Aakash; the man of my dreams, my childhood lover and my best friend. Since young, I have admired him for who he was. Confident, suave, charismatic, and friendly, everything I wished I was. He was the symbol of freedom to me, as free as the sky. There was no trace of his usual calm composure as his worries were expressed in a frown.
Finally, our eyes met. I momentarily froze for a moment; I was not sure how to feel at that point of time. My heart skipped a beat, I broke into a smile and let go of a breath I did not know I held. He met my eyes with his usual cheerful grin and rushed to my side of the station. The apprehension I felt vanished when I felt his strong arms, they gave me a sense of security.
“Aakah, I guess it was time for me to make my own decisions.” I said with determination and confidence. As soon as I said that line, thoughts of my family I left behind for Aakash filled my mind. Was this honestly the only choice? Could there be an alternative? No, I decided, as long as the caste system in India stays, my arranged marriage will stay. Mama, papa, I am sorry. This was for my future and I was going to make sure it will not be decided by India’s heritage.
“Marya, come on, the train is here, let’s go. Are you ready?” Aakash’s voice snapped me back to reality. I looked up at him, speechless for a moment. It was the time to make the right choice. Around us, commuters filled the train; the hustle and bustle complimented my mixed feelings. “Are you ready?” A slight frown spread across Aakash’s face.
It was now or never. “Yes.”
Aakash pulled me onto the train as he boarded it and I asked the question both of us had in our hearts, “Where can we go?” None of us had an answer but there was one thing I was absolutely certain of. He was the one I loved and this was the great escape; the escape to embrace freedom, to embrace the vast blue sky and to embrace Aakash.
“I love you.” Those words left my mouth in a whisper.
