A Reader's Love

As clearly the title states, its quintessential too. Love is somewhat bound to happen on the tracks of your uneven and unfinished story of life. As time passes by, I find myself a little bit more anxious to calculate your expressions while reading this, a story of a reader who unconditionally falls in love with an author! I am sure, she could have defined it as the remnants of being a teenager but it’s not what it seems to be. Although I’m sharing it with you people, my words won’t really suffice up her feelings for him. To this day, there are millions of authors rising and we find our favourites amongst them scrutinizing them in every way possible and living by them with each subtle element.

Being an avid reader, Arshi has her own way of letting herself explore the world and be a complete lunatic side by side. She seemed docile, but inside, a rebellious personality thrived to boast itself up to the rawness and get refined. Books were her best friend and still she wasn’t even a graduate to being called a Nerd! She was the girl who would enjoy a cup of coffee alone in her backyard with a beautiful book rather than the cacophony of blaring moods. Her world was sworn to the walls of her own world, and she relished in it describing it as a freedom for her. Her classmates even named her ox-fox dictionary - the girl who was a veracious reader.

It all started, when Arshi read his first book! She wasn’t even sure what he looked like or I should say she never really paid any attention to that. It was his first release, he was a fresh one. It is quite intriguing to see that even though she was quite the indoor-type girl, her personality revealed something more than that. Arshi loved to know about other people that her territory held. The book released when she was in 8th standard probably, back in 2008. As much as the heavy books and numerous notes engulfed her, it was never hard for her to spend her precious time over those amazing novels. She bought the book, thinking that it might be worth a read. She had no idea of what her effete time awaited. I should say she was already trapped with that catchy title and the theme of it. It was a romance-fiction. Arshi drowned in sheer joy, it seemed as she was just a cute little child who was going to school the first time in the dawn of her life with tender feet and clumsiness sponsored all over her. She took the book in her hands and stared at the cover with an intense look. The foreword itself hooked her up, and she was too determined to let anything else puncture her concentration.

As she started reading, she was deliberately hooked to his norm, the way he described each and every single thing. The emotions were so intense that she started to exult in that as the moments tickled by. She felt as if she could actually decipher the feelings of the writer as she read further acknowledging the fragments. She thrived to know him more, she couldn’t refrain herself to avert herself from the magnetic pull that book held onto her. The emotions were such deep, and the more she read it got deeper within her too. The way he wrote was remarkably annealing. Patiently yet in demand, she read the chapters one by one. It was enthralling. She was unable to find something such perfect with all its flaws. She realized that she had fallen for the book. She has fallen for the way the author unraveled his book. He became her inspiration, and a sudden urge brew within her to write.

Arshi never perceived that she had the knack of writing until then. This particular book inspired her and consciously bade her to dodge in writing.

Meanwhile, on the other end the author was gathering recognition from all the corners. People loved his books and the girls loved him! They hovered around him like honey-bees. Meticulously, stepping into the world of literature he gradually became the most wanted author and sought-after amongst the youngsters and the adults enjoyed his versatility. Back then, people engrossed themselves in every social networking site they could get hold of. Facebook had been smoothly marking the ratings ever since. Obviously, she was in too. And there she found him. As his books cracked and he was more open, she gathered that he was in a relationship with some beautiful and divine girl. She didn’t envy that girl. Arshi followed him in every social media she could find. She had no intention of dating him in a boyfriend sort of way, she simply longed to meet him and get inspired a little more. She began to observe his every move. The media swallowed him vigorously, and he was confined like a celebrity in no time. He was listed in one of the top most sellers in India, and one of the best romance writers. Arshi exulted in his victory. It was strange.

She never tried to contact him like the other girls did nor she dreamt of dating this soul. She stalked him safely. At times, she would laugh at herself approving her situation. His writings were veracious, and with every release her admiration for him got stronger. She learnt that he was quite interactive with his fans and his passion for writing seemed to reach ultimate heights growing violently. She was incredibly intrigued by the way he wrote each book. He has the ability to describe in a very impressive way, which irrevocably nails you up. He became an ardour for her, tempting in every way possible. Her world started to revolve around him, and in no time he paced up with trillions of followers. He was appreciated all over, and amidst all these, somewhere somehow Arshi fell for Him.

