Prologue to the almost

I've been lucky with some things in life-studies, work, friends, love too. No further questions and touchwood.

Not that we pursued, we hardly knew we existed. Again, not out of indifference but just out of sheer ignorance, you in your corner, I in mine- different worlds indeed, poles apart. We almost missed. Trust Coelho and his Alchemist magic.

I was never for love, but was always happy that people fell/rose/whatever in love. It was cute to see two people clumsy and crazy together, doing sweet somethings and nothings for each other. Often, the cynic (psst: no sour grapes) would also pass a mean one, tch tch!

I will tell you of a few close ones, really close ones. I shudder at the thought, not that they were bad…I would have been a disaster.

In school, friends bullied me royally to go for this guy because he was the one for so many, my logic- I am not. I was branded a chicken, scared of being caught by parents and all. I am one of the plainest of plain Janes around. Nothing can tick anyone or me. Period.

College in an all-girls environment, nothing romantic crossed my mind except for Jane Austen and Emily Bronte books. To have a mix of Darcy and Heathcliff is potently maddening, I thought.

University did not go without its fair share of crushes and you know, the occasional fight. My good friend broke up with his girl and for a year, was head over heels in love with me( I call it rebound). His cosmos married me off to his family- his parents doted on me, his siblings adored me, his aunts would just go ga-ga. The perplexed soul in me was wary. The poor chap had two dummy affairs before me to provoke me, sad. That also, dint work. He confessed to me that it was difficult to think sexually about me. I told him, give time. With time, both of us faded away from each other. We are still very good friends.

Another friend with 9 years of faithful love around him tells me to be faithful is tough. I was like whoa.

My friends love me and my chirpy chirpy yap-yap. Often the admiration gets diluted in some form of infatuation which is very normal. Keeping quiet is not a solution but running away from them, yeah.

A short stint at IIT got another mad boy on my trail. Thankfully, his crush lasted that summer and he is happily married teaching home science to his wifey dear.

Yes, I’ve had my share of crushes too. One- a goalkeeper at school, because he kept balls so well. He does not look great anymore.

Aamir Khan, in Dil Chahta Hai, well too filmi to believe but I had a crush on him.I also liked SRK in some movies, the middle class kinds.

While teaching at college, I was not resigned but never looked into that aspect at all. My parents once in a while asked me if something interesting is happening. I would brush it away in style.

My first 10 months in Hyderabad had me hooked to travel, shifting house 3 times and watching every new movie release. No time for love and bleh. Pretty much loved my singlehood and all the drama until love took me in style.