The Perfect Evening

The Perfect Evening

It was dusk, the sky was wrapped in a red cloak, threw the pale light on the small buildings in that old street. Dinshaw street he had told her. He looked around, there were countless cars and bikes parked on the sides of the street making it difficult for the people to walk. People rushed around pushing each other while Prashay standing in between. The scene seemed like the opening scene of an Eighties movie, " In the middle of the hustle and bustle of a city, Our Hero, standing apart". He stood still for about ten minutes at the stop. 

It was exact after the tenth minute when Pia appeared. The air was hot and her dress showed more than it hid. She had the most charming smile he had ever seen. Small dimples above the mouth, infinitely deep black eyes, long black hairs and smooth red cheeks. They both stared each other for few minutes,  which seemed like hours to him. She finally broke the silence. "Hello Prashay!" She said, her tender, bright and pleasant voice drove a pleasant shiver through Prashay's skin.

For a year Prashay had tried to contact Pia, but he never had the courage to do so. They had seen each other many times in the college but never spoke. Prashay was appeased that their eyes would meet. Eventually, he decided to write her, a short story in a letter. And so it began, their exchange of words for the first time in three years.

He wrote, a story of a young couple, both in love, but afraid to speak. Nicely concealed, in a pink envelope and placed it on her bench. To Pia... From Prashay...

The next day, he found a blue envelope on his bench. She had replied to his letter, "I liked the story. Is is about us? Am I right? Do you feel like that we should meet? I want to meet you."

Of course he wanted to meet her. But the next day, instead of just walking to her, he decided out of sheer shyness to write back.

"If I can not say anything, then I write it down. Words can change the world, you know? Of course I want to see you, necessarily, as often as possible and more often! But not in college, I want a romantic meal for two of us with candles, wine and all the trimmings. If you still want to, just tell me when I can invite you?"

It was followed by numerous letters. Many weeks passed, finally, they could no longer talk through letters. They saw each other almost every day at school, and yet they were completely alien. So finally, he invited her to meet him.

Now, for the first time in his life courage took Prashay. It was the absolute high point of his career as a Casanova, he looked at his dream woman and talked. The ice was finally broken. "Hello!"

Prashay could not get more words out from his mouth. He was really very shy. They were still, staring into each others eyes in that busy area, but the people around them were jumping out of time. Fast and Furious, as Mumbai always is, but all had lost significance, it was quiet for them, no noise from cars, no people shouting and running, no more.

"So where are you taking me Prashay?" Pia spoke as Prashay fell in loss of words. "Its a surprise," he replied. "You are looking beautiful," he said immediately and stopped the years of silence. He had never spoken to a girl before but now everything changed. From then on, there was a girl with whom he could  talk, share everything. Every smile, every tear, every problem and every word.

They walked across the road, now illuminated by street lights. The moonlight night decorated their path. It led straight to the place he had chosen, 'Relish'.

Everything was set. He escorted her to the table and pulled out a chair for her. She sat. Perfect! As he had planned.

"It's nice here, you look more beautiful in the light of the candle." Prashay whispered in a trembling voice in the bright candle that stood on the wooden table. He was not lying. She fascinated him, kept his eyes tightly to her, and she smiled like never before.

Hours passed, as they spoke. Prashay could listen to her endlessly, it seemed. Finally she asked him why he had just invited her and not any other girl. He was now afraid, and could not answer her. He could not reveal his innermost feelings, then he would feel naked. But it was the right time, he knew that.

"There is only one reason. I love you. I love you for an eternity. Long ago I was inwardly withered without you. All my life I waited for a girl of your degree and now you're sitting here across me. We talk as if we have thousand years of silence behind us, I open my heart to you, a new experience. You are the rose that blooms in the winter. You are elegant, warm and sexy like fire. I can now no longer imagine that 20 years of my life I had never seen you. You wake the poetry in me. You are the engine that drives me to college every morning just to get a glance of your beauty, your eyes. I adore you."

At the same moment Pia lost a tear. Prashay could feel his heart beating.  He felt the famous butterflies in his stomach, which he always felt when he saw Pia. He would have preferred her arms around his arms, and would have kissed her intimately. Just as it always looks in the movies, when the Hero proposes. He could barely keep himself, wanting to hug and embrace her but instead he wiped the tears from her face. He wondered if perhaps he had told too much and shared too many feelings.

He asked Pia,"Do you love me?" But, before she could answer this question, he woke up, however, in his hand he held a slip of paper. He read a few words and realised it was the short story that he wanted to give in Pia in college tomorrow.