After 3 years.

It was a nice sunny day in Chennai, Priya walked into her office with a big smile. It was going to be two years she started working in this company. It was one of the popular multi national company in Chennai were she got placed. She's working hard and yearning a lot, in this two years she also got a chance to visit Norway.

It seems as she's doing good from outside, but inside she is totally frustrated. Its tiring to work continuously and there's nothing that gives peace in her lonely life. Added to this her parents were planning on her marriage, but she was continuously rejecting whoever the guy they were showing.

Seated on her place Priya turned on her phone's silent mode and she started checking her mails. After working for sometime, she went out for some fresh air, that time her mom called her. She asked whether Priya is coming to the house tomorrow and she said yes since it's been a month she went to her home. She is missing her Coimbatore, the place she considered as heaven, that fresh air and water, she's missing everything. Living in the most populated and polluted city is also one of the reason for her frustration.

The life that she wanted was not this, living in the hostel and working tirelessly made her weak physically. But mentally she has became strong, she's not the same Priya that used to be in her college, she turned out to be more bold and managed to live on her own.
At first she struggled a lot without her family support but now she is used to this lifestyle.
In the evening she decided to leave, after sending the important mails to her manager, she packed her things and walked out. Her office was located in the seventh floor and her hostel was in a walkable distance from her office. Getting into the elevator she looked at the person standing next her, it was a handsome guy standing and he looked at Priya but she turned her head away from him. She doesn't like seeing men who were like in the features of Ranjith and she looked down facing her feet.

She reached the ground floor and started walking to her hostel, it was going to rain she saw few thunderstorms. But she didn't rushed and walked slowly. Before her there was a couple walking by holding their hands. They were talking with other and they looked so much in love. Seeing them Priya reminded about Ranjith, the first time he held her hand.

After that day, she never saw him again, then after two months she came to know from his friend that he's in the US. She didn't tried to contact him and she don't know where he's now.

For almost six months she suffered a lot, she cried a lot thinking about him, even sometimes she took her phone and tried to call him to confess her feeling but she can't. She understood that her love letter was of no use. In this three years she didn't find a way to forget the thoughts of Ranjith... Each day, someone or something that made her to remind him. The love that she is having in her heart was the biggest problem now, so that she can't think about anyone than him.

She reached Coimbatore in the morning, her dad came to pick her from railway station. She has became more silent nowadays and she's secretly planning to settle in the abroad after that was offered by her company.
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.
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She went to her house, and the first thing she did was hugging her mom tightly. After talking about her work experience for sometime, she went to take bath. She had a very nice breakfast after a long time and her mom scolded her for becoming lean. While she is eating,

"Priya you know we have given your details in the matrimonial website."

"Hmm," Priya understood that her mom is going to talk about her marriage now.

Day before yesterday someone called us and said that they were liked your profile and the boy wanted to meet you, your dad has asked details about them, they were nice family Priya and the boy was earning a lot than you and he's doing his own business in Bangalore. We have seen his photo he was so good looking and we also send your photo to them. And they were interested in meeting you," her mom said.

"Mom why did you send my photo without my permission," she annoyed.

"Priya for how many days you're going to be like this, see they wanted to see you and I have agreed," she said grabbing her hand. Priya couldn't say no to her mom.

In the evening Priya and her brother decided to go out, it's been a long time she wanted to see the beautiful city. Her brother drove the bike to a cloth shop where she wanted to buy new clothes. She selected one salwar, and walked to the bill counter, at that time the girl standing in front called. "Ranjith,".

Hearing the name her heart skipped it's beat. She don't want to turn but she did, she turned and saw that person after a long time. Her body was just frozen at that moment, her entire universe was just stopped in that second.

In her life the most unexpected thing has just happened now, Ranjith was standing in front of her, he was looking at her surprisingly. He has changed a lot and he was now became more mature and handsome. He came towards Priya with a smile in his face.

"How are you?" he gasped.

She cleared her thoughts and came to her sense and answered his question that she's fine.

And she asked him how he was and what he's doing,

"I am good Priya and I am just started my own business in Bangalore and it's going great," he said and the girl who called him came and held his hand.

"Who's this Ranjith," the girl asked pointing Priya.

"She's my..." He paused for a second and said that she's a very good friend of him.

Seeing Ranjith with another girl isn't Priya expected to see, why god is punishing me with this unrequited love, she thought and looked him without showing her emotions and she tried to smile a little.

"Have you changed your mobile number", he asked her.

"Yeah I have changed that two years back", she replied and she don't know what is happening in her a part of her heart saying her to walk away but a part was making her to stand there and talk with him.

"Ranjith it's already getting late we have to go", the girl said to him.

"Okay Priya I am leaving, and we will meet soon," he said with a mystical smile and walked out that Priya couldn't understand.

Priya almost had tears in her eyes when she saw him walking away. I was a fool and I am the most unlucky person, he was happy with his girl of his dreams and I am a stupid thinking about him only him... for almost six years, she thought and cried her heart out like this is the last time that she's going to cry for him.
Next morning she came out of her room with a brightness in her face, she didn't looked tired or sad. She was like a new girl with a sweet smile in her face.

She went to the kitchen and her mom gave her a cup of coffee. Priya looked at her mom and said what her mom wanted to hear...

"Mom we will meet them, and I am agreeing to this marriage,'' she said with a smile. Hearing that her mom also smiled and hugged her.

"Thank you Priya and don't worry god will bless you with a happy life and you're going to live happily," her mom said.

I don't know if that going to happen or not but I am going to do this for you mom.

She came out of her house with the coffee cup and seated outside facing the tree, a slow breeze and morning sunshine made her even more refreshed. Closing her she thought,

In my life I loved Ranjith truly, he was my first love and I can't forget him even if I try. Love is not a fairy tale and it will never end as happily ever after like in Cinderella story. I think my love, my one sided love ends here and I am going to bury that deep inside my heart.... Though it gave me a lot of pain but it also an evergreen memory that will made me to smile whenever I think about that. She opened her eyes again and smiled looking at the tree in front of her and she drank that coffee in a gulp and walked away.

The End

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This short story was my second story on Wattpad. The novel version of this short story is titled as "Her Secret Smile" which is now available in my profile.