By IMRAN KHAMIL

 stories of love 

I finished my day’s work, locked my computer, put on my bag, swiped my card to exit the office and waited for the elevator in the lobby. It was late night and I was in a hurry to reach home as it was pouring outside. The lift was coming from level 0 and before it reached level 3, I took out my earphones, put them on and started scrolling down my favorite songs playlist on my phone. I could hear the door opening and I tried to step inside while still looking down at my phone trying to select a song. My foot hit her foot while she too was stepping out of the still half-opened door. She lost her balance, gave a half cry “ouch” and tripped on me. She had her handbag in one hand and a phone in the other. I lost my balance too and fell on my back, but didn't get hurt because of my bag. She fell on top of me. Her face was a couple of inches in front of me. I looked at her eyes while she gazed at me. Her BBB (beautiful big black) eyes were piercing my soul unknowingly. Her long untied hair were brushing my face. I could feel her breathe against my face. I could smell her fragrance.

Oh! She always carried that magical fragrance she always which was so unique that I could never forget it. I never thought I could smell it for more than 1 second. Every time we crossed paths in the office corridors or in the cafeteria, I would take in that fragrance for about 1 second and revel in it for a long time afterwards. She was my crush since she had joined the company a year back. She had an irresistible charm about her which was difficult for any guy not to notice. I was a couple of years younger to her and a little shorter than her. But it did not matter…almost every male in my small office had a thing for her and we all competed against each other silently in our heads. She was quite friendly and gelled with everyone on the floor. It was just a matter of getting introduced to her by someone or by some situation…that time of my life never came! I was one of those few guys who were still hoping to talk to her casually every chance they got. But I was also afraid of that moment. I never could talk to any of my crushes with comfort and smoothness. It was the same since as far back as I could remember. In all of the chances I got to talk to my crushes so far, the only thing I remember is that I could never come up with a topic. The topics would hover around in a queue in my cloud of thought and I would say no in my mind for all of them one by one, until my crush decided to ignore my presence. In rare cases when I zeroed in on a topic, I was too confused in trying to guess what she would reply; and would try to make up an answer for that reply…until she ignored my presence.

Raindrops from her beautiful wet hair were dripping on my face. No.. today, there was no need for any topic…not today. I realized that I had accidentally played a song during those nanoseconds we were falling down... I don't wanna wait in vain for your love...was buzzing in my head through the earphones. I realized this was my carpe diem moment and tried to look at her entire face but I couldn’t from such a short distance. After her eyes, I glanced down to look at her lips…and they moved…they started to become wide and she smiled as if that smile was a tool to love-assassinate me. I thought I could get a heart-stroke at such an young age (24). I could feel her body pressing against mine. I smiled back involuntarily. Hey, smiling is infectious!

We lay there right in between the elevator floor and the lobby floor, which did not allow the lift to close. My left hand was on the floor holding on to the phone and I placed my right hand instinctively, yet lightly, on her waist after we fell down. She supported her body mainly using her left hand which was pressed against her handbag that fell on the floor beside my right shoulder. That bag was the reason our heads did not collide and we didn’t hurt each other.That bag was the reason our lips did not touch!Should I be thankful for that handbag? Or should I hate it? Would she have shouted and slapped me had I kissed her accidentally? Did the handbag save me? Or did I just miss a chance to kiss the favorite crush of my life, even though accidentally?!

5 seconds had passed. She was wearing a red color top and she had a red hair band on top of her head. I loved it whenever she wore red even though black was my favorite color. Her lips were red. Should I kiss her? What did her smile mean? It has been 5 seconds and she still did not intend to get up…Carpe diem…I tightened my grip on her waist over her wet top ever so slightly and lifted up my head just a little. Her eye balls were rapidly moving around my face as if a tiny pizza with ant-legs was moving around my face and she was hungry. She was grinning, blushing, shy and hot…all at the same time. How does she do that?!

The 6th second entered my life. She kissed me!Is this a dream? Am I dead? Mom, please don’t wake me up now! A rush of electricity-like-indescribable-something passed through my body. Some parts of my body were aching due to her weight. She was heavier than me. I moved my lips and kissed her back. Is she going to involve some tongue or is it just a peck? She did. For the next shortest 10 seconds of my life our tongues were tying and untying with each other and our mouths were sealing and unsealing in a hustle. She tasted sweet. Why do they say honey is sweet?!

She lifted her head and we smiled again. We got up and I helped her pick up her fallen things. There was no one in the lobby except a security camera on one corner. We kept looking at each other for sometime. I didn't wanna talk. I couldn't. She didn't wanna talk either. Or couldn't?! Was she just like me? We gave a silent yes to each not to talk and spoil the moment through our new found secret eye communication method. She walked slowly towards the glass door of our office and stepped inside. She turned back and kept looking at me with that murderous smile before disappearing from my view.

I took the stairs while keeping my right hand on my chest hoping it could slow down the pace at which my heart was beating...