A Song For Every Occasion - Part IV

Reminding himself for the umpteenth time to transfer Samar’s piano cover into his iPod, he moves along further down the list. Soon he reaches the end and after a quick recheck is satisfied. Finally he can transfer new songs. As he goes through his music folders looking for songs worthy enough of his time and iPod space, he moans the way music is going today. Recently introduced to fusion he transfers Indian Ocean and the Dewarists and then comes to the last song on his laptop. A song he had first listened to not long back, which had stuck in his heart since and which reminded him of her…and the promise…

Hey There Delilah…

Is it true that you meet the most amazing people in the most boring classes? It had happened to him in school and it happened again as he met Shonali in his English class at college. If previous encounters with pretty girls were anything to go by, she was one hell of a Bong beauty. Every day he used to watch her doodle along in the class continuously chatting with her nerdy looking friend. In her doodling he found an instant connection, reminded of his own doodling in school, but somehow could never muster up enough courage to converse. Pretty soon the course was over and with it an entire semester, still he hadn't said a word. He let it pass thinking of the bleak chances that they’d end up in the same class ever again. 

But fate had something else planned and they became lab partners the very next semester. Still unsure how to begin a conversation, he kept quiet until she asked a few doubts. Gratified that listening to a boring lecture finally paid off, he clarified all her doubts and that’s how their friendship began. Soon he told her how he kept observing her the previous semester and she surprised him by saying that she knew. What she was surprised at was the extent to which he had observed her mannerisms and seemed to guess everything that was on her mind. It was going good but what really made the friendship shift gears was his poem for her on her birthday, which he had to recite her over a phone call as he was away from college attending a cousin’s marriage. Shocked by his magic with words she opened up a lot more and soon they became close friends. 

Although they had only one lab in common and their schedules were hardly what one would call accommodating, nothing deterred them from seeing each other at least once a week. One fine evening during their walk around the campus, suddenly she said,” You always complain of a bitter life here. Let’s find you a girlfriend”. He thought this was just another one of the many crazy ideas that frequently came across her mind and in between uncontrollable laughter said,” Sure, why not!” What followed was a torrent of suggestions and attempts at matchmaking but during this course, in a very cheeky, clichéd and corny way, he realized that the girl he had been looking for was Shonali herself. So to throw her off this search and to give her subtle hints he started flirting with her suggesting that she herself could be the one. 

Dazed at first, she soon started laughing it off every time it came up. Before they knew it that semester ended too, but towards the end something came into her. She started avoiding meeting him and never seemed interested to talk whenever he called her. One day, barely controlling the fury in his voice, he asked her what the problem was. She replied that she just needed some time and space. So he granted her the wish and abandoned all attempts at conversation, letting her be. With time, he grew impatient and with considerable hurt, thought that perhaps this was the end. As the exams got over and they were to depart for their home, she called him up to explain her sudden need for distance. Her family had decided to move to Australia and she was to pursue her further education there. She had been trying to talk her father out of taking her along with him but it had been to no avail and within a month she would leave. 

Crushing silence engulfed him as he tried to absorb this and after several painful moments asked her why she didn't tell him that before. With a meek teary voice the answer came,” Because I had to sort out the myriad feelings inside me and…to know for sure that I love you. I do…I really do.” As those precious words were spoken, an unusual warmth and tremor spread inside his body and he, reckoned a wordsmith by many, was at an utter loss of words. Almost choking up on them, he asked her to meet him before leaving. After all those dreadful weeks, finally as they eliminated all distances between each other that evening, she played for him “Hey There Delilah…” and asked for a promise to try and make this work. Holding her hands he looked her straight in the eye and gave her his most solemn vow,” I love you and I’ll do everything to make this work. The day I pass out from here, will be the day I’ll fly out to you.”

No sooner than this chain of thought concludes, he gets a call from Shonali wishing him luck for his trek and asking him to be safe. With one last look at his now updated iPod, he wonders in amusement how there is always a song for every mood, every occasion, every person. Grabbing his bag he sets out singing,“ Jo Mil Gaya Usi Ko Muqaddar Samajh Liya…Jo Kho Gaya Main Usko Bhulata Chala Gaya…”(whoever I found in life I accepted it as my destiny, whoever I lost in life I chose to forget about it.)