Later that night, Ahaan returned to his cosy small apartment. He is happy to see his home neat and clean, his maid Sheela Tai is to thank for this. Ahaan had come to Mumbai after completing his MBA from Pune. He was new here, five years ago. He was lost and confused, luckily, he got a flat in one of the middle-class locality. Here he found his Maid, Sheela Tai. She was warm, helpful and acted much like his mother; pampering him and taking care of him. Ahaan also took care of her and her daughter, Preethi aged 10 by spending little of his salary for her education. Sheela Tai and his relationship much like that of a mother and son.

Ahaan loosened his tie and flopped on the sofa. He massaged his face with his palms and relaxed in his seat. After a tiring day at work, he is exhausted. After a while he took out his phone. A photo of his mother and him flashed on his mobile, a smile crept on his face thinking about his mother. He missed his family back in Delhi. He thought of dialing home but then put back his phone, he will call them after he freshened up. He sighed and stood up.

'Yes, mother I am going to have dinner.... Yes, Sheela Tai has prepared dinner.' Ahaan spoke to his mother, balancing his phone in between ear and shoulder he held plate of food with both his hands. After freshening up, first thing Ahaan did was call his parents. His mother was quick to ask about his dinner- mothers. He placed one plate into the microwave, he frowned when the dreaded and inevitable topic came up, his marriage.

'Beta, you are thirty-one now. Living alone, with a girl you will have a companion to share your loneliness with.' His mother argued. This subject is his mother's favourite topic, and hence when speaking with her the topic is inevitable.

Ahaan sighed, 'Please Ma'

'Don't Please Ma me, you have to meet this girl. At least met her na, for me.' his mother's tone dropped to a soft one as she finished speaking. Ahaan could very well feel her pout from the other side. He wished and hoped his father stepped in and rescued him but he didn't.

'Fine, Ma! I will meet her.' Ahaan said giving up. But he mentally decided to reject the girl. But then, he felt guilty as well. It is his mother's pressure why should the poor girl suffer? Ahaan couldn't focus on his food but somehow managed to stuff food down his throat. After dinner, he went to sleep, a disturbed sleep.

**********************

'There is no harm in meeting the girl, if she doesn't suit you reject her. If not then marry her, why not?' Yash shrugged next day at work. Ahaan had come to work looking disturbed, Yash had asked him concerned and Ahaan said him everything.

Ahaan shook his head. 'You have to marry someday, right? Marry Jenni. She is gorgeous, also she likes you.' Yash said.

'I want someone to love me for who I am and not because I look good or have good bank balance.' Ahaan explained.

'Dude, you are so old school. Aaj kal, no one has time for all that. Jo dekhtha Wahi beektha hai.' Yash said seriously. Ahaan nodded, his friend does have a point. But, Ahaan has set some principles for himself. He hopes to follow them. Stay true to them, stay true to himself.

For Ahaan, love happens only once and he has had his love once. He isn't sure if he can fall in love again. It is not like he didn't try, he did have few girlfriends, but no one clicked. Something always seemed amiss, something incomplete. And Ahaan isn't keen for a loveless marriage, it won't be fair for the girl he marries.

Perhaps he is still stuck in the past. Every time, Ahaan closed his eyes and thought of love and marriage, one face comes to his mind. That one face had never left his mind, his heart. The cute oval shaped face, with twinkling grey eyes and strands of light brown hair cupping her face. The flawless skin, the thin pink lips. It always comes to him, making him restless. Momentarily it leaves him, but then it comes back, every time.

**********************

It was first day of school in a new town, Pune. Ahaan was puddle of tears at the breakfast table. 'You are a 16-year-old man, kuch toh sharam karo.' His mother said annoyed.

'16yr old aren't man. I am still a boy.' Ahaan said in between his cries. His mother rolled her eyes. Ahaan isn't worried about school with new teachers or new city, new place. Ahaan is a brilliant student academically. He is a perfect teacher's pet. His only worry is, Will he fit in? How will bunch of students treat a fatso like him? He was used to being socially out casted in his old school but now he must go through everything from scratch. The thought made him cry more. Only when his father came for breakfast did he shut up. On his way to school, he kept looking out from the window, silent tears rolled down his eyes.

'Look there is a new fatso in our group.' A boy sitting at the last bench said. He seemed to be the alpha male as everyone surrounded him also roared with laughter at his comment. With his head lowered Ahaan ignored them. He took his seat at the first bench. As expected, soon there was series of taunts being thrown at him. At one point, someone threw a paper at him.

'Oww...' the paper hit his head, it is a scrambled paper, "Hey Fatso! Move your fat butt to somewhere else.'' It read. Ahaan felt tears prick his eyes. Soon, the taunts and laughter died down when the teacher entered the class.

At lunch, Ahaan felt terribly hungry. As expected the day went bad, and now Ahaan plans to distract himself by eating, his stress buster. He held his tiffin box and entered the canteen, and then it happened. Ahaan's gaze fell on the prettiest girl he has ever seen. There she was oblivious to the fact that he exists.

She sat in the school canteen chatting with her group of friends. The cupid had shot his arrow. One look and Ahaan knew he is in love- love at first sight.