Divine Bond

Himalayan Java was crowded as always even on a weekday. People were relishing their pains with the sips of coffee and chit chats in the sunny winter. The humidity couldn't even stop people from selecting coffee over cold smoothies. And there in one corner was Dipen, waiting for his friend with Cafe Latte on his table, untouched.
Dipen was going through some fancy magazine, turning the pages faster as if he was searching for something there. The magazine had nothing interesting to offer so he put it down on the table and started sipping some of his coffee. He was wandering about the daily work hours he had to separate and work tediously, and he finally had a day to spare. He was also thinking about eating alone in a restaurant is the worst thing to happen and was even cursing his friend, Mihir deep inside as he made him wait.
Dipen was observing the ambiance of the cafe, the lovely decorations and the crowd of people refreshing their minds. After all, they had to spend their public holiday on a good note after all, meeting their loved ones and celebrate.
As his eyes were roaming around the place, he could see a familiar face. His eyes couldn't even believe that it was Kripa, his ex, whom he had devoted his two years of his life. They were very much in love, but they ended in good terms as she had to go abroad for further studies. He hadn't seen her for almost 1.5 years and suddenly when she appeared out of nowhere, his lips were sealed with excitement and eyes wide open.
She seemed weird though; she was about to leave intentionally but Dipen couldn't stop himself from calling her.
"Kripa."  He called her in a loud voice. Some of the people present there turned around to see what happened but they just ignored and got back to their normal conversations.
Kripa was shocked too for some reason, her eyes could tell that. She was looking at him without even moving. She had to come over and sit down now. She was sitting just opposite to him, still shocked for some reason.
Dipen was just observing her evergreen beauty as well. She was in her white hoodie, and a blue jeans with her pretty face, fair and glowing as always.
He then wanted to steal her moment of reaction, so asked her if she wanted to have something.
"No." She replied in a single word.
"You were in the States. When did you come back?" He asked again.
Her shocked expression was still there on her face. "Last week." She could only say that in a low tone.
"You asked me to remove you from everywhere even though we ended well." He asked.
"I wanted no more awkwardness in our life. I'd get distracted and loss focus on my studies. Maybe that was the reason." She replied slowly.
"Are you alright? You seem down." He was a bit concerned with her behavior.
"Yeah." She tried to smile.
"Do you want me to go? You are feeling awkward again, aren't you?" He asked her again.
"No not at all. Don't worry about that. It's just that we met after such a long time. I needed time to prepare myself." She replied normally now.
Suddenly, his phone rang and it was his friend who made him wait. Dipen picked up his phone.
"Hello."
"Hey bro, I am sorry man. My phone was dead and I am a bit occupied right now." Mihir said.
"What the f---. You made me wait...". Dipen was about to curse him but he saw Kripa again and changed his tone.
"It's alright bro. Don't worry. Will talk to ya later." Dipen replied calmly and ended the conversation.
His past was sitting opposite to him and he thought maybe he should concentrate more on her but still she was acting weirdly. She was acting like she didn't belong there and he thought maybe she lived in a much better environment abroad.
"Hey, why are you looking here and there? Are you alright?" He asked again.
"Yeah Yeah.But let's go from here. I just want to be away from the crowd for now." She requested politely.
"Alright,you wait there. I'll just pay and come back." Dipen said.
After clearing the bill for the coffee, he opened the door for her and followed her. Most of the people were watching his actions without even blinking their eyes.
Both of them were walking on the streets talking about the moments they lived together.
"Remember when we first met, you were busy ignoring me." Dipen asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, Jyotika's party. I didn't even know you properly then. What else would I have done?" She replied.
"I still remember your blue gown but please don't ask me to describe the dress." He again shot her with a reply.
"That's a good memory for a tipsy mind. You were so wasted that day. And I remember that funny pink tie too. " She smiled.
"No I wasn't that wasted or maybe I was." He just laughed.
Kripa was walking a bit far away, away from the people. She didn't want anyone to feel her presence and she didn't want anyone to touch her,
"So any new girlfriends then?" She broke the silence again.
"You were the only one to fall for this weirdo. No one else. Seems like I have to make you fall for me again." They both laughed but it felt like Kripa's laugh had sadness buried inside it.
"Seems like Jeans cafe ended like our relation." Dipen took out this topic all of a sudden.
"You jumped to our first date now." She replied.
"Yeah that was the only time you sat opposite to me I guess and we ate our own foods not sharing with each other." A small laugh broke the silence for the people walking nearby them too.
People walking nearby could watch him laughing, concentrating on him and his laugh.
"It was my first first date. You know what I meant. I felt awkward." She replied after his laugh session was over.
"I always remembered the way you planned my birthday though." Kripa had a faint smile on her face.
"I had to convince two of your friends for that who were complete strangers for me, a day before when I planned that and they are still strangers to me after that night." He replied.
