If only I had a second chance - Part 1

It was the 10th of February, the day she had let her life take a new turn. And 6 years down the lane she was sitting on the same bench below the peepal tree of her college. The only difference was that today she was alone without her "RAGHAV". Yes, Samantha had fallen in love on this day. She had finally told a yes to Raghav, the street smart guy next door who had proposed her. Raghav and Samantha had studied college together and today Samantha was standing the the college premises, the place where she learnt the lessons for her life. As history says, it takes only a glance to find a soulmate, it took only a second for Raghav to decide that Samantha was the girl for whom he had waited patiently to let his hormones take a toll over him.

She had worn a simple T-shirt and a denim and entered the classroom and seldom did she know that she had already captured the heart of the most cutest guy in class. Her smile was a drug that Raghav had got addicted to lately. Initially it was a single Hi and Bye that Raghav exchanged with Samantha everyday. It took a month for them to become good friends and ever since then there was no turning back. If her phone beeped it was Raghav's, If she was out shopping, it was with Raghav, if she was crying, it was on Raghav's shoulder, if she was happy, it was Raghav who was obliged to hear it first. Over a period of 7 months, their friendship had grown, it had slowly bloomed into liking on Christmas Evening.

Samantha had invited all friends home for the christmas party and without any doubt Raghav had made it to the list of invitees. Samantha as usual was dressed in her best that day. She was worn a full length purple gown and had left her hair loose just like how Raghav loved it. As always, Raghav could only watch her with mouth wide open. He couldn't find appropriate words to describe her beauty. She smiled again and again and the drug that he had started consuming a few months back became a habit to him now. He gifted her a chain with a heart shaped pendant. And on Samantha's insistence he was more than overjoyed to tie the chain around Samantha's neck. After putting the hook of the chain Raghav had gone close to Samantha's ear for the first time and said "This heart has started beating after it has met its owner".

That night neither of them slept. They were quiet. Samantha couldn't forget what Raghav said. His words kept ringing in her ears. She kept twisting and turning on her bed trying to sleep. No messages were exchanged that night and the next day as usual Raghav stood at the college entrance for her. He was scared that he may loose her forever because of last night, he thought did her heart also beat the same way for him like it did for him. He was scared to loose her friendship. She finally arrived and in a mustard color salwar and a light pink dupatta. She looked terrific as usual and Raghav stood there admiring her from a distance. As she came closer his heart started beating faster, he finally held his emotions and went to her. She started talking as thought nothing had happened last night.

Raghav was confused, he dint know what to do. Ever since the Christmas evening he had no peace, he was anxious to ask her if she loved him too. He finally gathered some guts and went ahead. He had called her in the morning and asked her to come a little early to college and wait at the peepal tree. She was excited what was it that he wanted to tell her. That day Samantha dressed for Raghav and went to meet him. Raghav dint say anythin but simply asked her "Samantha, the heart that i gifted you on christmas evening was mine, I just wanted to tell you that it starts beating faster whenever it meets you , its owner. Can you please tell me if you can let this heart keep beating throughout your life?" Samantha was awestruck. she had waited so long to hear this. She finally spoke. "Raghav, I accepted your heart long back. I had just waited for you to ask me."

Finally they both had accepted each others love, and as every love story goes, they spent every single possible minute with each other. Slowly it so happened that one day Raghav's parents came to know about this. Raghav wanted to let his parents know about this earlier but he wasn't prepared. And when his mom asked him he told her the truth and his parents had accepted it quiet well.

It was Samantha's turn to let her Father know about this. Mr. Dias, Samantha's dad ran a chain of Fastfood restaurants in Mumbai, He was hardworking and ever since he had lost his wife, Samantha was the world to him. He lived and breathed for her. Samantha also loved him the immensely and all her life's decisions were taken by her dad and she never objected to it. She entered his room to tell him about Raghav. On hearing this her father was shocked as to how could she fall in love with a boy who was not of the same religion. He was angry on her and had told her to forget him. In between the argument he fell unconscious. Immediately he had been admitted in the hospital and doctors had said that half of his body had been paralyzed. Samantha was shocked, she had to take her father to a bigger hospital abroad to treat him and she dint even know if after his treatment would he accept her love. Her heart ached, she couldn't think of a life without Raghav, but she couldn't hurt her dad as well. She finally picked up the phone and dialed Raghav's number to tell him her decision.