Dream is a wish

"A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep." Radha stood in front of her mirror adorned in a plain green sari with a sequin border. Dressed up traditionally for the annual event at school, she stood radiant and beautiful just as everyone always thought of her and yet she never did think much of herself. Maybe that translated into the hesitation in expressing her feelings to Krish, the boy she loved, and loved so deeply. His reserved demeanour did not help either. But now as she looked at her reflection, the emotion ran deep in her heart again. Would this be the day when she would overcome it all and tell Krish she loved him? They were both so young. Did forever begin the moment she fell for him not even knowing what love was? Her timid heart frantically wished he would hear the unsaid. Shouldn’t it be obvious? After all her heart was screaming inside. 

All the kids in the school looked forward to this annual gathering. Giggles filled the school bus with girls admiring each other's looks; each and every one of them wrapped in the elegance and grace of a sari, as if breaking free of the tender age for a day. Perhaps even wondering within what it would be like to be a woman. As for the boys, they were simply wowed, mesmerized by this splendor of whom they thought were nerdy female classmates! Meandering through the narrow streets the bus arrived at the school just as the morning bell rang and Radha and friends happily got off. The sound of the bell bringing to fervour the building excitement in her.

The school reverberated with the hustle and bustle of students playfully doing their chores in preparation for the event. Radha and her close group of friends found their quiet corner and took up the chore they loved - arranging flowers. As Radha strung flowers into garlands all the while fielding teasers from her friends, all she could think of was the succession of little moments strung together since the day she and Krish had met; the excuses they found to talk, the predilection implied, the beautiful times they would catch the other stealing a glance, the attempts to quickly look away with a barely perceptible smile at being caught looking. She thought of the one time when they walked together and she had heard amorous words that he had not said. But then words weren't needed. The look in his eyes told her that he loved her.

Radha stepped away from the dulcet tones of the friends she was with, ambled along the long corridors greeting familiar faces along the way, and ventured into the lawn. The breeze was swaying the flower plants against the background. She walked across the flower beds and into the open lawn where Krish was arranging chairs for the event. He looked so handsome in his grey pants and light blue shirt. She walked up to him. He turned around a saw her. Their eyes met. He said, “Hi”. “I just stopped by to say hi”, her voice quivered. She turned around flushed walking back across the lawn through the flower beds, along the long corridors and back to her friends. A word, and yet, so much had been said!

Then the ‘ritual’ happened. Her friends living up to their mischief as always once again pushed one of them to go and say to Krish that Radha was asking for him. Krish would turn up as in previous years, seeming to be irritated while his eyes would belie and this time too he did exactly that. How she knew him!

Back at home that evening before changing clothes Radha stood in front of her mirror once again. She looked at her reflection, pensive, not in vanity but rather the unspoken truth of this eternal connect she felt so deep drawing her in, awed at the promise and the hope therein. In a moment of tenderness the 15-year old girl suddenly picked a soft cushion off the couch, wrapping it in the folds of her sari on her tummy, and smiled at the mirror envisioning her and Krish's future baby!

~

In deep slumber, the baby has a smile, must be dreaming. A school reunion. Krish is there looking around. No sign of Radha yet. Krish asks his friends and then declares, “I will go, find and bring her”. He goes out searching and then suddenly sees her walking at a distance. He runs breathlessly catching up to her. She notices someone at her side and turns. And when she looks up, standing there is the grade 9 boy...her Krish! Love is eternal.

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