First Steps Together -- Part V

Christmas was very special for Mattie and Teddy. They had confessed their love for each other on this very day. Since then every Christmas day, they used to make sure that they celebrated the Christmas together and visited Church together, attend mass and service together, buy Christmas gifts to each other. And they would ensure they keep it secret from each other. Even if meant speaking lie or duck the question asked on cell when the call might come from other person while shopping.

That day when Matt proposed her right in the center of Times Square (42nd Street) outside Starbucks, Teddy was stunned. She knew it was coming. But didn't know it would come soon. Matt had invited Teddy for a stroll around downtown Manhattan. Those days Teddy was in Philadelphia and she had been to NYC very few times. So it was a god sent opportunity for her to go visit NYC and spend some time with Matt too. She had heard from her friends and folks that NYC looked like a bride during Christmas days and the famous Times Square were just amazing and rocking with the hustle and bustle for the festivities. December is a period of HOLIDAYS for entire USA, so the country was gripped in the festivities and shopping. Malls lured the customers with BEST buy offers.

Teddy reached Journal Square at around 830IS by the SEPTA buses plying between Philly and NJ. Matt picked her up from the Journal Square and drove her to the New York City.

They had a hot dog outside the BEST BUY store in the 33rd Street, walked down to the 42nd street to have a Star Bucks coffee. Star Bucks was their favorite. Matt and Teddy first had Starbucks in their offices when they met first post the Sametime conversation.

As soon as they came out of the Starbucks, Matt who was in Santa attire took hold of Teddy and kissed her on lips. That was a gentle kiss. Teddy didn't expect it. But she didn't object or protest. She allowed herself to fall through to Matt. Unknowingly they had walked from 33rd street to the 42nd street hands holed and occasionally Teddy resting her head on Matt's shoulder. She was 5.7. Matt was 6.1. Neither of them noticed that. They just went through the motions and when the Starbucks arrived, they got back to the real world. Neither knew what they spoke all the way.

"Tedd, I know that we are very early into this thing, which is shaping up to something very surreal and heavenly. I don't know what it is and if this is the right time for me to say you what I feel about you. I don't know a bit what I am doing or what should I be doing in this case. I don't know where I would be 10 years down the line or where you would be, who all you and me would be in this long years. All I know right now on the holy day of Christmas is that I want to spend my entire life with you. I would love you day in and day out for the rest of my life. "

Teddy froze. Her eyes remained wide open. All she could do was mumble an "ohh yeah…." in response to what Matt said. Matt had just proposed her with a chocolate. Snickers, her favorite and Matt had got a bagful of them.

She knew she was happy within. She wanted to scream with a YES then itself. The way Matt had began the "thing called friendship" said it all to Teddy that sooner than later he would pop the question to her and she would have to nod for it someday.

All throughout the Manhattan stroll she was excited within but didn't show up on the exteriors. In response to what Matt said as part of the proposal, all she could do was kiss Matt on his cheek and say "Would let you know soon".

By 730 PM Matt and Teddy were back to Jersey City and Teddy had alight the SEPTA bus back to Philly. It was a memorable NY trip. Too memorable for the rest of her life. She had carved out a dream for her. Just fallen for a guy whom she felt would sweep her off the feet and would keep her hooked and thrilled for rest of her life.

It was 930 PM. Matt was fast into the bed. No beer that day.

He lay in the bed thinking all this stuff before he saw a message on his cell phone. The message read "Hey thanks for the wonderful day spent together. You made my Christmas special". It was Teddy.

He replied back "It was my pleasure Teddy. Good night and have a good Boxing day". He had shut his shop for the day.

Teddy wasn't going to close it so soon. She shot back "Dude call me".

"Teddy it's too late now. We would speak tomorrow. You think over the proposal and let me know what you think about it."

"Dude I m no mood to sleep. Talk to me now. You want me to call you. Any problems ?

"Nah Teddy, no problems. I was with my cousin. He had just come over. So was speaking to him". He pretended.

"You are sweet Matt. You know I have thought over the answer to your question".

Matt sent a blank text message to Teddy in reply of the message he received.

"Mattie, you alright? You just sent me a blank message. Never heard of blank message".

"Smtims i gaze in sky n c a beautiful face smilin at me. Thts Teddu, hey can I call u by this name…The blank message I sent you is my diary, my world. Come paint it with love of your life . Color me Teddy."

"Go watch a mirror dude, you would see a smiling assassin face. Thanks for the wonderful reply."

