To : where?when?how? and finally, who IS she?

Frantic questions from my buddy Shakes. I was quite surprised at his fervor considering I've been engaged for over 4 months. But I guess from his view point all this happened so quickly that a little suprise, however late, is warranted.

So here it is.

Once upon a time (read last year Augustish) beyond the thrice nine lands in the thrice ten kingdom (read Vancouver, Canada) I chanced upon chapter 1 of her first short story. It was simply titled 'How I met my husband', and began with a girl on her wedding day telling the reader about the 'Just Married' sign on the car below which was written - "Jayanth weds Pallavi". Later on, she writes - "We never dated. We didn't have a whirl wind romance. Nor were we arranged. We weren't exactly even friends. Acquaintances would be a good choice of word here. He was a senior from school. The fact that he never remembered me is another story, but I persisted in talking. We were in different countries. He was working as a scientist for a pharma company in Ohio. I was a mess, if that is a place to be in."

I read it. And I couldn't breathe. I read it again and again. I knew she liked me, she told me so months before but I was with the crazy ex back then and I was stupid back then to say ..'er, sorry'. But.. cough, and this is not exactly kosher, I used to always think about her, even while with the ex. She had this thing, you know, of connecting with me. And she read the same books. And her writing! Oh man, her words were so comfortable to wrap around. Sometimes they were slow, when it comes to me aday or so later. Other times, they were like a drug - one hit after another.

But, this was months later. For one thing, I was having trouble with the ex, up to the point of breaking up. For another, I knew she was dating this guy (we'll try and be polite here), and things were ok, or so I thought.

"I had a life. I could just carry on, which I soon did. But all through I kept him in the back of my mind. A niggling doubt. A happy thought. A slight ache when I saw someone resembling him."

I could not believe she was writing about me. I couldn't let this go unnoticed. I wrote up a chapter 2 right then and there. And kept it hidden. Not a word to anyone.

Two weeks later I decide to break up because I could not handle the ex anymore. It was too much - of pain, of drama, of misery and there was no turning back. I remember looking down the streets on Vancouver and realizing that something was happening - another layer of the onion was being peeled.

I casually ask her - how's it going with victor. 'Oh well, not too good, I don't know why I mess up so much'. This was the only time I was happy when she was sad. When I finally do break up - I tell her. She says - 'If you had broken up a bit earlier, you would have had an escatic me on your hands'. I mail her chapter 2 and leave Vancouver.

There's a chapter 3 and 4 and 5.

She breaks up with victor.

We're both really nervous about this.

She convinces me to give it a shot. We do.

I see her for the first time in a cafe, reading a magazine. Oblivious. I smile. This is it.

Three months later, I bought a ring and head back home for spring break. Out of a detailed plan involving a prepared speech and beach-sunsets - all that turned out was nervous mumbo jumbo and a kneel in a hotel room in the wee hours of the morning.

The parents are ok with everything by now. During the official engagement ceremony (the between family thing) which I missed out, she reaches the entrance of the hall, and she sees the sign, with both our names in it. And she thinks of her story.