Love Struck-Walking down the memory lane

Fifteen years later who knew where we will be, the man who rode my office van still drives the same van, the car washer who used to wipe the windscreen of the cars, is probably dead or sick or may be still dragging his body and doing the same freaking job that paid him nothing more than dimes to pass his day and next morning he was again empty pockets, shabby face and lost in the mob kind of guy who surely no one notice.

 

I sipped my coffee now and I sipped my coffee than, the only difference is the brand I sipped has changed from Nescafe Espresso to a local Thai coffee brand called "aorta coffee from the Old Phuket Town “the one with amazing flavor and aroma. I however feel the same person, I feel my body has the same person inside, the same heart and the same old habits except I look different. I feel I look a little more motherly than the girl, a little more house owner and a wife of a business tycoon. Sometimes it's the burden outside and sometimes it's the burden within well of course I am talking about  you" My thoughts" .They never left me .I remember once I asked a friend how our life will be a few years from now and he replied ; If the partner is good , life will be good.

 

 

 

And I smiled at him in acceptance as if I believed the words pouring down his lips were as pure as of an angel telling you a beautiful future in heaven.

 

I always loved love stories and gather in groups whenever there is a news of a movie like " The notebook " or "titanic" or may be " 500 days of summer" or a movie that shows a beautiful marriage or Cinderella story .Well obviously we all love the very thought of it, the thought of being loved and being around someone so soft and poised, makes us want to believe this world.

 

I don't know if you knew this girl around you as Mary, Dianna, Ruby or the Asian version of her as Mia or Zulekha.I met her too, her hairs like curly locks and long like cashmere and her eyes all sparkly and skin as fresh as rosemary scent and soft like tofu .It won't be wrong if I call her the one, a man wants to hold hands with and spin around in circles and travel to places.

 

I asked my friend what you like about her and all she could say was nothing but a smile in expression and you will be surprised to know it was a girl everyone loved to be around gender of all kinds , people of all ages and men especially yes!!.

 

I often heard a comment from her sister that she is too rowdy and extravagant and all over the place but it never mattered .What mattered was she was liked!

I saw people stop their work and look at her with awe from old men to small young boys.

>>>>>>>>>>>Her name was Laura<<<<<<<<<<

Laura Stephens was a white girl with hazel eyes and black hairs. She had two sisters and no brother.

She lived in a house crowded with small shops of kinds and an amazing bakery .A lot of kiosks of sweetcorn’s and potato chips and vegetables and fruits.

 

Every day she would come late and her school bus would always get either missed or she would have to ask for a hand and she would feel blessed that one minute she came early or didn't miss.

 

It was the chase of her school bus or may be the chase of time which made her love the act.The fact that she will do it , that she will catch it and also she loved the bright sunlight and the morning chatters with her friend in the school lobby .

 

Let’s fast travel her life book and take you to the end and bring you back to why it happened. She studied with a guy and in spite of falling in love and being in love like crazy, he left her.

 

Well let's go back to how it all started, back when it all started sprouting its budding leaves …yes back when they were too young and together.

Well yes they studied together .His name was Paul-Paul Mark and his looks didn't really match Laura .He was short, cute, black hair and black eyes.

 

They were good playmates and won’t be wrong if I said good friends.

One day they were called by their teacher to do a small sitcom together in school.

I knew something –they both were shy of facing the world or maybe they weren’t like their other friends, confident and loud and out there.

So one day they were rehearsing together with one more of their classmate who was also a friend –his name was Gerry -Gerry Richard, he was the boy who was supposed to interview Paul with Laura and Paul was a cricket player .

The rehearsal began and it was early morning around 8:45 am and all the students have went down to their classes and we were practicing in the assembly area.

 

Did I mentioned Laura was a new admission  so she was shy and learning to fit in the new school and the bullies  while others were trying to know her at the same time they made it a little awkward by noticing her too much too often so she was generally sheepish around her classmates.

 

The practice ended and Paul, Laura and Gerry all sat down on a bench next to the stage and Gerry started flirting with Laura and pushed her while they all three shared the same seat. In all this Laura didn't realize that Gerry’s pushes were making her tough Paul who was sitting in the center .She felt bullied and out of place at the same time and she stood up and ran to her class.

 

Paul never knew what happened nor did Laura remember any of this .Days passed they kept on being in the same class for another year and Paul would do what he did best-mimic his teachers and made people laugh. He was the boy who imitated teachers and made funny faces and made everybody laugh when the period changed and there was a 5 min gap between the next teachers to enter the class.

 

One day she was going to buy groceries and she found Paul and his family coming out from a car, she noticed he lived next doors. Something made her very happy so and when she turned to look at him, she saw him smiling at her.

 

Few years later Paul left the school and later she finished her schools and graduated and they both went different ways. He went into army and she became the doctor. Long until she finished her post-graduation, her friend decided to meet on a trip to Thailand. She was too shy to go on any such trip so at first she said No then she said yes! And decided to pack her bags.

Her mother won't let her go alone so she had to call her father to give her a bridge.

Finally she was going.

Thursday evening their train was to leave at 6.She kept her bags down beside the ticket room and started looking for her friends she saw ten years before and all she could remember was the old faces and small bodies.

Suddenly she saw the group of people approaching her, all giggling and laughing and being surprised.

At first she was confused, what if they say she is as pretty as she was and that time hasn't been very good on her.

Then she turned back to pay money to the ticket counter and she saw him gazing at her .She didn't recognize him. He was not tall but handsome in his green shirt and blue jeans. Something held her breath, she felt something deep.

 

He came close...

Hi! How are you? It’s me Paul.

Oh Paul ah..., I really don't recognize you. You look different

Like really

Well should I take it as a compliment?

Well yes indeed .You aren't ugly anymore...

Laura; hahaha she laughed 

Laura : So what are you working nowadays? Karachi?

Paul: Not really all over Pakistan to be honest. I am serving in the army.

Laura: Nice

 

Alright everyone let's get rolling, the train leaves in ten .Check everything and let's find our compartments. She stepped on and he kept looking at her chasing her through with his wanting to know more eyes.