Could have been

1st august 2007,
As i gaze out of my window overlooking the thames with trains rolling into the london bridge station and the london eye slowly rotating away endlessly in a distance, i just realize its august of 2007 already.

I shall soon be 28. And going by plans that I had when I was turning 25, I should have had a wedding date fixed for this winter.

How would the scenario have been? I would have returned home to Delhi late Nov, with the marriage scheduled for Dec 1st week. Mum Dad would have frantically frisked me off to the nearest tailor to get alterations done for the ill-fitting suits prepared in my absence. Bro would have arrived well in advance for the wedding, but would have had to rush back soon after and prepare for his third trimester exams. He wouldn't really have been too happy with the marriage timing, but of course could not have done much as the inauspicious "saya" would have not allowed any other dates for the event to take place.

There would be the usual stream of pre-marriage ceremonies and relatives pouring in from everywhere, and the d-day would soon arrive and go without anybody realizing. After a couple of days the family would finally sit and, relaxing for the first time in days, would marvel at how much was managed and accomplished at such short notice, and thank god for being kind enough to see the proceedings go along nicely.

I would have probably had an extension of the project back here, and so would have had to rush here, even as the wife applied for her visa, complaining how she was being made to leave her secure job and friendly colleagues, but also thrilled a little at how living in London would be like, and that she could take it easy at least for a few months before finding a job, and at least boast to her friends back home about a honeymoon in scotland.

I would have hunted for a 1 BHK here, in a decent locality, not too desi / not too english. I would've booked a sky tv package taking care it should play star plus, so she doesn't miss India, as it was actually the only request made by the in-laws.

She would arrive soon, complaining about the sari she was made to wear by my mom which made her flight so uncomfortable, but would be relieved to hear that many women actually do go around in a sari over here, and it is not considered too out-of-place anymore.

Soon it would have been a rather hectic hotch-potch of office, groceries, dinners, interspersed with sex, outings and meeting up other couples.

Traveling in the tube, standing close to each other, I would have thought and smiled to myself, how I was unnecessarily scared of marriage. It was turning out fine, we were doing well and there didn't appear any major issues, all initial hiccups were now settling.

And then..... As that perfume would have hit my nostrils, I would have turned back to see who it was wearing a nice male EDT that I remembered looking at, at Harrods sale only last weekend. My eyes would have fell on that chest, peeking from under his open button T, with his nips faintly outlined from under the body hugging fabric. His longish hair would have been slightly dishevelled, standing out from the close crop that everyone was carrying now in London, including me. His blue eyes would be looking in the other direction, and as the complete beauty of his gradually sank into me, they would shift their gaze onto me. And in those seconds when our gazes locked, and I noticed a faint smile on his lips, I would have died.