Yes! I Loved You . .: . . but It Is Too Late.

By Chinmay Sukalikar

Yes! I LoveD You . . . . But It Is Too Late is a story about Ankur and Shweta who love each other. As it is said, love has different forms and it is expressed by various people in different ways. Ankur confesses his love for Shweta after they both get placed in IT companies after their four years of engineering. Shweta, a confident and practical girl, loves him too, but she is not ready to accept the fact that she is falling for him. Though she doesnt say those three magical words, but she intents Ankur many times about her feelings. Ankur gets a new hope every time Shweta says indirectly about her liking him. Ankur is honest and loyal in his feelings. Shweta too was, until their love is put to an ultimate test. In bad times, we both need to stay beside each other firmly and be a strong support and strength for each other is what Ankur thinks. Shweta feels, in bad times, money matters more than emotions. Ankur tries to convince Shweta, but she is firm and adamant on her decision of marrying someone who is stable financially. Shwetas eyes are completely covered by the curtain of practicality. Ankur struggles to convince Shweta, which ultimately makes the situation even worse, ruining everything. But had that been so easy, today, everyone would have been peacefully happy with the love of their life.

Yes! I LoveD You . . . . But It Is Too Late is a heartbreaking story of Ankur, who too thinks practically but respects emotions and feelings at first place, unlike Shweta, for whom money matters more. Yes! I Loved You . . . . But It Is Too Late will make you laugh, love, hate, and cry to the core.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Apr 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781482847468

Chinmay Sukalikar

Chinmay Sukalikar is an Indian author. Yes! I LoveD you . . . . But It Is Too Late is his debut novel. Born on 4 October 1991, in Nagpur, he did his engineering in electronics and telecommunication from Nagpur. Chinmay is currently working as a software engineer in one of the leading multinational companies. He has been actively contributing articles to the local newspapers of his hometown. Apart from writing, he keeps interest in photography and likes to travel and explore new places.

Book preview

Prologue

Sorry dear. I can’t attend Aryan’s wedding tomorrow. I said to Saumya with a low voice. I have been assigned with some crucial work at my job and I won’t be able to attend Aryan’s wedding with you and Shreeya. I expected Saumya to reply differently.

Oh! Okay. Fine. It would be really nice if you could make it for the wedding. You also know dear that Aryan has got some strings attached to you. He will really miss you. Saumya replied in her usual sweet and calm tone.

Yes. I know dear. But I am extremely sorry. was all I could think of saying as I felt extremely disappointed. Saumya this time too proved her maturity and understanding that made me feel a bit guilty and obviously proud of her. Saumya and I had been married since twenty long happy and beautiful years and we were blessed with a princess daughter Shreeya.

But I can’t attend Aryan’s wedding. May be I will feel a bit awkward? Probably this is the reason I lied to my wife and daughter that I have got some urgent work at my job. Shweta too will be there at Aryan’s wedding and just as a goto statement in C programming language transfers the flow of the program code to the desired location, my mind will be thrown straight into the past. And I don’t want those beautiful, yet painful memories to haunt me again. So I chose to stay away from the wedding.

Okay. replied Saumya.

Hey! Dear. Enjoy the wedding. And take care of yourself and also of your mother. I said with a smile on my face kissing Shreeya’s forehead as they were leaving for the grand wedding.

Yes Dad. she replied hugging me tightly.

Take care dear. I said staring Saumya’s dark watery eyes. She knew me so well that my sorrows reflected in her eyes as if it was the mirror image of my heart. As Saumya and Shreeya left, I came back and sat peacefully on the rocking chair plugging the ear phones listening to some soft music. When pain penetrates music resonates. With my eyes closed I started sailing on the waves in the ocean of bitter memories I hated the most. And tangents of all those thoughts started hitting the circumference of my mind. And I am not able to defend the attack that my past has put on me.

I was completely lost in the waves of thoughts. In the evening while having a stroll at lakeside trying to grab the control over my lost mind, I saw Aryan in his beautiful and elegant shervani sitting beside the lake, alone. I took a halt and wondered for a while that what could be the reason for Aryan to be so depressed a day before his marriage. I went towards Aryan and broke the silence that was prevailing his mind.

Hey Aryan. How are you? and what are you doing here? It’s your wedding tomorrow. You should be happy today. But it looks like you are Kabir Dewan from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara who is about to get married but doesn’t want to. I said giggling, trying to lighten the situation. I like watching Bollywood movies. The drama is entertaining. Though they may not have action like Hollywood or may be sometimes they lack a powerful story but still I like going to theatre and watch some of the stupid movies keeping my mind aside and relax.

I looked at Aryan’s face expecting him to answer but he was busy looking at the other end of the lake. He picked up a stone lying beside him and threw it into the lake with as much force as he can. We both kept watching the ripples that came into that calm water of the beautiful lake. After few minutes of complete silence I again tried to figure out the reason of silence that was occupying the space around us.

