It all started without any intention of becoming anything…

just two CA aspirants, sitting in a 3-day crash course of maths and economics,

not knowing that those 3 days would stretch into years.

From there, we stepped out for the first time,

V3S mall, dosa at Vaango…

and that’s when I learnt something small, but something I still remember

you love South Indian food.

Then came WhatsApp.

Doubts, questions, late-night solving sessions…

“yeh samjha de…” “yeh kaise hoga…”

and somewhere between those questions and answers

we became friends.

Not suddenly. Not dramatically.

Just… naturally.

Evenings shifted to Rishabh Park

our place.

Not for hours. Not for grand plans.

Just a few minutes… but somehow, those few minutes always felt enough.

Then life started moving.

You joined Vivekanand College, I got deeper into coaching, into work, into building something…

but still

we met again.

17th April.

Cafe Wink.

My first time in a place like that.

And honestly it wasn’t the café I remember, it was just… you being there.

Then came 16th May

your simple ask: “book le aana Laxmi Nagar se”

And I don’t know why… but I still remember that date.

Studies continued.

Doubts continued.

And I kept saying

“park mein aajana, shaam ko samjha dunga.”

I don’t usually give things to people.

But somehow for you,

I never forgot to bring chocolates.

And I still remember that one line…

when I said “thanks, tune mujhe itna kabil samjha”

and you replied

“arre aap mujhse zyada kabil ho”

You probably said it casually.

But I didn’t take it casually.

Then your “thank you… thank you…” after every doubt

and me always saying “itna thanks mat bola kar”

And that one reply

“ab se full character mein question bhejungi, no thank you…”

I don’t know why but I loved that.

And every night just one word:

“Gunnie”

Reserved.

Untouched.

Still ours.

Then life took a turn.

I got busy. Too busy.

With Neha… with things I thought mattered.

And somewhere in that I made the biggest mistake of my life.

Not intentionally.

But still my fault.

I stopped giving time. I started avoiding you.

But you…

you never left.

You never held it against me.

You never walked away.

You just stayed.

Quietly.

Checking in… asking “kaise ho?”

and saying

“jab bhi mann ho message kar… main 24x7 hoon.”

And I don’t think you realise this

but that one line gave me strength.

It made me feel I was never alone.

We didn’t meet often.

But every time we did

it felt like rain in a burning desert.

Be it NSP arcade, or the Gurudwara…

Be it Social, or that last ISKCON visit…

Every meet had something.

Something peaceful. Something real.

With you, I never had to pretend.

Trying strawberry chocolate with you… watching you bowl…

or you showing me what spirituality feels like

Gurudwara ho ya ISKCON…

I just wanted more of those moments.

You didn’t just stay in my life

you changed parts of it.

From listening to Arijit Singh… to falling in love with Satinder Sartaaj…

From noise… to sukoon.

I wait for your calls.

Always.

And those video calls…

I don’t even have words for them.

Even your “don’t call me” rule…

feels like learning self-control from an addiction.

Because honestly

your presence… is a different kind of nasha.

And seeing you in formals…

that power, that confidence…

I’ve imagined you leading a room,

people working under you and you owning it completely.

Your dream of a café…

I know you’re independent.

I know you don’t need anyone.

But still that’s one dream

I quietly wished to be a part of.

I don’t want your life to have struggles.

I just want

“तेरे हिस्से की तकलीफें मैं अपने सर ले लूं, मेरे हिस्से का भी तू मुस्कुराया कर…”

Yes, I’ve troubled you a lot.

Almost every day with something or the other.

But the truth is

I don’t say these things to anyone else.

You’re the only one I can speak my heart to.

You were there when my life started shaping.

You were there when I was in love.

You were there when I broke.

You were there when I felt alone.

You were there when I worked.

You are here when I’m building something of my own.

I have a blind faith in you.

A trust I don’t even question.

And yes…

my biggest regret

is that I couldn’t do enough for you.

You always held me together.

You never let me fall apart.

And I couldn’t do the same for you.

Maybe that’s why I keep asking you to share…

But I know

that choice will always be yours.

And I’ll still be here.

Just like you were.

Always.