That night, around 8:00 PM, Prem was waiting at Bhubaneswar Railway Station to board his train to Delhi. Having recently completed his graduation, he had landed a job in a Delhi-based company. This was his very first time traveling outside of Odisha.
His mind was a swirling storm of hope and anxiety. How will I manage in a completely new city, so far away from my family? Lost in these heavy thoughts, he barely noticed the time slip away until the train was announced. He boarded his carriage, and after a long, exhausting journey, he finally arrived in the bustling capital of Delhi.
In Delhi, Prem was to stay with his cousin (his maternal aunt's son), who had already been living and working there for several years. His cousin welcomed him warmly, and they stayed up chatting, sharing their ups and downs. Prem was a remarkably calm, simple, and soft-spoken young man who carried himself with a gentle, humble grace.
The next morning, it was time to head to the office. His joining time was 10:00 AM, and terrified of being late on his very first day, Prem rushed out in a frantic hurry. In his haste, he accidentally bumped into a young woman working in the same office building. She immediately turned around and scolded him harshly. Prem offered a sincere, hurried apology, but deep down, he was shaken, terrified that she might report him and ruin his very first day on the job.
A Rough Start and a Sudden Encounter
As the days went by, Prem quickly grasped his office responsibilities and immersed himself in his work. Thanks to his polite, sweet-natured behavior, he easily won over the hearts of his colleagues.
One evening after work, Prem noticed some children playing cricket near his residential colony. Unable to resist his love for the game, he joined them. While batting, he swung his bat with all his might to hit a big shot. To his horror, the ball flew straight into the street and struck a young woman who was walking past.
When he ran over to apologize, his heart sank. The girl was none other than the colleague he had bumped into on his first day. Her name was Shruti.
When Shruti realized it was Prem who had hit the ball, she completely lost her temper. She yelled at him, calling him an ill-mannered guy who used games as an excuse to hit on girls. She even gathered the surrounding residents and humiliated him publicly. Deeply embarrassed and hurt, Prem kept apologizing, promising that such a mistake would never happen again, before quietly leaving the spot. To make matters more complicated, he soon realized that Shruti lived in the same colony, just a stone's throw from his house.
Later that evening, while Prem was taking a walk to clear his mind, a middle-aged lady approached him.
"Are you Manas's cousin who recently moved here from Odisha?" she asked kindly.
Prem smiled, nodded, and greeted her with a respectful namaste.
"I am also from Odisha," she shared warmly. "My husband is from Uttar Pradesh, and we settled here after our marriage."
They stood and chatted for a long time, discovering that Prem's maternal uncle and the lady's husband actually worked at the same place.
Unveiling the Past
As their conversation continued, the lady sighed gently.
"The girl who scolded you so mercilessly today... I am her mother."
Prem panicked.
"Aunty, I am so incredibly sorry! I promise you, I didn't do any of that on purpose. What happened the other day and what happened today was just terrible luck."
"I know, son," Shrutiâs mother replied with a reassuring smile. "I know my daughter. She has become very hot-headed and stubborn over the years. But I always hope she will correct her ways. You see, she was only twelve when her father sacrificed his life for our nation. Later, when she was twenty, she fell deeply in love with a boy. Because of her innocent nature, she trusted him completely, but he ended up betraying her terribly. Since that day, Shruti has carried a deep-seated bitterness toward all men. She has built high walls around her heart, making herself cold and rigid."
Hearing this, Premâs irritation melted away, replaced by a profound sense of sadness and empathy for Shruti.
The next morning on his way to work, Prem saw Shruti walking ahead. He caught up to her, expressed his sincere regret for the previous day, and begged for her forgiveness. Shruti ignored him completely and walked past as if he didn't exist. She is beautiful, but she certainly has a lot of pride, Prem thought to himself.
During the office lunch break, Prem tried once more.
"Yesterday, I spoke with your mother. She is such a wonderful and kind soul. I am truly sorry for my behavior."
