I was introduced to him 18 months ago. It was love at first swipe ! All those colourful, stripped and solid candies; popping, bursting and cracking up all the time – my joy knew no end !
I would spend hours with him. And when I wasn’t with him, I was constantly thinking of him. I would bring him up in mundane conversations. My friends often teased me saying, Charmie! I doubt it is candy “crush” for you. I believe it is candy “love”!! I managed to hide the blush on my face, at least I hoped I did!
I crossed level after level and our love seemed to cross leaps and boundaries blooming and blossoming together. When I would close my eyes, I dreamt of all the candies dropping into their tetris like formation. Mentally, I would evolve new strategies to win him over completely!
He was fond of me too ! He would text me on facebook if I hadn’t seen him all day. He would pop up on my phone to remind me how ready he was to have me. Such a darling, I thought!
But well, there were times when things got rough. Level 97 was one of the toughest time of our relationship. I even thought of giving up. I begged and pleaded my friends to help me out to sail through this unfortunate time of my life. My friends helped me as much as they could but most of them lacked compassion. Some of them even cursed me for trying to keep my relationship afloat by seeking their help. They cursed me for being with him at strange hours of the night and tinkling their facebook accounts with a small beep to let them know we were still together. Can you believe their insensitivity? Pfft! They don’t know true love, I inferred!
But like for everything else in life, the spring did not last forever either. Well, there is something you must know about him at this point – he tends to be extremely moody – I mean EXXTREEEMELY MOODY! I mean there was this one time, when he made me wait for a full week to move on ! Like really? Can’t you be kind or humane? I mean, we have come this far, and here we are at 350 and you do this to me now? We sat up all night, trying to sort things out. I literally called my friends at 2.00am, 3.00am and again at 5.30am and asked them to help me out. I knew they would get mad at me or worse so think I have gone crazy, but I was desperate (and crazy) !
I got up from bed (not woke up, I got up) at 7.30am – helpless, depressed and tired. We couldn’t make it. No matter how hard I tried. This is the thing I hate about our relationship. Why must I do all the hard work all the time. I mean can’t he for once just make things easier for me? Just once? He loves me, I know but his mood swings are worse than women on their cycle!!
I headed to the dining table where the breakfast was laid out. My father was glaring at me from behind his spectacles. I looked terrible, I knew. My hair was messy, I had deep gray under eyes as if I had been punched in the eye and my head was in splits. I reached out for a can of milk and cereal. My father then looked at me with utmost sincerity and said, “Is it really worth it Charmie? Think again” I think he was sobbing. Secretly, I was sobbing too !
I put my breakfast bowl away and ran upstairs to my room. I got a hold of my cellular phone – and in an instant, just a moment – I deleted him from my life. Just like that! I sat down on the bed for a while to realize what I had just done – but I was determined not to go back to him. I showered, got ready and with a new found hope in life; I went on to work. I knew his thoughts would interrupt my work, but no !
A psychologist friend of mine told me, that for a habit to loosen its grip on you – you must go through 21 days without it and then you are all on your own – free from it all ! So I resolved and I was doing very well. My efficiency at work improved, I slept well these days. He tried to call me every now and then via facebook. Some friends even tried to set us up again. But no – I did not give in. I was strong and determined to move on and move on I will !
Days turned into weeks and soon I was on my 18th day off him. Then something happened. Even after our breakup, I would think of him when I would be travelling in the bus, sitting idle waiting for a colleague or while taking a dump for that is when we would be together, when there was no one else (and later no matter who else was there) ! Thus, I was keeping myself very busy and surrounded by people. But then on this ill – fated 18th day; I was called to office an hour early for a meeting via tele – conferencing with an England based company. I was to use my Boss’s phone to make the call. She left me with her phone (she was involved with him too. No, I knew. I was okay with all that !) and left for a cup of coffee. But now, all of a sudden, I was alone with him – tempted to know how he was keeping. I wanted to know if he upgraded his features, if he got newer candies, if he wanted me back and would just allow me to move on to 351 because he missed me so much. My fingers hovering over his icon – curiosity, temptation and lust acting together and just when I was about to go to him, the screen in front of me lit up with 10 English men staring at me as I shooed away the phone. I would have relapsed – thank God for the English – God bless the Queen – Oh! But isn’t my love’s father KING English too ?Nevermind – I saved myself from the disgrace!
On day 22, I returned home from work with a sense of triumph of having conquered 21 days away from him. I felt powerful like a winner. Yes, I did it! I told myself. I retired on the sofa next to my father who was watching TV. Or was he? I looked at him again. My super grim, cricket loving father was staring at his phone as India v/s Pak was playing on the TV. This shit never happens! I had to peep!! What! CANDY CRUSH SODA ! Like instead of candies, bottles of Soda clunk up ! What Candies and Soda! OMG ! And I fly up instead of falling down ! I couldn’t believe my eyes!!! I am going to go leaps and bounds again! I am going to have so much soda in my life!
And just like that, my eyes lit up again and my sabbatical ended. After all 21 days vs a year; one would say being single was never even an option for me!
Spirited Poetess 