Nothing's gonna change my love for you.....

Its funny how someone can break your heart and..you still love them with all the little pieces!!!
Yeah, that’s probably right. What do you say guys? Do you agree with this statement..yes??..no??..did you say pass? Nope, that s not an option here!
Well, to be frank…I am a destiny believer. I ve always believed that whatever happens, happens for a reason..happens because its destined to happen that way. I ve always been laidback, therefore, and never bothered to question the way things happen! Never pondered if things could happen differently..or if we could induce things to happen in an improbable way, maybe not quite the obvious way as designed by mother nature.
And, then, I ve always seen one thing. Nature always has her own ingenious way to handle things, and keep us all guessing..the best part of life, as you shall soon see! It is not surprising to see that opposites are always pitted together, they are attracted to each other (at times, re attracted) and somehow, they stay together…..
* * * *
As I glanced at the table in the library, the familiar silhouette of Ratnesh greeted my eyes. I and Ratnesh had been the best of friends since day one of MBBS. Always shared everything in common…all but Aarti. She was only ‘his’ property, his ‘girl’ and the only thing in his life which would probably never change! He was head over heels in love with Aarti…another thing which I associate with day one of MBBS.
……as I slowly treaded towards his table, I could sense the grim atmosphere all around. Those drooping shoulders and the lifeless head told me that she had said-NO. I had a premonition that something bad was going to happen to a close aide..and here it was! And then, I saw the familiar red fluid on the floor below and I knew I had to rush. I tied my handkerchief around his forearm, lifted him and rushed to the ESR. Here was someone, denying and changing the way nature would function. Why? What had happened? But for now, I did not care about the answers. I had to rush and I was on the way…
* * * *
…… Ratnesh Mehra, 24 yr old, PMTite, a good natured and intelligent guy, shy and reticent and above all a human being par excellence, my best friend and who was clear about only one thing he couldn’t live without(..no not oxygen, refer below for the right answer!)..
….. Aarti Honavar, 23yr old, localite, a lovely and an enigmatic girl, clearly above average( ref-the katta score of >8/10), always very clear about what she wanted in her life, and also a good friend( BHABHI- Ratnesh liked it that way) of mine.
Luckily all of us were in the same batch. We attended clinics together, went for movies together…(did last minute changes to seat these ‘two’ together!!)..participated in the dance together (I had no option as I was pulled into it..he needed me..and I was there to convince others that they danced in sync and therefore should partner each other!).. cheated during the exams together( I would write the answers and then hand over the sheet to Ratnesh who would photocopy that in his neat handwriting and then would pass his so called indigenous sheet to her. A sweet thanks from her at the end would make his day...and I was happy to let the things happen this way!)
Enter Feb 14th, for me it was a Friday but for him.. Valentine s day!! I was damn sure that he could never express his feelings..tachycardia, tremoulessness, palpitations..today he was a nervous wreck! But I had laid my plans. I had already bought a rose day ‘crush card’ for him, three days ago( that s a tradition at Sion..you dedicate a card to the one you love..which would be read in the auditorium at the common meet and she would then have to come up on stage to collect it and the rose..and of course, no points for guessing, I was the host!!).So today early morning, I had scanned all the V –DAY dedications in the Times of India and had finally settled on one-
Dear Aarti,
Its been a while that I ve known you. I ll always cherish those wonderful moments and everlasting memories that we ve had, so far. And I just wanted to say, this one lil thing-
Once upon a time, something happened to me…
It was the sweetest thing, that could ever be…
It was a fantasy, a dream come true…
It was the day, I MET YOU!!

….and I just wanted to add one more thing, that though you may only be one person to the world, you are the world to one person..thats me!!
From- Ratnesh.
Ratnesh was sitting in one corner of the audi. From the corner of my eye, I could see that Aarti had just entered the hall. I read the card aloud. Ratnesh, almost, had a sudden cardiac arrest..no..an ante mortem rigor mortis would describe his state better(if at all there existed a term like that!!). All eyes were on the beautiful lady making her way to the podium. I handed over the card and the rose…and I prayed hard, prayed for a yes!!
I really don’t remember the no of kicks I received at the end of the day, courtesy Ratnesh. With a clown like me as a best friend, it was never a difficult guess as to who might have done it. But I was happy, the job was done! We had the V-DAY SOCIALS in the evening…it was then that she confronted him! She was surprised with this public display of love and affection( I had anticipated this and had told Ratnesh to make a sad face and behave sheepishly, when this would happen). She said that she needed more time to decide. Bugs bunny Ratnesh had agreed.
….our days continued, we were done with our exams. Internship was over and it was time to say goodbye. Ratnesh would leave us and go back to Jabalpur. It was then that he approached Aarti, one last time. And no one knew about this, till the time I found him in the lib. He had not returned to the room and I went looking all over for him till I found him there.
* * * *
…..in the casualty, his CLW was sutured and a pint of blood was transfused. When stable, I took him back to my room. Finally he spoke- he said that she agreed to the fact that he was a close friend. But it would be difficult for her to settle down with him, plus all those cultural differences, going against the wishes of your parents (.. and all that stuff that you need to say before you reject someone..GOD!), it was, just, not possible. The final verdict was a NO! With that he burst out crying.
I must admit that all these years, I had played cupid for this couple, and I really wished that things would end on a better note. Here was a guy, my best friend, good looking, good natured and a wonderful human being (arguably the best guy of my batch!), someone who would do anything for his friends(..need I say that he would do everything to keep her happy?). But love equations probably don’t work that way.
So now what..i had to console him somehow. I started with my lecture series on this topic (never be sad for what is over, just be glad that it happened..and stuff like that!!). Told him to look forward in life, and the fact that life doesn’t end here, told him to be strong and forget her(..i had no option but to say this, did i?) and finally concluded saying that its all destiny(I wish changing the destiny was possible..wish someone would do it for him..i just could not see him in this painful state!!) and that you cannot change it(I wanted to be proven wrong on this account, atleast for today). Sadly that’s how it ended. Our AIPGE results were out the next weekend. I was in Kemh, so was she, and he was in Indore. I tried to talk to her, at times; regarding the same, but she was adamant, things were not going to change. Though I knew that he could never forget her, there was not much that I could do. By now a year had passed after this incident, life was hectic and I had lost touch with most of the things happening around me.
……
…… I was in deep sleep when,suddenly, the phone rang..i picked it up and it was my friends familiar voice at the other end. I had not spoken to him for months now. And he sounded much better than the last time we spoke at the Dadar rly stn, before he left. I purposefully avoided her topic in the conversation(as I always have, ever since that day). It was then that he dropped a bomb! She had called him yesterday night( ..first time since that eventful day), spoke about how life s changed after graduation..and then confided that she missed him and …said..YES to him. Needless to say, I had suffered from a sudden cardiac arrest now! He was so happy that he did not know what to do! He was going to come down the next month..life would be the same as I thought it would be! I really didn’t care if it was divine intervention (ONTCC by chetan bhagat, remember) or destiny (by me, remember) but I was just glad that it had happened. I could imagine these two walk hand in hand when they meet next time humming Nothings gonna change my love for you (Sion’s favorite song..long live Glenn Mediores)-
If the road ahead is not so easy
Our love will lead a way for us
Like a guiding star
I'll be there for you if you should need me
You don't have to change a thing
I love you just the way you are……

Well as I end this write up, I am very ecstatic that good things do happen in life and surprises do spring up when you least expect them..that s life..with every dark cloud there still is and will always be.. a silver lining!!!!