The whole hall clapped for him as he grudgingly stood up. Why
couldn't anyone understand that all he wanted to do was just be
alone? Or if not, at least be with her. But she wasn't over what happened a couple of months back. Heck, he wasn't over that too. But for how long? How long would she live like that? A lifeless body? Surely, she had more in her future. One step at a time, he made his
way to the stage and looked around at the decorations. He
felt someone shove a guitar into his hand, and was given a
wooden stool to sit on behind a mike. But that was not what he
wanted. His eyes scanned the crowd thoroughly. Amongst the
red dresses, black suits, and those shining faces of elatedness
of finally graduating, there had to be one that mattered most to
him. And he saw it. There she was, looking up at him, her hazel
eyes portraying depths and depths of hurt. A few months
back, she was known as his girlfriend to the whole school.
But only he knew how she was now his life.
He shut his eyes, closing out the expectant faces of his batch
mates. Two pale faces came up in front of him instead. A woman
and a man. Two people he was so close to. Her parents. Their
lifeless faces were his most recent and only memory after
that fatal car crash they had had.
He erased them, and instead her face came up. Her smiling,
cheerful, mischievous, adorable eyes shone out at him as she
poked her tongue out like she had so many times before.
Involuntarily, a smile crept up on his face. He wanted her back.
He let the light seep back through his eyes, slowly, and
focused his ever blue pupils on her green ones. They looked
encouraging, and her lips curved slightly. But that smile never met
her eyes. Why had she lost that beautiful glowing face of hers?
To him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world
right now, with a body hugging gown that flowed down to her
feet just revealing the sliver sandals she had on. The make up was glowing on her face, but her eyes had lost all their shine. And neither could he blame her. The
trauma she had been put through at probably the most crucial time of her year, was
heart wrenching. Especially for him. But he smiled back, remembering how she had
managed to pull through. How he had been there with her. And
that was when his hands finally started strumming the guitar, as
the hush in the large hall prevailed.
He did not know when he opened his mouth and the words that had been in his mind flowed freely from his heart, into the mike, touching the souls of every
single person in the hall. He remembered how her face, full
of joy, laughter, had fallen the moment she received that call
from the hospital. He was with her then. And he rushed her to
the hospital. Her broken frame, after seeing the pale, lifeless
faces of those people who were her reason to live, shredded his
heart into tiny pieces. He went back to the way he held
her that time in his arms, as though she was the dearest thing
to him. And he wouldn't have known it then that she was his
life. But now he did. Now when he looked back, he did. They were almost like his parents. The moment they had moved into the neighbourhood, a
couple of years back, his family had welcomed them like their own. And he was instantly
attracted to her innocent, scared attitude. Until she became more
comfortable, that is. That's when he saw the devilish side of her.
And before he knew it, he had fallen even deeper for her.
 How happy had she been when he told her he loved her! Both
were studying together, or messing around was a better
way to put it, in his garden, and he just blurted it out. So casually, so freely, he told her his feelings. It was probably because of how simple and straight forward she
was. He hadn't thought of it and neither had he planned it.
However, watching her steadily day in day out, watching other
guys try and make their moves on her, watching her reject
them, watching her steal glances at him, blush when hugged her,
hurt when he teased her, glow when he complimented her, had
done nothing but confirmed his suspicions. She was attracted to
him too. Needless to say, their "studying" session, turned out to
be a make out session instead!
He opened his eyes again, and searched for hers. In the midst of
the crowd, there she was, her greens sparkling with tears as
she recognized his message behind this song.
Who had thought that this relationship between them
would last this long? Would become this deep? Would one
day take over him and become something he was sure he
wouldn't be able to live without? His eyes focused on her. He did
not withdraw his gaze, and neither could she.
He strummed the last note, and the few couples dancing broke
apart. The crowd erupted in a huge round of applause, but the
connection between them remained intact, as though no
force could ever split them apart. As he got up, the crowd blurred
in his vision, and the person's voice, who had taken over the
mike, faded. The silver glinting of her long thin earrings hidden
in her open hair caught his eye as he made way towards her.
Everyone silently watched him as he slowly kneel down in front her, with a velvety box
in his hand and a diamond ring sparkling from it. Her eyes
widen in shock and surprise.

"I'm not good at these speeches,
but I know that you love me, and
I adore you. Some may think it's
early, but I think it's the perfect
time to prove to you that I don't
want a life without you. Will you
please, marry me?"
His words were met with a sudden gush of tears from her eyes. There was no fear in his
gaze. Just confidence and a promise... A promise to always be there for her, a promise to keep her happy no matter what and most importantly, a promise to
love her and only her even if she said no right now. Her brain
refused to divert her gaze away from his, but her ears processed
the near silent pleas, of nearly person in the hall, for her
consent. They processed the almost suppressed sobs of every
woman, wishing to get someone like that. Effortlessly, her lips
finally curved as she nodded, not wanting to waste another
second. The crowd erupted once more in cheers and applause, as his face
split into a wide smile, and he slipped the ring in her finger.
Perfect fit, was the only thought in her mind as he kissed her
hand, then stood up. Her smile could not be wiped off her face
as she felt him pull her into himself. She drew her arms
around him as well, her grip getting stronger by the second.
"I love you..." she whispered at last, when she could co ordinate
properly, splitting apart. He was her angel. Her hero! And true, she had probably just gone
through the roughest patch of her life. But he had been there at
every step, pulling her through, helping her, when she didn't
have a reason to live. He had been her friend, he had been a
lover and now he wanted to be a husband. Her husband! And she
did not have the heart to refuse. She needed him. In her opinion,
life may have snatched one thing away from her, but she had
received something more beautiful in return.
"I love you too..." he whispered back. After what seemed like a
lifetime, he had seen her smile reach her eyes and pure happiness on her face. He was
now engaged to the woman he loved so much! And so what if it would still take time for her to become herself fully? He would wait and he would help. Slowly, he started swaying her to that soft music that described each others' feelings perfectly.
Before she knew it, they both inched forward and let their lips
meet in a sweet, soulful kiss, sealing their promises, and
proving that their love for each other would last forever.

#The beauty of life is that you never know what's waiting for
you round the corner. So smile at every dark tunnel, because
there's bound to be light at the end of it.