I was a stray dog, a mongrel compared to her. She was a fairy, a nymph, Aphrodite, Artemis. a Iris. When she smiled, it looked as if the thousands of rainbows splurged their colours in the sky. She was the endowment of the very word 'beauty' in my eyes. She came from the high heeled class and I lived in the pigeon hole chawl in Nagpada, Mumbai. She grew up in the ultra rich and ultra uber Walkeshwar area and I grew up in the Mumbai's best know underbelly for worst reasons, the Nagpada.
She drove to the college in a Mercedes 'SL' Class driven by a chauffeur while I bicycled my way through the bylanes of Mumbai on the janta ki sawari, my sweet Atlas Cycle gifted to me when I passed the 10th. She wore Gucci, Dolce Gabana and other haute couture dresses while I had my shirts and pants sewn from our friendly neighbourhood Ravi Tailors at Nagpada Junction.
We were as far apart as the sky and the earth with the seven seas between us. The only thing in common between us was the First Year BCom Division A class on the second floor of Wilson College. That is were I first saw her. She had joined Wilson that very same year and today was her first day. She came breezing through the corridors with a smile that would put Julia Roberts and apni Madhubala to shame. It was this very smile that made me look her way and again look at her. The smile, ah! it was bewitching! Ah! it was as if thousands of light bulbs lighted up my heart at that very instant. I was with my group of friends and they immediately guessed it. I was in love!
But the lady in question, the heroine of my story, the love of my new found life didnt know that. In fact she did not even notice me, a stray mongrel in her path. She just swooshed away without giving a second glance. Directly below the building was the swanky black S class Merc she had come to college in. One of my friends drew the first blood by publicly announcing that the she was not our class. I noticed a ting of cynicism when he said she was not our class as though our class deserved the Julia Roberts, Madonna's, Penelope Cruz's of the world.
I caustically reminded him that we were but paupers in her midst and that she was the Aphrodite of Wilson College. My words came out stronger then intended but they served one discrete purpose. They indirectly let it be known among my group of friends that the the lady from heavens, was my choice and nobody was to look at her or glance at her in a wrong way.
That day onwards I was very punctual in attending my college so much so that my parents were worried. After all for past two years I had been giving them a hard time. In their eyes I was doomed to be a failure as I never attended the classes, never studied and somehow managed to get 45 percent marks to scrape through to the present FYBCom class. My sudden studiousness and punctuality caught them by surprise. As for me, I was in the literal seventh heaven. I slept at night dreaming about her, woke up thinking about her. After waking up my only dream was to go to college so I could just keep watching her. She sat right across my desk in the class so I could see her smiling almost all the time. I would drop my book or pen and try to get better view of her. I would raise hands at the Professor's questions so that she did notice me. I dont know about her but the Professors were astounded at my sudden interest in scholastics. For past two years they had hounded me to take more interest in studies as they regarded that I had the brains to make the cut. Professor Mithani in particular thought that I had a genius mind and would be a fine economist in years to come. Anyways the outcome of the presence of the 'girl' in the class meant that I was present and my presence made the Professors including Prof.Mithani very happy.
She was my life now but wait a minute I had not even met her or introduced myself. How was I supposed to do that. Buying flowers for her would sound so trampish and third worldly. I called a meeting of all my friends in the college canteen. As I was a popular guy in the College it was attended by almost all who knew me. Sitting there across the table I like Caesar seeking advice of his consuls for attack on Egypt for the hand of the fair Queen of Egypt, the beautiful Cleopatra. For she was my Cleopatra and I had called this meeting to find a way to propose to her.
My friends had various opinions or ideas about how I should propose her. Some suggested I should go with a bouquet of flowers (outlandish in my opinion) while others suggested I should gift her something. A girl who had been friends with me since I joined the college suggested that diamonds are girls best friend. A idea began to built up in my mind. I asked my group of friends what was more costlier then diamond yet remarkable, memorable yet endearing. The same girl suggested 'Platinium Jewellery'.
Thus my love story took a tectonic shift with the Platinum. It was decided there and then that I should present a Platinum ring to the girl of my dreams, my love, my future. I went on tizzy, psychedelic ride with my beau in my arms across the globe in my mind. Till somebody uttered something about money and Platinum. It brought me back to earth in approximately 60 seconds. Where would I get that kind of money. I did have to beg, borrow or steal to get that kind of dough.
Fear not, that what friends are for. My friends decided to collect money from the whole college. They would seek voluntary contributions for Vijay Love Fund from all the students from today and 1 month hence we would count the contributions received and come to next decision.
In the meantime the girl of my dreams, the girl from my class had been noticing this tall lanky lad stealing glances at her or being there about wherever she was. She too made some discrete inquiries about me among her group of friends and came to know that I intended to propose to her. Though the Platinum word was never revealed to her. She started looking favourably towards me, stealing glances at me. I had started making all kinds of signs the lovers hopelessly in love tend to make and she would reciprocate. I would visit canteen and sit in last row facing the room. She too would visit canteen and sit in the first row facing me. There would be long distance STD telepathy between us which no one would notice, save us. I for one was thrilled at this development but waited for the Vijay Love Fund to meet its deadline.
After all I didnt want to meet the princess of heart as a pauper. Slowly and steadily as our love hide and seek continued as the month passed with love filled air. Exactly on the day since the Vijay Love Fund had been launched, the cash boxes were opened and the kings ransom was counted and the sum total of my love was Rs.35000.00.
Next up we all went down to the library of the college to access the only PC with internet. On it we went to this beautiful website Platinum of Love. After surfing for half an hour through various beautiful platinum jewellery on sale there we zeroed in on a beautiful Pendent
We purchased it online and planned a nice party with the balance cash on the day we received it. The Platinum jewellery was received within two days and the party was planned on Friday. The reason given for hosting the party was impending birthday of a Professor of the college. The Principal gave us permission to use the hall for the occasion. All of my class mates took it to their heart to make the party a success. Besides the FYBCom Classes, all those who had contributed to the Vijay Love Fund were invited. A special invite was sent to the fair princess who acceded to our request.
The Friday finally came. The party started with all the fervour with beautiful music playing in the back ground. I had purchased a swish set of clothes from probably the only haute clothes dealer in Nagpada and looked quite handsome in them. At exactly 8.00 pm my time of reckoning had come. I approached the girl of my dreams, the queen of my heart with my heart trying to explode out of its cavity. I could feel the drums as my heart was beating at twice the normal rate, my mouth was dry and I was sweating. Egged on by my friends, I walked to my girl and presented to her the gift, in a very dramatic effect. I knelt down in front of her as Prince Charming did in the early ages as I held aloft the Platinum of Love.
At that precise moment the hall must have broken a Guiness world record for most cumulative heart beats in 10 secs, if there was one, as all of my friends who had gathered there were looking at us. There was a pin drop silence and all eyes were on us. My girl took the present in her hand, opened the wrapper and the moment she opened the box.
'Eureka' was what Archimedes said when he discovered something and 'Eureka' is what I said when my girl smiled. That nanosec of a moment was my Platinum moment of love. To this day I still consider that astonishing, memorable day to be my Platinum Day of Love.
IF you are wondering what happened to the girl well, we went steady and six years after college we were married and now live a happy happy life as they show in the movies.
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