The Last Drop – Episode 2

It was the last day of college. A young girl and a boy were talking in the college campus garden. The boy looked outright miserable and the girl seemed upset.

The boy said with his lovelorn eyes,

“Please try to understand…”

Sarita replied curtly,

“What is it Veer? I have told you so many times!”

“I know…But please listen to me once again…I really love you very much…”

Sarita pointed a finger at him and said with no emotion in her voice.

“You can’t force me into this!”

Veer looked desperate.

“You are the only girl I have ever loved. I can do anything in the world for you!”

Sarita rolled her eyes and replied as a matter of fact,

“The world itself is ending you know! Survival has become a challenge. I want to do something for the cause. You very well know that my ambition is to become a scientist. I want to find a solution for this zero drinking water issue. On the personal front I want to support my family. I want to help my father. My grandpa is ailing. I’m not in the mindset for any of this. I can’t think about any kind of relationship right now.”

Veer said nodding his head,

“I know. I respect you for that.”

Sarita joined her hands together and said in a pleading tone,

“So please leave me alone.”

Veer didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he spoke in a choking voice,

“Okay…”
” But you have to accept the gift.”

Sarita felt anger welling up inside her seeing his stubbornness.

“This is ridiculous! How can I accept your gift when I’m saying a blatant no to you!”

But Veer was determined.

“You have to… That’s my request…. The last and the only one”

Veer offered a small velvet box to her. Anyone could have guessed the content. Sarita also did. She didn’t take it and turned her face away from him. At last Veer himself opened the box and handed the content to her.

Sarita’s looked at it in amazement.

“Is it what I think it is?”

Veer remained silent.

Then she smiled momentarily and added in a mocking tone,

“Huh… you son of a millionaire..”

Veer smiled wryly.

Sarita held out the ring from the box and studied it carefully. It was made of gold and was studded with something like a diamond. But when she saw carefully, it was not actually a diamond. The top of the ring had a round transparent casing and it held a small drop of the purest crystal clear water. When she moved the ring, the water also moved in the casing.

“The water drop ring… the latest celebrity fashion fad… Not a drop to drink but they enjoy wearing these last few drops in their fingers…. There was a time I had wanted to own one knowing that I could never buy it… ”

“And you remembered..”

Veer looked into her eyes and said with a heavy voice ,

“It’s for you.”

Sarita remained silent. Something in his voice made her lose the strict demeanor she was carrying till now.

“I had thought I would propose you with this ring. But your refusal doesn’t change the fact that it belongs to you. You can sell it if you want. If it solves your family problems or helps in your higher studies then I would consider that it served its purpose.”

Sarita couldn’t look at him anymore. She stared at the ground with the ring in her hand and a little drop of salty water somewhere in her eyes.

To be continued…