The puppet

He was sitting alone in the park bench. The dusk was slowly settling down, spring wind was blowing, bringing a feeling of nostalgia with it… pain originated of unknown reasons.

He sat there watching the park gate, it was already half past five, she was supposed to be here at five. He was a little worried because she always maintained time, actually it was usually she who reached their meeting places first.

All nearby benches were occupied by lovers, some of them were looking at him, he was quite habituated of these repeated glances at himself, he was as handsome as Apollo himself, that’s what his friends have chanted to him for years.

He was about to pull out the cell phone to call her when he saw her coming toward him. He stood up and waved his hand and she started to come toward him. A sweet smile was lingering on her lips.

They became friends through internet, both were lonely and looking for decent friends in an alien city, where livelihood had sent them and became friends instantly. He was almost crazily in love with her but she did not reciprocated to his love. She kept on saying, “wait till we meet! If we ever do!”

Then they met, and he realized she was right. She was an extremely cultured, sweet natured but ordinary looking girl. Without any charisma at all. All his dreams ended then and there but she fell in love with him.

She was “shattered dreams” to him and he was “dream come true” to her. Even though she was a very practical girl but no matter how hard she tried she could not detach herself from him. The more she tried the more she got tangled in his love.

He left the town after their only meeting because he was promoted to their Delhi office.

He tried to brush her off but a part of his heart felt sympathy for her, because he knew he was irresistible to any woman, so he decided to give her time to recover.

He maintained a friendship and tried his level best to disillusion her. Whereas she became obsessed with him. Whenever he tried to call off the relationship her immense pain pulled him back to her. It appeared as if her very happiness depended on him.
She was just like a puppet in his hands, laughing and crying at the snap of his fingers.

Slowly his attempts started to materialize and he started to feel that the puppet is waking up, she is tugging at her strings to be free.

Then he realized that he is crazily in love with her. He tried to revive the relationship but she inched away.

He started to spend sleepless nights having nightmares of losing her and rushed back to meet her.

“Hi!!!” she smiled at him. “How are you?”

“Perfectly fine.” He smiled back at her. “Lets go and eat something.”

He took her to a small, cozy restaurant. A cubicle was already booked for them.

She sat down and instead of sitting opposite to her he sat down beside her. She looked at him with a little surprise and bowed her head. Her fingers were playing with the napkins.

The waiter left after taking the orders. He softly held her hand and slipped a small ring in her ring finger.

“Will you marry me? I cant live without you.” He softly whispered.

“Are you sure? I don’t think I am your type. You are too good looking for me.” She said. Hiding her eyes from his.

“I love you too much, and if I marry you this love will only increase day by day.” She added, “If you change your mind I will be shattered to pieces.”

“You refused me on our first meeting, may be its pity not love.” She said, “I don’t want your pity.”

He forced her to lift her face and look at him, straight in his eyes. His eyes answered all her questions.
“I may have been fool in the past but a man grows up with time.” He softly smiled, “I am not insane to let a love like yours slip away from my fingers.”