Despite his earnest attempts to clear the air, Shruti maintained her cold silence and refused to respond.
Silent Perseverance
In this manner, day after day, both in the mornings and the evenings, Prem continued his attempts to strike up a friendly conversation with Shruti. Even when she shut him down with sharp silence or cold glares, Prem never took offense. Armed with the knowledge of her painful past, he understood the source of her armor. He quietly resolved to draw her out from the dark, lonely cave of silent tears she had locked herself in, and help her experience the joys of the world once again.
Meanwhile, Prem and Shrutiâs mother developed a beautiful bond. She treated him like her own son, showering him with maternal affection. One day, she invited Prem over and prepared a traditional, delicious Odia meal of mutton curry and rice.
When Shruti returned home and found Prem sitting at their dining table, her anger flared instantly. She dragged her mother into the adjacent room and yelled loudly, ensuring Prem heard every word:
"Mom! Have you lost your mind? You invite just about anyone into our home! Nowadays, people are deceitful and untrustworthy. Don't you understand that?"
Hearing her harsh words cut Prem to the quick, making his heart ache with pain. Struggling to hold back his tears, he quietly left their house. Shrutiâs mother was deeply hurt and ashamed of her daughterâs behavior.
A Guarded Rescue
Following that day, Prem completely stopped trying to contact or speak to Shruti, whether at the office or outside. A few weeks went by without a single word between them.
One evening, it grew quite late by the time they left the office. Shruti was walking home alone along a dark, deserted stretch of road when a group of local goons began to follow and hassle her. Just in the nick of time, Prem pulled up on his motorcycle and urged her to get on.
"Delhi isn't safe for girls late at night," he said urgently.
Even in the face of danger, Shruti's stubborn pride made her hesitate. But Prem pleaded with her, reminding her of the promise he had made to her mother to keep her safe. Reluctantly, she got on, and Prem dropped her safely at her doorstep. Upon reaching, Shruti coldly pulled out a two-hundred-rupee note, handed it to him, and sneered,
"A Rapido driver would have charged the same."
This final insult pushed Prem past his limit. Deeply hurt and insulted, he took the money and left. Days turned into weeks, and a frozen silence stretched between them; they stopped acknowledging each other entirely.
One afternoon, while returning from the market, Shrutiâs mother suddenly collapsed on the street and lost consciousness. Coincidentally, Prem was passing by the same road. Seeing her on the ground, he rushed to her side, lifted her up, brought her home, and immediately called a doctor. He stayed by her side, helping her recover, and used her phone to call Shruti.
Panic-stricken, Shruti rushed home from work. When she burst through the door, she saw her mother resting comfortably in bed with Prem sitting nearby. Instead of feeling relieved or grateful, Shruti lashed out in frustration.
"Seeing my mother's condition, why didn't you inform me sooner? She is my mother! I would have arranged her treatment! Who are you to take these decisions without letting me know?"
Prem tried to explain calmly,
"At that moment, getting her immediate medical attention and rest was the absolute priority. That is why I couldn't call you right away."
But Shruti snapped back bitterly,
"Guys like you pretend to be heroes and put on a show of being nice just to make girls fall for you. Get out of my house, and get out of my family's life!"
Regret and Realization
Deeply humiliated, Prem walked out without another word. The very next day, he resigned from his job, accepted an offer at another company, and took a fifteen-day leave to return to his hometown in Odisha to heal.
When Shrutiâs mother found out what had happened, she was furious. She confronted her daughter, saying,
"You have lost all humanity! You are worse than an animal. I am ashamed to call you my daughter."
With that, she stopped speaking to Shruti altogether.
Soon, her mother learned that Prem had gone back to Odisha, and Shruti found out from her office colleagues that Prem had resigned. Slowly, the heavy weight of her actions sank in. Shruti realized the gravity of her mistake and desperately wanted to apologize. She dialed his number repeatedly, but there was no response from Prem.
