Here is a love story, for the romantics (like me)
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Devika woke up, lazily stretching herself and turning off the buzzing alarm. Seema and she were supposed to drive to the airport in Seema’s car to receive Hemant. Seema had met Hemant on an internet chat website and the two had exchanged views on several topics and their hobbies. Both shared a deep interest in gazals and that was how their e-friendship had flourished to the point of exchanging photos and deciding to meet.

Seema had gone to ‘Beauty Shots’, a chic studio that produced the kind of photos that budding starlets and models use for their portfolios. Seema, a student, had shelled out a significant amount of money to get the ‘right’ photos and sent those to Hemant. Hemant had sent his photo and all the girls had laughed and talked excitedly over his handsome features. He looked terribly boyish and sporty. Devika had not been envious of her friend at all but was hesitant to be part of this scheme. “Are you sure you want me to come go the airport with you?” she had asked Seema. But Seema had insisted.

Seema flitted around in the kitchen, trying to make bhindi, navratan korma and a sweet dish. “Really Seema! I don’t think he expects all this of you! Atleast not in the first meeting”, Devika had remarked before going for a long, hot bath. After the shower, she went to her room and dressed lazily, putting on the sleeveless violet frock with a white belt that made her look all childish, according to her friends. She combed her curly hair and put a butterfly pin on each side. Absentmindedly, she had been dusting some talcum powder down the neckline of the frock when she heard a scream. Startled, she dropped the talc and rushed over to the kitchen. Seema was wailing over the outcome of her ‘cooking’ experiment. The bhindi looked soggy and unappetizing and the cream in the korma had burnt, setting off a horrible odor in the tiny kitchen.

Seema dialled a number on the phone. “Hello….Anish! Please, please do me a favour. Kindly get me a tin of Navratan korma and a Tasty-Bite Bhindi Masala from Kakaji’s store! Please! And tell Nita to empty the contents out into two bowls and keep them in the oven.” Seema had been acting so nervous all day that Devika feared for her room-mate’s well-being. Seema went to take a shower and then put on an elaborate ghagra-choli and went on to put layers of foundation, mascara and lipstick on her face. “Devika, I hope you are going to change into something decent. And for God’s sake, do put on some lipstick!” Devika shrugged her shoulders and said, “Hey! He is coming to see you – not me! And MY guy should like me for what I am!” Devika had a strong desire to tell Seema that she looked all overdressed and perhaps it would be a good idea to tone down her appearance a bit, but she kept mum, thinking it would anger Seema.

The drive to the airport was pleasant. It was a bright, sunny day and Devika was glad she was not overdressed. At the airport, Seema seemed a bundle of nerves. On seeing Hemant, she rushed forward to greet him. Hemant was a tall guy, dressed in a simple t-shirt and cargo pants. With his closely cut hair and clean-shaven looks, he looked very much a boy than a man. However, once he started talking, they both could sense that he seemed very mature and yet very forthright. “Welcome to Indiana, Hemant! How are you?” Seema was talking non-stop and in her fervor, had forgotten to introduce Devika. “Hello! My name is Hemant!” he said, offering his hand to Devika as well. He declined the offer to sit in the front-seat of the car and insisted that the two girls should sit there and he would take the back-seat.

At the house, Nita had obeyed Seema’s instructions and the food was in bowls in the oven, ready to be consumed. Devika went to the bathroom to freshen up for lunch when she overheard Seema tell Hemant that she had prepared all the food herself. Devika could not believe that Seema had lied but kept quiet and prayed that things would work out between the two. Hemant appreciated the lunch, but ate very little. After lunch, Seema offered to take him around the campus for a walk. “Sure! Let’s all go!” he said, looking at Devika. Confused, Devika looked at Seema. Seema was trying to signal her with her eyes to refuse. Devika declined the offer saying that she had some assignments to complete. 

The afternoon was quiet and while reading her notes, Devika dozed off on the living room sofa. It was already dark when she woke up with a start. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at Hemant, who was steadily looking at her, a strange look in his eyes. Seema seemed to be in the other room. A bit embarrassed, Devika got up from the sofa. A bit self-conscious, she patted her hair and clipped the pins back on. She heard the sound of footsteps and saw Seema coming out from the other room. “Good-evening, Devika!” Hemant said, thrown out of his trance. “Seema and I are going for bowling. Would you like to come?” Devika was about to think of an excuse when he exclaimed, “Come on! Don’t refuse all the time!”

This was not going in the right direction, Devika thought. She went to the bedroom to change into her favourite blue jeans and white shirt and put white bowtie pins on her hair. They were waiting for her. Seema was dressed in a beige skorts and a halter-neck top. “Let’s go” Devika said, putting on her shoes. Hemant was eying her with appreciation and she found it difficult to look at him. I have not done anything to entice him, so I should not worry, she told herself. It was almost as if Seema was crying for his attention, by wearing the daring halter top and short skorts and yet he had eyes only for Devika.

