A (somewhat) Happy/ unhappy love story......Dare to love??....!

....Part 5...contd....from Sept 3rd post

Have y'all ever made that one exquisite dish that when you taste it the first day, you think...Hmm, that tastes good; but it actually tastes better the next day and EVEN better the day after?

If you are one of those lucky ones to have met your 'special' someone, second dates are kinda like that amazing dish I was referring to.

It could NOT get worse.

In fact, it only gets better.

And so with the third.

And the fourth.

And so on......

Here I was enthralled, reminiscing on the moments of my 'amazing' first date. Little did I expect my second date with Mr A to be 'epic'. Honestly, I wasn't even sure what to expect on our second date. But one thing was evident...I was starting to let my guard down. And with every subsequent meeting and the more time Mr A and I spent together, that 'ice-wall' that I normally had around me, started chipping away......inch by inch.

Yeah, first impressions matter, but the second date is the true test of chemistry.

Well, I'm not going to detail out every single date that Mr A and I had during our 72 days together in Dubai, although I remember most of them quite distinctly.

But I will say this - on our second date, he took me to a place which, by natural instincts, I have always been immensely attracted to right from my childhood days; or rather, for as long as I could remember. And not because, it had this captivating serene beauty, with the power to bind one's soul. Or the fact that the scintillating sound of quiet waves with the most brilliant hue of blue, could leave someone mesmerized. But just the fact that it's simple, natural beauty constantly appealed to me. As if, 'something' was always calling out to me from here.

To be more geographically precise, it was an attractive, bustling sandy expanse known for its stunning views of the Burj Al Arab in close proximity.

Yes! it was the beach. In fact, it was the Umm Suqeim Beach or the Sunset Beach in Jumeirah, as most tourists would know of it.

As evident from it's name, some of the most amazing views of the the sunset can be experienced at this beach. Although, it is a free public beach open 24 hours a day, there was a small private portion of the beach, that not very many people knew about in those days. So at almost any time of the day, one would come across only a handful of people at that side of the beach. Mr A chanced upon it during his early days in Dubai and would go there, often by himself, just to chill or walk. This beach was 'his place'. 'His zone of quiet reminiscing. Well.... that was until I walked into his life.

An interesting element about men - when a guy wants to express himself, he doesn't use words. He will not tell you words he thinks you will like to hear. He’s smart enough to know that words are cheap. But his actions will show you how much he cares, how much he likes you dearly. He will not save you like society conditions him to do because he will see that you’re strong enough to save yourself. He will admire your strengths and never once be intimidated by them. And that will be the moment when you will let a guy shine on you. Not because you need him, but because he makes you feel good. He recognizes that you're a human being who's heart has so much love to give, and a guy will be grateful enough to receive some of them. Because to him, coming across someone like you is the best thing that has happened in his life. And he will be a fool to let you slip away.

As the days went by, it became evident to me, that Mr A wanted me to be part of 'this place' he had found. He didn't say much; comparatively between the two of us, I was the talker. But his actions always spoke louder than his words. The beach had eventually become 'our place'. In fact it would hold a special place in my heart...for one reason, which I will allude to later.

Back to our second date, we had agreed to meet around 4:30 pm that day, since Mr A usually wraps up work by 4 pm. After a quick change and freshen up, he picked me up and we drove out to Jumeirah. Unlike the prior day, I was a bit more relaxed now. I threw on a pair of jeans, a mauve-shaded top and a pair of platform heels. Y'all must be wondering ....Wait, heels at the beach??? What's wrong with you? Trust me, I had no idea we were headed to the beach at that point of time. This was another one of Mr A's surprises. He always LOVED giving me surprises in the most unexpected manner and times. Whether it was in some form of gesture or a place he was taking me to and so on. They were never really big, out-of-the-world, expensive surprises.....more like tiny, bite-sized, sweet, unpredictable gestures and moments. Had I known I was going to the beach that day, I would have opted for a completely different attire ....not beach wear per say, but perhaps something more casual like shorts and T-shirt.

