitchen. He helped her and then came back to his
room. Samaira by then had started to check out his
paintings. She praised some of his artworks and also
pointed out a few mistakes. They both had a
conversation for a while and then again, the doorbell
rang. Veer opened the door. It was Esha and Priya.
“How are you my dearest friend” Priya shouted
and she jumped on him.
Esha also followed Priya and she too jumped on
Veer. Veer was now stuck between the two childhood
best friends.
“I am so happy to see you Veer” Esha shouted.
“I am too” Veer replied.
 Then Esha and Priya went straight to the kitchen
and greeted his mom.
“How are you, aunty?” They both asked in one
voice.
“I am good how about you both. I am glad you
both could make it for the party today” his mom
replied.
The three of them had a chat for some time.
Meanwhile, Veer went back to his room to call
Samaira out and introduce her to his friends. They
both came out and sat on the sofa.
“Hey guys, meet my friend Samaira,” Veer said
pointing towards her.
Priya smiled and immediately came forward and
shook hands with Samaira. Esha, on the other hand,
stayed back and looked at Samaira with a grin on her
face. She then looked at Veer and raised her eyes for
a second trying to ask him who his new friend was.
The look on Esha’s face worked like a hammer for
Veer. He suddenly remembered about the horoscope
his mom had told him about a few days back. His face
turned pale and his expressions became dull.
He realized what a blunder he had committed. His
past and present were in the same room and his
future was about to be written. There were two girls
in the room that shared a connection with each other
that was best left unspoken. Esha and Samaira shared
glances a few times while she was still talking to Priya.
Samaira and Esha both looked at Veer. He
immediately called his mom out to cool off the
moment.
“What happened Veer? his mom asked.
“I want some cold drinks” he answered.
 His mom looked at him in anger and said “you get
it yourself, I have so much to do don’t disturb me” as
she walked back to the kitchen. This worked like
magic as all the girls started laughing and taunting
Veer.
“Hi, I am Samaira, and you must be Esha,” she
said.
Samaira had taken the initiative and walked over
to Esha to greet her. Esha smiled and shook hands
with Samaira.
“Veer has told me a lot about you,” said Samaira.
Esha looked at Veer with a confusion. “Oh, is it?
He never told me about you" Esha replied.
Priya who was watching the entire scene from the
sofa sensed Veer’s inner turmoil and immediately
changed the topic. “Hey, where is Romit? Isn’t he
coming? she asked Veer.
“Oh, wait I’ll call him, He had informed me that he
would be late” Veer said and he rushed back to his
room to call Romit.
He sat on his bed for some time without calling
Romit and stared at the ceiling aimlessly. Priya came
into his room and shouted in a low voice.
“What were you thinking Veer? Are you gone
mad?”.
“I didn’t realize what I was doing. I thought that it
would be fun to have all around. I am feeling terrible
now” Veer said in regret.
Priya assured Veer that she would handle the
situation and not let any sparks fly off. They both then
walked into the living room to join Samaira and Esha.
The tension in the room by now had subsided to some
extent but had not completely vanished. They all sat
quietly for some time and waited for Romit to come.
Veer would go to the kitchen to check up on his mom
and then come back and sit silently. This continued
for a few minutes till Romit arrived.
“Hey guys I am here!!” Romit shouted.
Esha and Priya got up from the sofa and hugged
Romit. The three of them were meeting after ages.
Veer too got up and then formally introduced Samaira
to Romit.
“Samaira, this is Romit my, dear friend, Romit this
is Samaira.”
They both then shook hands and they all went to
his room. Veer went to the kitchen and called out his
mom. She greeted Romit and then asked Veer to help
her to bring the snacks. Veer went to the kitchen and
Esha also followed him. Esha was friendly with Veer’s
mom so she felt at home at his place. She didn’t
hesitate much and wandered around freely. They
brought in the snacks. His mom had prepared
Sabudana Vada and Coriander Wadi. These were his
mom’s favourite snacks and she wanted everyone to
enjoy them.
“Let’s eat guys,” Veer said.
They all took the plates and started relishing the
delicacies.
“Oh wow, Aunty, this is so delicious,” said Priya.
Samaira too said the same.
“Oh yes, Aunty I’ve never had this in my life. I think
Coriander Wadi is my new favourite!” exclaimed
Romit.
His mom smiled and thanked everyone for their
praises.
 “Aunty, while going, please give me the recipe. I’ll
try it at home” said Samaira. Immediately Esha also
said the same. Esha got up from her place and went
on to hug his mom. “You are the best aunty!!” she
exclaimed.
“Thanks, Esha. I will give you both the recipe” his
mom replied.
Veer was silent the whole time and was just
observing the mood swings of Esha and Samaira.
Clearly, there was an invisible tiff between them. It
looked as if two people were fighting to gain control
over a turf.
They all had a great time eating snacks. They
talked a lot on movies and travel and about what they
all did during the lockdown. By now Esha and Samaira
were getting along well with each other, thanks to
Priya’s interventions.
“I am going to my room now. You people continue
with your fun time. Anyways what will I do, I am the
odd person here” said Veer’s mom.
“Oh no aunty, you are not the odd one, Veer is, as
he is the one being silent all the time,” Priya said as
she looked at Veer.
“You are right Priya” Romit said while agreeing
with Priya.
Veer’s mom then went back to her room and told
Veer to look after everything. After his mom went,
they all decided to play a game. Esha was a like
Google when it came to playing party games. She had
tons of exciting and engaging games that would
always take the party to another level of
entertainment.
 “So, in this game, all have to write three questions
on a paper and fold it. No one should mention their
name. Then one person will collect all the chits,
shuffle them and then toss them on the bed. One by
one we will pick up a random chit and answer all the
question. And one more thing, everybody must
answer all the questions honestly” Esha said.
Romit picked up a paper from the table and cut it
into five pieces. He then gave it to everyone along
with pencils so that no one comes to know who has
written what. They all started writing the questions.
Veer was a bit sceptical before playing this came as he
sensed some tension but then gave in after everyone
else persuaded him to do so. Samaira by now was
enjoying to the fullest. The tension between her and
Esha had vanished and they both gelled along well.
Priya was the one to finish writing all the
questions. “I hope you pick up my chit Veer,” Priya
said while laughing cunningly. Veer looked at her and
showed her a thumbs down. After everyone finished
writing. Romit collected the chits and folded them
properly. He then gave the chits to Esha to shuffle and
toss. Esha tossed the chits and asked Priya to pick up
one. Priya picked up the chit and answered all the
questions. Next was Romit. He too answered all the
questions.
Next to pick up the chit was Esha. She picked up a
chit and read the question. The first question was.
“Are you dating anyone” She replied with a ‘no’.
The second question was,“With whom did you
have your first kiss. Esha was silent for a moment. She
looked at everyone while blushing.
 “So, my first kiss was with Veer” she answered and
hid her face in the pillow. Romit and Priya started
teasing Veer and Esha. But the expressions on Veer’s
face had completely changed. From a happy face, he
now had a face devoid of cheerfulness. He looked at
Samaira with embarrassment. It was as if the whole
world had come crashing down on him.
“Hey, we should stop playing this game. It’s
become very personal and we shouldn’t invade
anyone’s personal space” Veer shouted.
“Oh, come on, it’s ok, we are all friends, so chill!!
Esha exclaimed.
She then answered the third question. “Would
you be friends with your ex?” was the third question.
She replied with a yes.
The next to pick up the chit was Veer. He was
scared. The questions were like time bombs for him.
One wrong answer and there would be a blast.
The first question was “When was the last time
you had sex”.
Veer looked at everyone and replied that he didn’t
remember it. Romit and Priya pulled him down and
threatened to beat him if he didn’t answer properly.
He got up and read the second question. It was one
of the same ones as asked to Esha.
“Are you dating right now?” Veer thought for
some time and the said ‘no’. Romit and Priya were
taken aback.
“Are you sure about this?” Romit asked him.
“Oh yes, why would I lie to you all” Veer replied.
He looked at Samaira in such a way as if he was
pleading for forgiveness through his eyes. The last
question was “Where would you like to go for your
honeymoon?”. He laughed and answered Switzerland
and immediately threw the chit in the dustbin.
“This was not cool. This game is so boring” he
shouted.
The last to answer was Samaira. She was all calm
and composed throughout the game. Even when Veer
answered ‘no’ on the question of dating. She picked
up the last chit and read the first question.
“What is the stupidest thing you have done till
day? Samaira answered this by saying that she had
sent a gift to her friend on her birthday but had sent
something different and the actual gift was with her.
Everybody laughed. She then read out the second
question.
“How many gf/bf did you have till date”?
“I had only one boyfriend” she answered. Veer
was surprised. He looked at Samaira, she looked back
and winked. She then read out the third question.
“What is your romantic fantasy?
“I would love to go the hills with my partner and
make love in a secluded forest house at the top” she
replied.
“Ooooooo!!! Shouted Priya and Esha. After
playing the games they, all decided to have some ice-
cream. Veer and Priya went to the kitchen. He called
his mom and asked her as to which bowls to use for
serving the ice cream. His mom helped him out and
then went back to her room. Veer and Priya brought
the tray full of ice cream bowls to Veer’s room and
kept it on the table.
There were two flavours, Strawberry and
Chocolate chip. Romit and Esha picked up the
Strawberry flavoured ice cream and Priya and
Samaira picked up the Chocolate chip one. Veer was
the only one left to get his share. Suddenly both
Samaira and Esha came forward to give him the bowl.
“Take this Veer, your favourite flavour, Chocolate
chip” Samaira said as she handed him the bowl.
Esha was startled. She kept mum and went back
and sat down at her place. They all enjoyed the ice
cream while having some funny and entertaining
conversations. They laughed, sang songs and put on
some music and danced. The fun and frolic made the
atmosphere lively and cheerful. They also played
dumb charades for some time.
It was 10 PM in the night and all were ready to go
back home. Veer called his mom out to tell her that
everyone was leaving. After that, they clicked some
photos and then they all thanked his mom and
stepped out of the house. Veer went out to see off
everyone. They all walked for some time and then
Priya and Esha parted ways and went to the railway
station. While leaving, Esha hugged Samaira and
Romit but did not hug Veer. Priya hugged Veer, Romit
and Samaira and the started walking. Romit too said
goodbye to everyone and went his way.
Now it was only Samaira and Veer. While walking
Esha looked back twice at Veer and Samaira. They
were standing at the same place. After everybody was
out of sight, Samaira and Veer walked to the taxi
stand. There was complete silence between them.
They just looked at each other only once till they
reached the taxi stand. Samaira asked one of the
drivers to take her to her destination. Veer said
goodbye and leaned forward to kiss her but Samaira
shrugged him off and immediately got inside the taxi
and instructed the driver to start.
Veer put his head down and went back home. All
along the walk, he cursed himself for acting like an
idiot. He was very sad.
“How could I be so foolish to invite Esha and
Samaira at the same time. What did I want to prove
by doing this? I hope Samaira doesn’t vanish again”
he said to himself.
When he entered his house, his mom looked at
him in surprise. “What happened Veer? All of a
sudden you look so sad” she said.
“Nothing mom, it’s just that we had a great time
and now that all are gone, I feel a bit lonely,” he
replied and walked straight to his room. He changed
his clothes and jumped on the bed and hugged his
pillow. The pillow was filled with the aroma of Esha’s
perfume. The pillow gave him a feeling of Esha, but it
was Samaira that ruled his mind.
