The one that got away.

First and foremost, i am no longer unemployed. I got a job(Finally) at The Times Of India and it's been awesome so far. So, while i was out on an assignment last week, interviewing the college folks about their new year plans and the works, there was this one girl who got me into this weird thinking mode. My job was to ask them about their new year plans and had to quote them in the next supplement along with their pictures. Everything was going well, and by 8 p.m. i already had more than what i was asked to do. I was just finishing my last interview when, the girl i was interviewing asked me what i was doing for new years and what i did last year! That kind of got me thinking about how so much has changed in just 12 months. With the year 2010 a few days away, the thoughts of the entire fucked up, nice, sad, happy 2009 creep inside my head.

I tried asking myself the same questions, I've been asking everyone
1. What are your plans for new years?
2. House parties or night out?
3. Perfect new year.
4. What did you do last year ?

The answers to these questions didn't come out as quickly as i thought they would. It got me into this mode where everything was suddenly in slow motion and my thoughts were racing. I got home at about 10 and decided to write down the answers one by one and here's how it went.

Answer No. 1
Haven't planned anything yet but will mostly be in Bangalore. Want to meet only a few people that night, don't want to be pub-hopping either. A killer house party would do the trick. The booze, food and of course Bangalore air.

Answer No. 2
House party. Period.

Answer no. 4

This is where i got really fucked up. My last new year wasn't any average night. It's not something that happens to you every night and especially not on new years eve. Let me start from the beginning so you understand the entire scene.

DATE 31 DECEMBER, 2008
TIME: 2 P.M.
I wake up with my mom constantly banging her fist on my door, i get up and see her standing there with some bags and suddenly, she asks me to pack for 2 days. The family road trip you see. The entire family suddenly decide that they should bond and everyone packs their bags, hires some huge ass cars and decide to drive down to Bandipur where a huge guest with a fireplace awaits them. Nice plan but i didn't want to go. Not because it was with family but i had made other plans with HER (her = love.) I don't want to use her name right now, so cock up.

TIME: 4 P.M.
It took me a lot of time and energy to convince my parents that i don't want to come and that I'm sick and i feel weak and made up some loads of other shit. They finally got pissed and irritated with me and left. I wasn't feeling that great about ditching them but i had no choice. I had promised her that we would be together for new years.

TIME : 4.30 P.M
With my parent's out of the house, i called her up. She didn't answer. So, i dialed again, and after repeated attempts, she answers the call and before i could ask her why she didn't answer my call, i heard her sneeze and i figured she was sleeping or sick. She tells me that she's down with fever, cold, cough and body pain. Her mom and brother are out of town and she doesn't get along with her dad that well. So i told, her that i'd pick her up and asked take her to the doc and get her some dinner later. She wanted to sleep for a while, so i hung up and let her sleep.

TIME: 6.45 P.M
I was getting worried about her being all alone and i knew she feels like shit if her mom was not around at times like these. While, i was thinking of what to do, the phone starts ringing. The "guys" are going for a party and asking me to come along, supposedly one of the best parties in town with free booze. It was tempting but i knew i had a very sick and upset girlfriend whom i couldn't ditch in the state she was in and go party my ass off. It's just not right.

TIME: 8 P.M
She calls me to tell me that she just woke up and that there's nothing to eat at home and she's really hungry. I tell her to hold on for a while, wear my jacket, start my bike and start heading towards her place. I reach her place as soon as i can and pick her up.

TIME: 8.30 P.M
I stand outside her gate and give her a call. The everyday scene, she hangs up and i wait for her to come down. I always loved that one moment. I would be sitting on my bike and watch her get out of her house and walk towards me. I just loved those moments. She usually gives me a goofy smile but tonight i was greeted with a sad, running nose smile. i hugged her tight and never felt warmer in my life, but it turned out to be her fever.

TIME: 10 P.M
We reach home after picking up some dinner and a bottle of beer. She said she didn't want the night to go entirely for a waste. "We'll have a beer at least. I'm feeling bad you can't go out because of me" she said. I would have felt bad but at that one moment, it didn't matter. I just wanted to be with her, no matter what we were doing. Yes, that's corny. So shut the fuck up..

TIME: 11 P.M
we had dinner together, she drank a little beer, watched some tv and was already feeling a bit tired. I gave her a back massage, made her pop her medics, and put her to bed. I held her close and patted her to sleep, she fell asleep in a few minutes. I was still patting her when i saw her face. Her body was burning with fever and i couldn't do anything but just watch her sleep. I just looked at her sleep for about an hour than got up to watch some tv. I couldn't sleep.

TIME: 12 A.M
Happy fraking new year Mr. Depp. They were showing Pirates as a new year special, so i said happy new year to him. Oh, and Mr. Calsberg. I finish my beer, switch off the tv and decide to get back into bed. I slowly slip in afraid, i might wake her, which i didn't want to, but i eventually did with all my shuffling and tossing.

She opened her eyes and looked at me trying to figure out which side of the blanket i wanted and in all that "major" confusion, she says- " HAPPY NEW YEAR, BABY" and plants this enormous kiss on me. That's all i needed. She then gave me the smile i needed, kissed me once again, hugged me tight and fell asleep. I was just lying there right next to her, smiling, and watching her fall asleep all over again. And, that's how i celebrated New Year 2009.

Now, the answer to question no. 3.
What is your perfect new year?
.
.
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SAME AS ABOVE.