His passion became her dream, a dream which was never shared with anyone. So well hidden, that no one could have even guessed it. Desperately, she waited for the day to arrive when she would blissfully have the chance to talk to him. But somehow, deep within her she felt that it was reckless. She panicked thinking that she was actually not prepared for that. Expecting such a thing would be a way of hurting herself. She didn’t want herself to expect more and receive nothing in return. She was just a mere reader amidst the millions and he was a well-known writer, gathering fame and money alongside quite oblivious about her existence. It simply didn’t make any sense.

Days passed and meanwhile her love for him got stronger to which she continued reading more of his books as soon as it was released. She employed herself to the posts, the numerous updates of him thus living by it. Then one day, to her surprise, she found herself in quite the unexpected situation to which she was dreading for such a long time. A chance to talk to Him. Sometimes Social Medias work wonders for you that you realize later on, considering both in a negative and positive way. That’s where it started. Her wish was granted! Her joy had no bounds and she cheerfully embraced what came her way. But alas! Her emotions outweighed the situation and she found herself too nervous analyzing the probability of it that she took a step back quite in a reflex. She just backed off. Such a stupid thing to do! Maybe she didn’t have the guts to face such an extra-ordinary personality. She acted like a dork and thereby, she missed her chance. She was devastated, and eventually she relinquished on the thought of facing Him. She was acting like a coward, but it was not that easy as it seemed. To face such a wanted soul invites the nervousness to its extreme. Hell, she was in love with him! She was way too confused to confess anything, and witnessing such a dream was nowhere so obvious. Her trepidation of being judged overcame her wishes. Unaware of her existence or the condition She was in, he smoothly kept in releasing one by one novel and that’s pretty obvious. Hereby, purchasing his every book she kept on increasing his demand and refine his status as well. Days became years, she ceased herself from expecting a second chance. Life doesn’t offer you one so easily, does it?

Meanwhile her knack of writing evolved more, maybe she was gifted with that as a talent but she wasn’t sure if it was a “Talent” itself. She was completely sure that it wasn’t even comparable with such a talented soul! It wasn’t worth it. By then, a few had witnessed her writing and asked her to pursue a career out of it. She was overwhelmed! She debated endlessly pondering if it was even possible. She was praised for her work. As she grew, she began to notice that the ones close to her never supported her to pursue her dream. She realized that people were too ambitious to accept such a possibility. Moreover, she was criticized at its depth. She was shattered. She realized that criticism abode the rules of the society. It was indeed tough to cope up with such a catastrophe. She stood alone only to be sympathized over. The outcome was grave; she concluded that her love for that amazing writer was just a fantasy. She thought that it was not possible for her to be with him, meet him. As time tickled by, she clinched her dream bit by bit. She stopped believing, thinking it was worthless. He had no idea what she was going through, and neither did she try. But she was unable to rescue herself. To her, he was irresistible. At times, when Arshi read his novels she would be lost and it was some sort of escapism for her to survive the shocks of reality.

She finished her schooling; the time had begun to indulge her into a new life, new friends and new dreams for sure. She was well prepared for that. She had been nurtured well and strong since her childhood. She was bold enough to face that. She got admitted in college, and soon enough like every student she found herself lost in the demanding books. Her passion ceased day by day and as each day bade its bye, a part of her died. She stopped writing. She abandoned her dreams, realizing that her dreams will never be fulfilled. The congenial figure still paced along, and Arshi followed him silently. But, life had other plans for her.

A few months later, a sudden turn bumped into her life. As they say that life does offer second chances, Arshi’s life was rewarded with one. Yes, yet again she had the chance to talk to him. A sudden urge of joy hit her, and danced shamelessly for her happiness had no bounds. It was his 8th launch, and he was in her city! The depth of her sheer joy was indeed immeasurable. She decided to meet, face him and let him know her existence. She wanted to let him know that she loved him with all her heart and she dreamt to be an author someday, just like him. She thought to herself, this is the time. She can’t be a coward anymore. She gathered herself up and went for it. She put on her best dress because she wanted to look good infront of him, but the most important part for her was that she wanted to look good in his eyes. She wanted him to see what relied within her. As she got dressed, she took a deep breath gloating in every single thought she had of him. Gosh! She was so in love with him. But her nervousness never ceased, as she questioned herself that will he ever accept her the way she is? Even though she felt luxuriant at the thought of meeting him, the fear of being rejected never left her side. Skeptically, she took the step forward.