"At midnight, you had the courage to come to my house and celebrate. That made me fall for you even more." She revealed.
"So are we revealing the mysteries of our love now?" He asked.
"Maybe. What do you want to know?" She said.
"So then tell me about the first kiss. How was it?" Dipen trapped her in that question.
She was blushing from inside but her cheeks didn't turn red. It remained pale white.
"Umm..it was okay." She replied as fast as she could.
"Godavari, I thought I had to kiss you. The weather was compelling too. Thank God you cooperated, I thought you'd push me away and slap me." He replied.
"Why did you think so?" She asked.
"To kiss on a second date needs some courage after all." He said.
"You are talking about the second date. People kiss on their first dates." She smiled.
"Maybe I don't fall in that category." He kicked a stone while replying.
"So if we are revealing everything, what didn't you like about me?" Dipen asked her.
"Nothing. You were always there for me, always loved me, cared for me, gave me my space. You were perfect for me." She replied without blinking her eyes.
"There must be something. Come on, tell me now." He pleaded now.
"Umm..you were a bit possessive sometimes though you gave me my space. And maybe your short temper sometimes." She said.
"Short temper? I never got angry when I was with you." He tried to remember.
"That one time when you threw away my gift. Remember the broken cup?" She made him remember the incident.
"Let's not talk about that. I am sorry." He just wanted this topic to end.
"So you do remember that." She smiled again.
Her smile was so rare that he had to earn her smile.
"So I almost forgot to ask, did you make any new boyfriends there?" Dipen trying to change the topic.
"No." She replied in one word again.
"I ended everything with you to focus on my career and blocked you from  everywhere not to get distracted, so why would I make a boyfriend there?" She added.
"If I were to fall for someone, you'd always be my first priority." She wanted to burst out in tears but she couldn't.
Dipen just stopped walking all of a sudden. People walking nearby were watching his moves very closely.
He just wanted to kiss her after that sentence but his courage were all dead and resting. Moreover, she was keeping a safe distance to avoid everyone on the streets.
"I think I should leave now. I need to be somewhere." Kripa said.
They were around American Embassy. The high walls were the only things to hear their conversation.
He couldn't stop her. He had lost all his right to be a part of her life.
"Yeah. Alright. So can we meet again sometime?" Dipen asked.
Kripa didn't speak at all. She looked down and ignored his question.
Dipen understood she didn't want to meet again so he approached towards her for that one hug.
She noticed that and moved away.
"Alright Dipen. Goodbye." She walked in the opposite direction.
"Goodbye, I guess." Dipen was watching her move away from her life again.
Dipen started to walk away from her when he realized he shouldn't let her go again from his life. He turned back to call her again but she had already disappeared so quickly.
Dipen rushed back home as fast as he could. He sat on his computer and searched for Kripa's profile. Her profile was not found.
He thought she never unblocked him. He couldn't lose hope. He then searched for Jyotika's number as he knew she sure would have her number.
It took him almost 10 minutes to get Jyotika's number from his connections.
He finally gathered up some courage and called Jyotika.
"Hello Jyotika?"
"Yes, who is this?" She replied.
"Its Dipen, Remember?" He asked.
"Dipen. " She was shocked.
"Yeah. Sorry for getting lost." He just wanted to know her number.
"Actually, I wanted Kripa's number, as she is in town." He didn't let her speak again.
"What are you talking about?" She was shocked.
"Yeah. I need her number." He said.
"Dipen, don't you know about Kripa? She died in an accident last week in US." She said slowly.
"What? I just met her today." Dipen couldn't believe her.
"Huh? Are you high? She died in a car accident last week. Her parents are still mourning. She was so busy there and we hadn't talked for a while. I thought you knew. I am sorry." She said.
"I would have called you but I thought you knew and just wanted to leave you alone." She added.
There was a moment of silence.
"Dipen..Dipen. Are you there? She asked.
"Yeah, I'll call you later." He replied in a small voice.
"I am So--. " She was saying something but he ended the call.
His hands were frozen cold. He was shivering for no reason.
He could just remember Jyotika's line "She's dead."
The tears started. He couldn't control it. He cried out loudly. The feeling of losing someone is the worst feeling ever. He felt as if he had his heart cut into thousands of pieces.
After sometime,  he started remembering the day, how she was shocked when he called her. Maybe she was shocked to know that he could see her.
He could also remember why she felt different sitting opposite to him. All those people staring at them could be explained now.
And how she kept a distance and walked away from everyone, so that no one could touch her. He could understand it all now.
He knew that love made all of this possible. He still couldn't believe his eyes. He cried out loud and cursed God for taking away his love. Maybe she wanted to meet him one last time before she set free.
Love surprise us in many unnatural ways.
The bond we create when we meet someone, strengthens with every small things. They become so strong sometimes that death also gives them one last wish..
When the reality loses the war against love, miracles happen.