LOVE HAS AN OPEN ENDING- PART 1: THE FLOWER OF FIRST LOVE

The school bell went berzerk as the clock struck 11. Kids rushed out of the school building into the open area. Ray ran towards the gate and suddenly froze. He awkwardly looked behind with one eye, trying to spot someone. Cold air of a chilly winter morning gushed in. From the corner of the hallway, a group of girls appeared, laughing and chatting continuously. Ray waits there patiently, his eyes still scanning for someone among the girls. Finally his eyes got fixed, a smile slowly began to appear on his face. Behind the group of girls, came another girl. She was tall, had a hair band which kept her hair  in place, her eyes shined like pearls as she tried to open her lunch box. As she crosses the gate, denying the gaze of Ray, he starts walking one step at a time. There were hundreds of students, but this girl, in his eyes radiated like sun in the chilly winter morning. To catch that warmth, he kept walking behind her, watching her from a safe distance. " Even this is enough for me." He thought. For him, this girl was inapproachable. He was a back bencher and she was never out of the top 3 students of the whole school. Even for the toppers, she was a handful as she never opened up to other students but 3 of her friends. So he never even tried to introduce himself to her, it was like throwing a bait to catch a whale. It never works.

One day the home teacher announced, " Every back bencher will be repositioned to a seat with a topper." It was like a social experiment for the home teacher, to break the infamous unity of back benchers, the decibel levels of the class was off the charts. Where everyone from the back benchers group and the toppers group were sad, Ray was smilling like he won the first prize. He was sitting with her, on the same table. From the corner of the eyes, he tried to look at her face. It was burried in a book, in which she diligently underlined as the teacher continued the lecture. His face slowly turned towards her completely to get a better look. But the teacher also had a better look on him, staring at her. Suddenly! A chalk hit Ray on his head. The throw's trajectory was perfect by the teacher. This breaks his trance and a voice invades his ear, " Stand up Ray! The class is going on here. Does she have a black board on her face too?" The class laughs as Ray glanced at her. Her white face was turning pink. " Sir, it's more like a white board than a black board." The class errupts with laughter as the teacher turned red. He pounces towards Ray, grabs him by his ear and drags him to throw him out of the class. As he was being dragged, he turns towards her, and what he sees made the whole scenario worth it. The girl who was infamous to not smile, even with her 3 friends, was smilling. Her pale face turned pink and her hands trying to hide her smile. 

That smile was enough for him to spend an hour outside the class smiling. Finally he returned into the class. For a back bencher, it's an honor to be pointed out of the class. Other students welcomed him like a celebrity, sticking their hands out to get a high five. Ray ran through the seats extending his hands high fiving everyone, as they cheered at his return. He returns to his seat, she was still marking her textbooks. As soon as he sits, he hears a slight smirk from the side. He turns to find a faint smile on her face. This gives him the confidence to finally say some words to her. " Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Hi, I am Ray. "  He finally did it! " It's fine. I know who you are. I am Jasmine." She said in a sweet tender voice. " Wait a minute. You know me?" He sounded perplexed. He always thought the toppers, especially this girl never ever turned her head towards the back. And he was always at the back until now. " It's been 5 years we have been with each other. You think I didn't noticed you?" Her words tracked back time for him, as he remembered the first time he saw her when the sections got shuffled in 5th grade. Even then, she was the prettiest sight for him. Even then, she was the quite one. But what's happening now? This was the most he heard her voice in 5 years. " Well… I thought we were non existent for you guys at front." He shrugged and said with a smile. " I find you quite witty. Without you guys from the back, class would be boring."  She said, still looking into her book. " Wait. You find me witty?" She smiled again as his eyes light up like a candle in a dark room. With this the new teacher enters the room and the conversation ceases.

Within the next few days, they talked in between the periods. Sometimes she nudged her notes towards his desk when teacher came to check his notes. Sometimes he passed a bag of chips to her, under the table, in between an ongoing class. She no longer tried to hide her smile from him. Like flower, she blossomed into his heart. Everything she did was perfect for him. Every word she said was a melody to his ear. School was never soo magical. And the day came, when he decided to take the big leap. Confessing his love to his first love. His heart pounded like a V8 engine as the clock neared 11 o'clock. During the break, he isolated her and took her to the centre garden, famous for proposals. In between the beautiful flower beds, she glowed. He slowly says, " Jasmine, umm… The day I first saw you, no. Wait. Actually, when we started sitting together. No. Urgh… sorry my first time." Jasmine rolls her eyes as the ring starts blazing indicating the break time is over. "Oh god Ray! Yes! My answer is yes. I know why people come here. " saying this, she grabs him by his hands and starts running and says" I don't like to be late. Come on!"  Nothing was going according to his plan. The chocolate he brought to propose was still in his pocket. But her hands, holding his. It felt perfect. For the first time, he was out of lines to speak. Rather he was unable to speak. For the first time, his hands felt complete, with her hand in it. 

The first love is innocent. It opens the pandora box of feelings which we never thought existed at first place. Your life takes a 360° turn as you finally learns how to  keep other's preferences above you. Even the smallest things, like her drinking water from your bottle, her letting hair untied as you like it that way, him bringing extra snacks she likes to school, talking all night until you meet again in school, feel so special that it makes your heart happy. Like a flower, it blossoms from nothingness to a divine sight. The anxiety and the adrenaline rush kicks in for the first time as you hide it from the world as it is so precious to you. This is how the story of love starts. Only a moment, a sight, a ray of hope is needed. 

As the year of first love came slowly to end, a new turn was awaiting in Ray's life. From the next year, he had to change school. " Don't worry Jaz. I'll call you everyday like always. And I'll visit once in a month for sure." She looks at him and smiles as he comforts her. "Promise me Ray, you won't miss a day to call me. I heard it never works out. A long distance relationship." She looks at him with teary eyes. " It's us. We will make it work. Let others think what they want. We will show everyone. It does work." And after this, he boards the train to start the next chapter.