The bowling trip was a disaster. Hemant praised Devika’s bowling skills and politely ignored Seema’s bowling – all her hits seemed to be going into the gutter, perhaps out of nervousness. Seema noticed that while at the table to have pizza and coke, Hemant quickly pulled up a chair for Devika and then sat next to her. One of the guys at the neighbouring alley was acting a bit rowdy and almost fell over Devika, who was trying to bowl at that time. Hemant was ready to go over and rebuke the guy and it took the combined efforts of Seema and Devika to calm him down. The drive back home was silent. Devika had not forgotten the look in Hemant’s eyes, earlier in the evening when she had woken up. Now she wondered if she had blushed then. Even now, thinking about that made her feel like her ears were getting red. Luckily it was dark and no one noticed. Hemant had offered to sleep at a hotel but Seema insisted that he should sleep at their place, in the living room.

The next day, Devika was up early and she tiptoed to the living room to check on Hemant - he was still sleeping. She had planned to spend all day at college today, on pretext of completing an assignment. After a bath, she changed into a yellow skirt and white top and after taking her books, went to the apartment door, when she saw Hemant standing near the entrance, his hair all disheveled and dressed in his pajamas.

“Devika! Please do not go to college today. Don’t leave me alone with Seema here!” he whispered. Devika was shocked. “I thought you liked her and that was the reason for your visit!” she said. “Yes, I liked her in the virtual world but after seeing her in person, she seems so assertive.” he said. “Please Hemant! Seema wanted to spend time with you alone. I am leaving for college. I have a busy day today!” she said and quickly left the apartment.

The day was busy indeed and she completely forgot about Hemant and Seema. She returned home in the evening, tired and feeling a bit weak since she had just had a small salad at the cafeteria. She opened the apartment door, thinking the pair would be out. Gloomy silence awaited her. Seema looked like she had been crying, her makeup ruined. Hemant was quietly humming to the ghazal being played on the disc-player. “Hello Devika!” he said, his face brightening up on seeing her. “Do you want me to make some tea for you?” he asked her. She flushed and said that she would make some for herself and asked Seema and him if they wanted any. Seema looked at her angrily and left the room.

“I want some, please! You sit down. I will make the tea!” Hemant persuaded her, ignoring Seema. Devika was too scared to ask about Seema and Seema had refused to open the bedroom door, shutting herself in. While having tea, she asked Hemant what the matter was. He sputtered out the day’s events, angrily. “We had gone to Seema’s Aunt’s place and you know what Aunt asked us? So when is the wedding? Can you believe it? I just do not know how Seema can tell the whole world about such a private thing, especially when we have only just met! We stopped talking after returning from her Aunt’s except that I told her that there was going to be no marriage.”

Devika listened quietly, feeling like a conspirator towards her own friend. But her friend was at fault. She had overdone everything, acted fake about certain things like the food.

“Come on! Let us go buy some food. We need to prepare dinner! Do you ladies always live so carelessly?” he said to Devika. Yes, she was very hungry, almost on the verge of collapsing and needed to make dinner. “I will drive”, he told her. They bought some groceries and then got into the car. She was too engrossed to notice that Hemant was driving towards the park. “Where are we going?” she asked. “Oh…just a drive. I want to see the campus one more time and I wanted to talk to you about something.” he said.

At the park, he took her hands in his and said, “Devika, let me be very honest. At first, I looked upon you to accompany me and Seema everywhere, as a diversion from Seema – so that I would not be alone with her. But later I realized I like you. I liked your simple ways, right from the first time I saw you in that violet frock and those funny pins!” While saying this, he brushed an errant wisp of hair from her forehead. “Please say yes! I want to marry you, not Seema!”

The setting in the park was beautiful; the air fragrant with the pine trees around them and with a start, Devika remembered the date – 14^th of February - Valentine’s Day! Seema had overwhelmed Hemant with too much obsequiousness and attention. To herself, Devika admitted she liked Hemant. The bigger question was of deceiving her friend. Yes, all was fair in love and war.

She could feel sorrow for Seema and joy that there was someone who wanted her, loved her. The human mind can be strange, she thought. Am I being selfish? Who knows, given Seema’s frivolous ways, she would soon find a new guy and forget Hemant. Yes! This was the right decision. Time would heal Seema’s wounds and also show the way to Hemant and Devika. She told her decision to Hemant – They would have to wait for a year or two.

Before she could think straight, she found herself in Hemant’s arms. It seemed like a homecoming, being ensconced in those steady arms. Suddenly, everything seemed so right. Sitting there in the dark, listening to the crickets chirping, they talked about poetry, music, places. The next day, Hemant had returned back home to Oregon and Seema’s healing process had started – in an odd way, with a vengeance. Her ego hurt, she had found new boyfriends, saying that Hemant was not her type. That it had all been a mistake.

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Devika finished typing her love-story in the private diary she kept and with some difficulty, got up to make coffee. Hemant must be sleeping yet and forgotten, she thought. They had to go to the lamaze classes. Lamaze classes! She laughed. She had read somewhere that one reason for Lamaze classes was to increase closeness between the wife and husband to prepare them both for the pregnancy. Hemant and she were already so close that Hemant seemed to experience everything she did, during her pregnancy.

Time had been kind to all of them – Hemant and Devika had patiently waited the two years and then gotten married on Valentine’s Day to commemorate their first meeting. They had realized that it had been love at first sight after all, a dream come true. Seema had gotten married to a rich man seven years elder to her, who was well settled in life and the son of a family friend of her Daddy’s. Everything had worked out fine for everyone and Devika was living life as each day came – with Hemant, preparing for the little one.