On our way there, we stopped to pick up some water from a ShopMart or a Kmart of some kind, since the summer heat lingered on strongly into the late afternoons during those days. I asked Mr A where we were going, out of curiosity. He actually did not gave me an answer, until we got there. All he said was "You'll see". We reached our destination, parked and got out of the car. I was instantly blown away by the scenery unfolding in front of my eyes....the color of the sea, the Burj by the rocks, the beautiful shades in the sky from the afternoon sun. It was breathtaking!!!. How could I have NOT known about this place, I wondered.

We just stood, taking in the view, for a few minutes. Then, Mr A grabbed the water in one hand, took my hand in the other and asked me to take off my sandals before we walked. I looked at him, frowning and irritated. Okay let me say this out loud, I HATE getting my feet dirty. Period. I hated getting sand in my feet, even though I loved the beach. But he smiled and reminded that I would not be able to walk through the sand in those heels. So it would be better to listen, than to learn it the hard way.

Guess what I did? My stubbornness got the better of me; I learnt my lesson the hard way! Mr A was right. I had barely walked 2 meters and I felt my heels and my feet, along with it, sinking into the sand. We had to stop mid-way and while Mr A chuckled, almost laughing, I embarrassingly removed my heels and walked further, barefoot. All this time, Mr A had not let go of my hand.

We walked for a bit through the whole beach, found a quiet spot and just sat on the white sand, spooned together.

We watched the sunset.

Talked. Sat in silence sometimes.

I asked Mr A some personal questions about his history and vice versa. In sharing our respective information, somehow it lead to 'implied' confessions about how we felt about each other. We shared our feelings on love, family, marriage....and many other things in life that mattered to both of us. One of my friends once said to me: “If it mattered, it would matter.” It made so much sense. Because when you love someone, what is important to them becomes your priority too.

Interestingly, both of us had probably realized at some point that we were so much in sync together that we didn't even have to complete our own sentences, somehow we knew what the other person was going to say next. Talk about Soul-connections right?

I think at one point, the question might have come up about why I hadn't had a relationship prior to 'us' meeting. I recall admitting to Mr A my deepest thoughts and the circumstances on how and why, I had chosen to wait for the 'one' to walk into my life, than giving into random flings. I DID NOT believe in casual-dating or flings. I still don't. Mr A said that he had somehow figured that part about me. I smiled quietly. My feelings about waiting for the 'one' were far more deep-rooted from a soulful and religious perspective. And looking at Mr A from the corner of my eye, I told him that "I think God had finally heard my prayers". We both smiled.

As I turned to look back out at the sea, and me completely cushioned within his arms, I felt his kiss, by the right temple on my head.

I knew then, that THIS man was my soul-mate....or atleast meant to be.

I closed my eyes, said a silent prayer to My Lord and thanked Him for bringing Mr A into my life. I knew that I didn’t want a life without Mr A because I didn’t WANT to imagine a day without him.

Time flew by. It was after dark and almost 8 pm. Time to leave. Afterall, I had a 9 pm curfew to keep up with.

We started the drive back. Chatted more on the ride. Somewhere in between the drive, Mr A would randomly look at me interimly, and smile. Especially, when we stopped in traffic or at the traffic lights.

"What??" I asked him at one point, wondering what was going through his head.

"Nothing" he said.

"Are you sure?" I asked again. He said "Yes" and kept looking at the road ahead as he drove.

Honestly, I didn't make too much of it, because I had gotten used to us just looking at each other randomly and smiling. Until we stopped at another set of traffic lights. When suddenly, I felt Mr A's hand at the back of my head, pulling me close to his face and before I even had a chance to react, he KISSED ME!!!!

Right there.

In the middle of heavy, peak Traffic.

With cars and people within it, lined up in front, behind and to either side of us.

I was honestly stunned!