After about an hour his phone started buzzing.
The group was active. Everyone thanked Veer and his
mom again. Priya shared the photos that they had
clicked. The group was flooded with messages related
to the fun time they all had. Priya also added Samaira
to the group. They had exchanged numbers when
Veer had gone to the kitchen to help out his mom.
Veer read all the messages and expressed his
gratitude. They all planned to meet again in the
coming week. Samaira also texted saying how much
she enjoyed the party and also said that she looked
forward to meeting everyone again. Veer kept his
phone down and laid on the bed. He was thinking
about that incident with Samaira. The
disappointment on Samaira’s face was clearly evident
and it hovered in his mind.
Samaira would always text Veer once she reached
home but this time, she texted directly on the group
instead of texting him. This pricked his mind but he
decided to stay calm. Suddenly his phone buzzed
again. He picked it up to check the message. It was
from Samaira. She had sent him a few texts. He
opened the chat and started reading. He suddenly
jumped up on the bed. Samaira had messaged him
that Esha had texted her and said how happy she was
to meet her and that she wanted to meet her again
soon but this time it would be the two of them and
nobody else. Veer was frightened. He immediately
called Samaira but she didn’t answer the call saying it
was too late and she was feeling sleepy. Veer texted
her and then went out to the balcony. He looked at
the moon and took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The Past and

Present meet
The party was like a catastrophe for Veer. It
brought a dry spell in his relationship with Samaira.
The next few days after the party they hardly
interacted with each other. Veer tried to initiate a
conversation but all his efforts were in vain. “Hmm, K,
Cool” were the only replies he got. This irked Veer but
he decided to be calm and let go off Samaira’s
behaviour. He continued with his work, but it was
half-heartedly. The scene of Esha meeting Samaira
rolled in his mind continuously. He texted Esha to ask
her as to why did she want to meet Samaira but then
immediately deleted the message before it would be
seen by her. A certain level of guilt had encroached
his mind and was making it difficult for him to focus
on anything. He felt as if he was being given a harsh
punishment for committing a petty mistake. He called
Romit and Priya on a conference call.
“Hey guys, Samaira is ignoring me since the party,”
he said.
“You deserve that Veer. What you did was stupid”
shouted Priya.
“You shouldn’t say this Priya. He didn’t do it
purposely” Romit said trying to rescue Veer.
“Oh, Please Romit don’t try to save him now, he
has already done the damage,” Priya said. Veer was
silent for some time. Priya and Romit started arguing
with each other over Veer.
“Stop it, you guys. Instead of arguing with each
other give me some advice now. I just cannot think
about anything” Veer shouted.
“What advice do you want Veer. The only thing
you can do now is apologize” said Priya.
“I agree to that. Just call Samaira and apologize or
send her an apology message” replied Romit.
“I called her, but she cut my call, and then she
texted me saying that she was busy. I mean it was
9:30 PM, and I know she wasn’t busy” Veer replied.
“How can you be so sure? Priya asked.
“Yes, even I say the same thing, she must’ve been
genuinely busy,” Romit said while agreeing with Priya.
“No, she wasn’t busy because she had uploaded a
photo on Instagram and also a story saying “Super
bored, feeling lazy” Veer replied.
“Haha, you are in some serious trouble,” Priya said
while laughing out loud.
“Yes, Priya is right” said Romit.
“Isn’t there any solution? I mean there has to be
something” Veer asked.
“I think you should give her some time. I am sure
she will tell you the exact reason” Romit said.
“Yes, even I think the same. Just don’t text her or
call her again” said Priya. After talking to them Veer
sat on his bed thinking about the party and trying to
figure out exactly what could be the reason for
Samaira’s anger.
In the evening after finishing his work Veer went
to the beach alone and sat there enjoying his solitude.
The waves always had some hypnotic and soothing
effect on his mind. All his mental turbulence would
clear in no time after being in the presence of the sea.
He dug a small pit in the sand and put his hand in it
and covered it again with some sand. He would
always do this as a kid. The touch of the fine granules
of sand on the skin worked as a sedative for him and
tranquillized his mind for some time. Sitting there
gazing at nature and also contemplating the
behaviour of people around kept his mind away from
problems.
Suddenly loud voices of two people screaming fell
on his ears. He turned in the direction of the noise and
saw a couple quarrelling with each other. The man
was yelling at the woman and the woman was
sobbing profusely. Veer got up to intervene and
walked in that direction. But before he could do
anything the couple hugged each other. The man took
out his hand towel and wiped the tears off her eyes
and then kissed her on the forehead. The couple
walked away holding each other’s hands. Veer too
walked back home thinking about the incident all
along. He pictured himself and Samaira walking
together, hand in hand, just after arguing with each
other.
In the night before going to bed Veer got tempted
to text Samaira. He opened her profile and typed a
message but then he deleted it. What Priya had
advised him to do flashed in his mind. He kept down
his phone and closed his eyes, but he couldn’t sleep.
He again picked up his phone and opened Samaira’s
profile. She was online. He again felt a strong urge to
talk to her, but the resistance was so fierce that he
refrained from doing so. He stared at the screen for
some time. The fact that it showed that she was
online but neither of them texted each other
saddened him. He got up and went straight to the
balcony. It was a full moon day. The illuminated moon
brightening the night sky bought him some relief. He
went back inside and picked up his phone to write a
poem. He started typing
I envy the moon tonight
It can see you and touch you with its light
I hope it reflects my feelings to you
And carry my words to your heart
I am waiting here to see you again
And touch your soul the way I did
When we first met.
He immediately posted it on Instagram with an
intention to reach out to Samaira. He then closed his
eyes and visualized that everything between him and
Samaira was normal and that she was at talking terms
with him. In the morning when he woke up, he
hurriedly finished his morning chores, then took out
his diary from the cupboard and started writing. “I am
enjoying the rain with Samaira. We are holding hands
and walking by the sea”
He then sat down on the bed and closed his eyes
and took a deep breath and meditated for some time.
After meditating he expressed his gratitude and
thanked the universe for giving him a wonderful life
and then continued with his work. In between while
working he checked his Instagram to see if Samaira
had liked the poem but to his dismay, she hadn’t.
Every time he checked his post the expressions on his
face became dull, but he continued with his work and
did not let this situation hamper his productivity.
 Suddenly Veer’s phone buzzed. When he checked
the message, he jumped up from his chair. It was a
text from Samaira, and she had written that Esha had
asked her to meet in the evening. Veer immediately
called Samaira, but she cut the call and then switched
off her phone. Veer was shaking, his hands started
sweating profusely. He stopped his work and
immediately rushed to the washroom and splashed
water on his face. He came out and went to see his
mom. He told his mom that he was feeling a bit
anxious and that he wanted to talk to her.
“I am feeling anxious and guilty,” Veer said in a low
voice.
“Are you thinking a lot again Veer? His mom
asked.
“I am not sure mom. I mean I am worried about
what will happen in the future”
“You know Veer, you are letting your mind control
you. You are letting it rob you from your present and
put you in an imaginary future”
“I know this but today the feeling had got out of
hand” Veer replied.
“Do you know what will happen after one hour, or
one day? She questioned.
“No, I know what you are trying to suggest me, but
it’s all become difficult,” Veer said.
“If you have decided that you want to give excuses
on everything I say, then there is no point in having
this conversation,” she said sternly.
“I am sorry mom” Veer pleaded in a guilt.
“Anxiety occurs only when we do not accept what
has happened and fight with the whole idea. And
about being guilty, I don’t know what has happened
but just don’t be so hard on yourself that you lose
your mind. Learn to accept and let go off some things.
You cannot change anything that has occurred. So just
focus on the moment and carry on with your work.
And also Veer, you know the solution to it” she said.
“What? replied Veer.
“Meditation!!” she exclaimed.
“I know it mom and you are right I should sit in
silence for some time and observe my breathing. Why
does it always happen like this, though I know the
solutions I don’t use them”
After talking to his mom, he got back to his room
and first switched off his phone. He closed the
curtains and then jumped on his bed and sat in
silence. While observing his breathing he dozed off to
sleep. When he woke up it was already dark, and the
sun had set long back. He had slept for three hours in
the afternoon. His head felt heavy and his eyes looked
swollen. He got up from his bed and picked up the
phone to switch it on. There were a few messages
from his clients but no message or call from Samaira.
Meanwhile Samaira had left her office earlier than
usual just to meet Esha. They had decided to meet at
a café in Lower Parel. Esha and Samaira reached the
place at the same time. They looked at each other
from the taxi and then got down from it. They smiled,
just shook hands and went in. The café was full of
people and there was hardly any table to sit. Samaira
and Esha strolled around the cafe for some time and
then settled at a table in one corner. They kept their
bags on one of the empty chairs and called in one of
the staff member.
 Esha told Samaira that she had eaten a sandwich
in her office before leaving and was in no mood to eat
anything. Samaira too said that she wasn’t very
hungry either and they only ordered two
cappuccinos. They talked about their office and work
life for some time. Samaira told her about the gossips
going on in her office and Esha told her about the spat
between the top management in her office. This went
on till the two were comfortable in each other’s
presence.
“So Esha why have you called me here today?
asked Samaira.
“Well, I wanted to talk to you about what
happened at the party” replied Esha.
Samaira was silent. What she had anticipated had
come true. “I was right then; I somewhat had an idea
about it but I just wanted to make sure,” she said.
“I’ll come straight to the point, are you and Veer
seeing each other?” Esha asked.
Samaira was silent again. Though she had
expected this question but some kind of a dilemma
had set in. Veer’s face flashed in front of her eyes as
if he was pleading her not to reveal the truth. She
stammered a bit.
“You don’t have to worry Samaira” Esha said while
assuring her that everything between them was
cordial. Samaira took a deep breath and then started
talking.
“Yes, I am in a relationship with Veer,” she said.
She felt like a big burden had been unloaded off
her shoulders. But now the expressions on Esha’s face
had become dull. She sipped the hot steamy coffee
without any thought that it would burn her tongue.
She looked away for some time and didn’t say a word.
Her eyes had become moist.
“You know I am happy that you are with Veer, but
I feel dejected that he kept this hidden from me. On
one hand he says that I am close to him and on the
other, he just pushed me away” Esha said in a low
voice.
“Do you still love him?” asked Samaira.
Esha looked back at her “I love him a lot, but I
don’t want to be in a relationship with him. I will
always love him because I have some of the most
precious memories of my life with him. He is a part of
me and will always be one” said Esha.
Samaira was bewildered. “You say you love him
but don’t want to be with him. How is this possible?
She questioned Esha.
“Some people are meant to be a part of your
journey but not your destiny. Veer is one such person.
He has been with me when I was alone, trying to
figure out myself. He became an anchor of a
delusional girl. But that’s it” said Esha.
Samaira was listening to her patiently without
interrupting. Esha continued again after gulping a big
sip of cappuccino.
“Veer is one of those people who can bring out the
best in you. He sees the person right through the soul
and not just the skin. I am sure you must’ve have
experienced this by now”
“You are right. I have and I love him for this. He
came in my life when I was in a dungeon of fear and
pain. He is proving to be a light for me in my dark
times. For the first time in my life I experienced what
it means when we say that a person feels like home”
said Samaira.