"Teddzie, one more thanks and you are fined"

"Dude I wont mind your fines. Do as much as you wish. I d happily oblige."

"Great. "

"Matt, I love it when you say Teddy to me, when you say Teddu to me. I feel the best in the world. I feel I am for you. I feel I am right here for you. It sounds cho chweet when you say Teddu with the crinkle in the eye and the long pause that follows. I love when you kiss me gently on my lips and then I close my eyes to be with you. Sync with you. Merge myself with you. Merge my existence with you Mattie. Here is Teddy, committing herself to you forever. I love you too Matt. I would love you day in and day out for the rest of my life. And we would make our life together great. No matter we might or might not have great pleasures of life, we would have each other and that would be enough for us to live a life full of content and love. I love u Matt".

Teddy called up Matt to pledge her love on the Christmas day.

"Teddy, thanks. I almost died out of the excitement. Listen my heartbeat. Its still going strong in anticipation. I love you Teddu and lets be together. This one is right for you. The first kiss of our life together which starts this very moment on the divine day of Christmas."

And Matt kissed Teddy on phone itself.

Both were silent. He just wanted to go running to Teddy, hold her and kiss her wildly. Make love and never let her go away even for a sec.

Teddy within ---Part 4. Wishing Merry Xmas to ALL...

Guys, i know this is a christmas pre-eve....wishing merry xmas is the order of the day, but please say smthin on the STORY too.....wud love ur critical / welcome comments on the 'STORY' content too!! This is my close to heart stuff and have written with lot of energy and thoughts....Appreciate your comments on the STORY as well!!

Note : Writing block is prolonging on for long now....Ghazni post was rubbish, so gone in trash bin...Here is 4th part of Matt and Teddy story -- focus this time on Teddy. Its Christmas time. Wish everybody a MERRY XMAS and very festive year ahead...I had a deep wish to celebrate XMAS in NY. NY looks like a new bride in XMAS times...Saw that first time in 2005, then again in 2008 Jan. may be next year...Anyways i am off to my home. Enjoy your Christmas puddings, cake, sing carols, get gifts and live a happy life. Wish that I live a happy life too....Wish me folks!!

Off to the story.........

Teddy, the name that was Matt s life. She was the pivot round which Matt s life revolved. She was a typical modern outlooked girl, for whom the career meant everything, her ego boosted from the work she did, the appreciation she got, the mails of applause she got, the words of achievement her managers uttered to her, the high esteem that her colleagues viewed with to her. She was a girl with no-nonsense attitude.

She hated clutter and had a penchant for cleanliness. She wanted perfection in everything she did. Nothing less than 110% would excite her, but she had a thin line drawn between the family and work. Her parents were working and at times stayed away from her in other city. When Teddy was in her grad years, she stayed mostly in hostels of the varsity and that gave her go get it attitude. She learnt to be independent and successful in her grad years.

She wanted to live a peaceful successful life full of fun and excitement. She was a bit laidback and a bit calmer side, but when the small kid came in her personality she wasn’t behind anyone to enjoy the pleasures of life.

She had a strong willpower and she was sensitive too. She was emotional in her first few years of life, but staying away from her parents for her studies and then hectic working hours made her tough nut to crack. Hard experiences in office and life made her tough and practical. She liked to work hard and weekends were full of work for her. She didn’t want to waste her life in doing lesser things. Her ambitions and strong desire to implement them made her work to achieve them and she brushed aside every challenge that came in her way with equal ruthlessness and continued her travel.

She had lesser friends but whatever she had, they were life for her. She made a point to spend some time with her when she was free and together they went for shopping and girlie talks were common. Her dressing sense was not very conventional, but she had liking for long skirts, tapestries and jeans on non formal days. When she d loose her hair and decide to party to work out the residuals of her work schedule, she d prefer the tight short skirts and sleeveless tops. She wud enjoy the life to full before getting back to the rat race.

Deep within, she thought that she could well make up a relationship, but some how she kept avoiding it. She was ready to go through the grind, but she feared the breakups and the pains that come as package along with it. She knew she would not be able to give time to the relationship for her strong work schedule and now she was at a stage of career where she couldn’t have taken a back step.

Her start to her engineering graduation wasn’t auspicious and she had to take a year s backlog to get to her course as there was some mug up for her marks and then she had to accept the hard fact that she had to waste 1 yr of her life. When she finished off her grad, finding a job was tough for her. She had to wait for 7 months to land up in a job to get one. And she took all what came in her stride in the way to take up the job. She took journeys to silicon valley, north coast, California, New York, DC and Chicago for that elusive job, but finally she did land up in Systems America as System Integrator.

