I was pretty sure that I would never have the kind of love story they show in movies. My life was mind numbingly normal. So at the age of 21, when I moved away from my hometown after securing an engineering degree, I reassured my mother that I will only have an arranged marriage. The possibility of finding a guy so far away from home was minimal.
And then one afternoon in the winter of 2008, although January in Chennai hardly qualifies as winter, I was standing in the bustling office cafeteria, with a huge plate of rice and rasam, looking for a vacant seat. My friend spotted two unoccupied seats in the far end corner of the hall. And as the fate may be, I sat right across a boy sitting with a bunch of other girls, celebrating someone’s birthday.
People usually don’t talk to strangers in the cafeteria, but surprisingly conversation ensued between us and for some strange reason he even went ahead and took my Rs 5 change, which I had placed on the table. I thought he was kidding, but I never got it back.
Since we all were undergoing corporate training, we had a strict time table that hardly left any time for us to venture outside. And yet he would often drop by my class, which I suspected was to meet my friend. In fact I used to tease her a lot too.
I left the training center a few weeks later to join a project in another office. I had completely forgotten about this stranger when in the last week of May I received a message in the office communicator. It took me a while to register his name. He had managed to squeeze out my phone number from the friend too.
First Date
First dates are always special. Mine definitely was as I was tricked into going on a dinner date with him.
So after we started talking on phone, he would often ask me to meet him and I kept refusing. Back then I was this lanky 37 kg girl who was painfully introverted. The thought of meeting anyone apart from friends would result in nightmares.
One fine evening, like all other days I returned back to an empty room. My roommates were late. I was exhausted and didn’t feel like preparing a proper dinner. Instead, I started boiling a packet of Top ramen. Just as the last strands of ramen immersed in water, I received a call from him.
“I am standing right next to your house, let’s go out”.
I did not know what to make of this announcement, and replied in the only intelligent answer I could manage.
“Huh”
“I am standing right here, and I am really hungry… please don’t make me wait”
“What! ”
I was lost. I didn’t want the poor soul to go hungry specially when he came all the way to my paying guest accommodation. Plus the idea of eating outside sounded much better than my sorry looking ramen. Without another thought I dumped my ramen in the bin, and agreed to meet him near the auto stand. I quickly freshened up making sure that I wasn’t stinking in the summer heat, applied loads of powder… Well I was meeting a guy and that was the extent of my make up ritual. Hoping I didn’t make him wait too long I walked into the street.
Imagine my suprise when he could not be found anywhere near the auto stand. I immediately dialed his number.
“Wait wait I am on my way”, he said excitedly.
I could only shake my head and was amused by his trickery. Well it worked and got me out of the house and later I learned that he lived only a short distance from my place.
Given my history of not remembering faces, and the fact that I have seen him only a few times before, I was actually nervous about not recognizing him and making a fool of myself in the process.
10 minutes later I saw the boy walking towards me. And the only reason why I recognized him was because he was smiling silly, flashing the broadest grin he could muster.
We took an auto to Acendas food court, had noodles, talked about things and while returning back, he said he was cold and held my hand.
And I let him. Well, why let the poor guy suffer in cold! 😅
*********
This January we celebrated 10 years of togetherness. 😁
PS: I was tricked to go out on a second date as well.
Tell me all about your first date. ❤
This was so cute Raj 😘😘♥️. Waiting to read about the second date 😊
Ha ha! so cute, Raji. How kind of you to watch out for ‘his’ hunger and then cold 😉 Happy 10th to you both. You guys are super sweet!
Your romance made me go awww
So cute and loving!! Many more!! Congrats for the decade ❤
That’s cute.. Eeee…
Post t the story behind second date…
Loved every bit of it, such a cute story. Congratulations on completing ten years and wish you many more blissful decades of togetherness… ❤
This is so adorable that i cannot think of anything to say except, ‘How Sweet!’ And yes, Chennai and winter are oxymorons. 🙂
Aw this is just the cutest story ever. how very magnanimous of you to ‘not let the poor soul go hungry’ and then to let him hold your hand because ‘he was cold’ :-).
a movie kind of love story.. loved every bit of it.. nice to know that as well.. in fact I had seen only this kind of stuff in movies. i must appreciate his courage. it takes a lot to have when you invite a girl on a date.. i m happy it worked for you.. waiting to hear more stories..
I was waiting for this!
This is so, so cute! Unlike any other love story I have heard before. Now waiting to read about your 2nd date:))))
P:S: Winter in Chennai where hand holding is needed to keep warm was my favorite bit:))))
That was cute! Wishing you all the happiness
This was so cute. What is meant to happen has to happen, whether it is with trickery or not 😀 Wish you loads of wonderful moments in years to come.
This is such a lovely way to start a love story. 🙂 Happy Anniversary and wishing you many many more.
Awww This was the cutest, Raj! The man really had perseverance and imagination. 🙂 Congratulations on the 10 years together and wish you many many more.
That was so cute, Raj. You both look awesome together. Congratulations on you 10 years of togetherness! Here’s to many more years of awesomeness. ❤️
What a fun story! Congratulations on your 10 years of togetherness!
This is such a cute first date story. It made me nostalgic. Happy anniversary 😃 Hope he continues to sweep you off your feet.
That was so very cute!! It left me wanting to know more about your story! Specially the second date!
Aww, perfect read for V-day! Loved your jab we met tale! I am always curious about first dates since I had a regular arranged marriage. Yours is totally M&B kinda meet! 10 years you say? Wow! Cheers to many more decades of surprises and loving!
Awww so cute! I could see this playing out, your confused look, his wide grin! Such heart, first dates are always so special!
Awww Raji this gave me goosebumps 😍😍😍 so cute this is
Aww this was the sweetest tale ever and made my day Raj!! Wish you both loads of love and joy!! I really want meet you in person and hope that wish gets fulfilled this year itself!!
Cheers and hugs
Happy Anniversary, dear! This is such a lovely story…brought back the memories from those days…and while reading had your ‘2008’ image in front of me. After all these years, today I learnt the ‘secret’ tale… 😀 😀
Stay blessed always… 🙂
By the way…you could have kept the Top Ramen for us roomies…office se aake kha lete hum. 😛
Happy anniversary raj. Such a sweet story almost out of a book.
Loved this, Rajlakshmi. Your first date was right out of a movie, one I would love to watch 🙂
Wish you many more years together and I hope he keeps tricking you into doing wonderful and new things!
That was a very sweet love story, Rajlakshmi! Funny that Cupid had it all planned and that fiver that disappeared that day was only an indication of things to come. It’s always wonderful when people look back on their special moments with so much fondness and affection. I say, let the magic continue! Happy Anniversary to you both. May you be tricked into many more such wonderful things in the years to come. 😀