Blue Moon

I had been waiting for this night for many weeks now. Crossing out the dates on the calendar as I woke up every morning, today was was the day I would be crossing out the last date. Looking out of my window, the sky couldn't have been any bluer and the cold couldn't have been more peaceful. I loved the winters, it was a season that would always bring out beautiful memories, be it long walks along the sea shore or sitting in parks as leaves rustled in the cool breeze. Today was such a day and I was hoping it would end up as the best of my memories. I have always had this thought in my head, when one thinks of the things that are to happen, they never end up as you expect. Well there are a lot of strange notions that I believe in so I guess this shouldn't really be given such importance.

But what was it about today that made me so cheerful ?

I had got so lost in my thoughts and my notions that I had forgotten all that was happening around me, only to realise that I was late for college. As I looked at my 'wardrobe' , I chose to wear the Red Hot Chilli Peppers tee, it always grabbed attention ( but i think my hair grabbed more) and my only wearable jeans. Skipping the breakfast like every morning, I hopped on to my bicycle and sped away to college. The ride on the bike got me lost again in my thoughts as I felt the morning chill sweep over my face.

It was her Birthday

Just thinking about it, made me smile involuntarily and produced that dimple on my cheek. As I screeched in front of the college steps, I remembered the first time I had seen her right on these steps, walking out of the main gates with a flower in her hair. I think it was the flower that caught my attention. I wont say it was falling in love at first sight, but it sure was falling at first sight as I clumsily stumbled on my own foot and fell to the ground right in front of her feet unintentionally.

That was when our eyes met for the first time.

And now 7 months have passed since that day and I still cant help but stumble when I see her.

I had told her to keep herself free for the night. I had planned a lil' something for her. She loved surprises but I guess I loved giving them even more. She always protested that I shouldn't give her a gift but she always ended up the happiest when I gave her one. Well, for her Birthday, I chose not to give her anything ( thanks to her continuous pleading). I could tell that through the entire day, she was expecting me to come up with something from under the table and blow her out of her mind. I chose to disappoint her but only for a brief while. As night fell, I told her to meet me outside the movie theater as we had planned to go for a movie that she really was in no mood of seeing.

I showed up late as always and she was pissed as always. But today she had that frustration right up to that cute nose of hers. Fuming, she walked towards the ticket counter just wanting this day to be over with as soon as possible but she stopped a few feet from the counter. She looked back and saw me grabbing her arm as I shook my head slowly and pointed to the horse driven carriage waiting for us. With a completely nonplussed look at her face I just escorted her into the carriage and told her not to ask any questions. Away from the noise and lights of the city, the road opened up to the green hills as the carriage slowly prodded on. The carriage stopped a few minutes later and we got down at the foot of a hill. Still holding the question mark on her face, she protested and wanted to know what was going on. Her uneasiness was quite visible but hidden in it was that happiness, knowing that she was in for another surprise.

I asked her clumsily " Ready for some trekking ?" Without even waiting for her reply, I took her by the arm and we started climbing the hill with our feet climbing over the lush green grass. As I climbed up the hill, I got lost in my mind again and remembered how I had come across this place as I was aimlessly cycling after college. At that very instant I knew that I had to come here again with her and had started crossing the dates on the calendar since then. The moon was full and ripe, like it had just dropped out of a tree. I looked at its shine illuminating the hill, the trees, my T-shirt and then I saw it shining on her face and then in her eyes. I was loving every moment of this night. As the two of us panted and reached the top of the hill, her hand was in mine and as cold as it was, she found comfort in the warmth of my hands ( my hands always stayed warm). We were looking down at a lake that lay right at the centre, surrounded by hills all around. The moon and all the stars in the sky were refelcted as wind blew ripples on its surface. It looked beautiful, untouched by man and just like it was when when Earth was formed. But something else lay there as well. On the shores were around a hundred candles lit and they all were put together in such a way that is spelt out.

"Happy Birthday"