My father decided to buy a new house at the other end of the city which meant I had to join a new school and that is where I met her. I was 9 and she was perhaps 8.5 years. She was very talkative, she was very funny and most important she was a total tom boy with short hair. I being introvert just did not speak with any one. But Reena made sure that was not the case. She would greet me everyday. I would just smile back. It was after 7 days that I finally managed to ask her "How are you?'" and she busted into laughter.
Another 4 months and we became good friends. In a bad way though that isolated us from the rest of the group. But I did not mind I was a loner anyways.
Soon I was 11 and she was 10.5, we just knew anything and everything about each other. We would fight like boys and played like girls. Everything was good but then in the summer of 1996 she went on vacation and when she came back she was not the same. Reena was talking more perhaps but her looks were different. She had grown her hair so had she started putting a bit of make up or may be thats what I thought. I asked her and she just giggled and touched my cheeks. Another 6 months Reena had changed drastically she was now looking like a girl.
I was 12 and she was 11.5, still not in our teens. But one day when we walked home it started to rain. I watched her hair go wet, we were not carrying an umbrella. The water dripping from her hair onto her forehead. She was shivering and I just watched her. I thought of the last 3 years since we were such close friends, however today was the first time I felt a very different thing for her. She was looking beautiful I thought. After that day I did not fell the same that Reena felt for me. I started caring more about her. She would joke on me, but I just could not do the same to her. I used to beat her on the head and I stopped that too. Reena was surprised and she asked me how the devil that I was for her, changed into an Angel. Well I could not say anything.
I had entered into my teens and Reena was now half year away from that. I decided to stop the hide and seek and tell her the fact. However days passed into weeks and I could not speak up. Some of my friends in school did start to tease me that I am Reena's boy friend. I felt good from inside but never showed it, I did request them to not tease me in front of her. But it did not work Reena got to know the whole thing. She came to me and asked me if I knew anything and I told her that even I did not like it. I told her I have warned my friends to not tease me of all such things. Reena asked me to meet in the classroom next day. I agreed to it but she did not declare the agenda. All my friends were sitting and they watched me and Reena enter the class together. Some of them giggled and some coughed. Reena stopped in between and asked me to held my hand up. She quickly got a string from her pocket and tied it to me. Hindu culture that means I am her brother. That night I cried a lot. It took me weeks to get out of it. I did not show anything to Reena and continued my behavior in the same manner to her.
I was 14 and Reena was 13.5 when she left my school to go to another city for education. We tried to call each other but then it slowly stopped and then there was no contact.After that it was in year 2002 when I saw her again. I knew it was Reena the moment I saw her. I walked to her and said "Do I know you......" my next line was "of course I do" and then perhaps even hug her. But she quickly replied saying "No" I was embarrass, I was accompanied by a friend of mine. He sympathized with me. Reena was standing with her friends and they just... laughed. I had no clue what had happened. It was perhaps my friend who dragged me from the scene and then scolded me for such stupidity. I had no answer to any of his question.
2007 when I was 22 and she was 21.5 we met again, this time on chat. I reminded her of the incident but she replied back saying she don't remember it. I wanted to call her a liar but I could not. I just continued talking to her like nothing happened that day. I continued to chat with her and then also wrote poems for her. Our relationship was renewed via the internet. I wished she still did not consider me as her brother and would just think of it as a childhood mistake. My memory just could not erase the rainy day. The day when I fell in love with her for the first time. She loved my poems and thanked for it.
However in the summer of 2008 when I was 23 and she was 22.5 she declared on chat that she was getting married. She also told me she was going to Dubai. 2 years passed that now, so why are we talking about it today.
Because couple of months back when I turned 25 and she perhaps 24.5 I ran into her in a public bus. I looked at her and she looked at me. I waved to her and she just looked elsewhere. I was so upset. But I just looked down and continued to read the book. However I could not concentrate and I looked at her again. She had gone a bit fat I thought. She looked back at me and this time I just looked back into the book. Apparently this was not the last of it, she took the same bus that I did everyday. I would watch her from the corner of an eye. The vermilion high up on her forehead suggested that she was indeed married. It was then that I also realized that she was pregnant. I was in too much of debate, it was Reena after all, what happened why are we behaving this way. I was totally confused. Today however the ice did break. The bus was packed, I got a seat and Reena was standing right besides me holding on to the seat. I was feeling very restless. I finally just got up from my seat, she looked at me, I had no clue what I was thinking. I said "Madam please sit......." people around especially the ladies gave me a smile seeing my good will. Reena got on to the vacant seat. I turned around, when she touched my hand from behind. I turned back and she said "Thanks brother................................................."
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