Hey man! Why are you so silent? Speak up. What’s there in your mind? I now asked Aryan with utmost seriousness. I was now a bit worried for him. I had never seen him so nervous.

Uncle. I am feeling worried. replied Aryan taking a long deep breath.

Worried? Why? What is the thing that is making you worry? I was really shocked to know that Aryan was in agony and I wasn’t aware! He always made sure that he mutters everything to me. From his first crush in high school to the last girl he dumped in his youth, I knew everything about him. I was more of a buddy, than an uncle to him.

What’s the matter Aryan? I asked skeptically. Is everything fine between you and Anushka? I fired yet another question out of concern. He didn’t say anything for a moment.

Will my life also be just like my parents? I might sound weird but this question is hitting my mind from past few days just like a hammer hits a metal. Aryan replied tapping his fingers nervously. Though they are successful in their respective professions and they raised me well, still after the silver jubilee of their marriage anniversary I feel that they are not attached to each other. They are missing something in their relation. Aryan continued. He sounded so genuinely worried that I started to feel the pain that I had felt twenty years ago. "I mean when I see you and Saumya mausi I can feel the love that you share with each other. Aryan said looking straight into my eyes. And when I look at my parents I feel that they are not emotionally attached to each other." he continued as he looked at the calm and stable water of the lake. The words that came from Aryan hit me like a meteorite hitting the earth. Bang! and flashes of past again started occupying my mind.

Aryan. See, love has different forms and it is expressed by different people in different ways. You obviously cannot compare it with someone else’s. It depends from person to person. I said trying to console Aryan. Should I tell him the happenings from the past? Would Shweta like me, telling Aryan all these things a day before his wedding? All these questions appeared before me throwing me into a dilemma. But Aryan’s situation compelled me to make a decision.

Aryan. I have something to share with you. You might feel awkward and weird after listening but the story is true. May be it’s the right time to tell you the truth. I uttered.

Which story? Aryan looked surprisingly towards me with furrowed brows.

The beginning…

Listening to the morning alarm, it took me few seconds to get into conscious state from my sub conscious mind. I was feeling like pressing the snooze button but the excitement of the coming day made me open my eyes wide. As I opened my eyes and looked at the ceiling which didn’t look familiar, it took me just a while to realize that I was in my new apartment with my new friends. Today is my first day in college. I had checked in that apartment just last night. It reminded me of my mother wiping her tear which rolled over her cheek while seeing me off. It was really painful to see my parents going, I pretended to be fine. But honestly I was missing my parents, my home, and my room very badly as it was for the first time that I was going to live away from home. It was seven in the morning; I was still lost in my thoughts. The feeling of nervousness, excitement, home sickness, and responsibility occupied my mind just as the smoke occupies the place from where it is let out.

Buddy.. get up! said Sameer annoyingly as if someone had disturbed him for no reason when he was asleep. Let me sleep for few more minutes. I said in a very dull and sleepy voice turning towards the right. I could feel the warmth of the sunshine over my face so I took my pillow over my head.

Get up man!! and this time Sameer actually shouted on me. Oh sorry! its Sam. Sam and I were together in high school. Though we were admitted in different colleges but now we were going to stay together in this apartment with Akash and Mayur who were Sam’s friends. These three friends were staying in this apartment from last couple of days and I joined them yesterday.

Finally I gathered some strength and raised my back resting it on the cushion feeling the coziness of my bed with my eyes still closed.

Hey Sam! Why are you so irritated and annoyed? I questioned. To which I just heard a spitting sound of the foam of toothpaste from the washroom. I am getting late and these two pigs will also get late for the college if I don’t wake them up. said Sam with a weird accent as he was having toothbrush in his mouth. Saying this he kicked the bums of Akash and Mayur who were lying on their beds as lazy as sloths.

In next hour I got ready for the first day of My Engineering College. It was 8 am and I boarded the bus. My eyes were searching for the first year students like me. As I entered the bus I couldn’t find any vacant seat and unfortunately I had to stand. ‘Oh god! this blazer is getting into me.’ I said to myself putting off the blazer from my shoulder. A drop of sweat rolled over from left side of my forehead to cheek. The breeze that was entering the bus from its half open window shades gave a chilling and soothing feeling to my skin.

‘What a relief!!’ I murmured to myself as I struggled to stand in the bus holding the handle that was dangling from the roof of the bus. My eyes were still searching for any vacant seat in the bus. Getting disappointed I again made my mind that I will have to stand till I reach college with left hand carrying blazer, right hand busy in balancing me in the moving bus and my bag hooked up on my right shoulder.

I was a bit nervous as it was the first day of my college. And that nervousness reflected on my face as I heard a deep, heavy voice, Hey! are you fresher? First year? As I turned around to see from where that question came, a tall