“Haha, I was just renting your home I guess for
some years” Esha said and laughed trying to ease the
moment. They both giggled and then went on to
finish their beverage.
“You know, the problem with Veer is that he keeps
his emotions and feelings hidden and has a hard time
expressing them. He tries to dodge situations instead
of facing them. He lives in is head all the time. I think
that’s the case with creative people. I don’t
understand his thought process. He swings between
extremes.” Esha said and gasped.
“I think you are right” replied Samaira. The
hesitation between the two had now vanished and
the air was filled with a cheerful camaraderie.
“This is so weird. I mean I am talking to the ex-
girlfriend, a person I am supposed to hate naturally”
Samaira chuckled.
“Haha, yes this is a bit weird, but I am taking this
as a fun experience,” said Esha.
“Are you dating anyone? Samaira asked.
“No, I am not. It’s just that I am taking my time to
heal from everything. It’s not that I don’t want any
new love in my life, it’s just that I don’t want the old
pain. It was difficult for me to detach myself from
Veer and move forward. I know I am being
pessimistic, but I’ll just take some time before I am
sure that I want a relationship again. Some guys are
hitting on me and I like one of them, but I feel like I’ll
do injustice to that person if I say a ‘yes’ for a
relationship” said Esha.
 “So, if given a chance would you come back to
Veer?” Samaira questioned her out of curiosity.
“No, though I would like to be friends but that’s it,
nothing more. In the party I saw Veer the way he
looked at you, full of love. He has never looked at me
in that way. I am not saying that he didn’t love me but
I think with you he is more comfortable as a person
than he was with me. I am extremely happy that he
met you” said Esha.
There was a smile on Samaira’s face. Hearing the
compliments from Esha brightened her mood. An ex-
girlfriend complimenting the current girlfriend was
one sight to look out for.
“By the way how did you both meet?” questioned
Esha.
“We met on a dating app” Samaira answered
while shying away.
“Oh, that’s great, I remember Veer making fun of
these dating apps before and now he’s used one.
What a hypocrite!!” Esha exclaimed.
They both burst out into laughter so loud that
people around started staring at them. They felt a bit
embarrassed but again resumed laughing and
continued with their talks.
“You know that the ex is always considered to be
the villain, but Veer has never said a word against you.
He always has something good to tell about you” said
Samaira.
“He is a gem Samaira, he always says that when
the relationship is over don’t say anything foul about
the other person”
 “Again, I am asking you the same thing Esha, do
you want to be back with him?” Samaira questioned
her again in curiosity.
“No, my dear Samaira. I don’t want to be back
with him. Esha replied while being irritated. “Veer and
I are a thing of the past and you and he are the
present. See, though Veer and I gelled along well but
the adhesive in our bond has become weak. We are
very different in many aspects. Our compatibility was
not the strongest. It was somewhere below the
median. Though we get along well even now but we
both know that we cannot be ‘one’
“I don’t know what to say. Should I feel sad for you
both or be happy for me and him” Samaira said in a
low voice.
“You should be happy Samaira. Don’t think about
me at all. Though Veer is very close to my heart, but
he isn’t in my heart now. I love him and I respect him,
but we cannot be fellow travellers again. Our paths
have diverted long back as our destinations are
different. Though we’ll cross each other’s path many
times in life but that would be just like how travellers
meet again when they rest at a commonplace and
then again, they continue with their journey
separately. Now we both are like lessons for each
other. We are examples of what not to do in a
relationship. I am sure if a similar situation occurs
again, we both would think about what we did in the
exact situation when we were together. He is all yours
Samaira” Esha said and took a deep breath. Samaira
had tears in her eyes. All this was unexpected. She got
up immediately and hugged Esha.
“I think I love you too,” said Samaira.
 I love you too” replied Esha and they both again
burst out into laughter.
“We should set an example of how the past and
present can live in harmony. I mean it all depends on
how the people break up. Sometimes it’s absolutely
important to forget the person completely and
sometimes it is ok to take thing cordially afterwards”
said Esha.
“There is a bond between us though we hardly
know each other. It’s so strange that because of one
person two people get connected automatically.
Though the connection is a faux without actually
having any meaning but yet it exists. You and I have
our different worlds, different ecosystems yet our
worlds collided because of one person who decided
to migrate. We don’t have anything in common, yet
everything feels similar. The only thing common
between us is that we fell in love with the same
person. I think in Veer I’ll always get a glimpse of you”
said Samaira.
Esha was awestruck with what Samaira had said.
She planted a kiss on her cheeks. Samaira blushed.
After that they paid the bill and walked out of the
café. They stood there for some time talking to each
other. They promised to be friends for life and again
hugged and parted ways.
While returning home Samaira was in a different
mood altogether. She smiled continuously
throughout the journey. A certain level of calmness
had set in. She was having a feeling of drifting like a
lightweight feather in the wind. There was peace in
her mind and all her inhibitions had flowed down the
drain.
 Veer’s phone buzzed loudly. He picked up his
phone to check who had texted him. It was a message
from Samaira. “11:11” she texted. Veer rubbed his
eyes and looked at the clock on the wall. He
immediately texted 11:11 back to her.
“I love you Veer, my pumpkin, Muahh!!! Let’s
meet ASAP” she texted again.
Veer was surprised but went in with the flow and
texted her back saying he loved her too. They wished
each other goodnight and then Veer kept his phone
and went to sleep. His phone buzzed again after some
time. He checked it with sleepy eyes. It was a text
from Esha.
“You hypocrite! This was not expected from you.
How could you hide such an important thing from
me? Very bad!!! She had texted.
 CHAPTER FOURTEEN

A walk in the
Rain
The onset of monsoon was a relief from the
draught that cracked Veer’s relation with Samaira for
a few days. The rains brought with it clouds of
romance that showered on broken hearts and filled
them with love. The dark sky and roaring thunder
ignited a feeling of being closer to loved ones. Veer
would be at his artistic best during the monsoons.
Paintings of earth drenched in the rain was one of his
favourite themes. His writings would resemble
Petrichor as the words bottled up a heavenly aroma
of love and nature. The weather around enticed the
amorous feelings in him and sucked out much of the
negativity.
The next morning after Samaira and Esha’s
meeting, Veer was sitting in the balcony enjoying the
rain and the admiring the selfie that Samaira had sent
him. Wet strands of hair curling on her face and a
subtle smile amplified by her sparkling eyes
highlighted with a black eyeliner sent a lightning of
intense attraction in him. The photo hypnotized Veer
for some time before a loud thunder hammered his
ears. He suddenly got up from the chair and went to
his room and took out his diary from the cupboard.
He had not written his wishes in days in the diary and
wrote about having a quality time with Samaira. He
jumped on his bed and replied to the selfie sent by
her.
“This is hypnotic. I am going crazy. I want to be
with you right now” he texted and then sent her an
emoji which had a heart being kissed by a smiley face.
The rain and the photo seduced the poet in him, and
he started writing a poem. He then sent it to Samaira
before uploading it on Instagram. She was
mesmerized by the words and expressed her feelings.
“Veer, who are you exactly? she texted.
“LOL, I am Veer. Hahaha” he replied.
“Ok Mr funny, what I mean is how do you guess so
exactly what’s going on in my mind. Your poem feels
like it’s my thoughts written in words”
“It’s telepathy. I am connected to you”
Samaira then sent him a heart emoji. “I love the
way you have described the rain. It surely is a cupid”
she texted.
“Yup, I feel many relationships are born in the
monsoon season. I don’t know about others but for
me it feels so romantic. The wet breeze and greenery
around make my heart explode with love”
“This is so true, nature at its best. I too feel
romantic in the rains and I feel more connected with
the nature” texted Samaira.
“You know the rain-drenched earth shows us our
reflection now and then as if it is trying to tell us that
the universe is looking after us and our connection
with it has become stronger” texted Veer.
“I will cry now Veer, please stop it. You can’t be so
accurate all the time. I want to be with you right now
and hug you tight” replied Samaira.
 They had a chat for some time before Samaira
went in for a group meeting with her colleagues. After
talking to Samaira, Veer suddenly realized that he had
to reply to Esha. He opened her profile and re-read
the messages and thought for a moment.
“Hey Esha, what are you talking about? I have no
idea.” he replied.
He was a bit nervous after reading her messages
but then he let go of the feeling. “I shouldn’t worry
about what Esha has texted. She always does this” he
murmured and then went on to continue with his
work. That day he had decided to sketch a portrait of
Samaira. He had chosen one of the selfies that she
had sent. He finished with all the preparations and
clipped the paper on the canvas. Suddenly his phone
buzzed. He picked up his phone, it was a text from
Esha. He laughed out loud and murmured again.
“Haha, what a timing. I think she got a hint that I
was sketching Samaira’s portrait and that’s the
reason she texted me at this time”.
“You know what I am talking about and ask
Samaira about it, not me. Once when I think that you
must have changed but then you come up with some
new drama. Grow up!!!” she texted.
Veer was furious and took some short breaths to
calm him down. He wanted to avoid an argument
with Esha and sent her a plain and simple text.
“Please just tell me what has happened. Don’t
keep me guessing. I have too much work to do” he
replied.
“Oh, is it? So, you want to say that I have no work
and you are the only busy one?
 “I didn’t mean it. It’s just that if you don’t tell me
I’ll not give you any reply”
“Wow!! Now you are showing off your ego” Esha
texted.
Veer kept his phone down and continued with his
work, but his phone buzzed again. Esha has sent him
a big paragraph as a message.
“You know, I would have loved it if you would’ve
been honest with me. I don’t know why you chose not
to tell me. This shows that we are not friends and I am
not close to you. This is the last time I am texting you.
I am not gonna talk to you from now on. Have a great
day and a great life ahead”
Veer was surprised to see the extent of Esha’s
frustration and anger and immediately called her
back. She cut his call and then switched off her phone.
Veer sat down on the chair and wondered as to what
was wrong with Esha. He wanted to ask Samaira, but
he thought that it would be inappropriate to disturb
her at this moment. He called Priya to ask her if she
knew as to why Esha was acting strange. Priya told
Veer that she had no clue and was herself taken aback
by this.
In the night Veer texted Samaira and told her
about his conversation with Esha. He described her
anger and his cluelessness and also asked her about
the issue but Samaira refused to disclose it over text
messages. They decided to meet on the weekend for
a walk at marine drive. Monsoon plus marine drive
was a combination every person living in Mumbai
craved for. Veer and Samaira had made an elaborate
plan of the things to do when they would meet. It
ranged from a walk to eating to singing and jumping
in random poodles. The excitement to meet each
other in the rain knew no bounds. The feeling of being
in each other’s presence aroused their romantic
feelings and lured their imagination to run wild.
One evening while coming home from work Romit
stopped by at Veer’s house. They both had a long
discussion on Esha’s sudden shift of behaviour. Veer
described in detail the text messages sent by her and
how it was affecting him mentally. Romit tried to
reason out the scene but failed to do so. They both
built imaginary castles of assumptions before it all
plummeted several feet. The curiosity to know what
had happened between Esha and Samaira had made
Veer restless.
Even while talking to Romit he was fidgeting and
the only thing that ruled his mind was the talk
between the two girls. Romit changed the topic to
divert Veer’s mind. He narrated all the developments
that had taken place in his relationship with Aashna.
