The first time she introduced herself to me, I was still finding a reason to talk to her. Taking up college away from home and my friends from school, I found one reason to come to college every day, and it was her. Boy, wasn’t she pretty? Such a graceful young girl.
I wasn’t the only one who wanted her attention, but I was the only one who didn’t know how to get it. The competition for her attention was fierce – a compliment to her beauty. I thought I had only one shot to get it right.
It all came down to the college trip in our first year when we went for a 3-day trip to this famous hill station. I brought my camera along, a hobby of mine for capturing beautiful photos of nature, birds, and wildlife.
On the night of the first day of the trip, we had a lot of fun with music, alcohol, and pranks that made the night unforgettable. The next day, we were set to go for a trek, and I was eager for it. There were two beautiful things I wanted to capture – the scenic valley and the misty lake where we would camp, along with the beautiful girl I wanted to talk to.
While most guys were slow in the trek due to the previous night’s fun, the highly energetic and overenthusiastic crowd raced ahead to the campsite. I walked in the middle of these two groups, following a little blue bird and attempting to capture it. Miraculously, it landed on her shoulder, and I captured the moment she turned to look at it.
She was wearing a scarlet and silver-grey patterned pashmina over her head due to the cold. Strands of her hair brushed against her face, swaying and dancing with the breeze. It was as if the world had slowed down; I saw her eyes gently close and open as she noticed the blue bird on her shoulder. Her face broke into a slow-motion smile, her cheeks rising, and with half-closed eyes focused on the bird, she leaned forward, as if trying to touch the bird’s beak with her nose.
Standing at a distance, observing all of this through my camera lens, I wondered if there could be a more beautiful scene. A sense of serenity filled the air, and I thought I heard violin music in the background – my heart skipped a beat.
The blue bird took flight, and she watched it with the same smile. Suddenly, she noticed me and smiled. Lowering my camera, I smiled back at her.
Now, two voices echoed in my mind. The first one urged me to approach her right away, saying it was my chance. The second voice advised against it, suggesting that she might have seen me taking her picture and that I’d have another opportunity later.
As these voices battled in my head, she removed the pashmina from her head, letting her hair cascade down the front, partially veiling her face. She smiled one last time, then walked forward, wrapping herself in the pashmina as she shivered in the cold. She glanced at me again, and I moved my camera away and returned her smile.
Was it a missed opportunity by not approaching her then? She was still walking alone, and I thought I’d get my chance. From then on, I pretended to capture the wonders of nature while mostly taking candid shots of her. After walking a while, we suddenly came to a halt, greeted by a breathtaking view – a quiet, cold blue lake ahead, misty mountains and lush greenery beyond. A small descent led us to the campsite on the lakeshore.
We began setting up tents and campfires in small groups. I considered asking her to join me, but she was already with her friends. Some guys wanted to party, while others were too tired from the trek. I found a quiet spot by the shore, gathered twigs, and lit a campfire. Enjoying the moment, I played some instrumental music on my phone, letting it blend with nature’s rhythm. I pulled out my camera and started reviewing the day’s pictures.
As I scrolled through, I stumbled upon the blurry picture of the blue bird from the morning and smiled at it. Because I know what the next picture is. Then suddenly, I heard a voice – “Hi!” I recognized her voice, and when I turned, there she was, illuminated by the campfire’s light, smiling.
She was standing alone, as her other friends had retired to bed. She asked, “Do you mind if I sit here? My friends have fallen asleep, and I don’t feel like sleeping so soon.”
I felt frozen, wondering if I was dreaming. This was the moment I had been hoping for, and I couldn’t believe it was happening. She called me again, “Karthik… hello?” I replied with a slightly embarrassed tone, “Hey Deepika, I’m sorry, I was lost in thought, so your question took a moment to register.” I continued, “And of course, feel free to join me. I’m not planning on turning in early tonight either. I sat here to enjoy the serene lake and some music.”
The surprising part was that while I knew her name, I hadn’t realized she knew mine. So, I asked her, “How do you know my name?” She responded, “Well, you knew my name too. It’s been 6 months, Karthik, and we’re in the same class, so it shouldn’t be a shock.” I laughed it off, feeling a bit silly.
Then she continued, “Remember the first week of college? During orientation, we had to introduce ourselves and talk about our hobbies and interests. You stood out because you mentioned your passion for practicing the flute and violin. It was so unique, and you even explained why you chose them. And if my memory serves me right, Naveen was your role model, right? Because you loved his ‘Cry of the Rose’ from Roja.”
I replied, “You’re absolutely right. I find flute and violin music really calming. By the way, you should listen to Naveen Kumar’s flute pieces; they’re wonderful.” Deepika then said, “Yeah, I checked them out after you mentioned it in your introduction. That’s how I remember you.” While I felt happy she remembered, I also felt silly for not paying more attention to what she shared during orientation.
I really didn’t want her to bring up the topic and ask if I had been listening, but luckily, she changed the subject. She noticed my camera and asked if I loved taking photographs. I said yes and handed her the camera without thinking that there were plenty of photos of her. The gallery had then scrolled back up.
As Deepika started looking at the pictures I’d taken since morning, she said they were lovely and impressive. Then, the picture next to the blurry blue bird came up — the one with the blue bird on her shoulder. She saw the photo and exclaimed, “That’s really nice and lovely!”
My heart raced as she continued to the rest of the photos. I was a bit nervous that she might think I was stalking her, but she surprised me. “Hey,” she said, “there are so many pictures of me here, and they’re absolutely lovely.” I managed to respond, “Ah, yes, I liked your outfit because it kind of matched the backdrop and the theme I had in mind today. But let me know if you’d like me to delete it, since I didn’t ask for your permission.”
Deepika replied, “No, no, please don’t delete them. They’re really nice, and honestly, no one has ever taken such good pictures of me.” Just then, we heard people getting up, signaling that it was time to call it a night. Deepika’s friends called her, and she stood up, saying, “My friends are calling me. I should go now. See you tomorrow, and bye for now.” I bid her farewell and turned away, contemplating if I should walk her to her tent. But before I could decide, I heard her voice again.
“Hey,” Deepika said as I turned back to her, “save my phone number, okay? It’s 956xxxxxxx. Send me the pictures you took.” And with that, she gave me a parting glance before walking away. Without wasting any time, I texted her, “Hey Deepika, it’s Karthik. Saved :)”. That’s how a beautiful relationship started.
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