Virtually yours!

 "How did you feel the day before you met your soul mate, I mean dad?", asked Raima, to her mom.

Radha brushed her hand, through her greying hair, "It's a longtime ago, soul mate and all I didn't know. Nevertheless, it's a modern story for that era".  "We are studying about emotions in psychology class. I am writing something for it, so really want to know your feelings", Raima said.




"I had just completed my graduation, results weren't out yet. The internet boom was new to us. The emails, messengers, chats all this was like a fantasy coming true. There were no smart phones around. The desktop was your buddy. Going through algorithms for C, C++ programming on one side and in free time, chatting on messenger, was what we did. One such day, I met Mandar, online".
"Woah! You met online, really? That's exciting!", Raima interrupted.



Radha smiled, "Yes! We met virtually. That's why I said it's modern for the era. We chatted for a long time. It wasn't a good thing to reveal all the truth about you, just like that on the internet, at that time. Nowadays, you people share pictures, phone numbers without hesitating. Our times were different.
We liked to talk to each other, as in not voice chat, just texting hmm. We kept meeting online for a while. I had told my mom too, about Mandar. Then I went for my PG, to another town. I conveyed Mandar about it. The new course started. This town was closer to his place. So he asked, if we could meet in person".





"Wow! Mom, that sounds so interesting, just like a movie", Raima interrupted again.

Radha held Raima's hand and said, "When you fall in love, you tend to trust someone, even with your life. I affirmed that I would meet him. But there were umpteen questions in my mind. Whether it's right thing to do? We only know so much about each other, what we shared over the online messages. I wasn't sure, so I talked to my friend, your Kripa aunty. She said she would accompany me to meet him and I shouldn't go alone. I found it right too!".

"Oh! So kripa aunty was your partner in crime", Raima winked.



Radha grinned and continued, " Mandar and me agreed upon a date, place and time, to meet. I had agreed to meet him but my heart was racing, as if, it would explode. Kripa was having a great time teasing and bullying me. Later I asked kripa if I need to get something for him? She said lets buy some greeting cards.The greeting cards were a huge thing at that time. Buying a card was also an event. You had to go to a gift gallery/shopee, go through the aisles of cards printed for variety of reasons...birthday, anniversary, engagement, baby shower, baby birth, Valentines day, friendship day, this day and that day, love cards, confession cards, proposal cards and what not. We both went through the sections and I finally picked up 3 cards. I was blushing for no reason, we weren't even in a relationship yet. But the thought of meeting someone you want to know more about, made me feel elated. I bought some fun stickers to decorate the card too".
"Mom you bought what?", Raima was surprised.  "I know I sound totally childish. But I was then, right? I was just 21, come on. Your Mom was young too!", Radha argued like a kid.



"Finally, it was D day. I tried so many dresses and kept pestering Kripa to help me out. So, ultimately we both agreed on a jeans and lacy top. I got ready and we left. I didn't have a mobile fone nor did Kripa. We used those zip phones or the red coin one's, if you have seen them somewhere. We reached the venue and I called Mandar, he had a mobile as he was already working. I used the zip fone which was  closeby. I told him that I have reached, he said he would be reaching in 10 minutes. While talking, I placed the bag with cards under the zip phone. I finished talking, paid and left. We had decided on the colour of clothes we would were. Also Mandar had shared his car's number. His car reached the cafe. Kripa raised her eye brows looking at me. I crossed my fingers and skipped a heartbeat. 3 young men got down. The one at the driver's seat was wearing a white tee with chequered shirt...that's Mandar, Oh! He's with his friends too! I smirked".


"So What did you think of dad, at first sight?", Raima was excited.


"Your dad's always been handsome. He looked like a prince. In fairytales, the prince comes riding a white horse, mine came driving a white car. We got seated in the cafe. And I told him I had got cards for him. But felt embarrassed to say I forgot them somewhere. I asked him to wait and rushed to the zip phone. Luckily the owner had collected the bag and he gave it to me. I ran to the cafe to hand him his gift. Mandar smiled, it was a naughty one, as if, teasing me for my forgetfulness. He gave me a stuff toy he had brought for me".

"What? Stuff toy? Dad?", Raima couldn't believe.

"Raima, we were young and clueless once. What you see now are the matured versions, remember!", Radha schooled her. "Now is that enough material or you wanna write a thesis?".

Raima nagged to hear the remaining story.
"Let's make some coffee and poha, and we will talk over it!", said Radha.



JUI.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: "Dear Soul mate, I feel like a part of my soul has loved you since the beginning of everything, maybe we are from the same star!" - Emery Allen.

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