Forever Yours

It was hate at first sight; that was the emotion I felt when I first met him. Lazy, satirical, a dreamer with a wicked sense of humour, he was everything I wasn't.  I had an obsession for cleanliness and control while he found peace in madness and chaos. To cut a long story short, if he was chalk then I was cheese.

He had fit like a glove with the rest of my group. Since the day he had tagged along with his cousin, our friend, he had hit it off. It was impossible not to like him they said, all their reasoning falling deaf on my ears.  He must have realized my hostility; nothing else could explain the twinkle I saw in his eyes each time he looked at me.

Much to my dislike we had many an interest in common. I loved to shuttle a rally while he enjoyed smashing the shuttle. I found peace in penning my musings while he was known to be a witty blogger.  Privately I loved his writing style but shunned his work in public. My explicit rebuttal was met with a nonchalance that exasperated me beyond measure. He found tremendous joy in cementing my feelings, not giving any importance when I expected some. He seemed to enjoy seeing me twiddle and twitch and was thoroughly amused by the effect he had on me.

I was a sucker for good old fashioned romance, having seen the “platinum day of love” advertisement I wished it would come true for me.  He ridiculed the concept of fairy tale romance and falling in love, laughing at my Mills-&-Boons-like behavior as he liked to call it.

We would have continued to be at logger heads had it not been for the trip to Maui, Hawaii the group was planning for the thanksgiving weekend. The romantic in me loved the idea of visiting the Island, well I could ignore his presence and have a fun time, I thought.

Swaying palms and molten sunsets set the mood in Maui. We began our three day trip with a drive on the ‘Road to Hana’ – a picturesque drive through what seemed like heaven on earth, an unforgettable journey to say the least. I noticed he had gone quiet since we landed in Hawaii, I didn't have to try very hard to avoid him, he had taken it onto himself to do so… there was something amiss I could sense but was unable to place a finger on it.

We spent day two exploring the beaches that dotted the coastline and ending it with a mesmerizing Luau.  The soulful Hawaiian music filled the air as we watched the dancers bring the lyrics to life. I glanced around feeling happy and content only to meet those emerald green eyes that looked away each time our gazes met. What was wrong with me I wondered, here he was staying away from my path, yet I was filled with a feeling of emptiness.

On the final day we made the much awaited trip to Haleakalā, the shield volcano that made up 75% of Maui’s map.  Having heard much about the Haleakalā sunrise we set off at 3 AM to arrive in time to herald in the new day.

The sunrise was known to be sacred in Maui; I could feel the sanctity as soon as we reached. I was overwhelmed by the sight that greeted us at the grand summit overlooking the crater like valley. The temperature was hovering around freezing but the mesmerizing view in front of us took our minds off the biting cold. It was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. All went quiet, taking in the beauty of what lay in front of us, esp. he who seemed lost in his own world. Once again that unknown feeling tried to make its way into my mind, I brushed it off.

The Celestial Canvas at Haleakalā

As the time for sunrise drew close, the sky was lit with a hue of colours that left me awestruck. My childhood bedtime stories then came to life as I saw the morning star rise over the horizon triggering off the morning chant recital by the forest ranger. The purple haze of the horizon then melted away, splashes of orange and red spread across the sky like wild brush strokes across a celestial canvas announcing the arrival of the Sun. It was truly an ethereal moment. My hands had turned blue in the cold by then, distracting me from the beauty that was taking shape.

As I watched the sun rise, I felt a hand grip mine rubbing my palm to relieve the cold, sending a surge of warmth through my body. Everything seemed so right at that moment. This was the feeling I had hoped to experience ever since I understood the concept of love. I turned around and started into those emerald green eyes again, eyes that were filled with pure emotion and the twinkle that I had mistaken all this while. That unknown feeling that had been evading me through the trip now became crystal clear… I had been dreaming of love all my life and it had been waiting in the shadows just round the corner.

Sunrise panorama at Haleakalā

As the magnificent Sun rose proudly into the sky, the moment of truth dawned onto me. Subconsciously we leaned towards each other, embracing and melting into a kiss. We lost count of time; everything seemed to fall into place with the sheer acknowledgement of the feeling that had surfaced between us. Friendship had taken a whole new meaning. Whoops of joy from our friends made us break apart. The group wasn't surprised as much as we were, this moment was long in the waiting, they said.

I wanted to be angry with them but the day had given me a certain high, a joy that I was itching to share. Life had turned its pink cheeks my way and love was in the air. All I could do was blush while my friends thumped our backs and jumped with joy.

They say there is a thin line that divides love and hate. For me, it had been the horizon at Haleakalā. I continued to hold his hand, the feeling as magical as the sunrise had been. From here on our anniversary could only be celebrated with Platinum, nothing else could surpass the molten gold that symbolized the beginning of this eternal relationship. Yes, this was my platinum day of love.

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Note: This post is written for The Platinum day of love contest hosted by Indiblogger in association with Preciousplatinum.in