How they both talked to each other day and night and
about their long walks in the evening at Worli
Seaface. Veer was delighted to hear about his friend
having a wonderful time. His mood swiftly went
through a transformation from being anxious to being
happy. He immediately got up and patted Romit’s
back as a sign of congratulating him. After that they
talked for some time and then Romit left his place to
go home.
The weekend arrived and it was time for the two
love birds to meet. They both reached Marine Drive
on time. Veer was waiting on the pavement towards
the sea and Samaira was on the other side of the road.
They both waved at each other and smiled. Samaira
was waiting for the signal to turn red and when it
turned red, she crossed one side of the road
immediately. The other side of the road was empty
but the signal on that side was still green. Taking
advantage of the sparse traffic Samaira ran to reach
the other side but a speeding car came in from
nowhere and passed swiftly, so close to her that a
little mishap could have turned fatal. Samaira
stopped immediately and froze for a moment. Veer
on the other hand shouted at the top of his voice and
rushed to grab Samaira. He pulled her by her hand
and brought her to the pavement.
Samaira had become cold and at the same time
started sweating a lot. Veer hugged her and then
kissed on her forehead.
“Nothing can happen to you when I am here,” he
said and firmed his grip around her.
Samaira looked at him and smiled. Her shivering
stopped completely in his arms.
“How will you manage without me in New York?”
Veer questioned her.
There was a moment of silence. The people
around stared at them as they both were the only
one’s hugging each other in such a crowded place.
Samaira’s eyes were now full of tears that could roll
down any moment.
“Don’t say this Veer, it will only make matters
worse for me” she said in a shaky voice.
“I am sorry. I will not say this again” Veer replied
and they both started walking towards Girgaum
Chowpatty.
They decided to forget what had happened just a
few minutes ago and continued with their normal
conversations. They held hands and walked slowly
while swinging them. They talked about work and
paintings and office for some time and then grabbed
hold of some charcoal roasted corn. The tangy
mouth-watering corn seduced their taste buds and
helped them brighten up their mood. Samaira
immediately clicked photos of the corn and then
uploaded it as her Instagram story. Taking a bite of
the mouth-watering corn Samaira started talking.
“Before you get crazy out of curiosity, I want to tell
you that I told Esha that we met through a dating app
and that we are in a relationship. She is mad at you
because you kept it hidden from her and she called
you a hypocrite because you made fun of dating apps
and then you used one” she said.
Veer gasped. Now Esha’s behaviour was justified.
“Oh, I thought that she had some major issue with
me. I’ll apologize to her later” said Veer as he took a
bite of the corn.
“And also, I ignored you after the party because I
thought that Esha still loved you and I was coming in
her way. I felt guilty Veer, it was as if I was
backstabbing her” Samaira said in a dull voice.
Veer laughed out loud. He placed his hand on her
hair and caressed it. “My dear Samaira you are such a
cutie pie.” He said and then pulled her cheeks gently.
They continued walking. Suddenly it started to
drizzle. Veer immediately opened his umbrella but
Samaira didn’t’. She just closed her eyes and stood
still. Veer pulled her inside the umbrella but Samaira
refused to come in.
“Don’t be so adamant, you’ll get sick” Veer
shouted.
 “I will not get sick Veer; I’ve never fallen ill
because of this. I am a Pluviophile. The rain gives me
some sort of a power that I cannot explain it to you in
words”
“Ok, but at least think about your phone and
wallet,” Veer said sternly.
“Don’t worry about it, I have a small plastic bag to
take care of it” she replied. Veer then closed his
umbrella and handed over his wallet and phone to
Samaira to keep it in the bag.
“I too will enjoy the rain with you today,” he said.
Veer was lost in his own world. He was
disinterested in what was going around as he was
mesmerized by Samaira’s beauty. The rain had
brought out the best in her. The glow on her wet face
put Veer in a hypnotic spellbound. Samaira jumped in
the poodles and danced in the rain. She was so
comfortable in being herself that she had completely
forgotten that they were in a public place. She pulled
Veer towards herself and kissed him passionately.
This continued for about a minute till Veer backed a
bit. Veer was always hesitant to show his affection in
public. He looked around to check if anyone was
watching them and then kissed her again. After that
small romantic episode, they continued walking and
talking about the rains.
“You know, I feel that we are twin flames Veer”
Samaira said in excitement.
“I agree, I always felt that you are the other half of
my soul” Veer replied.
Samaira blushed and tightened her grip around his
hand.
 “The feelings I have for you are always very
intense. It feels that we resonate at the same
frequency otherwise we wouldn’t have been together
in such a short time. I think I know you from a very
long time, I think we were together in our past lives
also” she said.
“I don’t believe in past lives, but it sounds so cool”
Veer laughed.
“I was just saying it Veer, to show you the intensity
of my feeling”
The clouds had become dark and a strong wind
was blowing around. The rain now had started to hit
the body obliquely. They spotted an empty bench and
sat on it for some time. Veer put his arm around her
shoulders and fondled her earlobes. They gazed at
the vast furious sea admiring the wildness of the
waves. The waves hit the concrete wall and jumped
towards the street.
“My emotions are like these high waves. I just
cannot be normal when it comes to you. Even during
the lockdown, I was constantly visualizing about being
with you. I visualized the exact same scenario that is
happening now” Samaira said and placed her head on
his shoulders.
“Same pinch for that Samaira. I too did the same.
In fact, I used the two-cup method just to get back to
you” said Veer.
Samaira jumped up in excitement. Her eyes
widened and she stammered “This…This.. cannot be
real!!!” she exclaimed.
I also performed the two-cup method twice” she
said loudly. “Do you remember the date?” she asked.
 “I don’t remember the date, but I performed it on
a Friday” Veer replied.
She was again in a shock. “Veer, I think I am
shaking, and this is more intense than the one earlier.
This is magic, I mean even I performed it both the
times on a Friday. I am telling you; this is now
confirmed that we are twin flames” she cried out
loud.
“Indeed!!! I told you we mirror each other. You
give me a feeling of wholeness. I have swiped a lot on
the dating app, but it was only you with whom I was
drawn naturally. We attracted like magnets” said
Veer.
“Oh yes, do you realize that we are in an ultimate
stage of being twin flames” Samaira said out loud.
Veer kept mum for some time and then realized what
Samaira was saying.
“You are right, if we look at what all has happened
between us, it makes sense. Using the dating app was
the first stage that is ‘search’. We both felt as if we
were lacking something and there was a strong sense
of yearning to be with someone who matches our
frequency” Veer said.
“So true, the second stage is the ‘awakening’. Our
meeting was not a coincidence, but it felt as if it was
destined to happen. The moment we met we realized
that our compatibility was bang on. It was an
awakening for us” said Samaira.
They both were now deep into connecting the
dots. The excitement in them resembled the
excitement that babies have when they try out
something new. They discussed in detail about the
two stages and how it had an uncanny resemblance
with their life.
“We have passed through the third stage that is
the ‘test’. There are bound to be conflicts in a
relationship but how we resolve the conflict
determines if we’ll stay together or not. I had put a
boundary and so did you. We both fought. But here
we are again with each other” Samaira said.
“Yes, and also, I have realized it now that it is
important to have boundaries, to test your limits. It
helps us to determine the nature of our relationship
with the person in a true sense. After dealing with
these issues we come out of the initial blissful phase
of falling in love. Now we realize that it’s something
meaningful and concrete” Veer replied.
“We also went through the fourth stage that is the
‘crisis’. That was one period where we were
completely cut off from each other and that made us
realize what place we hold in each other’s life” said
Samaira.
“It also included the stage of ‘running and
chasing’. Where I was chasing you and you were
running away. This is when you ignored me after the
party” Veer laughed out loud.
“I am so sorry for this” Samaira pleaded.
“Oh, please don’t say sorry. I was just trying to be
funny. This happens in the life of twin flames when
one of the persons doesn’t confront their fears and
fails to accept the level of intimacy between the two”
Veer said.
“We have also passed through the ‘Surrender’ and
the ‘reunion’ phase. Actually, now we are in that
phase” said Samaira while looking at Veer.
 It had started to pour heavily now and they both
got up and ran towards a nearby shop. The shop was
closed and the space there was barely enough to
accommodate more than two people. They both
stood there looking around at the people running
here and there trying to avoid getting wet.
Suddenly a small puppy came in and started to rub
his paws on Veer’s jeans. He immediately picked it up
and the puppy started snuggling.
“Yo, my baby, you are so cute” Samaira giggled.
She took out a packet of biscuits from her bag and
started feeding the puppy.
“I forgot that I had biscuits,” she said.
“Haha, I think the puppy was the medium because
of which you took them out,” Veer said and laughed.
Veer handed the puppy to Samaira and she picked
him up like a baby. She talked to the puppy in
gibberish while feeding it.
“I think you’ll be a very good mother!” Exclaimed
Veer.
“Haha only if the father is you” she replied.
There was some silence between the two. Samaira
felt embarrassed and she avoided having an eye
contact with Veer. Veer sensed her embarrassment
and burst out in laughter.
“I hope so,” he said and winked at her. Samaira
blushed and continued feeding the puppy. They then
kept the puppy at a safe place and walked towards
Charni Road station. It was almost 8:30 PM and
Samaira had to return home by 10 PM.
The train was crowded and there was no place to
sit. They both stood near the door. Samaira leaned
against the partition and Veer stood in front with his
arms around her. It looked like Samaira was being
guarded by Veer. Throughout the journey, they
continued talking about the stages that twin flames
go through.
“The last two stages of ‘Surrender’ and ‘Reunion’
are of utmost importance. Here we realize that
controlling the other person is fruitless. It helps us to
accept the fact that we cannot escape from our
destiny. Now all the past anxieties are gone, and we
learn to live in the moment and trust the universe to
take us to where we are needed to go” said Veer.
“Totally, it restores the balance in the relationship
and the bond between the two gets deeper and
deeper,” said Samaira.
They both had now connected at a level where
they felt like being one soul. It was something magical
and surreal. Samaira said that she could feel an aura
of love and peace around her. Veer too felt the same.
They continued with their conversations till the train
reached Dadar station. Veer kissed Samaira on the
cheeks even before she could realize it and
immediately alighted on the platform. Samaira
blushed and waved in from the train. Veer kept
standing on the platform till the train and Samaira
were out of sight.
In the night before going to bed Veer texted Esha.
“I am so sorry Esha that I kept such an important thing
hidden from you. I did it only because I didn’t want to
hurt you in any way. I had no selfish motive in this, I
only cared about you and decided to not put you in
any kind of mental pain. I know you’ll be always happy
for me. Please accept my apology. Good night. Puppy
Face”
 There was a blue tick on the message immediately
but Esha didn’t give a reply. Veer then texted Samaira
and they had a chat for some time and then they both
dozed off.
 CHAPTER FIFTEEN

A play of Souls
The love between Veer and Samaira had reached
a stage where just the presence of each other was
enough to awaken peace. The marvellous feeling of
knowing that there was someone in the world that
meant ‘the whole world’ was something they both
had grown fond of. The phone conversations, text
conversations and the hangouts tightened their bond
further. Samaira had also become good friends with
Esha, Romit and Priya. They all again met at a café and
had a gala time together. The feeling of uneasiness
between Esha and Samaira had vanished and they
gelled along like best friends. The tensions and
misunderstandings between Veer and Esha had also
flushed out. They both had a long conversation where
Veer explained to her as to why he kept a few things
hidden and Esha also apologized for overreacting.
