↟Meera↡
After two months of hard work and dedication, we were nearly ready to see our dreams come true for our beloved friend. Kafe Kabir was inaugurated with a grand celebration and a 'Kabir Weds Nisha' declaration.
During that time, I had met Nisha and we instantly connected with each other. She had such a friendly nature and was so beautiful; I was not surprised that Kabir had fallen in love with her so quickly.
Kabir, Nisha, Vivaan and I became very close friends over those happy months. We met faithfully every weekend at Kafe Kabir and had a great time. Although both Kabir and Nisha were working hard to make the place a success, they were able to take time off to nurture our growing friendship. I valued those times together, just as much as I knew the other three did.
'I know I haven't known you as long as Kabir has, but you have made him a changed man,' I said one evening to Nisha. 'He loves you so much! I often dream of finding the kind of love that you and Kabir share.' I thought of Vivaan. We were still waiting for him to arrive.
Nisha smiled and ran her hand down my arm. 'Meera, sweetheart, open your eyes. Even I can see that you love Vivaan. It is no big secret why you are pursuing him for your stories. Your heart has told you that you have finally found the person whom your soul loves and recognizes,' she said. 'It is scary, I know, to fall in love. But Vivaan is a good person and I think the two of you would be very happy.'
I knew she was right. I had deep feelings for Vivaan, but I had never said anything to him, apart from some small hints, even after the kiss we shared at the park.
'I wish I could express my feelings to him,' I whispered. It felt so good just to be able to say that to Nisha, but at the same time, the admission filled my blood with a biting cold fear.
'Why haven't you told him how you feel? It is obvious you are truly falling in love with him!' Kabir said, bringing my favourite coffee.
I shrugged. 'What if he doesn't feel the same way for me, Kabir? I am afraid he will reject me,' I said as my face turned red. It was embarrassing to tell my friend how I felt. But then again, he had told me and Vivaan about Nisha and look how well that turned out.
'Meera, if you love him, let him know how you feel,' Kabir insisted. 'If you don't make an effort to tell him and he doesn't know how you truly feel, he might not ever know. You wouldn't want something like that to pass you by, do you?'
'No, Kabir, I don't want something like that to pass me by,' I replied as I saw Vivaan coming through the door.
~
My story had turned out to be quite intriguing and filled with events that I only dreamed about. A lot had changed since that first time I met Vivaan. Kabir's love story alone had changed me a lot. I was starting to long for the type of relationship he and Nisha shared. I wanted someone to share my happiness and my life with.
I had to gather the courage to tell Vivaan how I truly felt. My hands began to shake as I thought about revealing my feelings. What if he laughed? No, he would never do that. But what if he didn't feel the same way? I wasn't sure if I was brave enough to tell him I loved him.
But I didn't know if I had the courage to hold my feelings in any longer, either.
It was midnight when I picked up my phone and sent a message to Vivaan. 'I can't sleep. Are you still awake?'
After few minutes, I received a poem from Vivaan.
'Not the people but the mind,
Not the storm but the silence,
Not the answer but the question,
Not the result but the reason,
I am scared of.
Not the real but the dream,
Not the moment but the memory,
Not the lie but the truth,
Not the death but the life,
I am scared of.
Not the end but the start,
Not the strangers but the known,
Not the hate but the love,
Not the world but the me,
I am scared of.'
I was not sure how to respond. Should I praise his beautiful poem or should I be worried that something was wrong with him? I replied, 'Let's meet tomorrow.'
I slept, my hand wrapped around my phone, waiting for his reply.