Odd

It was valentine’s day. Jay was all excited about the day. He was in love with his best friend and he was nervous about it. He wanted to give a new name to their friendship. But then he feared - what if the friend rejected the proposal, but then he had to take a step forward - How long they will remain just good friends? Ifs and buts revolved around his mind. It was something he had to dare. He was all set and ready to go.

Riya was very anxious. The day for which she had waited almost year and half was on the run. She had planned it since then, but she was to execute it today. She had a surprise in her bag for her best friend. She loved him a lot, but could never say to him. They have been best friends for past couple of years. It was time to turn their friendship into a lovely relationship. She was ready and dressed up in his favourite colour dress.

She texted, “Happy Valentine’s Day. I’m on the way to college, wbu?’’

“I’m all set to move, catch you there in some time’’ confirmation was received the next second from Jay.

It was quite opposite scene from usual ones to be seen in the college. Riya was among that one percent of the girls, who was to propose her boy, Jay. She reached way before him and she waited anxiously. She held the rose at her back in the hands, so as not to showcase it. The surprise needs to be a surprise. She wanted it all to happen in a planned manner. She had a speech, the words to express her love, ready. She had recited it the whole previous day. The rose stood in her hand at the back, waiting to make a grand entry.

Jay made a heroic entry as he entered the college, enough to woo the attention of girls around. But heartbeats of only one girl echoed around, Riya. She had overshadowed that of the others around. She could see him walk in her direction. He was just half a mile away. With every step of his, the distance reduced and her heartbeats raised high. He walked with his hands back folded; guess he too had a surprise for her. The moment she realized that, her excitement was over the top. She was all smiling and blushing in her mind, her face reflected the same.

Jay smiled at her as he headed close to her. She was all set to make her move as she wanted herself to be the first one to act. He was just a step away as he walked close to her. She slowly unfolded her hand to give him a rose. And… and he walked past her before she could propose him. She was clueless at first about the happening but then she was confident that he was just playing around with her. The heart of hers still continued to beat for him.

Her confidence was on the verge to break as she noticed him walk long past her without even looking at her. She saw a rose in his hands as he walked past her. She observed his moves. Few more steps he walked, then he stopped. He was standing close to his best friend. He bent down on his knees and unfolded his hands so as to propose, give his best friend a rose and express his love for HIM.

“I love you’’ Jay dared and uttered the three magical words as he proposed to his best friend, Siddharth. The scenario was all different from the reel ones. It no more seemed a scene from a film, it was raw real.

Riya stood stunned. It was Siddharth, Jay’s best friend. She went numb, no idea how to react. Where on one hand her heart beated for him, on the other hand his heart beated for HIM. The surprise was quite astonishing for her, as well for Siddharth. Not only these two, but spectators round too were taken by surprise.

“Have you gone insane? Stop kidding…" Siddharth slapped away the proposal of Jay, who was until now proud on his knees, was now down with the shame.

It’s not a joke… I mean it’’ Jay clarified. He actually loved him.

‘’Get lost from here. You… you are disgusting. You are a gay … odd , not like us’’ Siddarth pushed him back as he shouted at him. He had never expected this. He was very good friend of his, but now he was no more. The love that had bonded them together was now parting them away . The love then and now is quite contrasting.

Jay was the centre of attraction for all unwanted reasons. Everyone was looking at him in a strange manner, as if he had committed a crime. But loving someone is not a crime. Many hearts had broken this day, his too was. But then his heartbeats were overshadowed by the beats of those broken hearts, only because his heart beated for a male, which he was. He was battling around with himself as he was the odd man out there.

With a lump in throat, he managed to produce some words, “I am normal. I am like you and I am one of you. Yes, I Know I get attracted to people of my gender and you get attracted to people those of opposite gender. What’s odd in that then? If that is normal for you, then this is normal for me.’’  He battled the tears as he continued to pour his heart out in public. “My heart beats too, like you, I too have feelings. I too eat food like you. I too cry. So, Don’t I have a right to fall in love? I am not odd, my feelings are not odd… it’s your thinking that is odd ’’ he stopped as he lost the battle with tears. The rose which he held had no destination; the ground seemed to be the best place for now.

Riya stood there unmoved. She had planned a lot for this day, but plans never succeeded in her case. The heart of her which beated for Jay was beaten badly. Her feelings were buried into her broken heart. The tears did justice to her feelings as they released from her eyes.

It was a life changing event for all of the three. The friends had turned strangers. The hearts were broken. The life was no more the same for the three. The love had parted them away.

Jay crushed the rose he had left on the ground as he walked back. His tears could be seen, but what about his feelings? His love was true, his feelings were real. He was not forcing someone. He was expressing it. It was love, not a crime. Well, then world has its own   odd   rules. He and Riya exchanged the look as they walked back. She was speechless. The eyes spoke thousand words there. The rose she held, finally gave up and was down on the ground. He noticed it all. But it was too late then.

“Love is natural. It knows no time, or distance, or gender, or race and it certainly knows no reason. It does not discriminate or judge. LOVE only knows LOVE.”

 @Sagar Harshad Ruparel