When I finished my MBA in August 2013, I was in one of the metros in India. Like thousands of post graduates who get bitten by the bug of getting lucrative positions in the corporate sectors, I too did my MBA for that reason. Finally, nothing worked out and it was the end of another year of my youth. So my family forced me to come back to my hometown.

The new year began with me sitting in my room. Could it have been any better, I wondered. Suddenly the bank decided it was time for payback (I had an education loan to pay off) and before I knew it, I was doing a job in the private sector for really long hours. I was at a small post with a nominal pay and I was doing this job in my home town.

Six months later, I ran out of patience and finally quit my job. Then my focus shifted towards the government sector, irrespective of the pay/grade/post. A government job gives one security until one is too old to officially continue working. Exactly 10-15 days after I quit, there was an ad in one of the newspapers. Luck was on my side since it was a state government job ad having the perfect pay/qualification/designation.

The only condition was that it was contract based, but I still went ahead with it. After all, there were finances to be managed and loan repayment was a major issue. After all the formalities, including a crucial interview, were over, I was finally selected for vocational training of high school students but as usual, there came a hindrance. My posting was at the extreme end of my residential district. That meant I had to travel 50 kms to and fro via public transport. I accepted the job, regardless.

On the first day at job, I reported to the school in time which was a rare thing to witness in the beginning. later it became a habit. I met the staff members including the headmaster only to realize that he was a taskmaster to the core. "It would be a tough thing to work here," I said to myself.

It was the month of November and to fill the vacant post of a geography teacher, a new teacher was appointed. The post had been vacant since the beginning of the academic year and in view of the approaching senior secondary board exams, a teacher had to be appointed.

At first instance when I saw a girl sitting on the chair beside me with her subject textbooks, I realized she was the new appointee. As usual I didn’t interact much with her while other colleagues did. But soon I joined.

Since our seats were adjacent to each other, we got to know each other better with each passing day. She was a post graduate and so was I. We had passed out in the same year. Soon our conversations became less formal and more personal. Both of us had lost one of our parents at an early age. We discussed personal lives, TV shows, food choices and incidents that took place in classes while we lectured.

Soon both of us were discussing everything that happened in each other's lives. We guided each other about possibly every thing that she or I spoke about with our colleagues. I was falling head over heels for her.

I didn’t have any idea about what was happening in her head so I assumed it would be a one sided love story and I did not give much importance to it. I cherished her company and wanted our conversations to never end.

When it was nearly the end of an academic year, one fine afternoon she gave me a gift. I was left guessing what it meant. The next morning she gave me her contact number and indirectly asked me to call her whenever I was free. I could then sense the beginning of something new and unexpected in my life. Soon the conversations moved from messaging to calls and we began to meet at our favourite hangout places.

We were finally dating. Our days began with each other and ended at each other. Our different religious backgrounds didn't matter to us.

When the next academic year began, I took a transfer closer to my place and she also took up other courses for better job prospects. Our conversations, chats, meetings continued. We even visited each other’s residence on festivals. I started getting serious too for a full time job.

On the other hand, she was about to complete her studies and her family was busy in finding a right match for her. Both of us were waiting for each other to make the first move.

But it was too late by the time I asked her about our marriage. She told me she had gotten engaged to a well off guy who had a financially secure life and lived in a joint family.

My fate hadn’t blessed me with such luxuries. She understood me and politely refused. She told me that we could still be good friends. She asked me to forget the marriage question and move on in life.

As I write this, I will be seeing her on the 6th or 7th of this month. She will be inviting me to her wedding which is happening soon. I expect this to be our final goodbye. I haven’t understood why she said no to me and this mystery shall always be a burden on my heart. She must have her reasons.

I don’t think I will be able to love somebody as much as I loved her. My life has changed ever since then.

In her eyes we are still good friends. She also told her fiance about me. But deep in my heart I still am searching for answers. A lovely person cared for me and I wanted us to be together. It might have been a break up in the eyes of others, but for me it was a beautiful love story. Answers that remain unknown have left behind a mourning soul.

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