Everything in Veer’s life was sailing smooth.
One day in the morning Veer had gone out to
personally deliver a painting to one of his clients.
While returning he took a bus ride to come home. He
got on the bus, sat on the seat and called the
conductor to take the ticket. He then texted Samaira.
He told her that his mom would not be home on the
weekend and that he would like her to come to his
place. Samaira was extremely delighted and quickly
agreed to it. She then sent him a selfie from the office.
Veer admired her photo for a while and then looked
out of the window gazing at the scenes outside. A pat
on his shoulder interrupted his activity. When he
turned around it was the bus conductor. The
conductor asked him to shift a bit so that he could sit
for some time. The bus was sparsely crowded so he
had decided to take some rest. He struck a
conversation with Veer and started telling him about
his work conditions post lockdown. Veer was listening
and observing the expressions and body language of
the conductor and mentally took a note of it to write
a poem later.
“What do you do Sir?” The conductor asked. Veer
looked at him with a grin on his face. “Sir I am just
asking you because at this time mostly people going
to the office are in the bus who wear formal clothes
or uniforms and you seem to be in casual clothes,” he
said again. Veer laughed.
“I work in casual clothes only” Veer replied.
They both had a quick laugh. “I am a painter,” said
Veer.
“That’s great” the conductor replied. “I have a
daughter maybe, younger than you. She is a software
engineer”
There was a smile on Veers face after hearing this.
“That is great, in fact, even I am a civil engineer” Veer
replied.
“That is great. Then why don’t to work as one?”
The conductor questioned. Veer replied and told him
that he was more interested in painting than being an
engineer.
“You know Sir, my daughter is in USA. She went
last year to do her masters there. Veer was even more
delighted now. To know someone pursuing their
dreams always made him happy.
 “That is awesome!!” Veer exclaimed.
“She is the first engineer in our entire family, and
I am proud of her. But I also feel sad that she is not
with me now. I miss her a lot” the conductor said in a
low voice. His expressions had become dull and his
eyes became watery. Veer was silent.
“She used to be with me always but now I don’t
get to see her. Though we talk over video calls but
being physically present is a different feeling” the
conductor said.
“I know, you must be feeling sad but you should
be proud of her that she is living her dream,” said
Veer.
“Yes, I am extremely proud of her. I want to go and
meet her but due to some circumstances I am unable
to do that” said the conductor.
Their talks were cut in by a passenger who called
the conductor to take a ticket. In the meanwhile,
Veer’s home had arrived and he got down from the
bus and waved at the conductor.
While walking back home he pondered over what
the conductor had said. He suddenly realized that
even Samaira was about to leave in a few days. The
feeling which was hidden deep inside him had
resurfaced. The fact that Samaira would no more be
with him sank his heart in pain. He walked aimlessly
without looking up. A fear of losing his love gripped
him. A friend of his who was on the other side of the
road called out his name, but Veer did not pay heed
and continued walking with his head down.
His mom had asked him to bring some groceries
while coming back, but Veer forgot about it and just
headed straight to his house. He pressed the doorbell
and stood there like a lifeless mannequin. His mom
opened the door and went inside but Veer was still
standing there staring at the door. She came back
after a minute and was surprised to see Veer in this
state.
“What’s the matter Veer? she asked.
The sound of her voice worked like cold water and
woke him up him from his dream world.
“Oh, nothing mom I am alright, I was just looking
at the garden from here” he said and quickly got
inside.
“Did you bring the things I had asked for?
“Oh, sorry mom, I forgot. I’ll bring them in the
evening” Veer replied, and he rushed to his room. His
mom asked him to get ready for lunch in some time.
But there was no reply from him. She went to his
room to check up on him and found him in the
washroom splashing water on his face profusely.
“Veer, tell me what’s the matter with you today,
why are you acting weird? she asked him again.
“I think it’s because of the weather today, it’s so
hot and it’s not even raining from the past two days.
This kind of weather makes me dizzy”
He somehow convinced his mom that he was
alright and that he just needed some sleep. He told
her that he would have lunch at a later time and then
just changed his clothes and jumped on his bed and
fell asleep. He woke up in the evening, tired and with
a heavy head. He freshened up and went to his mom’s
room to talk to her and apologized for not eating the
food and promised her to eat it for dinner. He sat
silently for some time and then asked his mom a
question.
 “What do you think about long-distance
relationship?”
His mom looked at him with curiosity and laughed
gently. “Is it why you are not feeling well? she asked.
“No mom, I just asked you randomly, had seen a
movie a few days back so thought of discussing it with
you”
“Long-distance relationships are tough and can
drain the person emotionally. The fact that you know
you have someone special, but that person is miles
apart is frustrating” she said. The expressions on
Veer’s face had become dull. The feeling of missing
Samaira had gripped him completely.
“So, you mean to say is, that long-distance
relationships are meaningless?
“No, I am not saying it is useless, I purposely told
you the dark side first. The bright side is the same as
being in love with a person who is close to you,
distance-wise. Love is love and distance cannot
determine its intensity or trueness. You come to know
that you truly love the person when they are far away.
If their absence makes you uncomfortable that means
their presence was like a blessing” mom said.
Veer was listening carefully. He was juggling
between what his mom was saying and the thought
of Samaira being no more in his life physically after a
few days. His mom continued talking.
“If love survives the test of time then the two
people will be unstoppable once they are back
together. Long-distance relationship is all about love,
trust, honesty and supporting each other completely.
I know that it is easier said than done but the harder
the fight the greater the victory. And if you love the
person then no distance is far enough” she said.
Veer was a bit delighted. This was like a pep talk
for him and it boosted his confidence. He got up,
smiled at his mom, pulled her cheeks and rushed to
his room. He picked up his phone and texted Samaira.
In the night Samaira replied him back. She was
busy with all the pending office work that she had to
finish before leaving. They had a chat for some time
and then Veer asked her about the weekend plan
again.
“So, are you coming home on the weekend?” he
texted.
“Yes, why are you asking me again? she replied.
“It’s just that I am excited to meet you so just
asked you again”
“Ok, by the way in which attire do you like me,
Indian or Western?”
“Well, I have never seen you in an Indian attire, so
I guess I would like to see you in it”
“Oh, is it? I think I have sent you a photo of me
wearing a saree”
“Maybe but I do not remember it. Send me again
if you have it”
“Cool, I’ll check if I have it” she replied.
“You know, I am attracted to nose rings. They just
look so damn wow!!” Veer texted.
“Oh, that’s something I never knew about” she
replied and then they continued with their
conversations.
The next few days passed in no time. Veer felt as
if he was sitting at the same place and the day and the
night just changed like how the backdrop changes in
a play. He told about this scenario to Samaira and she
too agreed with him. On Saturday his mom left home
early in the morning. She was going out with her
friends for a picnic to Matheran and would be
returning the next day. After his mom left Veer
immediately cleaned his room thoroughly and
sprayed the room freshener all around. He brushed
his teeth again and gargled his mouth with a
mouthwash. He then changed the bedsheets and
placed some candles on the table. He changed his
clothes and sprayed his favourite deodorant all over
his body.
After some time, the doorbell rang. Veer rushed
to open the door. It was Samaira. She was wearing a
blue coloured Salwar Suit. Veer was mesmerized by
looking at her. The moment he opened the door she
pounced on him and they hugged tightly. She entered
inside and took a deep breath.
The fragrance of the room freshener calmed her
mind. She sat on the sofa and Veer offered her some
water and snacks. She got up and came close to Veer
and then sat on his lap. His heart started pounding
fast. She pulled his hair gently and kissed him. They
kissed till both of them were out of breath. After a few
minutes, they both pulled back to grab some fresh air.
“I have a surprise for you,” she said. Veer was
excited and he picked her up on his back and took her
to his room. Samaira went inside and asked Veer to
stay out. She locked the door from the inside. Veer
was now very anxious and curious. He walked to and
fro in the living room waiting for her to open the door.
After a few minutes, Samaira opened the door and
asked Veer to come inside. Veer went in and he was
left speechless. His eyes widened and his mouth
opened up like a tunnel. He froze for a moment when
he looked at Samaira. She had changed her clothes
and was now wearing a skimpy black coloured
nightgown with spaghetti straps. It was semi-
transparent V-necked dress. She had also put on a
nose ring. Veer was stunned and stood still. He had
never seen such a strong sultry side of Samaira.
She pulled Veer towards her and started kissing
him. Veer was now seduced to the fullest. He too
started kissing her passionately. They were moving
their hands all over each other’s body. Samaira then
removed Veer’s T-shirt and unzipped his pant. Veer
removed her nightgown, then they jumped on the
bed and continued kissing intensely. Veer suddenly
got up and hurriedly lighted the candles and again
pounced on her.
They were now completely naked in the room that
was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood and dimly
lighted by the candles. He kissed and fondled her for
sometime. Samaira had now closed her eyes and was
completely engrossed in the moment. The touch of
their hands on each other’s sensitive spots was
satisfying their carnal desires. The expressions on her
face clearly showed how pleasurable the feeling was
for her.
Veer, then moved down to her stomach and
gently touched his moist lips on her soft skin. Samaira
gasped and bit her lips. He then again moved up and
kissed her neck. This turned her wild. It was her most
sensitive spot. His lips on her bare skin left her
hypnotized. She tightened her grip around Veer and
gently pierced her nails in his back. Veer was in a
sweet pain. He kissed her forehead and looked deep
into her eyes. They continued with their lovemaking
for some time. Samaira moaned gently whenever
Veer hit the right spots. Their naked bodies had
entangled in each other and radiated a scintillating
erotic aura all around. It was so full of energy and was
so intense and raw that it must have surely
embarrassed the cupid above.
They left each other only after they reached the
climax. They both took deep breaths and rested next
to each other while gazing at the ceiling above. There
was a pin-drop silence in the room. The bedsheet had
crumpled, and the cushions had fallen on the floor.
Their bodies were sweaty. Samaira’s makeup and
eyeliner smeared on her face. Veer’s hair had become
messy. Their bodies had slightly turned red and there
were love bites all around. Samaira got up and moved
on his body and rested her head on his chest. The
touch of her soft bare skin sent a lightening of
pleasure through his body. She rested for some time
in that position. Veer caressed her hair and moved his
other hand on her back.
“I am gonna miss this a lot” Samaira cried.
“Me too, but let’s just enjoy the moment” Veer
replied.
They remained silent for some time. “I can’t
fathom the fact that I am going away from you. We
have now reached a point where there is no barrier
between us, our comfort zones have vanished. I so
wish to stay back with you” she said.
Veer tickled her to shift her mood. She laughed
but the pain behind her laughter was evident. Veer
caressed her hair again and assured her that
everything will be fine. They laid on the bed for some
time and then got up to freshen themselves. They
again jumped on the bed and sat down, still naked.
“You must focus on your dream Samaira. You have
dreamt about this life even before I entered it. I don’t
want to be the reason that you backed out” Veer said.
Samaira started crying. The tears rolled like a
waterfall down her eyes. She hugged Veer and buried
her face on his chest.
“I know what you are saying and logically it’s the
only thing I must do. But my attachment has grown
deep. You are all over my mind 24x7. You know that
all my friends know about you. One of them even said
that I should marry you. This was the only reason I had
told you to be just friends before. I knew it would be
hardest for me to leave you” said Samaira.
