Is this Love...

Can a person fall in Love without seeing, knowing or talking to someone? Actually Can someone be infatuated without seeing, knowing or talking ?

I was at Akola after my 12th exam to learn Computers. Akola used to be my next favorite place (after Kolhapur i.e.) during those days. The main reason amongst others is the Gang of Friends at Akola. Actually they are all my nieces and nephews and their cousins. But only a 2-4 years younger to me. These people know what, how and when of FUN to its fullest.

The Gang as I like to call ‘em had summer vacations from their schools and used to meet at one of the houses to spend the day playing games, watching movies and above all teasing each other. They knew & understood me quite well but couldn’t figure out what would tickle me. So then the Doctor amongst them - Varsha (who went on to do BDS in later years) came up with an idea. An idea that would change my perspective of Love for ever...

“What do you think is best part of liking someone?” asked Summit, the eldest of them.
“I didn’t get what you want to say” I sensed something fishy going on in the Gang.
“You know as in if you like someone, what is the best part of it?” Kishore joined in.
“Well knowing the fact that there is someone who you consider to be different from others and for whom you have a special liking is the best part in itself…..” I tried to give an equally confusing answer to that weird looking question.
“Do you like someone?” That was bait. If I said yes, I would be pressed for a name and that will be headline of tomorrow’s newspaper. But I told the truth.

“Oh! Common you must me liking someone” Pooja chirped. She was supposed to be the youngest of them. Actually Mitali was the youngest, but she was too young to join this conversation.
“Sorry Friends, I haven’t found someone special yet.”
“Well, we found someone who can go well with you” said Varsha, the mind behind all this.
“Yeah, Who?” I knew this was just the Gang at fun. But still.
“You know the girl that stays next door to our house, the one you called didi the other day and she was upset and said she was just your age…..”
“Yes, so ?” Oh no, not her.
“Well, she has a friend called Geeta, who often visits her. They both play badminton outside, actually we have played with Geeta often….”
“So?” a part of me was getting excited. But I knew that the Gang was cooking something, so I better be cautious.
“Well, we think you will surely like her, you know she is just your type, I mean she is fun loving, she is a ranker, she is…..”
“OK. I get it ! Thanks but no thanks guys, I am not interested. Carom anyone?” I was quite interested actually, but I told myself, there is no Geeta, this is the Gang closing in to find something to tease me.

“Yeah, I do have a friend called Geeta, she does often come here to my house. You know her?” It was the friendly neighborhood to the rescue.
“No. Actually the gang were talking that she plays badminton and all, nothing specific."

Well Geeta exists. Does the Gang really think I will like Geeta? Was she really my type? Have I found the Dream Girl? Hold on … I haven’t found her yet. I have just heard about her.

The next few days were long and weary. I kept thinking about her (mainly coz I didn’t had anything else to think). “Oh you missed her by just a few minutes…” “We played badminton, the whole day, while you were at work…” “Take us all for a movie and we will arrange a meeting…” The Gang kept on bugging me about her. I was obsessed with this Girl.

I had to meet her once before I leave. So I pulled in all I had, talked to varsha and then to her neighbor. She agreed to call Geeta.

“Hello Geeta, you don’t know me, my name is. . . .” It took a lot to ask her to meet me.
“Well I can’t come right now, but by tomorrow morning the earliest…”
“Too late, I am leaving for Kolhapur in a couple of hours…. Well may be next time. See you.”

As the train slowly pulled out of Akola station… I kept telling myself to get Geeta out of the system, I don’t love her, I have not even met her; it is just another infatuation or . . .

Is this Love ?