From A Ledge.: A True Story....?

My name is Hari. I’m a final year medical student. And I’m standing on the ledge of the tallest building in town.

No, I’m not going to jump, even if you'd like me to. That would add spice to this story, wouldn’t it.? But I’m sorry, i wont jump. At least, not yet.

And this isn't the story of what brought me here. It’s just where i stand when I’m narrating this story. I hope you don’t have a problem with that.

Okay.. Here goes..

And, Oh.. Before i start, this isn’t some fiction. This is what really happened. All characters real, no names changed, and any resemblances if found, intentional.

So have you ever wondered what will happen if you stare at a girl for a long time..?

Yes, hats off to you, you are guessing it right. This is a love story.!

And now you've already started predicting. But I’m sorry to disappoint you, thats not the reason i am on this ledge. And i repeat, i am not going to jump. Not yet.

You always like to predict things, don’t you.?

And you just read on to see if you are right at the end, to see if you are intellectually superior than the writer.

Please.. Please don’t do that to me.

Read on only if you want to hear my story. If you are going to predict, then do that. Don’t read.

Okay. I guess you have already left. But that doesn’t matter. I'll finish this story, you stay or not.

Yeah, you heard me right. I don’t need you.

Hmm.. Where was I? Yeah. So, what will happen if you stare at a girl for a long time?

She will, at some point, notice you watching her, throw you a casual glance and pretend you were never there.

What if you keep on looking? She will give you that famous 'don’t-you-have-women-in-your-family' look next.

And what if you still keep on looking?

She leaves.!

Yes. They do. They leave.

No girl responds with a smile to that kind of a stare.

This is how Bollywood movies play with your mind. They give you all these wrong tips about love, and girls. And that is exactly how they ruined my life., well my love life, that is.

No.. Don’t give me that look. Yeah. It’s my story. What happened in MY life.

What’s your problem now..?!

Don’t i look like someone worth having a story.?!

Just know 'not-so-good-looking' people can have a love failure too.

Okay.. And that’s what happened.

I looked at her for an hour or so, and was still looking at her. And I'd have done that for many more hours to come, effortlessly.

But then, she saw me. Contrary to my expectations fuelled by Bollywood ,

She didn’t smile at me,

she didn’t come up to me,

she didn’t blink her eyes at a supersonic rate,

and she didn’t whisper "Mein tumhara bacchon ki maa ban na chahthi hoon."

She just got up and left..!

I was nothing short of being heart broken. It’s not that she didn’t smile at me. But, now I'd have to wait one whole week to see her again.

Oh i didn’t mention that, did i.? We were batch mates at an entrance coaching centre. We had these classes every Sunday, where she sat preparing for her entrance exams, and i sat keenly watching her preparing for her entrance exams..

And no, i wasn’t the only one who did that.

There was a whole league of boys who came to the classes just to see her. Yes, you guessed right, she was sort of a campus beauty.

But hey, i wasn’t like the other boys. I was special too. You see, I was the one who was in love with her..!

Now you are laughing. No, don’t pretend otherwise. I know you are.

Just keep this in mind. I know when I’m being ridiculed.

You are marked, and will be dealt with once i finish my narration.

Okay.. So every weekday i waited for a Sunday, and every Sunday i waited for her to smile at me.

And almost 600 such weekdays and 130 such Sundays later, i realized it wasn’t going to happen.

By way of Mother nature's some very mysterious forces, i remained invisible to her. No matter how hard i tried, the poor girl couldn’t see me.

But fate wasn’t done with me yet.

The inevitable happened- The Entrance exams.!

God.! How I hate those exams with 'out-of-syllabus' questions..!

Can you believe it..? There wasn’t even a single question about her..!

And hence, i didn’t stand a chance.

As an aftermath of the entrance disaster, she went on to have an admission in a Govt medical college, and i was exiled to Trissur for intensive coaching.

This time, my parents were clever in seeing to that i never met a member of the opposite sex for one whole year.

But what do they know about perseverance. I ingeniously spent that time planning how to hit on her when i came back. I always had this dream of me going to her college. And on seeing me, she throws her books away and runs towards me.., oh, in slow motion, of course.

Her arms spread, papers flying, back ground music playing..

(Yeah. I know. I’m sorry, but what can i do.. I used to watch a lot of movies.)

And she will thus run into my arms, her whole college watching.

I had even done my share of spy work to know which college she had joined. And I had already decided which college I needed to join so that I don’t end up as her junior, but  could make enough chances for her to effortlessly ‘run into my arms’..!

Everything went as per plan. I made my parents believe i chose this college so that i could come home often.

Yeah, i know. That was a pretty clever move.

And i thus started my MBBS course. Each day went by, and i was planning on going to her college anytime.

But then, it happened.  A news that shattered my plans in just a fraction of a second..!          

I came to know she had got admission to this college in her second allotment.

And me, unaware of this fact, and fully equipped with my nearly infallible 'plan', had walked into a situation that i had not foreseen even in my wildest dreams- having to call her 'chechi'...!

Yes, comrade. Fate always comes up with novel and innovative ideas to kick your ass. And, i think i am its favorite guinea pig.

So, that marked the day Sachin ceased being just a God for me.

He became 'a God with an elder wife'.! Needless to mention, after 2 years or so, Abhishek too joined the league, but with the title 'Jackass and the elder beauty'.

Yeah.. Totally irrelevant, i know. But how could I miss such an easy chance to insult Abhishek..? You wouldn’t too. Accept that..!

Okay.. So, i was officially her junior now, my precious ego irrevocably hurt, and there was no way out of this situation. May be it was time i accepted that fact. It’s impossible..!

And then, a distant possibility struck me. If she doesn’t get through her final year for two attempts in a row, and i get through at my first chance, then it might happen.

Yes. Difficult, yet possible..!

And i waited. Not for one or two, but four long years. During these years, except for the campus, nothing changed. She stayed the beauty she was, and I still the invisible man.

At the end of this rather long wait, I watched with awe, fate letting me down yet again. She did not miss her ticket to house surgeoncy, better still , the only thing she actually missed was the glory of being a batch topper, that too for just a handful of marks.

Poor girl, she.

And it was like her dad couldn’t wait any longer to get her married. But it didn’t matter any more. I had already lost a battle that i hadn’t even fought.

So, that’s how this story ends.

And I’m sorry, but you are wrong again. As I've already told you, this isn’t the story of what brought me to this ledge.

And trust me, I know what’s going on through that nasty little mind of yours. But i warn you, my friend, you dare not say that aloud.

Because, the moment i hear you saying the words "Where is the love in this 'love story' of yours..?", Dear, thats when I’m going to jump.