“I know what you are going through. I have been
going through the same feeling for a few days. The
closer the date of your departure is arriving the more
my anxiety is building up. But I want to tell you one
thing straight and that is to make yourself your first
priority. Put me on a second position now. Think
about the satisfaction you’ll get after completing your
course. Think about the happiness of your parents.
The way they’ll be proud of their daughter, I cannot
even explain it in words” said Veer.
Samaira had no expressions on her face and was
lost in her thoughts. “Veer, when you say such things
it makes matters worse. Now I am absolutely in
favour of not going to New York. I don’t want to leave
you my pumpkin”
Veer laughed and kissed her. He hugged her again.
“You are so adorable my love. But trust me we’ll go
through the pain and come out victorious. I don’t
want to dig the past but when we were not on talking
terms for months, we became closer to each other
than ever before after that. And now we’ll be away
but this time it won’t be because of a fight or a
misunderstanding. It would be because of love and
that’s what makes a difference” said Veer.
Samaira became calm and looked at Veer without
any expressions on her face. “I wish I could see this
cute face of yours in New York,” she said.
Veer blushed and gently kissed her nose. “You
know, we must follow the law of detachment till we
are apart”
Samaira’s eyes sparkled. “You are right, how could
I forget about it”
“We both want to be with each other and have
been practising the law of attraction for some time
now. But the law of detachment goes hand in hand
with it. We are so clung to our desire that we have
forgotten that it will only delay it” Veer replied.
“Yes, I think I’ll have to follow it strictly. What is
meant to be, will be. And if we are to manifest about
being together then we will be together” said
Samaira.
“You know it that detachment doesn’t mean
giving up on our dreams it only means that we
acknowledge that everything will align because the
universe has our best interests at heart,” Veer said.
Samaira looked at Veer and nodded her head.
“This is so simple actually; I am making it complicated.
The only thing we must keep in mind is ‘Ask’ and
‘Receive’. The way I am thinking right now is just
creating a roadblock for the energy to flow freely”
replied Samaira.
“Not only you but my thinking is also creating
hindrances. We are just magnifying the fact that we
will not be together. And you know what the universe
does after that, it creates more ‘Lack’. We must
remember that one never asks for anything if one has
it. By asking repeatedly we are just showing how
impatient we are” said Veer.
“True that, actually we are setting a desire and are
obsessing over it, this shows that we don’t trust the
process, the universe. It’s like we are ordering our
favourite food in the restaurant and then cancelling
the order moments before it is about to be served to
us” said Samaira.
“Haha, perfect example” Veer chuckled.
“From now on let’s just feel good about being with
each other and also when we are not together,” she
said.
“Yes, and also I don’t think that our love is so
feeble that we’ll lose each other over time. That is not
gonna happen and I am so damn sure about it. Now
our presence has strengthened our love and our
absence will only sharpen it. Let’s say our love now is
a ‘normal but well-clicked photo’ and our long-
distance relationship is like ‘Photoshop’. It’s how we
handle it that will determine the future. If we set an
intention of being with each other forever and detach
ourselves from the desire, then this Photoshop will
enhance the quality of our photo. It will make it more
beautiful and desirable” said Veer.
There was a sense of satisfaction on Samaira’s
face. “You have made it so simple Veer. I love you to
the moon and back” said Samaira and pulled his
cheeks and kissed his forehead.
They got up from the bed and got dressed and
went to the kitchen. Veer’s mom had cooked food for
him for that day and had kept it in the fridge. Samaira
took out the boxes and transferred the food to a pan
to heat it. Veer arranged the table and after that he
went towards Samaira and hugged her from behind
and planted a kiss on her neck.
“So naughty you are Veer. ‘I’ll tell your mom to
school you again” she said while giggling.
“Haha, I challenge you to do this”
They burst out into laughter. After that they had
lunch and then watched a movie on his laptop while
cuddling. “I wish you could stay the whole night and
go tomorrow,” said Veer.
“I so want to, but my parents will grill me if I do it”
They continued watching the movie and then in
the evening went out to Shivaji Park for a walk.
Samaira left in the night around 9 PM. She texted him
when she reached home and sent him a selfie. Veer
edited the photo and put a small image of lips on her
cheeks and sent it back to her.
 CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The Last few

days
“Two weeks left for Samaira to leave” a message
popped up on Veer’s phone’s screen. It was a text
from Esha. Veer was flabbergasted on reading it. Esha
was the last person on earth from whom he would
have expected such a thing. He immediately texted
her back saying he was aware of it.
“What have you planned for her?” Esha texted
back.
“I am not sure about anything yet, I’ll come up
with something” Veer replied.
“Let’s have a farewell party for her, you, me, Priya
and Romit. We should make her last days in Mumbai
very special” she texted.
She also told Veer to keep it a secret so as to
surprise Samaira and make the moment special.
“Why don’t you take the initiative and tell others?”
texted Veer. Esha agreed to this and formed a new
WhatsApp group to include Romit and Priya.
They all decide to meet after two days in the
evening at a posh café in Bandra. Esha had asked Veer
to inform Samaira about the plan except for the fact
it was her farewell party and that others would also
join in. Veer texted Samaira and requested her to
cancel her prior engagements for the evening on that
day and instead meet him at the café. Samaira agreed
to it and expressed how happy she was to meet him
again. For the rest of the two days after making the
plan everyone was filled with excitement. Esha
planned on gifting her a greeting that had a collage of
their group photos. They also shot a video where
everyone was shown expressing their feelings about
Samaira and also expressing their gratitude. The two
days passed with a blink of an eye and the day of the
farewell party arrived. They had decided to meet at 6
PM, but Esha, Priya and Romit reached the venue
fifteen minutes earlier and sat in one remote corner
away from the entrance so that Samaira wouldn’t see
them.
After some time Esha got a text from Veer that
they were about to enter the café. Esha, Priya and
Romit looked at the entrance and as soon as Veer and
Samaira arrived they hid below the table and waited
for the two to take a seat. On settling down Veer
texted Esha again to come and surprise Samaira. Veer
engaged Samaira with his talks till others came in and
shocked her. Samaira was astonished. She was
shaking but also had a wide smile on her face. She
hugged them and then they all sat down. The
atmosphere had now become electrifying. Priya
asked Samaira to close her eyes for a moment. She
took out the greeting card and kept it in front Samaira
and then asked her again to open her eyes.
When Samaira opened her eyes, she saw the
greeting card and picked it up to read it. Tears rolled
down her eyes and her smile widened even further.
She was on cloud nine. She got up from her seat and
thanked everyone for this heart-touching gesture.
Then they showed her the video that they had
specially shot for her. She was so happy that the
happiness sparkled her eyes.
“Thank you so much for this everyone. I have no
words to express how happy I am” said Samaira.
They all partied and had a great time together.
They made plans for coming to New York to meet
Samaira and also go on a road trip throughout the
USA.
“The moment you step into New York head
straight to the Statue of Liberty and send me a live
video” Romit said while giggling.
Everybody laughed and agreed to what he said. “I
want to click pictures at the Times Square!!” Priya
exclaimed.
“Oh yes, I too want to do the same, I have seen it
in so many movies now that I am eagerly waiting to
visit that place,” said Esha.
“You all have to come now; I’ll be waiting for
everyone. Till then I’ll start making some
arrangements so that you all have a comfortable stay
at my place” said Samaira.
They talked for a while and danced a bit in one
corner where no one could see them. Samaira clicked
everyone’s photos on her Polaroid camera which she
had carried with her and requested everyone to sign
on their respective photos. Then they all left the café
with a smiling face and a mind full of memories.
The next day Veer texted everyone and thanked
them for their gesture. He also sent a personal
message to Esha. “Thank you so much for all this. You
are great!!” he texted.
 Esha immediately texted him back. “You are
welcomed but why are you being so formal?” she
asked.
“Well I am expressing my gratitude and also
frankly, I hadn’t expected this from you” Veer replied.
“Haha, I know what you mean but Samaira is a
wonderful person and I like her a lot. Though I was a
bit hesitant in the start but after knowing her on a
personal level I have grown fond of her. She’s a
keeper Veer. Don’t act stupid again and mess up with
her”
“I am not repeating my mistakes again. And I am
sure you will always be there to help me out” Veer
replied.
“I will be there no doubt about it. And also, I have
to say your choice is good”
“Haha, thank you, even you were my choice” he
texted and sent her a winking emoji.
“Lol, enough now and go back to work” Esha
replied.
After texting her Veer got back to giving final
touches to Samaira’s portrait. He had decided to gift
it to her when they would meet the next time.
“Which one should I buy, the blue or the black
one?” Samaira texted Veer one afternoon. Samaira
had gone shopping with her mom to buy some
clothes before leaving. She sent him two photos of
long-sleeved Chiffon shirts and asked him to choose
one. Veer was in a dilemma and found it difficult to
decide between the two shirts. Black was his
favourite colour, but Blue was Samaira’s favourite.
Veer thought for some time and then texted her.
 “Take the black one. That colour suits you” texted
Veer.
Samaira immediately called Veer. “I knew you
would choose black, that’s why I bought it before and
then texted you” she said.
Veer who was standing in front of the mirror
looked at his image and murmured “You are the
champ!!” and then replied to Samaira.
“Haha, you know me so well. I am glad you bought
the black one” he replied. They spoke for some time.
“Listen I’ll call you later in the evening, Mom has
come now. Bye, muahh!!” said Samaira and she cut
the call. Veer was delighted and he continued with his
work.
In the evening he went to his mom’s room and
called her out. He had made his mom’s favourite filter
coffee. They both sat down in the balcony and sipped
on the hot beverage.
“Mom, Samaira is going to New York next week,”
he said.
“Oh, that’s good, tell her that I congratulated her”
“Yes, definitely I’ll do that” replied Veer.
His mom took another sip of coffee and then
looked at him.
“Call her home once, I’ll cook something special,”
she said.
“Oh no mom I don’t think that is possible as she is
very busy with the preparations. Even we have hardly
met in a while”
He paused for some time and then looked at the
reddish-orange evening sky. He looked back at his
mom and tried to say something, but he hesitated.
“What is it Veer? his mom asked.
 “Ah… I don’t know how to say it”
“You don’t have to be shy; you can tell me. After
all I am your mother” she said.
“I like Samaira,” Veer said and immediately ran to
the kitchen to keep his coffee mug. His mom followed
him. She looked at Veer with a smile on her face.
“I knew it Veer; you think I don’t understand such
things?”
Veer was taken aback, “How do you know it?” he
questioned in curiosity.
“The way your face glows when you talk about
her. All our conversations on relationships especially
the one on the topic of long-distance relationship.
Then, also the way you are always glued to your
phone in the evening. All this makes it obvious” she
replied. Veer giggled and looked down in
embarrassment.
“You should give her a gift, something that will
always make her smile,” his mom said.
Veer told her that he had painted a portrait of
Samaira and had also written a poem for her. “That is
very thoughtful of you Veer. When are you giving it to
her? she asked.
I think I’ll give it to her at the airport right before
she leaves”
“You should have told me before, now I have very
less time to make some dry snacks for her. I think I’ll
make some Besan Ladoos and Chakli for her” his mom
said. Veer smiled and hugged his mom.
“You are the best,” he said and went back to his
room. He continued with his work for some time and
then called Romit.
“Hey Romit, how are you? he asked.
