The Choice She Made
The next morning, he woke up earlier than usual.
Not because of the alarm.
Because of thoughts.
Meera was supposed to meet the proposal candidate today.
He tried to behave normally.
Brush teeth.
Get ready.
Attend training.
But his mind kept asking quiet questions.
How will she feel about him?
Will she like him?
What if he is perfect?
At breakfast, Raghav noticed immediately.
“You look like someone waiting for exam results.”
“I’m fine.”
“No you’re not.”
“Yes I am.”
Raghav leaned forward dramatically.
“Romance tension detected.”
“Eat your idli.”
The morning session went on.
Case studies.
Discussion.
But he checked his phone more times than usual.
Nothing.
No message.
Around afternoon, his phone finally buzzed.
A message from Meera.
“I met him today.”
He looked at the screen for a few seconds before replying.
“How was it?”
Her reply came after a short pause.
“He’s a nice person.”
Another message came.
“Very confident.”
Then another.
“Good sense of humor.”
He read the messages quietly.
Something inside him tightened slightly.
Not anger.
Not jealousy.
Just the strange feeling of imagining someone else entering her life.
He typed slowly.
“That’s good.”
Then added,
“Did you enjoy meeting him?”
Her reply came.
“Yes. It was a good conversation.”
He leaned back in the chair.
A calm expression on his face.
But inside… silence.
After a few minutes she sent another message.
“Can I call you later tonight?”
He replied.
“Sure.”
The rest of the day passed slowly.
Even Raghav noticed.
“Bro… you are unusually quiet.”
“Just tired.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Something emotional is happening.”
“Eat your samosa.”
Night came.
Around 9 PM, his phone rang.
Meera.
He stepped outside the hostel building to take the call.
“Hello.”
“Hi.”
Her voice sounded normal.
Maybe even a little cheerful.
“So… how was your day?” she asked.
“Good. Training sessions.”
“And?”
“Field report discussion.”
“Sounds busy.”
There was a small pause.
Then she said,
“About the meeting today…”
“Yes?”
“I didn’t actually meet him.”
Silence.
“What?”
“I didn’t go.”
He frowned slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“I told my parents I’m not ready.”
The night breeze felt suddenly lighter.
“I asked them for time,” she continued.
“One or two years.”
“And they agreed?”
“Not happily.”
“But they understood.”
He stood quietly for a moment.
“You were serious when you said that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Her answer came gently.
“Because I don’t want to rush something important.”
He asked slowly,
“Then why did you tell me you met him?”
She laughed softly.
“I wanted to see how you would react.”
“That’s not fair.”
“I know.”
“But also honest.”
He sighed.
“So… what did you learn?”
“That you’re a very calm person.”
“And?”
“And that you care… but you won’t pressure me.”
He smiled faintly.
“That’s because life decisions shouldn’t be forced.”
She continued,
“I told my parents something very clearly.”
“What?”
“No more proposals until I’m ready.”
“And when will that be?”
“Maybe one year.”
“Maybe two.”
There was a peaceful silence.
Then she asked quietly,
“Does that bother you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because time is not the problem.”
“What is the problem then?”
“Uncertainty.”
“And now?” she asked.
“Now it feels clearer.”
She smiled on the other side of the call.
“Good.”
Then she added playfully,
“Also… the imaginary candidate I described was quite impressive.”
“Yes.”
“I enjoyed talking about him.”
“Very funny.”
They both laughed.
The tension that had quietly built during the day slowly dissolved.
After the call ended, he returned to the room.
Raghav immediately looked up.
“Important call?”
“Yes.”
“Romantic call?”
“Yes.”
Raghav stood up dramatically.
“WHAT HAPPENED.”
He replied calmly,
“She asked for time.”
Raghav blinked.
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the whole story?”
“Yes.”
Raghav fell back onto the bed.
“This introvert man is living a peaceful love story while I am single.”
Before sleeping, he sent a small message to Meera.
“Thank you for trusting me.”
Her reply came.
“Thank you for being patient.”
He looked at the message for a moment.
Then turned off the light.
Some love stories grow loudly.
Fast.
Dramatic.
But this one…
Was growing quietly.
Slowly.
Like a tree that takes years to become strong.
And somewhere far away, a mother who once told stories about princes
Would have smiled proudly.
Because her son was learning something more valuable than success.
He was learning patience.