It felt like time had stopped when his lips met mine, and suddenly, this 'flutter' within me intensified. All I could focus on was how soft he felt, how addictively he invaded all my senses in one go. I wasn’t sure if nature rooted for this moment or if my mind tricked me into a perfect present, but every breath I took of Mr A, he smelled like pure, masculine musk. And for the first time since I’d known myself, I didn’t feel shy. If anything, the warm feeling of his breath, although destabilizing, was inviting. However, sensing a certain amount of my nervousness, as he transcended to a more deeper passionate kiss, Mr A puts his hand on the back of my head, and stroked my hair in a reassuring way, and then, I wasn't so nervous anymore. All of this, took a matter of few seconds.

As we withdrew, I looked up at him. Shocked. Grinning. Almost like I was radiant. Of course, Mr A was grinning, cheek-to-cheek.

I was still taking in the feelings that were swarming within me from the culmination of that kiss that I hadn't realized we neared my apartment. Gosh, why did this night have to end??, I thought to myself.

We looked at each other, talked about meeting the day. This time, a little later in the evening, because my internship was starting the next day and I would be back home only by 4:15 pm. I needed atleast 15 minutes to half an hour to freshen up and change, I said.

Just as we had both reluctantly said our goodbyes and I was about to step out of the car, I don't know what came over me. But I stopped, turned back towards Mr A, leaned in and kissed him. Not sure if it was because I had taken the 'bold plunge' this time, but while I had thought that our first kiss had stirred my senses in ways that I couldn't imagine, this second kiss....It WAS the ultimate perfect kiss!!! It was warm. It felt like home. Both people in their authentic selves with no fear or vulnerability. And, at the same time, it was a feeling like Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in “Casablanca,” because your heart is pounding furiously and you never want the moment to end.

Echoing the same feelings, Mr A had just drawn my face in with his hands, going in for that deeper kiss, when my phone started buzzing in my bag.

Dad!!!

I had to go.

Mr A smiled and understood.

He waited in his car till he saw me enter the apartment building and then drove off. That night could not have ended any better, I thought.

Over the next few days and weeks, things were progressing as expected, or maybe even better. My internship at the Insurance firm that my father had arranged for me, started out great. I had a set schedule, 5 days a week, from 8 am to 4 pm. I was learning something new everyday at work, getting imbibed into a different work culture, great colleagues. Mr A's and my relationship was progressing steadily. Mr A's work ended everyday at around 4ish pm as well. So it just made sense for us to meet every day of the week after work.

In that first week, Mr A showed me picture albums of his family....his parents...sister....cousins and many others from his extended family. Even though I hadn't seen his immediate family in person since they were in India, the way he described them to me, it felt like I had already known them for awhile. Back then, online media sharing was still not a 'norm', especially in Dubai. Hence, in traditional fashion, we recapped on memories from picture albums. One time, we just spent the entire evening going over our respective family and childhood picture albums with each other. It was so nice to share our thoughts and feelings about our early days, family, long-time friends, etc. After all, family n' friends were important to both of us.

Within that same week, Mr A started introducing me to his 'friend circle', comprising of about 4-6 of his bachelor buddies and some newly-married couples, most of whom he acquainted with during his early days in Dubai. Mr A had some extended family & cousins in Dubai, so over a period of time of our 72 days together, I had the chance to meet them all. I was instantly made to feel welcome and part of the 'friends & family' circle. They made me feel like I 'belonged'. Almost like I 'clicked'..

Sometime over the weekend, I picked up the courage and told Dad about Mr A and shared a picture too. Interestingly, my father was a lot more open minded about Mr A than my mom was. He said he was fine with us meeting each other and getting to know each other, on the one condition that I kept up with the curfew and came home on time every night. And.... that he'd like to meet Mr A in person eventually. When and where? My father would decide that. Yay! my heart leaped that instant. Getting my dad's approval only meant one thing.....if my father approved of Mr A, then he would be the one to convince my mother. I was sure of that.

The next obvious person I had to tell was Moon, my bestie. I mean, c'mon, Moon had to know. She's been the only one who's always known anything and everything about my life, since 7th grade. And the first one to know any news, after my parents. And sometimes, even before them. She was super excited for me. I mean after all, I'd met the 'one'....I thought.

