MY PRINCE CHARMING

My prince charming had come alive. He was the blue eyed handsome I had always dreamt about. I fell for him the very day I saw him in my college campus and I knew it was an irreversible trap. However, the trap was not exclusively designed for me and I watched many girls willingly stepping into the same. Two of my friends declared war against me when they came to know that I was truly, madly and deeply in love with him (Oh yes, I knew it was love as he always haunted my mind, in waking as well as sleeping hours). My heart always skipped a beat when he walked in his blue blazer, perfectly tailored for his tall and slender body. But a little sinking feeling also came along whenever the bunch of my competitors skipped....perhaps…two or three heart beats.

Were they really my competitors? Secretly I had always preferred him in my dreams. Well, he was too perfect to be my reality. He was the "prince charming" and I was the clumsy little weirdo, and besides that there was a long cue of fairy looking girls waiting eagerly to be his princess. He was very impartial though, always bestowing his charms and smiles on everyone who crossed him and I was always peeping out from behind a wall or a tree to catch a glimpse of his courtesies.

I dreamt of a "beautiful me" but was too lazy to work for it. I was sure that his castle (or home…whatever) was perfectly decorated unlike my messy bedroom and he was full of charismatic etiquettes of which I had none. I fumble while talking to strangers, have ugly fights and sometimes cannot help hating people for no reason. I am perfectly attired only for parties and otherwise it’s too much of unnecessary work for me. Apart from being a consistent college topper I had nothing to attract a prince charming. And of course, princes always search for princesses. Toppers tend to become their…well…may be financial advisers or spokesperson for the royal family.

Sometimes I liked to think that he was a Casanova and I am safe to be distant. But never a single such rumour confirmed my thought. Instead, I always heard that he never entertained any girl who stepped beyond limit. Well I tried to convince myself that I was watching a movie and no matter how much I fall for him, he would always remain an imagination. But, to watch the same movie again and again my heart used to drag me to all the places where he was likely to be found. And in case he noticed me (although the probability was negligible) I used to dress myself somewhat perfectly to match up with him. He chose posh places, he was rich, and I was hopelessly boosting some businesses. 

  

Will it sound too fancy if I tell you that he indeed noticed me? I was in a coffee shop, sipping coffee alone, watching my prince charming from a good distance. Although I was a little heartbroken by observing that he was waiting for someone, (I was habitual of heartbreaks by then, thanks to him) I continued my job. And like a "dream come true" situation he suddenly walked towards me and identified the college topper. I was overwhelmed and speechless while he politely introduced himself (Oh prince, a stalker never needs an introduction). He honestly confessed in the very first meeting that though he was a senior he needed some help in academics and that was when our story began.

In the next few days I lived my dream. I was pretty sure that for all the hard work I had done through years for academics, fate is rewarding me by gifting a fairy tale. We gradually became friends and we began meeting frequently. Initially I used to become numb and ran out of words in his presence but he gradually made me comfortable. Then began a phase of “momentary spells”, the time when the world around me hazed out in his company. He was grateful to me for helping him with studies and I was grateful to him for noticing me, for talking to me and for being grateful to me. I had considered myself out of his league but in a matter of few days the destiny won me his friendship and the envy of half of the college girls. Standing close to him, one day, I noticed that his smile was intoxicating.

I was aware that he was growing fond of me. He started spending more and more time with me and allowed me to walk into the nooks and corners of his life. His home (I still prefer to call it a castle) was exactly as I had imagined. Beyond college and home he was always with me, his pleasantries pleased my acquaintances, he never fought with me, was always well behaved, always had calm discussions, greeted me delightfully whenever we met and praised me often (none sounded like flattering). He never held grudges, was logical and never gave me a reason to be upset. Wasn't that perfect? My prince charming had dived out straight from the books before me….I was soaring high, very high.

My dream-like life continued for about two months and to my amazement he never ever gave me a single reason to fight. Silly gossips were not his forte and he was quick in apologizing whenever he saw me heading towards disconcert. As for me, I was the same girl, at times blabbering on and on. My prince was always willing to listen to me (so sweet of him) but he could never walk in there. He often used to bring me flowers, although I was growing a bit weary of it, and he could give me a good deal of knowledge on any random topic. When I behaved badly or dressed shabbily, he was Mr. Cool, conveying his views with great patience. Trust me it was million times the patience I had. Isn't it sweet….may be a little too sweet. He was accompanying me everywhere but I was getting immune to his intoxicating smile that flashed too often.

Was the charm fading off or something was wrong with me? He was still my dream man and my life was indeed a fairy tale with him. Knowing him closely didn't at all alter my idea of a prince charming that I had imbibed from books and movies. He was the prince…but what was I?

One evening he called me to the sea beach and I was pretty sure that he was going to confess his love for me. Throughout the day I was wondering what would I reply. He came with a bunch of red roses (Oh no...my room was already overflowing with bouquets) and we talked casually for a while. Suddenly he knelt down and confessed his love, framed in a poetic set of words. I stared at him for a moment and the world around me felt so obvious. I knew how dream men behave and could predict his moves. I could visualize what life was going to unfold for me. But what I wished in dreams seemed boring in reality.

I secretly promised myself "I would love him dearly if he, now, starts fighting with me or cracks a poor joke or sings a romantic song, completely out of tune." I wanted to become startled, to become surprised. My heart screamed…“do something crazy my prince, something which is NOT so princely.” He did none and was eagerly waiting for my response. I suddenly started feeling bad for him. I looked at him, smiled and said “Indeed you are my prince charming but I do not wish to become a princess. Trust me this girl is a misfit for your castle.” He was silent for a moment, then got up, smiled back at me and said “I do not believe that you are a misfit but I sincerely believe that my heart must welcome your wishes more than my castle welcoming you.” He kissed my forehead and walked away like a true prince.

Standing on the beach I realized that dreams and perfect moments are just for garnishing the otherwise funny, weird, crazy and unpredictable life.