Love Story: The Proposal...and then some....

"Destiny has weird ways of bringing people together and when that happens...you realize that this whole time you were making your way towards each other....you realize that it was just  meant to be...."

"I Love You" Douglas said. 

Kimberly was in a state of shock. It was like a cat had gotten her tongue. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know how to react. She decided to calm down and she asked Douglas if he was serious. He said he absolutely was. She told him that she didn’t believe him. He didn’t even sound serious and that is not the way you say I love you to a girl. A girl only believes it when she sees it in the opposite person's eyes. This situation was averted. They went back to their joking and their usual fun talks and decided where to meet the next day. 

The next day they met where they were supposed to and then as usual they came back to the magical black staircases. This was where they spent most of their days. It was definitely a magical place. This is the place where something was happening. Douglas and Kimberly were no longer just best friends. They are getting close. So they were sitting at the magic black staircase. Suddenly, Douglas brought up the topic about the conversation that they had the previous night. So Kimberly asked Douglas if he really meant what he had said to her and she challenged him to say it to her again. Looking into her eyes. Surprisingly, He Did!! He turned her towards him. Looked her in the eye and said "I love you". Just like that. Anyone would melt, but not Kimberly. She didn’t feel anything. She thought it was too matter of fact and she told him that.

After that every day that they met he at least said it to her once. But she didn’t feel it still. She either avoided the topic or she just told him that she loved him too but just 40 percent. The truth was infact she wanted to be sure about 2 things. The first thing being that she wasn’t just a rebound, which she somehow was sure she wasn’t and the second thing that he really loved her. She always imagined that when someone would come and tell her that he loved her, she would be speechless. She wouldn’t be able to say anything. There would be tears in her eyes and she would be forced to say that she loved him too just by the way he said it. None of this had happened to her. Somehow she just couldn’t take him seriously!

Slowly a few more weeks passed and suddenly it was New Years Eve. Patricia, Douglas and Kimberly decided to go out for dinner to celebrate New Year’s Eve with each other. So all three of them dressed up in their best and went to the 'hot' place that Kimberly had been to before for another gala. It was a 'hot' place because that is how ‘some like it'. Of course it was New Years Eve and the place was full. They waited for a table and they got one just 15 minutes before the clock struck 12. They ordered something to eat and their drinks. Douglas ordered alcohol that night to celebrate. Kimberly ordered a non-alcoholic beverage because she didn’t drink. The clock struck 12 and all of them wished each other. The place had transformed into a big party by itself. Nobody knew each other but for that one moment everyone was part of the festivities. There was champagne flowing, and everyone got some. 

When the champagne was served on their table, Douglas decided to make a toast. Infact he decided that everyone on the table i.e. Patricia, Kimberly and himself should propose a toast and make a confession if they have to. Patricia and Kimberly coaxed him to go first and he readily accepted. He was a little high on the festivities but he was still very much in his senses. 

He started off the toast by talking about their friendship and how close the three of them had gotten in the past few months and how he would always be there for them. He then said that starting now he was going to make a few changes in his life which may or may not affect the people around him but he will always be there whenever his friends would need him. Then he spoke a few nice things about Patricia and how nice she was and that she shouldn’t change and how he will always be there for her. Whatever he said was extremely sweet and it got tears in both Patricia and Kimberly's eyes. Kimberly was now waiting for what he had to say about her. 

Douglas turned to Kimberly. Kimberly was ready to hear what he had to say about her. She looked down and was waiting for him to say what he wanted to. He started off by saying, “I love this woman." This was an aww moment for Kimberly. She thought he meant it as a friend. She was just about to "aww" and look at Douglas. She looked at him, into his eyes and she stopped. He said, "Yes Kimberly, I LOVE YOU". Kimberly was speechless. She felt that, way down deep in her heart. She teared up. She froze. Douglas went on to tell Kimberly what he loved about her. She was just listening but she was numb. She was somewhere else....

After his toast, he gave her a hug and kissed her on her cheek. That was the first time she was ever kissed by a guy who wasn’t related to her in any way. She was so numb that she couldn’t say a thing. Now it was Patricia's turn to propose a toast. She spoke about Kimberly and their friendship and then she made a confession. She confessed that she had a crush on Douglas when she met her first. But somehow she knew he was always Kimberly's. She apparently could see it in his eyes. She saw that his eyes always followed Kimberly wherever she went. This again sent Kimberly's heard swirling. 

Hereafter, they left. It was late and Patricia had to be home. Kimberly was going to another party where her parents and her relatives were to wish them a happy new year. Douglas first dropped off Patricia in his carriage, and then went on to drop Kimberly at the party. Kimberly hadn’t spoken a word since the time Douglas had professed his love for her. Then Douglas told Kimberly that he was angry with Kimberly. She still hadn’t told him if she loved him or not. Kimberly said of course she did, but she was shocked right now. All of this was happening to her for the first time and she needed it to settle in. They reached the place where the party was and it was time to say good bye. For once Kimberly didn’t want to go. She didn’t want this to end. Reluctantly she said good night to Douglas, and gave him a hug. He kissed her again, on the cheek of course. He again told her that he loved her and this time she said it back to him. 

That night she danced. She danced more than she had ever danced. She was happy. Positively glowing. She spoke to Douglas that night.  The conversation was different. She told Douglas that she wished to spend the next day with him. The entire day. They also said that they would go and meet Patricia. 

The next day, it was one of the worst days of Kimberly's life. The dynamics of their friendship had changed and they didn’t know how to deal with it. It was awkward. They were best friends, buddies and suddenly they loved each other. This was the first time for Kimberly and it was difficult to handle. They sensed that. Douglas got a little bothered by this feeling and he ended up saying that he wished that he could rewind the last 24 hours. Kimberly mistook it for something else. She thought he regretted professing his love to her. She was broken. She started crying right there. But he didn’t let go of her. He caught hold of her and explained what he meant by it. He promised her that what he said the previous night was not a lie and that he really did love her. That night when he dropped her home Kimberly hugged him like never before. She just didn’t want to let him go. 

Here started another love story. Few weeks down they were committed to each other. They had given each other promises and commitments that they promised to keep. They got to know each other like never before and slowly Douglas was able to peel off layers of Kimberly's personality slowly and steadily.

Suddenly it was time for the Day of Love. Like they had decided almost two years earlier Douglas did take her out. But the difference was, they went as a couple. She was his and he was hers...and this was the day that they decided to give a name to their relationship. The pact that they had made over two years ago was fulfilled and how! Not only did Douglas take her out...but he took her out as his 'woman'.........

Destiny........

Well such is life's diaries...