Unlike most couples, Mr A's and my dates had taken on a sort of 'casual pattern', especially since we were meeting everyday. I don't think either of us were particular about where we hung out or our casual attire, as long as we were decent. Dad would pick me up at 4pm from work and drop me off at home by 4:15 pm. I would quickly shower, change into sweats or jeans and T-shirts and either walk over to Mr A's apartment complex or he would come by to pick me up in his car. His attire was casual...shorts & T-shirt was more like it.

The conventional date-type dinners at fancy restaurants, movie dates or shopping never quite fit with our individual personas. Not that we didn't indulge in them, on occasions.

But unconventionalism was the 'name of our game'. We never forced it. That's just how we were.

A few 'unconventional' dates with Mr A definitely comes to mind, as I write this. For e.g. stopping by church occasionally to pray together; despite not being a morning-person, Mr A joining me one time for my morning walk at 6 am and then driving to the beach for a quick stop-over before our work day, bombarding Mr A's car with surprise gifts for his birthday.....

On a normal evening, if we didn't have any set plans, we'd drive out to a park by the Dubai Creek, lay out a picnic sheet on the grass and sit and talk for hours, till the sprinklers turned on. Mr A would lie down with his knees raised. I would lean against his knees, facing him, while we talked. The sprinkler system had a pattern; it would turn on in sections. We'd memorized the pattern over time and would try to get off the grass in time before the water turned on in the section where we sat. Many a times, we've gotten wet, because we were so carried away with our conversations, that we almost forgot that the sprinklers were on. Hahaha. It was almost too funny at times. Anyone noticing us, would have found our child-like jumps and laughs to evade the sprinklers, awkward. Not that we cared in the least, what other people saw or noticed.

However, just as much we had some amazing times, let me remind you that Mr A's and my relationship was not all rose petals all the way. Hell no!

Because the ‘fairytale’ of love is not real. It’s just a fantasy. A storybook. A daydream. A hollywood concept. A commercialized version of what love is. It’s not the real deal.

When you fall in love with the right person, it’s not going to be cheesy. A soundtrack isn’t going to play when you have your first kiss. There’s not going to be ending credits that read ‘and then they lived happily ever after’.

Because you see, real love is NOT a fairytale.

It’s a mountain climb. It’s surviving through a blizzard. It’s growing apart and together and finding your way back to one another. It’s an uphill battle that tests your strength and tests your love. It’s a thunderstorm that floods again and again. It’s arguments that make you doubt yourself and him or her. It’s needing space and needing time spent alone. It’s tears and lightening strikes and rain that never stops. It’s hard. It’s painful. And sometimes, excruciatingly difficult.

And if it’s not difficult, then it’s not real love.

Because when you find your ‘forever’ person, it will still take work and compromise and time. It doesn’t matter how compatible y'all are. It doesn’t matter how strong your bond is with one another.

It’s still going to be an uphill climb.

But the thing about love is that while you are hiking up that mountain together and struggling through the hard and bad times, there will also be laughs along the way. There’s going to be flowers that sprout from the floods that you have swam in. You are going to look at that person even through the battlefields, and you’re going to stay.

Because real love is fighting through the bad stuff. It’s fighting through the ugly and the blackouts. It’s battling the toughest monsters and demons. Together.

Mr A and I had our difficult moments....fights...disagreements...blackouts. Coupled with all the happy moments as well. Everything was NOT perfect all the time and everytime. I realized quite early on that no matter how terrible the arguments got or how stressful our lives were to be, I would always find my way back to him. I just held onto him, back then. I needed to. I don't remember going longer than a day arguing with Mr A. At the most, it was a couple of hours. And we patched things right back up. Or sometimes we just agreed to disagree. Because in my heart I always knew, that I would hold on to him and will always always tough it out. Somehow, the arguments and the storms were worth it all.

What I did not know, or rather anticipate, was that a much, much bigger storm was brewing in the horizon of our lives together and I had no idea what I was going to be up against.....

Just like Icarus, I was flying too close to the sun. And as it turns out, what comes up really must come down.....

....Stay tuned for Part 6......

#openlife

#real-lifelove

#treasuretheoneyoulove