She travelled in septa trains when she dint have enough dollars to spend on the journeys. She skipped a meal to save some cents for her job hunt. Flights were no-no, cars were banned, and car taxies were too expensive. She walked lot of blocks on foot and in rains, snowfall and scorching summer. She did rest but only when she was in the Systems America in Manhattan, 44th street, 6th avenue.

She had liking for singing and she did sing a few times in her college concerts and in her school days. She had just brought her first music system on loan and that was credible for her. At a point in her life she thought that it was enough working day in and day out. And now time came to do something to take that step for a settled life, not necessary the marriage, but a commitment. She wanted to have that “committed” status. And in her guy she wanted compatibility; she wanted a peaceful life where she could enjoy those intimate moments with her beau. She was a bit laidback when it came to free expression of her feelings and expressions, shy when it came to making love or locking the lips. She didn’t take the first initiative, but she was courageous enough.

And one day when she just walked to her apartment from workplace, she thought about the direction she was heading to, she thought about her friends of college and school who were committed and many of them had started the wedded lives too. She had achieved a lot in her career, a respectable position in her company, a good work profile, and enough experience good enough for a good salary package after a switch. She was alone and she missed her family. Her parents were in a state where they had to stay away for their business. She felt it was ripe to get someone to be with, someone to enjoy the spare and leisure moments together, some shoulders to land on when weaker emotionally and some back to pat on when in the uncontrollable maddening laughter.

And that’s Teddy – a headstrong, committed, fiercely individualistic girl for you, for whom few days later there would be moments that would take her breath away. She would be known as Teddu, Ted, Teddie for Matt. His sweetie….

Time Pass di Galla!!!

Finally ji breathin relief yaara....Flat hunt got over and i signed the dotted line. 20 flats, 3 brokers, 3 decision changes and 2 weeks of drama, finally sadde pados di building vich menu shift kar dittasi 1st jan nu.

Aaj kal de life vich ek project, ek life partner hor ek flat vaddi mushkil se milne hain...Project da punga to purana hega, te flat ka is saal nu duji baari takleef honde aayi hain.

Saddi writing da band baj gaya hain. No mood to write. If i do, i write problems, so i thought to post stories till i get back in groove. So the constant parts of stories on Razmattaazzz.

I feel I do write good stories. The one currently going on has aplenty of romance and love flavor in it. But may be people dont like it or they feel i write shit. It pains to see very intense writings get no takers. And something very shitty get 100s of reviews. On the name of nonnets or haikus or bhaikus or whatever....English ka log band baja dete hain.

English shredded apart in SMS lingo. Poetry in form of proses or paras, exchange of awards and hugs more than your perspectives or your thoughts are big turn offs for me. Some blogs are real genuine ones and i have been lucky to witness 2 or 3 of them. Sadly one of them fell apart with me, 2nd one I m still lucky to be on the good notes with the blogger.

I am a bit old fashioned when it comes to writing skills. Blogs are very interesting medium for your expressions. For people like me they act as great punching bags and kind of relievers off the pain and guilt. I blog for myself.

And when people use it for killing the soul of English it looks sad. Hatred posts, spying, spreading the negative word about a specific blogger, opening up box of pandora on orkut are negatives of blogging.

Blog padho, friends banao, galla karo, comments karo, awards do, awards lo, write good posts, but dont spread hatred, dont be a blog terrorist, dont assume a bloggie moral police to clean up the bloggerville. If somebody does it he/she would be termed as sweeper (Hindi word is a bit derogatory).......

In short njoi ur network of blogging :)

Time Pass di Galla!!!

Finally ji breathin relief yaara....Flat hunt got over and i signed the dotted line. 20 flats, 3 brokers, 3 decision changes and 2 weeks of drama, finally sadde pados di building vich menu shift kar dittasi 1st jan nu.

Aaj kal de life vich ek project, ek life partner hor ek flat vaddi mushkil se milne hain...Project da punga to purana hega, te flat ka is saal nu duji baari takleef honde aayi hain.

Saddi writing da band baj gaya hain. No mood to write. If i do, i write problems, so i thought to post stories till i get back in groove. So the constant parts of stories on Razmattaazzz.

