Jab We Met: 'I'd wait outside her hostel to meet her'

When I read some of the stories in Jab We Met on Rediff, I couldn't stop myself from going back on the timeline.

Those days, owning a mobile phone was a luxury, incoming charges were somewhere around Rs 5-per minute while STD charges used to be reduced by evening and further reduced after 11 in the night.

I remember queuing up in a PCO in one of the metros in India and waiting there for one hour to speak to her... these things may seem alien to the kids who were born in the '90s.

We were in the same class, but she belonged to a different branch. Since the university campus was very huge and there were thousands of students, we had hardly noticed each other in the initial two years.

However, the next year, we got introduced through a common friend, though it was nothing more than a formal "Hi".

We often bumped into each other at the campus, while travelling between one department and the other or in lab or library.

Before I could realise, we became good friends. I would sometimes go to her hostel and wait for her outside.

She'd come at pre-specified time and then we would talk to each other, about anything and everything.

I had started liking her and used to be extremely happy on the days when I caught a glimpse of her.

Our university was not in a big city. And in those days, forget hugging and kissing, even going for a coffee was a big thing.

I distinctly remember the day. It was December 31 and I had gone to the computer lab in the evening.

Frankly speaking, somehow I had the intuition that she too would be there.

When I was parking my bicycle outside the lab building she stepped out of the lab! I tried to convince her to come along for a coffee break.

She didn't agree and gave all kind of excuses. I was a bit disappointed, but didn't express it, and went away from there, towards the coffee shop.

As luck would have it, after few minutes, she walked in my direction and after coming near me, she said "let's go for coffee". I was so happy.

I came back to my hostel and jumped in joy. however, I couldn't share the reason of my joy with anyone!

Time went by, both of us were placed in different companies through campus placements.

This was the period of economic recession and the dot com bubble had burst. My company asked me to join Mumbai.

Coming from a small city, living in Mumbai was overwhelming.

Like many other companies during that period, her company also delayed the joining of freshers.

She had to stay in the university for the next six months to complete her project and dissertation work.

After every 2-3 days, I would queue up in a PCO to call her at the hostel after 11 pm (to save money on the bills).

Once she was available on phone, I would keep talking till other people at the PCO knocked at the door of the phone booth or I ran out of money.

Although internet had started making its presence felt in India, the speed and connectivity in small cities used to be very slow. We would try to chat on messenger on every weekend.

I don't know, since when, but I was already in love!

On Valentine's Day that year, I called her during day time (full rate for STD) and wished her.

I decided to express my feelings to her and travelled about 24 hours by train to meet her.

While sitting on one of the benches in front of her hostel, I said "I wish to marry you".

She said, "I haven't thought about it." I said, "Ok, think now and give me your answer in next few days."

Finally after few weeks, I received her email saying "Yes" and that she would speak to her parents about our marriage.

I knew that her company, if and when, will ask her to join, it would be Delhi and not Mumbai.

I decided to leave my current job and move to Delhi.

Fortunately I got a job easily in one of the companies in Delhi and moved there. Thus, the wait began.

Her work at the university was over and she went back to her home. The company where she was to join delayed the joining date by another six months.

Her parents had strong objection to our relationship due to the difference in our castes. I was told not to call her on the phone.

I got worried and restless by the day. I got to know that she was soon to come to Delhi.

I kept on moving to all the possible places where I could meet her but probably destiny had some other plans.

Due to parental pressure, long distance and other reasons, we broke up.

I didn't have the courage to continue this relationship as a friend, considering that I loved her so much. I intentionally made the break-up as bitter as possible.

I tried (and failed) to think all negative things about her to make it easier to move on.

I have been very happily married to someone else for past nine years. She too must have been happy, wherever she is.

I have been living out of India since the last few years and don't even know her whereabouts. My wife got to know a bit about my past relationship but she respects my feelings and doesn't try to talk about it.

The part of my heart where she lived has died forever.

Jab We Met stories!

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