 “I am good bro, how about you?”
“I am good too. Actually, I have called you to tell
you that I told mom about me and Samaira”
“Oh, that is a very bold step, how did she react?
Romit asked.
“She was cool with it. In fact, she said that she had
a hint about it but was waiting for me to tell her”
“That is awesome. At least now you don’t have to
hide anything and can meet her without telling a lie
to your mom”
“You are right, I am meeting her day after
tomorrow”
After talking to Romit, Veer jumped on his bed and
opened his laptop. He logged into YouTube to check
out a new video on the law of attraction. Though he
was practical in his approach this time, but he was
also feeling the heat of being away from Samaira for
a very long time. He clicked on the video titled ‘how
to practice detachment’ and watched it carefully.
Though he knew many of the things shown in the
video, but he also came across some new information
which was extremely essential to practice
detachment fruitfully. He immediately shared the link
of the video with Samaira and texted her to check it
as soon as possible. After some time, he texted her
again.
“Let’s catch up on Friday”.
Samaira replied after some time “Sure, but I’ll only
be available in the evening”.
Veer was disappointed. “Can you meet me in the
afternoon at least? he asked.
There was no reply from Samaira. After about
twenty minutes she texted him back. “No problem, I’ll
meet you in the morning. I had made a checklist of all
the documents and wanted to arrange them in order
on Friday. But I’ll do it tomorrow. See you on Friday”
she texted.
Veer took a deep breath and smiled. He went out
to the balcony and looked at the sky and thanked the
universe.
On Friday he left his home early to meet Samaira.
While leaving his mom gave him two plastic boxes
filled up to the brim with Ladoos and Chakli. Veer also
took with him the portrait of Samaira. They met
directly at Marine drive at around 11:30 AM.
“What’s all this in your hand? questioned Samaira.
“Just wait, why are you so curious? Let me settle
down first” said Veer.
They sat down near the seafront. The weather was
pleasant, the clouds were dark and the wind was
gentle. “It’s already mid of October but it’s raining,”
said Samaira.
“It’s all because of climate change!!” Veer
exclaimed.
He then put down his bag and first too out the
boxes. “Take this Samaira and keep it in your bag.
These are some snacks that Mom has specially
prepared for you” he said.
Samaira was delighted. “She is so cool, I love her,
and the last time also she had made delicious food for
us. Thank her on my behalf. Wait give me her phone
number I’ll thank her myself” she said.
She kept the boxes in her bag and then asked him
what was in the handbag that he was carrying. Veer
kept mum for some time and asked Samaira to just
look at the vast sea and take a deep breath. He then
looked at her and grabbed her towards himself.
Samaira looked into his eyes and before Veer could
do anything, she kissed him passionately. They
continued this for some time and then backed off.
Veer removed the gift wrapping from the portrait and
handed it to Samaira. Her eyes became wide and her
face brightened.
“This looks so real!!! she shouted in joy.
She hugged Veer tightly and buried her face on his
chest and started crying. “I don’t know what to say
Veer. Again, I feel that I should stay here with you”
she cried.
Veer looked at her and kissed her forehead and
kept silent. After some time, he got up and stood in
front of her. “You know I’ll send you photos of the
marine drive every time I come here,” he said.
“I hope you do. Tell me one thing Veer, will you
date anyone after I am gone? she asked.
Veer was shocked, he had not anticipated such a
question. “Yes!!” he exclaimed. The teary eyes of
Samaira were suddenly filled with a subtle rage. She
looked at Veer with a grin on her face.
“I was just joking Samaira. Of course, not” Veer
said, and he pulled her cheeks. Samaira was relieved
and then she smiled. They got up and started walking.
“It just came to my mind, nothing else. I didn’t
mean to put you in a tough spot”
“It’s good that you asked me” Veer replied.
They walked for some time enjoying the cool
breeze and the sea waves. They went to Girgaum
Chowpatty and had a Pav bhaji and a Rabri Falooda.
“Let’s stroll on the beach barefoot,” said Samaira.
 Veer instantly agreed and then they both
removed their shoes and started walking. They
walked and walked on the beach aimlessly and then
headed towards Charni road Station to catch a train.
“Are we going home? Samaira asked.
“Oh no we’ll now go to Shivaji Park,” said Veer.
They reached the station in a few minutes and then
took a train to Dadar.
In the train. they talked about their friends and
family and other things in general. Throughout the
journey, they kept holding each other’s hand tightly.
They got down at Dadar station and walked towards
Shivaji Park. When they reached there it was already
2:30 PM. They sat down on an empty bench.
“I am an idiot” Veer shouted.
“Why are you saying this?” asked Samaira.
“I could have given you the portrait and the boxes
now also, why did I carry it all the way to Marine
Drive? I don’t know”
“Haha, it’s ok it happens Veer, in fact I loved it
when you gave me the gift there, Marine drive is one
of my favourite places,” she said while assuring Veer.
“Let’s go home and keep all this and come back
again,” said Veer.
“No, I am too tired. Let’s just sit here, I don’t mind
carrying it with me” replied Samaira.
They sat there for a while a just looked at the
people roaming around. They also gazed at the tall
buildings that had come up in and around the area.
“Veer, can I ask you something? questioned
Samaira.
“Sure, go ahead”
 “What if I date someone in New York? Will you
accept me after that? Veer was again taken aback. He
looked at Samaira with a confused expression.
“Well I ask you the same thing, will you accept
me? he counter questioned Samaira. She was silent.
“Ok, let’s answer it together, I mean let’s just send
the answer on WhatsApp. No need to even say it” said
Samaira.
They both took out their phones and typed the
answer and sent it. Their phones buzzed. They looked
at each other in anticipation and hurriedly checked
the answer. The expressions on their face had
vanished and they looked up in the sky with a blank
stare for some time and immediately hugged each
other. They both had answered a ‘Yes’.
“I knew it Veer, that’s why we are twin flames,”
shouted Samaira.
“I also knew it that you would say a yes” said Veer.
They looked into each other’s eyes for some time
and then they hugged again. “I am very sure we’ll not
give in to any temptation of any kind,” Veer said.
“I agree with you” Samaira replied.
“But do you think it is possible to not date anyone
for two years? Veer asked.
“I think it is possible but again it depends on us. It
is how well we carry ourselves through these
tumultuous times” she replied.
“It is tough, but I think I’ll manage. I don’t need
anyone now other than you in my life. We shouldn’t
even think about it because then we would constantly
remind our mind that we are missing a partner. This
will then take the form of a counter thought that will
trouble us a lot and force us to act the opposite of
what we want, that is lookout for new people” Veer
said.
“Yes, the more naturally we let the feelings pass
the better it would be for us. Creating any resistance
is the last thing we want now” said Samaira.
“I have been single for a year before meeting you
and also I have been single for a much longer time in
the past too, so I can manage it,” said Veer.
“Even I don’t need anybody to feel alive and
complete. I will manage to keep away from these
desires” said Samaira.
It was 5:30 PM and Veer and Samaira were seated
at the same place. They had talked continuously for
three hours. “Let’s leave now, we have to go our
favourite café in Bandra,” Veer said in excitement.
“Oh, let’s go fast I am hungry now” Samaira
replied.
They took a cab from Shivaji Park to reach Bandra.
In the cab, Samaira leaned her head on his shoulders
and Veer put his hand around her. Samaira had closed
her eyes and was trying to feel Veer’s presence
deeply. There was silence between the two. Veer
caressed her hair and then kissed on her forehead.
Samaira took a deep breath. She opened her eyes and
pulled Veer’s face towards her and kissed him deeply.
Their passionate kiss continued for over a minute
before the driver stopped the cab near the café. They
paid the driver and got down from the cab and went
inside.
They sat at Samaira’s favourite table and ordered
some coffee and two chicken burgers. Their order
arrived after some time and they pounced on it.
Relishing the lip-smacking food, they again got into a
conversation.
“Have you realised that since the morning we
have been to three different places.” Veer said.
“Oh yes, I was wondering why we did it and was
about to ask you”
“These three places have a significance in our
journey. Marine Drive is a place where we realized
that we were twin flames. Shivaji Park is a place
where we first realized that there was something
more than normal friendship between us. I mean we
knew it before also but at that place, it became very
evident. And then this café, the place where we first
met. I wanted to relive those moments with you. To
feel the exact emotions that I had felt for the first
time. All these places have now become significant
for me” said Veer.
Samaira was stunned and looked at Veer with
some kind of satisfaction on her face. “I am very lucky
to be with you and now I am a hundred per cent sure
that we can survive this storm,” said Samaira. They
then continued eating the burgers and gulping the
coffee.
“You know I had written a poem for you, in fact for
everyone when you all had come for the party. But
then I refrained from reciting it looking at the cold war
between you and Esha”
“It was an uncomfortable situation. In fact, even I
had lied during the game that I had only one
relationship before being with you. I thought that
others specifically Esha would judge me if I told them
the truth and then taunt you unnecessarily. First, I
had thought that she is a bit narrow-minded and
would pass comments on me, but I was so wrong. She
is a gem and I love her too. I regret thinking ill about
her” said Samaira.
Veer laughed out loud. “I should tell this to her,”
he said.
“Oh, please don’t do this. She’ll feel bad”
Veer assured her that he was just joking and
would not tell Esha anything. They discussed about
how they would find time to communicate with each
other in the future. “We’ll have a video call every
week and also I am gonna send you a selfie every day
for the next two years,” said Samaira.
“Oh yes, a video call every week and a selfie from
me too” replied Veer and they both giggled. It was 9
PM and Samaira’s mom called her to ask her as to
when would she return home. Veer and Samaira paid
the bill and left the café.
“Now my parents are not worried much even
though I am out the whole day, in fact, they
encourage me to meet my friends before I leave. But
mom keeps calling me just to check where I am” said
Samaira.
“That’s her love and care for you” replied Veer.
Veer then took out his phone and asked Samaira
to stand still for a moment and close her eyes. He
opened a word file to recite his poem.
You crossed my path at a time
When a new life was waiting to embrace you
Maybe this was a sign of a new journey with you
Maybe this was a test of patience that we had to
take
The reason for this is unknown but that is the
beauty of it
 To be with you is like being with myself
To know you is like knowing my soul
You are a mirror that reflects my true being
Even though sometimes my feet are dirty
You are a home that lets me be in
You have embraced me for who I am
And have loved me even when I was unable to
love myself
You are an answer to all my unanswered
questions
And a prayer that I say every night when
I want to be one with the universe.
Veer took a deep breath and looked at her.
Samaira was frozen. Tears rolled down her eyes
immediately. She hugged Veer and cried out loud.
“Promise me you’ll always be with me,” she said.
Veer kept his hand on her head and promised her
that he would always be with her. He then kissed her
and they continued walking. It had started to drizzle
now and they both started walking fast. For the first
time, Samaira invited Veer to accompany her to her
home.
When they reached her building, Samira told Veer
to wait and she picked up her phone and called
Kadambari to come out. After some time Kadambari
came out and then Samaira introduced them both.
“So happy to meet you finally,” said Veer.
“I am also happy to have met you” replied
Kadambari. The three of them talked for a while and
then Samaira and Kadambari went inside the building.
Veer took a cab and went home.
 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Bid Adieu
The WhatsApp group that they had formed for the
house party had become active again. Esha had put a
countdown and would text the number of days
remaining for Samaira to go. “Two days to go” She
texted in the morning. Veer was the first one to see
the message. As soon as he saw the message, he
called Samaira but she did not answer the call.
