Love at First Smile
The first time I met her was when she insisted on tagging along with Suraj and came to my ancestral home. The house was a part of me that I’d like to forget, too many memories. The place where I grew up, amidst laughter and love, no more held those beautiful emotions, but instead I’d come to dread my annual visits here; especially on my birthday. My grandparents and parents who doted on me, had a family ritual of celebrating birthdays in this home; away from the craze of the city amidst the peace and calm. The home overlooked a beautiful lake, the same one which was responsible for the tragic boat accident, where all of my loved ones perished. Any semblance of my previous life I had, just vanished. My birthday, I started to dread, rather hate for the lack of a better word; till the day I first met her.
***
Suraj and she were like a pair of kittens, fighting and teasing each other all day long. How do I know? Had heard about it endlessly from him, and then witnessed it firsthand on my birthday.
She insisted on going with Suraj to wherever he would go. His parents as always relented to her tears that day as well and made her tag along with Suraj to my ancestral home. I had formed an image of her with Suraj’s here say, but nothing had prepared me for her when I came face to face for the first time.
She was a petite 14 year old, with golden brown waist-length hair and the most beautiful doe- shaped eyes I’d ever seen. She looked mesmerized since the time she stepped out of the car.
“Bhaiyya, this place is so beautiful. Your friend is so lucky to own it and imagine celebrating a birthday here. Wow!” she said to Suraj who in turn tapped her on her head and said, “Like how many places have you been to barring home and school? You better behave yourself here, he is my best friend and I don’t want him to have second thoughts on our friendship because of your crazy antics.”
I was the only living heir of the ‘Khanna Group of Companies’ and would be officially declared Director at the next board meeting, when I turned 18. Suraj came from humble beginnings, what he lacked in his lifestyle his character made up for it. He was one of my most loyal and selfless friends.
Suraj put forward in front of me a cake; a chocolate one which I later learned was chosen by her as it was her favourite, soft drinks and chips he brought and asked me to cut the cake. Just as I bent to blow out the candles, my mind filled with images of my grandparents and parents, I heard a moaning sound. When I opened my eyes, I could see her licking the cream from the cake with her fingers, her eyes shut and her lips parted in the said moan. I, who hadn’t even cut the cake, couldn’t help myself from bursting into laughter, seeing the sight in front of me.
I was clueless when she appeared in front of me, standing on tiptoes, with an empty bowl(as crockery was limited in the now empty house) and pleaded with me for a piece of the cake when I heard the biggest roar of laughter and the accompanying flash of a camera. Suraj held his stomach and broke into squeals of laughter. He brought his mobile in front of my face and showed me the picture he took. Just as she appeared disgusted with her brother’s antics, and looked at me for solace, I doubled up laughing uncontrollably. So much so that, my stomach hurt and my eyes started watering. Irritated she snatched the phone from Suraj’s hand and watched in horror the photo of her that Suraj had clicked.
In the background of the picture, just behind her was a photo frame on the wall with a girl looking up, holding a bowl in her hand appearing to beg, just like she looked at that captured moment. Talk about art imitating reality.
Don’t know about her, but for me, it was the first time since the accident that I had laughed so heartily and when I clutching my stomach happen to lock eyes with her, she gave me the widest and brightest smile. A smile that said, all your loneliness is now a thing of the past, you have me now; forever.
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