I feel I do write good stories. The one currently going on has aplenty of romance and love flavor in it. But may be people dont like it or they feel i write shit. It pains to see very intense writings get no takers. And something very shitty get 100s of reviews. On the name of nonnets or haikus or bhaikus or whatever....English ka log band baja dete hain.

English shredded apart in SMS lingo. Poetry in form of proses or paras, exchange of awards and hugs more than your perspectives or your thoughts are big turn offs for me. Some blogs are real genuine ones and i have been lucky to witness 2 or 3 of them. Sadly one of them fell apart with me, 2nd one I m still lucky to be on the good notes with the blogger.

I am a bit old fashioned when it comes to writing skills. Blogs are very interesting medium for your expressions. For people like me they act as great punching bags and kind of relievers off the pain and guilt. I blog for myself.

And when people use it for killing the soul of English it looks sad. Hatred posts, spying, spreading the negative word about a specific blogger, opening up box of pandora on orkut are negatives of blogging.

Blog padho, friends banao, galla karo, comments karo, awards do, awards lo, write good posts, but dont spread hatred, dont be a blog terrorist, dont assume a bloggie moral police to clean up the bloggerville. If somebody does it he/she would be termed as sweeper (Hindi word is a bit derogatory).......

In short njoi ur network of blogging :)

SameTime Conversations begin...Teddy and Matt Story -- Part 3

The next day Matt came and sat on his office cubicle feeling a bit high and on the moon. The feeling of the last eventful evening hadnt sunk on him and he was still trying to come out of it. But may be he dint want to come out of it. It was very different feeling for Matt. Unusual and unfelt before.

He just had logged in the “Sametime” and he got a ping from some name that sounded familiar and meant world to him since yesterday evening.

“Hi”, said the person on other side of sametime.......

“Good Morning, you had pinged me sometime back”

“Good morning, yeah”, said Matt. He was amused to see the person was a girl :)..He jumped out of his seat good 10 feet long....

“For?” .

“For means “ , said Matt.

“Means any reason to ping or just like that ? “ said the other person.

“nah, just like that” , Matt said.

Matt was enjoying the conversation. But he was not sure who the person was, he didn’t bother to see whose email flashed on the sametime screen.

“Ok which project do you work for” ?

“I was in Armonk office for a training on DB2.”

“Are you a new joinee or a fresher? “

“Nah, 3 months now in IBM. Overall 2+ years of experience.”

“Ok”

“For 2 days I was in Armonk bus to attend the training, so I was on that route.”

“Ok”

“Is ok your favourite word” ?

“No, the only word that can be said in response to all that you said so far is ok.”

“Oh, that’s fine”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yes please , go ahead”

“What made you start the conversation?”

“Is it wrong to start the conversation”?

“No not at all, one fine day you get in my bus , got my name, saw me and started off the conversation”

“Nah, I just thought that we should talk. Some gut feeling deep within, well if you don’t like then I wont.”

“Nah, you are misunderstanding, I didn’t mean that at all”.

“That’s fine.”

“I am surprized as I know people travelling in bus, but I never managed to get their
names ever, which you supposedly did in that one trip to bus.”

“In the bus people write their names, and you were seated on right of 3rd window, whereas I was at the left of the same bus”. Matt said.

“May be I don’t remember, the evening time in bus is the time that I spend with myself, so I don’t engross myself in any other thing.

“All software people have the same feeling”.

“But you managed to take that time off and look around the bus and then to my surprise you found me”.

Matt was responding just without thoughts, whatever stuck in his mind, he wrote. Not knowing what to think, he just wrote. Whether it was a lust or a crush or a sudden wind of affection he dint know a bit about it.

Matt said “ That’s pretty fine. You were the prettiest face around and my face stopped at just that. You were horribly beautiful that evening. By the way I am Matt.”

“And you are Teddy Kohl, working in Software Labs. Right. Correct me if I am wrong, which I think I am not.”

“Yes you are right. You seem to be an interesting guy. But unfortunately we have to stop right here for a moment as work beckons me. I would ping you back when done, pls don’t mind. It was amazing though weird experience to talk to you just like that”. Said the girl.

“That’s fine, no issues. Work first. Call me if you can, or better ping me when done. I feel we would have some interesting and passionate times ahead.”

And they hung up. The moments of reckoning and sweet romance had begun between two persons poles apart, but closer to each other in love, sweet love as they call.

Part 4 : Time for it to come.......Till then

Hum hain rahi pyar ke fir milenge chalte chalte......