I dressed up like a filmi hero, and reached Green Park metro station. I was wearing blue jeans, white shirt and long, brown color boots. I checked my dress once again in the mirror of the lift. 

Inside the station, I reached the checking counter of Gate number 1, where I was supposed to meet Rihana. Two trains had passed, and there was no sight of her. I thought of calling her to confirm where she had reached. Girls like to keep boys waiting. Today, I also felt happy waiting for her. I thought, let me wait for another train to pass, and if she is not in it, I would call her. It was not needed. In the next train, I could locate her with her friends in the crowd. 

I waved at her to stay inside and that I would come inside. Today Rihana was wearing pink top and black jeans. She was looking as pretty as ever. What was different was her hair style. I didn’t know what exactly she had done with her hair, but it was looking fabulous. I greeted them with a smile. Her friends were smiling at me too. I am sure Rihana would have told them about our meeting in the Park. Girls don’t hide any secret from each other.   

“Thanks Aarav. You took a leave to be with us today.” She said.

“What is there to thank. In fact, I felt good that you asked me to come along.”

Pooja teased me “I am getting a feeling that you were also planning to go out with us”

I didn’t know what to reply, so just smiled back. 

“Do you really enjoy our company, or only with Rihana?” Sofia smiled.

“I think you are right.” I said.

“We are so carefree, that no one can feel bored with us.” Sofia grinned.

“Will you keep talking here only? Lets go, the train is about to come.” Rihana said.

Being afternoon, it wasn’t very crowded, so we easily got seats. We were talking to each other, but my attention was focused on the two boys sitting on the opposite bench. They were continuously looking at Rihana. I tried to ignore it because there were girls in our group, and I didn’t want any problem. 

A little later we reached Qutub Minar station. As we exited, both those boys also got down and started following us. I was still quiet. We took two Auto-rickshaws - in one, I sat with Rihana, and in the other, her friends sat. I could not see the boys now. 

I was sitting right next to Rihana. I was calm and thought of revealing my love to her, but again, could not muster enough courage.

“When is your Novel going to get completed?” she asked.

“Around 10 more days. Why?” I said.

“I am desperate to read it. Can I read it?”

“Yes, of course.” I thought Rihana had started opening up, and it was right time to say those words, but again I stopped.

“Where are you lost, Aarav? You are always thinking.” She said.

How could I tell her that it was she who was constantly on my mind and in my heart. We got down from the Auto, and I paid the fare. The other Auto also arrived. There was a gol-gappa stall nearby. Rihana asked me –

“Why don’t we have some gol-gappas before going in?” 

“You all go ahead. By then I will get the tickets.” I said and left to buy tickets.

As soon as I had left, the boys who were staring at Rihana arrived at the gol-gappa stall, and started teasing her.

“Wow. Looks like angels (apsara) has descended from heaven. What a beauty.”

“True, brother. What a beautiful face and a sexy figure. Let us also taste the gol-gappas, darling”

Rihana was trying to ignore their talk, but Pooja couldn’t contain herself. She said – 

“Not sure about the taste of gol-gappas, why don’t you taste our sandals?”

“Oh.. she is a hot chilli. Baby, I was talking about your friend, not you. We will taste your sandals also, but before that let us taste your friend’s lips.”

Before Pooja could say anything, Rihana tried to silence her – 

“Leave them. Better to avoid such street dogs”

Her statement infuriated the boys. They started giving filthy abuses to her. When it became too much to avoid, Rihana slapped one of the boys. I was returning from the ticket counter, when I saw one of the boys hitting Rihana. Seeing my love getting hit by a road side Romeo made me wild with anger. I had never been so angry in my entire life. I ran towards the boy and kicked him in the stomach. He fell down. I pulled him down with his shirt’s collar and started hitting him everywhere as if he was a mad dog. The other boy ran away seeing this. I was out of control with anger and kept hitting him. 

At that moment, Rihana said something which changed my life. She asked me why I was beating him… and I said “because I love you. How dare he touch you….”

Something which I was not able to say during all these meetings, I said it in anger. Rihana’s face was flush with happiness, as if she had been desperately waiting to hear this. She pulled me away and asked me to leave him. As soon as I loosened my grip, the boy ran away. I didn’t know whether what happened was good or bad, but in anger I had finally revealed the secret of my heart.

I was standing head bent in front of her. She lifted my head asked me –

“Is it true, what you just now said in anger?”

I was still scared to commit.

“Aarav, do you really love me?” she persisted.

I realized that there was no point in stopping myself now. I looked in her eyes, and said –

“Yes, I love you very much. I fell in love with you the day I first saw you. But till today I was not able to muster enough courage to tell you what was in my heart. I don’t know how it came out of my mouth in anger. Sorry, if you felt bad.”

Rihana started laughing very loudly. Her friends also started laughing. Rihana hugged me and said “I also love you very much, darling, very much. But I wanted to hear it from your mouth first.”

My joy knew no bounds. I was mad with happiness. I felt as if I had got everything in life now. I was extremely happy. Rihana said –

“Can we see Qutub Minar now?”

I wanted to just see Rihana. Qutub Minar was just an excuse. We went inside, roamed around and took lots of pictures. I asked Pooja to take a picture of the two of us which I wanted to keep as a souvenir. 

Later, when we were sitting outside on a bench, Rihana joked –

“Do you know Aarav, when you had come to meet me at Rajiv Chowk, I thought you would open your heart with me. But that day you were just giving me weather information.”

All her friends started laughing.

Pooja said, “Whenever you get time, you must write your own love story too.” That day I had smiled at the suggestion, not realizing that one day circumstances would force me to write my story.