ONLY YOU

                  Episode 6 - Love find me 

Her hand was still on mine, and I kept looking at our clasped hands. Then she said, "We’re here!"

As I shifted my gaze from her hand, I found myself standing a little away from a small brown wooden gate, which was locked. Above the gate was a cream-colored board with "LIBRARY FOR ALL" written in bold red letters. I looked at Asha again, and this time, our eyes met. Holding eye contact, I said in a low voice, "It’s not open yet. Do you want to read books right now?"

She broke our gaze, let go of my hand, and walked toward the gate. She took a key from her waist and unlocked it. "It’s my library," she replied with the brightest smile and deepest love in her eyes. I was astonished; I had never seen a woman own a business until then. Seeing her holding the lock and key at the entrance doubled my admiration and love for her. How? I don’t know.

"Come inside, Rajesh," she said enthusiastically, waving her hands.

We entered the library together, like a scene from a Bollywood movie. 

I gazed at the vast piles of books, each neatly organized on dark brown shelves. The room was painted sky blue, and each wall had posters of freedom fighters with their iconic slogans. There were benches at the end of the shelves near large window frames, and a counter with a bell, a telephone, a large register for entries and exits, and some Bollywood magazines on the side.

"I built this place with my own hands," she said. "It was my dream to create a space for those who find peace in reading."

"It must have been tough for you to open this place," I replied quickly.

"If I’m honest, yes, it was exhausting. Sometimes I wanted to give up, but my dreams were bigger than my exhaustion," she said.

She walked to one of the aisles while I stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Where, Asha?" I asked, making my way through the narrow aisles of shelves toward her. She was sitting at a table near a window, holding an old, wrinkled, black-covered diary. She pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit.

I sat down, and she handed me the diary, opened to a specific page.

"Here, can you read it?" she asked.

"Of course," I said, taking the diary from her hands.

It was a poem titled "LOVE FIND ME."

LOVE FIND ME

FIND ME WHEN YOU MEET MY EYES FOR 100 TIMES BUT STILL WANT TO MEET AGAIN

FIND ME WHEN ALL YOU WANT IS TO BE WITH ME IN THE CROWD OF MILLION

FIND ME WHEN WHEN YOU CRAVE FOR AFFECTION NOT FOR LUST

FIND ME IN THE TIMES OF OBSURE , MISERY AND MERRY

FIND ME WHEN YOU FEEL HALF AND KNOW THAT OTHER HALF IS ME

FIND ME WHEN YOU WANT ME NOT ONLY IN MOONTIME BUT THE TIME WHEN YOU ARE AWAKE

FIND ME WHEN YOU KNOW MY VALUE IN YOUR LIFE

LOVE FIND ME BUT WHEN YOU ADMIRE ME.

"It’s beautiful—are you a writer?" I asked.

"Kind of," she said. "I wrote this after I met you on the bus." She looked into my eyes with deep hope and continued, "I wanted to tell you something, Rajesh."

I flushed; my heart pounded as if it might stop. The library was empty, with just the diary between us.

She said, "This library wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t helped me on August 5th."

I was perplexed but stayed silent.

She continued, "This place was almost complete when, one day, I found an envelope among a pile of unorganized books. It was dated July 4th, 1960, from the government office. It stated that within one month, I had to pay a loan of 5,000 rupees, or they would seal this place. I was petrified; the fear of losing this library was overwhelming. I found the notice on August 5th, so I had little time left. To gather that amount, I had to go to the bank, which was nearly closing, but I went. You know the rest."

I reached for her hand and said, "Yes, but I would have helped anyone."

"I know," she replied, "but nevertheless, you helped. Since the day I had the idea of opening a library, no one—not even my parents—supported me. Everyone was eager to make me a bride, a bride with nothing of her own. All my friends got married and had children, but I knew I would marry someone who admires my struggles, respects women, and becomes my friend first. Rajesh, I don’t know how, but in just two meetings, I’ve found a friend in you."

My heart raced so fast it felt like it might stop. My body trembled, and my eyes filled with tears of joy. I had never imagined in my wildest dreams that the woman I loved would say something like this to me.

Holding her hand, breathing heavily, I said, "But Asha—I love you."

Her face lit up brighter than moonlight, her cheeks flushing redder than a rose. And we both laughed.

(Present day)

I know in this generation, love comes after many stages and conditions, but there was a time when two genuine meetings between the right people could build trust, empathy, and love.

Dear readers, thankyou for reading my fictional story I hope you like reading it . Do comment and follow my page for more such stories.