Instead, she sent him a text message.
“Be ready for a video call in the night. I have
something special for you” she texted and then sent
him a selfie.
“Why can’t we talk now, I am missing you a lot”
replied Veer.
"I have to check all the documents now and then
go to my granny’s place to meet her. Some of my
relatives are also coming in the evening to meet me.
Super busy day. Even I am missing you a lot” she
replied.
Veer was disappointed but also happy as it was
the first time, they both were having a chat on a video
call. Veer continued with his work the whole day. In
the afternoon he took a nap for an hour and in the
evening, he went to the beach to enjoy the sunset.
While coming home he called Priya and talked to her
for an hour explaining his angst. Priya gave in her
inputs and assured him that everything would be ok.
Veer was in a dual state of mind. His happiness and
sorrow played a Tug-o-war with each other with
Veer’s mind tied in between. His mind would shift
towards happiness and in seconds move towards
sorrow. This continued for a long time. He came back
home, freshened up and went straight to his mom’s
room to talk to her. When he saw his mom, he hugged
her and then kept his head on her lap and asked her
to massage his head gently. He kept silent for some
time and then got up and looked at her. His eyes had
become moist and he was on the verge of shedding
tears.
“Mom, I am already missing Samaira” he said in a
low voice.
His mom just looked at him without saying a word.
She raised her hands and pulled his cheeks.
“This is a normal feeling Veer; you have to deal
with it”
“I had never thought that I would ever cry for
someone,” said Veer.
“It’s normal to cry, don’t take it as a sign of
weakness. It only shows that your feelings for Samaira
are true. You will have to become mentally stronger
because that’s the only way you both can go through
the phase of being in a long-distance relationship”
Veer nodded and then again kept his head on her
lap for some time.
In the night Veer got ready for a video call with
Samaira. His phone buzzed. It was a text from
Samaira. “11:11” she texted. Veer too texted the
same. After about a minute she called him. Veer
plugged in the earphones and picked the call and
looked at the screen. They greeted each other and
talked for some time about how their day was and
what all exciting happened during that time.
 “Veer, I have something special for you,” she said.
“I am excited since the morning Samaira” Veer
replied.
She then adjusted her phone in such a way that a
wider picture could be seen. She took out a deck of
cards and then shuffled it and spread it on the table.
“Veer, today we are having a tarot reading
session. I wanted to have this before, but it got
delayed all the time”
She explained to him the rules and asked him to
focus on a question while picking up three random
cards. “This is a 3-card reading which shows you the
past, present and future. So now focus on the
question and say loudly the position of the cards so
that I can pick them up” she said.
Veer told Samaira the positions of the three cards
and glued himself to the screen in anticipation. “I
have focused on my love life,” he said.
Samaira looked at him and smiled and then began
turning the cards. “Are you ready for the reading?”
she asked. Veer said yes.
“The first card depicts the past,” she said and
turned the card. “This card is known as the
Judgement. The image in the Judgement card shows
women, men, and children who are rising from the
grave to respond to Angel Gabriel’s trumpet call. This
shows that your past actions and their consequences,
whether good or bad, are catching up with you now.
If you’ve made mistakes in the past, use the lessons
you’ve learned to make changes for your future. It
also shows renewal of love and making adjustments
in a relationship.
 She turned the second card. “This card depicts the
present and the card is called as ‘The Lovers’. In this
card the man and woman are in the Garden of Eden,
they are shown to be happy. The fruit tree with the
snake behind the woman is a reference to that story,
which tells of humanity’s fall into temptation and into
the realm of flesh and sensuality. The angel shown is
Raphael. I’ll not get into much details and directly tell
you what it means. This card means that in the
present there is a wonderful cohesiveness and
balance of forces and you are with someone with
complementary energies. It also shows a loving and
supportive relationship. It also tells that you have to
make a few choices and sacrifices for the
relationship”
Veer was stunned. He called out Samaira and they
both looked at their respective phone screens.
“This is so true” Veer shouted.
“Indeed, but let’s wait for the third card that will
depict the future,” she said, and she turned the third
card. “This card is known as the ‘Star’. It shows a
naked woman kneeling by the water with one foot in
the water, and the other, on the land. Above her
head, a star shines out. That star is surrounded by
seven smaller stars. In each hand she holds a jug, from
one jug she pours a liquid into the water and from the
other jug she pours a liquid onto the land. The seven
stars represent the chakras and the one above her
head represents her core essence. This shows that
your future is full of hope and optimism in love and
romance. It also tells you to have faith as the universe
will bless you and fulfil all your dreams” said Samaira
and took a deep breath.
 She then brought the phone closer to her and
waved at Veer. “This is unbelievable Veer,” she said in
disbelief.
“I am literally shaking right now. I cannot believe
my eyes and ears. How can this be so accurate? Is it
the same all the time I mean the accuracy?” Veer
asked.
“See Veer, these are just readings. We should just
take them as a guideline and use it whenever
necessary. I don’t claim that they are always true” she
replied.
“But I think in my case they are true”
“Yes, I think this is a sign from the universe that
everything is going to align in our favour and that we
just need to have faith,” said Samaira.
They had a chat for a while on this. Samaira
further explained to him in detail about these cards
and also told him about the reversed meaning of
these cards.
“I am very sleepy now pumpkin,” she said and
then kissed the screen. She wished him good night
and waved at the screen. Veer too did the same.
“One day to go” Esha texted on the group in the
morning. Again, the group became active and
everyone posted their messages. They shared memes
and some other funny messages to cheer up Samaira
and help her to get over the anxiety. Veer texted
Samaira and asked her to meet him in the evening but
she said that she couldn’t meet him because many
relatives had come to her house and would be staying
overnight. Veer was again disappointed but decided
to let go of this feeling and engrossed himself in work.
He worked continuously for three hours without
getting up and then directly jumped on the bed and
took a nap.
He woke up in the evening after a long two hours
of sleep. His head started spinning and he felt uneasy.
He immediately went to the washroom and splashed
some water on his face and rushed to the kitchen to
make some coffee. He went to his mom’s room and
called her out to join him. They both enjoyed their
evening coffee time and after some time Veer rushed
out of the house.
“Hi Samaira, what are you doing” he said. Veer
texted Samaira after a few minutes of leaving his
house.
“I am just sitting here with my relatives listening
to their advice” she replied.
“Ok, now just come to your balcony. I am standing
in front of your building”
Samaira jumped up from her seat and rushed to
the balcony and started searching for Veer. Veer
waved from the other side of the road. Samaira had
tears in her eyes and she immediately called him.
“Veer this is so romantic, I mean I am gonna just
sit and cry after this. I love you"
“I love you too. I know you cannot come down
because of your relatives and I am ok with it. I just
wanted to see you one last time before you leave”
There was an eerie silence for some time. “What
do you mean by ‘the last time?” she questioned.
“I won’t be coming tomorrow to the airport to see
you off” he replied.
Samaira looked at Veer without saying anything.
Her phone was still in her hands but she was frozen.
Tears rolled down her eyes. She realized the meaning
of what Veer had said.
“I know what you mean by it now. Even I won’t be
able to say goodbye and leave you. That is the hardest
thing for me to do. If you were there tomorrow, then
I would have definitely changed my mind and would
have stayed back. I can’t see your cute face just
before I leave and not want to kiss it. I love you
pumpkin. Please accept my apology. I am sorry for not
coming down to meet you” she said while sobbing.
“I accept it. I love you too” Veer said and he waved
and walked away.
“It is the Day!!! Esha texted on the group in the
morning. Romit and Priya followed her. They all
thanked Samaira for all the time they spent and
wished her luck for her future. Then Esha posted all
the photos on the group that she had clicked on her
phone. Priya and Romit enquired about her flight
details and then everyone instructed her about the
do’s and don’ts to be followed while travelling.
Samaira thanked everyone and expressed how happy
she was to have met them all. Veer, on the other
hand, was silent, he just read all the messages and
then put his phone down. Samaira’s scheduled
departure was at 9:30 PM and her check-in time was
3 hours before that.
It was 7PM and the sky had turned pale with the
hues of orange across the horizon. Veer freshened up
and opened his cupboard and went through a heap of
clothes before he took out his favourite black
coloured T-shirt and rugged blue jeans. He got
dressed, sprayed on his favourite perfume and got
out of his room. He informed his mom that he was
going out and before she could ask him anything, he
slammed the main door. He took a cab and went to
the café where he had first met Samaira.
He entered the cafe and as he walked in he could
feel Samaira walking along with him, holding his hand.
He waited for sometime and then sat down at her
favourite table and placed his order. He took out his
phone from the pocket and kept it on the table. He
looked around all over the café and took a deep
breath. He was calm and his face had a big wide smile
on it. The waiter came in with his order and kept it on
the table. Veer picked up his phone and clicked a
photo of the food and decided to send it to Samaira.
He sent her the photo and kept his phone down but it
buzzed immediately. He picked it up again to check
who had sent him a message. It was from Samaira.
She too had sent him a photo of what she had ordered
to eat and had written that she was in the cafeteria of
the airport and had finished with the formalities some
time back.
When Veer checked the photo, he jumped up on
his seat. His lips got widened and his eyes sparkled.
Samaira had ordered a Tiramisu and an Americano.
Veer blushed and started relishing the food he had
ordered. Meanwhile, at the airport, Samaira had
jumped up on her seat the moment she saw the
photo sent by Veer. He had ordered a Chocolate Tart
topped with strawberries and a Cappuccino. She
blushed continuously while enjoying her food. Both
Veer and Samaira had aligned with each other and
had ordered each other’s favourite food. This was one
of the signs of them being twin flames.
 While eating Veer looked at the couple that had
sat down next to his table. He observed them for
some time and thought of the day he had met
Samaira. The couple started talking, it was loud
enough for Veer to hear it.
“I am so happy to meet you finally,” the boy said.
“Me too, I cannot believe that I am on a date with
someone I met on a dating app,” said the girl.
Veer was stunned again. The couple had met
through the same dating app on which he had met
Samaira. He looked at them and smiled. The couple
smiled back and continued with their conversation.
Suddenly a song started playing in the café. It was a
song named ‘Let her Go’ by Passenger. He
immediately picked up his phone and started typing a
message with the verse “only know you love her
when you let her go” playing in the background. He
sent Samaira the text but there was no blue tick on it.
He paid the bill and went towards the couple sitting
next to him. He apologised for eavesdropping and
then congratulated them for being on a date and then
left.
On the other hand, Samaira had entered the
aeroplane and took her seat, kept her luggage in the
space provided above and settled down. She took out
her phone to switch it off but saw a notification of a
message. She opened the message; it was from Veer.
“And ever has it been known that love knows not
its own depth until the hour of separation”- Khalil
Gibran, he had texted. There was also the lyrics of the
song by Passenger. Samaira wiped the tears off her
eyes and switched off her phone and then fastened
her seat belts and closed her eyes. Her plane took off
after some time.
Veer reached home at around 10:30 PM and went
straight to his room. He freshened up and jumped on
his bed and dozed off. He got up before sunrise and
freshened up immediately, went near the cupboard
and took out his diary from the top shelf. He sat down
on the chair and took a deep breath and started
writing. “I am holding Samaira’s hand and walking in
a park in New York”.