The Last Elevator Ride
Daya shut the computer and sank back in his chair. He surveyed the now dark office which was empty except for him.
His eyes swept over once again towards the invitation card lying on his desk. It was Shreya and Siddharth's wedding invitation card.
He had seen this day coming. He had been dreading this day since she had announced her engagement. He felt as if a dead weight had been dropped in the pit of his stomach.
How could she choose the other man over him? He should have done something. How could he watch her flutter away into someone's else's arms tomorrow? It was unbelievable that the next day she would belong to someone else. They would share share every little intimate detail...
Daya felt suffocated and angry.
Closing his eyes, he let the card slip from his fingers causing it to fall on the floor. He didn't know how long he sat there.
The clock inside the bureau chimed 10 and he was brought back to his senses. He had to leave. He couldn't sit there all night.
Rising from his seat, Daya picked up his cellphone and stepped out of the bureau just in time to see the elevator doors closing.
"Hold it there!"
He sighed and ran towards the elevator, grateful that the person inside the elevator had held the door open for him.
"Thanky-" he began to say but stopped abruptly looking at the person inside the elevator. It was Shreya.
His stomach gave a funny jolt. She was the last person he wanted to see tonight. Why did she have to come to face to face with him right before her wedding?
"Things really couldn't get worse" thought Daya.
"Still here? I thought you must have left early... for wedding preparations tomorrow you know" said Daya sulkily.
"I had come to meet ACP sir" she said coldly.
"He isn't in the bureau." said Daya.
"I met him on the way" she said.
He walked inside the elevator, his shoulder brushing against Shreya's slightly. The double steel door shut with a clang and the elevator began to move downstairs.
They stood side by side with an air of awkwardness around them.
Shreya wanted to get out of the lift as soon as possible. She could not bear to be standing so close to him knowing that within few hours she would be parted from him forever.
No sooner had these thoughts crossed her mind, there was a sudden loud band and the elevator came to a sudden halt.
Shreya grasped Daya's arm suddenly as they were plunged into total darkness.
"What the hell just happened?" Shreya voiced sounding a bit scared.
"I think the lift's broken down or something" said Daya uncertainly.
"I can't see a thing" said Shreya grasping his arm even more tightly.
He could hear her breathing deeply.
"Shreya? Are you alright? You are not claustrophobic, are you?" asked Daya gently.
"I...uh...yes. But how did you know?" asked Shreya.
"Don't we know each other long enough to notice little things? I have paid attention to the smallest of the things concerning you, Shreya" said Daya.
Daya heard a sharp intake of breath just as the the lights flickered back on.
"Oh thank god!" Shreya exclaimed.
Daya could see sweat beads on her forehead. She was taking deep breaths and looking extremely uncomfortable.
"You are going to be okay" he said. "Don't worry. I am here"
They stared at each other, their silence communicating a thousand words.
"How long do you think we will be stuck inside like this?" Shreya whispered never breaking the eye contact.
"I don't know. But I am glad I am stuck up with you. Atleast we will get some time alone before... you know..." said Daya.
Tears welled up her eyes as reality sank in. She looked away controlling the tears that were threatening to fall.
Daya couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked even when she was sad. How could he let her go? How could he let her be someone
else's? If he had said the right words at the right time, she would have been his.
"I can't believe you are really doing this" he said.
"What do you mean?" said Shreya.
"Getting married to him!" said Daya angrily. "How can you?"
"It was your fault!" she said in an equally angry voice.
"Yes. I realise it! I should have told you that I love you long back!" Daya yelled.
She stared at him, her mouth agape. Had he just confessed his love for her?
"Why didn't you say it then? Why did you keep quiet? Is it necessary that only a guy should propose a girl?" asked Daya.
"I was confused. You were never clear about your feelings! And look when you have realised that you love me! One day before my wedding! Do you realise that there are not even twenty - four hours left! I am so sorry Daya sir but I have moved on!" she said flaring up.
"Fine! You have moved on, right? I will walk away from your life then. I promise you that you will never see my face ever again" said Daya.
She stood like a frozen statue, trying to comprehend the meaning of his words.
"Don't say that! Please don't go away" her mind screamed but no words came out.
"Just on one condition" he said. "Say you don't love me. Say it and I will go away from your life forever. Say it and you will never see me ever again"
She shuddered slightly at his words. She thought about how much she loved the man standing in front of her. She thought about her mother's illness and her wish that she get engaged to the suitor chosen by her.
Staring fixedly at the floor Shreya muttered, "I - I don't love you" Tears slid down her cheeks. Last thing she wanted was to cry in front of him. But no matter how much she tried, she could not stop them.
"Look into my eyes and say it" said Daya.
"How does it matter?" she asked trying to stifle her sobs.
"It does matter. A lot" said Daya.
"I told you! It's too late now. Please don't do this" she said supporting herself in the walls of the lift moving away from him as far as possible.
He pulled up her chin and made her look forcibly into his eyes.
"You can lie to me but your tears cannot" he said wiping away her tears.
"Why are you doing this? Don't you want me to be happy? You are jealous of my happiness" she blurted out. She didn't know why she was arguing with him on stupid points.
"I want you to be happy that's why I am doing this. I know your happiness doesn't lie with him. And yes, I am jealous. I am jealous of the the guy because he gets to love you when it is me who deserves all your love" Daya growled.
"Stop playing mind games with me! I am just so tired of all this. I've been through all of this for the entire last month. Please go away. Don't make this more difficult" said Shreya angrily pushing him away.
"You can't marry him. Siddharth is -"
"He is a very nice person. Don't you say a word about him! He loves me very much" Shreya shouted.
"I know he is a nice person. He deserves the very best. He doesn't deserve a girl who is in love with someone else" said Daya simply.
"Are you accusing me? I love him alright?" she said loudly.
"So you gonna just pretend that you love him? Okay, go on then. But there will be a time when you will realise the truth. What are you going to do then?" he asked.
"Stop this please... it's hurting me" she pleaded.
"I am going to keep fighting till I win you back" said Daya.
"So you are suddenly feeling rebellious one day before the war begins is it? What were you doing all this time?" she asked flaring up.
"Preparing for the battle I guess" he said.
They looked at one another for a moment and burst out laughing.
The atmosphere had lightened considerably. Shreya couldn't believe that he had actually convinced her to change her mind at the last moment. Few minutes ago she was all sad and angry but he had managed to turn the tables like magic. She didnt know how everyone else was going to react but all she knew that she was doing the right thing.
"Charismatic bastard" she muttered.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing" she answered.
"One of the best ways to beat claustrophobia is to keep talking. Did you know that?" he asked her.
"No. What would you know?" she said.
"I didn't know. I just found out" he said.
"Oh shut up!" snapped Shreya.
"What? It's easy... divert your mind to somewhere else and you forget about it eventually. It's not rocket science exactly" he said.
There was a sudden jangling sound and the elevator began to move. When it stopped on the ground floor, both of them got out.
"So?" Daya asked her.
"So what?" she said.
"What's your decision?" he said, his hands in his pockets.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"Battle won" he said smiling at her.
Oh! How she loved that smile of his!
"Now that's what one calls overconfidence" she said in a teasing voice.
"That's confidence" he said stepping closer to her, making her head spin.
"Alright, you win" she said smiling shyly.
"I love you" said Daya pulling her into his embrace to which Shreya gladly obliged.
"I wouldn't have believed if anyone had told me that one elevator ride could change it all" said Shreya looking up at him.
"It isn't the elevator ride. I think sometimes even simplest of the conversations can change a lot of things" he said smiling at her.
END.