Story 9

She stared at the orange Gerberas kept in the vase on her desk. This was the first time someone had given her flowers. She had laughed when he had handed over the flowers to her and said, “I am not a rose kind of guy. Gerberas bring a smile to your lips and stay fresh for a long time. That is how I want our relationship to be.” It was the most romantic thing anyone had said to her. Even though he was not the first person she had been out with. But the other guys she had dated were – different.


‘Come let’s have dinner – No, you cannot pay for dinner; I am THE Guy – I find you interesting – I want to take you to bed’ kind of guys. These guys did not scare her; she knew how to handle them. She had never been to bed with any of those and she had not seen any of those guys again in her life.


He was not like them. He made her feel special. He brought her flowers, he took her to dinner and did not stop her when she offered to pay. He did not kiss her and he did not offer to take her to bed, even though she could see it in his eyes that he very much wanted to do that.


Why was it, then, that she was scared of him? Why his words worried her? They had known each other for quite some time now, but not that long so as to start a relationship as such. Dating was one thing, commitment was another. She wanted to get to know him better. She wanted to be sure before she took the next step. 


They had met for the first time when he had entered her shop to buy music CD’s. The tinkling of the bells as the door was opened alerted her to his entry. She glanced up and then continued reading. Most of the customers knew what they were looking for so she hardly had to leave her seat at the cash counter and help people find the CD’s. It was when he came to the cash counter with a couple of CD’s that she looked at him up close. She was instantly mesmerized by his eyes. She could not look away and he held the gaze as well. The customer after him cleared his throat and the connection was broken. 
He came back again a couple of days later and this time both of them avoided eye contact. 
He became a frequent customer; he even became a member. 


It took a couple of more visits before he finally asked her out. They went for a walk after she closed her shop. They walked barefoot in sand at the seashore. They stared at the waves in the moonlight. He walked her home and left after saying goodnight.
They went to the water park for their second date. It was awkward. Neither of them could look at each other after taking the water ride. Their clothes were wet and the heat of their body way high. They took separate cabs on way back home.
They watched a movie for on their third date. An action film and she could not stop herself from laughing when she learned about his choice of the movie. She remembered the way he had stared at her. It was the first time he had seen her laugh. She saw the look in his eyes, saw his affection for her. They watched the movie, ate popcorn and shared a sandwich.  
On way back home they held hands. The first physical contact between them. It had felt good. 
At the doorstep, he wanted to kiss her and she would have perhaps allowed it had he taken the initiative but he wished her goodnight and walked away.


The fourth time they went for dinner. He picked her up from her shop; he brought Gerberas for her and told her that he was not the rose kind of guy and he believed that Gerberas brought a smile on the lips and stayed fresh for a long time and that is how he wanted their relationship to be. She smiled, trying her best to hide the uneasiness that had suddenly crept in. They walked hand in hand towards the nearest hotel. Her hand was sweating but he neither complained nor left her hand. 
He let her pay her share for the dinner.


On their way back he told her that he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. She could not say a word. She watched him pouring his heart out, all the while thinking whether she was ready for the commitment, asking herself what she was scared of.  Finally he said that she could take the time she needed to make a decision. Before wishing her goodnight he hesitated for a moment and then kissed her but she could not kiss him back.
When she was inside the house she regretted for not responding to his kiss. She did not want him to get an impression that she did not want him. She wanted him very much. He made her smile. She liked him but it was the ‘jumping-into-the-relationship’ part that scared her. 
Obviously he was not the ‘do-it-and-get-over-it’ kind of person. Had he been, had be made the advances she would have perhaps given in and slept with him.


She placed the Gerberas in the vase and stared at them. Unable to make up her mind.


---

He did not call or visit her at the shop. She wanted to but did not call him. She could not concentrate in her work. She hated that he disappeared all of a sudden. Had she given out a wrong message? She wondered. 
At the end of the day, after she closed her shop she searched the streets for him, then she walked towards the beach. She removed her sandals and sat on the still warm sand. Bringing her knees close to her chest she rested her chin on her arms and stared at the sea. 
What was she going to do? Should she take the plunge or not? 
She had heard so many cases of broken trust that she had lost faith in the concept of love and trust. Her parents had not really been the ‘happily-ever-after’ kind of couple. She feared she would end up the same way.


He did not contact her for more than a week. The ache in her heart grew stronger each day. She still had not been able to take a decision. She took out her mobile from her jeans pocket and was deciding whether to call him when the bells tinkled and she glanced up. There he was, standing in front of her, his eyes as mesmerizing as ever but there was a tinge of sadness in them. Her heart ached at the thought that perhaps she was the reason for the sadness. He walked towards her and without saying a word he hugged her. She wrapped her arms around him and he started crying. The customers in the shop stared at them. She did not care. He was in her arms and he was crying. He was shattered. She had to know why. 


Few minutes later he moved out of the embrace and apologised for the public display of emotions. He told her that he was glad to see her face after having a horrible week. He told her that his mother had been sick and that’s why he could not keep in touch and now she was dead.
She hated herself for the conclusions she had drawn for past few days.


He waited with her at the cash counter sharing the details about the past few days. He showed her the picture of his mother and told her about their conversation about her. She blushed. She could not believe he had discussed her with his mother. The uneasiness was about to find its way in when he made it clear that it did not mean anything and it should in no way influence her decision about them. 
After closing the shop, they went for a walk and he told her he was ready to wait. She could take the time she needed to take the decision.
She stopped walking and when he turned around to face her, she kissed him on the lips. Recovering from the shock, he responded and they kissed in moonlight until both of them were breathless. 


He walked her to her house and she invited him in. They made love and later as she was propped up on her elbow, staring at him as he slept she knew she had made the right choice. She deserved to love and be loved and if anyone could love her for what she was –it was this man.


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