Over a message.

The night sunk in the silence of the aftermath of a long drizzling day. The city had slept in its comfort. But there was one house where the midnight oil was still burning in its glory. He had to be in the office the next day early in the morning for a major release. So, what was the reason that he had to burn away the oil instead of a sound sleep. Was there a presentation that he had to give and he was just finishing it up or just prep-ing himself for that. That wasn't the reason either. Amid all this, he checked his watch only to find that it was too late and too little time to sleep. It was ten minutes to one. He picked up his mobile and pinged his friend "U awake?". There was 90 percent chance that the person he messaged would be awake at that time of the night. So, someone else was also burning the midnight oil in the other part of the city.

Gautham retired from the tiring day and decided to sleep early keeping a foresight that there was a major release at six in the morning the very next day. So, he cozied up in his bed only to realize that he was not able to sleep. He rolled over the bed a couple of times and tried all positions for sleeping on the bed. But he sat up realizing that the thoughts that invaded were too powerful to be suppressed. He grabbed his laptop that was on the side table of his bed and started browsing through the photos, her photos. It was quite difficult for him to get over her. He had known that they had been good friends for quite some time. But the day he was relocated to another part of the city was quite difficult for him to see her everyday, like he used to. But this night had been different. He just couldn't sleep. All the previous nights he had hoped that, he had just hoped to find her in his dreams. Occasionally, he did but that wasn't enough for him. Seeing his shyness and awkwardness of his, not to mention his desperation, Aryan advised him a couple of times to just man up and take the first punch, figuratively. It is difficult to let others know what could possibly be going in your mind unless shared. So, take the first step even if it is hard choice to make. But then again there are consequences. And that makes a person scared. Precisely, these so-called-consequences scared him to death, again figuratively. If expressing love is one difficult thing to do, then to deal with the consequences is another thing. But for a precious love, a little risk or a big risk shouldn't be an issue. That was what Aryan thought, that instead of repenting for the rest of the life for not telling his feelings, it would be better to just express and see on which side the coin lands on.

"Yeah. What's up?" asked Aryan after he received a ping from his friend at almost an hour past midnight. He was also burning the midnight oil, but he had no obligations for the night, not even for the day that followed. He was one mean insomniac, who spends his day in the night and also his night. He is a little screwed that way. After the exchange of a few messages and making plans to meet up the next day after his meeting in the office, it was not a complicated task to figure out at the first instance itself. It was her, again for his sleeplessness. Aryan never understood what was it that compelled this insomnia and that the reason for that was a chick! Oh, he knew alright, but never got the chance to experience. He had been sleepless for a lot other reasons, but a chick, never had the pleasure, he amuses himself over it. Only time could tell. So, there was an update regarding his one-sided love affair. He did man up and found his courage to tell his feelings but there was a catch. There always is one. So what was it this time? He was going to tell her over a message in Whatsapp! "Oh, god! Kill me now!" exclaimed Aryan in his mind after reading that message on his cell. In Gautham's defense, he didn't have the courage to say to her in person. And that is not all. There was another catch. 

"When are you going to propose?", Aryan asked feeling a little bit out of place what to reply. 

"I decided one thing. I'll not propose her. Instead, I'll just inform".

"Oh dear lord, Shoot me now! Just end my misery.", Aryan was getting high voltage shocks. 

The rest of the conversation didn't go as Aryan intended it to. He tried his best to keep him positive about the outcome even though the chances were one to thousand. All his inspiring-philosophies didn't actually work out. He has to be in Gautham's shoes to be able to understand. And the final shock of the night was when Gautham replied that he wasn't going to wait for her opinion. "God, O' dear Lord where are you? Why am I still breathing?", Aryan shouted in silence.

__________________________

Gautham would probably kill Aryan for sharing this. No doubt. Aryan is dead when Gautham gets wind of this.