American Dream - Love, life and seeking happiness - Chapter 1

Does he love me? Does he really love me? Jane kept thinking about it all night. When the dawn broke, she was still in her dress and her shoes, sitting at the edge of her bed. Her phone’s ring broke her thoughts. It was her neighbor and friend Claire calling her for the jog.

In order to push the thoughts away, Jane quickly changed and got out of her house. Less that she had forgotten that she was going to see him on the tracks too.

For next 10 minutes Jane jogged on the beats of the song playing on her ipod and had almost managed to push him out of her thoughts and then he appeared again. “Good morning ladies”, a cheerful voice and Jane could feel the world spin around her.  She knelt down to catch her breath and make sure she didn’t fall. She felt him passing by, she heard Claire replying “Good Morning Shagird” in her thick American accent.

She had to talk to him. She had to know that what he said was for real or on passé. Determined, Jane got up again finished her jog. Before leaving for office, she texted him and asked him to meet her after work.

She sipped her coffee and found her thinking again. Last night while dropping her home, Shagird had for the first time told her that he loved her. For Jane that was her dream fulfilled. She had hugged him back and told him that she loved him too. But the next moment, he was again talking about their friends and the party.

Jane remembered that how she met Shagird for the first time when she fell down on the tracks while jogging about a year ago. He was there all of a sudden, extend his hand to help her back on her feet. She had never noticed him before, and his Asian looks stood him apart from the rest. She took his help and tried to get up, but was unable to move. She had broken her ankle. He insisted on taking her to nearby hospital and she took the help because she was still new and hardly knew her way to hospital.

Upon knowing that he was not an American, Jane was first skeptical, but soon she got to know that he was a surgeon in the same hospital and had lived in America for most of his life.

In the next 5 days Jane went through a minor surgery, three day of hospitalization and finally a discharge to be on a bed rest for at least a fortnight. During this time, Shagird became such good friends that even after her discharge from hospital he visited her regularly.

Grown up as a single child, Jane had always been a shy kid and had not many friends. Shagird slipped in easily in her life. They read the same authors, listened to same music, liked same food, loved to jog and were dedicated to their jobs. Jane for the first time could relate to someone. He would drop by with a book, and sit and read by her window while she read hers in her bed. He never made a move but always openly told her that she was a friend that he never had.

In last one year, Jane and Shagird became more than the neighbors. Everyone thought they were a couple.  There weren’t any office colleague, he didn’t know. There wasn’t a hospital staff, she didn’t. They were each other’s date when the need maybe. They were friends who could complete each other’s sentences. However, Shagird always maintained his distance. He told her once, he had had a bitter divorce and wasn’t ready for a relationship. However, for last few months, Jane had noticed herself losing her heart to him.

Last night was a department dinner organized by his hospital, and he had to bring a guest along. Jane was the obvious choice. The dinner was light and nice and the weather was good. Post dinner, some friends decided to hit the dance floor. By the time they returned, it was almost two and both of them were quite high.

Dropping Jane at her door with a quick hug like always, Shagird surprised her by whispering the three words in her ears. While she still wondered what he said was true, he went on thanking her for a good evening once again and promising her to see her next morning.

Someone shook her and got Jane back to present. It was Elena, her boss who had just come back from her holiday and looked tanned. “If you are done with dreaming, can we have a meeting please?” Annoyances clear on her face.

Elena was a tough boss. She hated people wasting their time. Jane quickly collected herself and her files and followed Elena to her cabin. Next two hours, Elena made sure that Jane had no time to think. At the end of it, she softened. Maybe Jane looked tired. No sleep and overthinking had never been good on her, it showed on her face. Elena stopped and asked what it was. She made some excuse and moved back. As she was closing the door Elena called out, “Jane Dear, Do yourself a favor. Take rest of the day off.” Jane thanked her and got out.

Back at her desk, she saw a message. It was him. “Anything specific? All good I hope. See you at seven, alligator”

Jane packed her things and left from office. On her way she picked up some grocery. She decided to cook. Cooking always made her think more rationally.  All her way she kept forming her questions. How will she approach the subject?  How will she ask him, what he meant?

To be continued…