The moment she saw him, she simply stood there staring at him scrutinizing his every move and comparing it to the novels he wrote back then. Her eyes blinked in shock! It was like a dream come true. She felt it so unreal. She was nervous, her tender feet glued to the spot she stood. Her stance was rigid. For a moment she felt as she has been nailed to the ground yet she felt free. That’s when her lips slowly uttered, “wow”. She was unable to apprehend the serenity of the situation. She felt innate peace in herself and yet her heart anxiously pumped louder with each beat. The thumping sound made her numb. He noticed her, but I think her probing eyes demanded his attention. He gestured her to come closer, so that he could see her more clearly in that enormous crowd. She clutched his 8th book tight in her hands with trembling fingers as he examined her. She felt claustrophobic. Her breath was caught within, and she stood there like a corpse unable to decipher his actions and her emotions. Her mind asked quivering, “was it for real?” Oblivious of the fact that her Author was reciprocating her stares, she noticed he had a smirk on his face glued. A boyish grin stuck at the corner of his lips that showed his dimples brightly hurting her shimmering eyes. She was numb again; her body was starting to get cold. Her lips dried out as she acknowledged his existence right infront of her. However slowly, she ventured her body towards him, and shot her eyes on him with no second thoughts. She couldn’t find her voice to greet him or talk to him, and He smiled as he caught a clear glance of her. Not willing to be desperate, she somehow managed to greet him with a “Hi”. She felt as if her heart was going to explode, pop out any minute gathering its frequency! She was simply glad. This couldn’t be any better, she thought. He was in his twenties, and he knew exactly how to woo the girls and make them fall for him some more. His lips still held that smirk, and she found him unable to resist. He noticed the way she grasped his latest book in her small and quivering fingers. He asked her if she has read his latest release motioning at it, and she quickly nodded releasing she has lost her voice midway gawking at him. She was embarrassed. He chuckled to her response. He laughed acknowledging her rigidity and said, “Say something. I know you have a lot in your mind.” She was stunned gaining at how well he read her. She introduced herself to him and they shook hands. Her mind was full with all kinds of queries she was willing to ask him. They reached to the brim, still she managed somehow to act smart and keep it smooth. They talked for a while about his book. At times, this amazing writer would flirt with her and sweep her off her feet. Even though she was in the seventh heaven, she didn’t offer him the chance to witness it. She played her role pretty well. But the author was way smarter and he easily continued her to impress her with his every refined talk. How could she deny to that? She felt helpless. Amidst all these things, to her surprise, she learnt something new that day. Even though he was a well known writer and invariably famous, he never acted like one. He was too generous and too modest for that alone to comprehend. “Am I dreaming?” she asked herself.

He talked to her like they had been acquaintances ever since, but to her he was something more. Her Mentor. Her heart was filled with respect. The time she spent with him was not a day or hardly an hour but to her it felt like an eternity. She was obliged to have such an opportunity. She told him that whenever she reads his books, he inspired her to write ever since. He was such a generous being, that she simply stopped feeling reluctant and opened up to him. He was a busy man, she couldn’t hold onto him even if she wanted to. Her eyes danced with joy, and he felt the warmth noticing that in her. She was pure, and he was smart enough to concede that. Her loquacity charmed him. He felt blessed to acknowledge that his readers loved him, adored him to such an extent. Deep within her she hoped that someday she would meet the man of her dreams, and there he was! He was sitting next to her, answering to her innumerable questions. She felt blessed. As the time succeeded, the moment of amazement started to fade. He bade her bye, and asked her to continue with her writing for he hopes someday he will have the chance to read her books too! It took her breath away. The way he said that skipped her heartbeat, and she delightfully promised to that. He asked her to keep writing and also to keep reading his books, so that she could meet him again. This made her day. She received much more to her anticipation, she was overwhelmed. 5th February, she treasured this date, from the bottom of her heart. To measure the extension of it, seems a hard way to go. This was the date, when she met the man of her dreams, when she realized that her dreams were worth it. She learnt that people will criticize in every way possible, and they may be your close ones too but you have to keep looking forward without taking a glance back. Her dreams matter, and that matters to her. She didn’t fear the society anymore, she rose up much more stronger she already was and decided to pursue her dreams.

It seems so unsual and yet amazing to have your wishes granted. I can’t possibly visualize something more to that. Arshi smiled to herself and thought, He might be out there somewhere, out of her reach but she is going to cherish this day till the end. He won’t remember her probably, there are millions dying as much as her to meet him or have him but to her he’ll always be her inspiration. She promised herself, she would give her best to become one of him. She would never give up. The moment was indelible and indescribable. It was a delightful encounter for her, and the fragments of joy within her are priceless. As she walked her way back, She looked straight ahead and embraced the new atmosphere she was transferred upon and said, “Dreams do come true.”