Love&Break

On a cool night,….

"Sai was hanging out with his friends."

With the warm light of a burning campfire, Sai’s backyard was filled with music, dancing, and laughter. His friends gathered to celebrate his birthday and were satisfied with delicious food under a covering of stars. The night was young, and the air was filled with the joy of friendship and the promise of memorable moments.

As the fire danced and the night deepened, one of Sai's friends, with a mischievous smile, suggested a game: "Tell yourself any emotional situation you had in your life.". Every friend took a turn telling stories of happiness, grief, and the unexpected turns life takes. In the meantime, it was Sai's turn.

Sai hesitated, his eyes reflecting the fire’s glow and a sea of emotions. “Well, there’s a story I have held close to my heart,” he began, his voice saturated with feelings of regret. “It’s about the first time I fell in love.”

He waits and takes a moment to think.

He took them back to the time his family moved to a new house. When we were moving, I spotted a female who came to my neighbourhood house. That was my first impression of her, and possibly even my first love. I kept her on my mind that particular afternoon. the majority of the time. I was still thinking about her, even though several days later I saw her and her friends outside the restaurant. I am going to ask her name as I go because I cannot wait. Then she asked me, "Who are you?" looking surprised. What do you want? then speaking slowly. What’s your name, kindly? Then she smiled in response. You can call me "Swetha.” I answered politely and introduced myself as Sai. After that, she said, “Okay, bye."….

After Five months……….

I spent my summer vacation enjoying my leisure time. Shortly afterwards, my grandparents proposed organizing a traditional puja at the temple. My family immediately began coordinating with relatives, finalizing the details of the puja at the temple, and handling the preparations. During a shopping trip with my family, we selected new outfits for the occasion, and I chose return gifts for our relatives and family members. It was my first experience dressing formally for a puja. I have been involved actively in decorating each of our homes and the temple for this special event. My next task is to arrange beverages for the family gathering. Additionally, I am in charge of organizing catering services to accommodate our family and relatives.

Puja Day Arrives……….

Puja Day Arrives……….

Early in the morning, around 4:00 a.m., my friends and I began gathering flowers and coconuts for the puja ceremony. We were actively engaged in assisting at the temple. During this time, I received a call from my father, asking me to return home to escort them to the temple. I informed my friends to continue their work at the temple, assuring them that I would return shortly after bringing my family members.

Upon arriving home, I found the house busy with relatives and family members. In this lively atmosphere, my grandfather proudly introduced me to all the relatives as his grandson, announcing that I played a major part in arranging the whole thing. I felt gratitude and excitement for all the work I had done to plan the celebration.

In the afternoon, as my family’s puja was nearing completion, it was time to invite our relatives for lunch. My friends and I were busy around, serving food to everyone. In the middle of all this, I thought I saw someone who looked like Swetha, but I couldn’t be sure. It was almost like she wasn’t very apparent but was still there. I couldn’t help but wonder if Swetha did show up unexpectedly to our event or if it was all in the back of my mind.

However, in these thoughts, my father suddenly called me over to introduce me to an uncle. This disruption forced me to focus on the current task at hand rather than Swetha’s illusive presence and brought me back to the busy event’s reality. I was ready to welcome my father and uncle politely and respectfully. My uncle wants to know about my interests and studies. I talked about my interests and educational goals. After some time, Uncle turned the talk about his daughter and passionately gave details about her education in architecture.

My father clarified, “He’ll be your ‘maamaya’,” indicating our distant family ties. Moments later, my'maamaya' beckoned his daughter over for introductions. Her father light-heartedly explained our familial connections: “After me, he’s your ‘Baava’,” he said with a smile. Turning to me, he added, “And for you, she’ll be your ‘Mardalu’.” Bringing each element of our extensive family links together, the introductions were given amid soft laughter. For an instant, I was motionless, my heart racing quickly in my chest and my eyes overflowing with brightness. At first, I assumed it was a dream.

I got up with the courage to invite her to meet me at the building’s upstairs. My heart was racing, ready to burst with something important to share. My eyes locked as she came, and I said, “I love you,’mardalu,’” in a hardly loud voice. Instead of responding with words, her smile was deep, attractive, and understanding, leaving a stillness that spoke louder than words.

After that, she quietly left, leaving me overcome with emotion. She approached me the next day with a decided expression in her eyes. She broke the tension by saying, “I will meet you,” pausing momentarily as if she wanted the words to take hold, “tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m., near our home park.” Her simple words, with their deep meaning, made my heart skip a beat as I thought back to that spot where our journey began.

"And that's where the story pauses," Sai concluded, his voice a soft echo in the night. "I don't know what her answer will be, but that moment, that chance, means everything to me."