Fifteen days later, Prem returned to Delhi and joined his new office. One day, on his way, Shruti crossed paths with him and begged for his forgiveness, crying as she admitted her faults. But Prem, deeply scarred, treated her exactly how she had treated him for monthsâgiving her the cold shoulder and walking past her. Shruti accepted this silently, knowing it was her karma.
A few days later, Shruti saw Prem at the market purchasing a massive quantity of snacks, books, and food. Curious and suspicious as to why one person would buy so much, she quietly followed him.
To her astonishment, she watched as Prem stopped at a makeshift shelter for underprivileged children. He distributed the food and books, and sat down on the ground to teach them. Witnessing his selflessness and pure heart, Shruti was deeply moved. Tears of regret streamed down her face as she realized how horribly she had misjudged such a beautiful soul.
A New Beginning
From that day on, Shruti began greeting him every day with a warm "Good morning" and "Hello," mirroring exactly how Prem used to try and talk to her. After ignoring her for a long time, Prem finally stopped one day and asked,
"What do you want from me? You have already hurt me so much. I can't take any more pain."
With tears in her eyes, Shruti whispered,
"I just want your friendship. Please."
Looking into her tear-filled, beautiful eyes, Prem's heart melted. For the first time in months, a gentle smile graced his lips. He forgave her and accepted her hand in friendship. Slowly, they became inseparable, spending their free time together and sharing countless laughs. Seeing Shrutiâs face light up with genuine happiness after years brought immense joy to her mother's heart.
During a brief visit back home, Prem was chatting with his father, who asked him gently,
"Have you fallen in love with Shruti? You are always thinking about her."
With a soft smile, Prem confessed,
"Yes, father, I really love her. I would be incredibly fortunate to have a caring girl like her in my life."
Coincidentally, Shruti had just arrived at his house to surprise him and overheard the entire conversation from the doorway. Overwhelmed with emotion, she quietly slipped away before anyone could see her.
At their next meeting, Shruti pretended she knew nothing but playfully asked,
"Prem, what kind of girl do you like?"
Flustered, Prem stammered,
"How... how can I answer that so suddenly?"
In truth, he was terrified that confessing his love might scare her away and ruin the beautiful friendship they had built.
A few weeks later, their office organized a trip to the scenic mountains of Himachal Pradesh. Though initially reluctant, Shruti went along on Prem's insistence. It was her first major trip, and the two spent wonderful days trekking and exploring together.
But during one of their mountain treks, disaster struck. A massive landslide began tearing down the mountain slopes. The landslide was so sudden and violent that panic ensued, and people scrambled in every direction for safety. Many were trapped under the debris, some lost their lives, and several were gravely injured.
Prem survived the initial impact, but when the dust settled, Shruti was nowhere to be found. Panic seized him. He ran wildly through the chaos, screaming her name, sobbing uncontrollably as the fear of losing her paralyzed him.
Fortunately, Shruti had managed to shelter in a safe, protected crevice. When she stepped out and saw Prem crying and screaming her name in absolute desperation, her heart swelled with profound emotion.
Seeing her safe and unharmed, a wave of overwhelming relief washed over Prem. He rushed forward, pulled her into a tight, spinning embrace, and wept on her shoulder.
"If anything had happened to you, what would I have lived for?" he sobbed.
Shruti stood frozen in his arms, deeply shocked and moved by the depth of his devotion.
The group decided to cut the trip short and return to Delhi that very night. On the journey back, Shruti gently nudged him.
"Prem, what is truly in your heart? Why did you cry so desperately for me today?"
Faced with her direct question, Prem could no longer hide his feelings. He took a deep breath and bared his soul.
"I love you deeply, Shruti. With you in my life, I feel complete. I don't know if I will ever truly win your heart, but I know I will love you for the rest of my days."
Tears of joy welled up in Shrutiâs eyes. She looked at him, smiled through her tears, and softly replied,
"I love you too."
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