Part 3

He was hurt. I sensed how sad he was, though he tried to seem cheerful in his messages. The reason is that I never spoke up in front of him during class. Although Sanguine hadn’t meant to, the silence was making him uneasy now.

Therefore, I made a decision to improve things.

I approached him the following day and spoke to him. A couple of words will do at the beginning. However, those words seemed to spark a new idea within him. You could see his happiness in his mouth again. Since then, he chose to sit beside me every day and we occupied every chance we had together at college.

Every afternoon after school, he would give me a KitKat before we each went home. For me, it wasn’t singing but more like a ritual that spoke of what he cared about. He did not let anything take his love away.

Instead of calling my dad “babu” as he wished, I remained too bashful to do so. But then he began to say “baby” in his sweet, loving way when talking to me. Sooner or later, I accepted the situation. One morning, I had the courage to say, “babu.” He looked as excited as a child being given his favorite candy.

He made the same proposal to me several times. Each time being careful and gentle. I was unsure how to respond. I hadn’t had a boyfriend up until then. I was unfamiliar with someone looking after me in such a way and I didn’t know what would change if I said I wanted it. Would he continue to act the same toward me? Would I receive his time, attention, kindness and love?

Yet after we talked for many months and formed this beautiful relationship, I said yes. I felt excited and nervous at the same time. At the idea of being his, I felt a rush, but I could not stop wondering if both of us would have to change now.

I was surprised to find out that everything had transformed for the better.

He would sit next to me every time we met on the bench. There, beside me, instead of being behind me—entirely different. We often chatted, laughed and tried not to look at each other over the course of class. I felt like I was the most valuable girl to them. Previously, I was extremely shy whenever our shoulders could feel one another and when our hands passing under the desk touched. Many times, while the teacher was talking, I’d clasp his hand and feel both guilty and happy at the same time.

One day, a teacher came across us. I panicked. Luckily, he chose not to comment on anything. I just had a short walk. We stopped breathing for a moment and laughed quietly once he went by.

Since that point, we started being more daring. There were more moments when we talked, joked around and simply spent time together. We never ran out of things to say and even our silent moments were lovely.

Whenever I remember us beginning, with the first message, KitKats, the shy “babu,” and the way we looked at each other shyly in school, I blush. I love the feeling of magic around those days. Cherry-flavored ice cream is just like a time that lingers with sweetness.

At times, I realize that moment is gone for good.

However, I am always aware of what happened. In what I remember. In what matters to me.