Maa! I am getting late for work, I will fill up the subzi, Please drop in those hot rotisuntil I change and come back! “I have kept your tiffin ready dear, Please don’t forget to carry the sanitizer and your mask! The phase of a slight relaxed lockdown was going on, People who could stay at home were supposed to abide, but the bread earners had no option but set out for work ,with all the precautions whatsoever, One could have missed carrying the wallet or tiffin, but the mask now was trending at number one on the list of essentials that were needed to be carried along by absolutely anyone who stepped out of their homes. 24-year-old Priya was working in a bank, which was about 10 kilometres away from home. She usually had to take two buses till she reached her workplace but due to lockdown issues, the only bus she got was from the local bus stand so since last few days she rode her dad’s scooty from home till the stand and later on hopped on to the common bus. Priya was a newbie when it came to riding the bike, her dad being highly possessive and protective about her, was very sceptical with giving her the bike, moreover due to the traffic as well as the potholes on the road...But the situation had helped her convince him, and hence she was ticking off a wish on her bucket list that lay unattended for long. She placed her bag inside the bike, masked up, wore the helmet and with all energy, kick-started the engine and then zoomed off. While she rode, she was already mind mapping the list of jobs that had queued up on the to do list for the day, not very much used to the helmet and mask together, she went a little off balance while crossing at a turn, and missed out seeing the bike riding opposite to her, until both of them screeched the brakes and collided with each other. Both being relatively slow, it did not turn out into anything severe but as this accident happened, along with the bikes, their eyes also collided into each other and instead of yelling out at each other, they both smiled and exchanged apologised and carried on their respective routes. Priya got into the bus, reached her workplace but somehow could not stop thinking of this incident for the rest of the day. She was surprised how mere eyes could do so much of talking...had he felt the same too? She wondered! As she packed her bags in the evening to leave for home. All the way back home, her eyes were looking out for those, whom she collided into that morning, no reason whatsoever, she knew this was a little crazy but that moment had left back a spark that had faded away for the last two months. The next morning dawned with perhaps a slight hope of another meet with those mysterious eyes or rather wondering if those eyes ,too were on the same quest! Mommy seemed to have given a long list of essentials along with an equally long list of dos and don’ts but who paid heed?? After being snapped at for not paying attention, when priya realised she was lost in a land of uncertainty, she herself blushed, gaveherself a mischievous hit on her head and picked up her stuff to leave.Suddenly the ride from home to the bus stand began to seem like a walk over the red carpet before stepping on the glamourous stage!! Oh how filmy I could get, she murmured, her words trying to fit in to sneak outof the pores of the cotton mask. And there, she spotted the bike again today!! It was just a split of a second that took both the two wheelers to cross each other, but unbelievably it was absolutely this moment that had made the otherwise shy and reserved priya so very restless. Had the spark lit at the other end too? It probably had, for in a blink of an eye as he rode past her he exchanged a sweet smile along with the glance!! It would rather be appropriate to say that this time only the eyes smiled!, sobeautifully, thatone moment was enough to sweep her off her feet! Priya had always been a very shy and conservative girl right from school .she had seen her other friends fall in love with their so called crushes and even witnessed a crash to those relationships. Hence she believed that when true love would happen, it will happen just once would stay for life!! She was extravagantly filmy and always day dreamt of her prince riding a white horse and taking her away to the land of love! Days passed, glimpses and smiles were exchanged regularly...perhaps the hearts also had begun to greet each other, but now Priya was scared!! All these years she had safely hidden her heart in a casket, which now was urging to open up, “What if this is just a dream? Do dreams come true? What if he is just playing around? What if he breaks my heart? Am I crazy to get so serious...what will mom and dad say?” There was a bombardment of questions that hit her head as if rifles being shot out of a gun!! She took a long breath! and decided to be calm and composed and take one day at a time. It was a bright sunny morning when Priya, on the pretext of meeting her friend, at her usual time, decided to set out of the house. “Mom I am going to Ameera’s and shall be back in an hour, saying so, she swiftly got on to her bike and zoomed off on her usual path very well knowing that Ameera resided in a locality in the exactly opposite direction. She alone knew what was going on in her mind, until on the plain deserted road, approximately at the same place where they usually cross, she saw a bike coming in the opposite direction. Adrenalin levels must have reached their peak, and just in that single moment they both stopped... he parked his bike, got down and took off the helmet and mask! Rakesh!!! She exclaimed, while quickly parking her bike too She took of her mask and helmet too, expecting him to also get a similar shock, but in vain...he simply blushed Yes Priya, it’s me Rakesh! My heart said you too would come today and I had decided to halt and let u know who I am before it gets too late. Rakesh had been a common friend and her senior right from school days and lived only a few blocks away. “You know something,” he said softly, as he came a little closer to her, “I had recognised you the first day itself, and you know how much I have always cared for you. I’m glad finally the eyes did the talking that the heart could not do for years. Im sorry if you are hurt Priya but I really love you a lot..! Priya just turned back, her heart was thumping loud, nervousness gathered in place of courage, but still she spoke. “I have always admired you, but stayed away from you as I was sure, I would be attracted to your nature and was scared to keep my heart at stake. But I am glad nothing is in my hands now, as the heart has already lost its way,” saying this, she simply blushed Was it was telepathy, fate or plain love that had brought them here today, together accepting the fact that they wanted to be with each other for now and perhaps for the rest of their lives. It was amazing how the cosy dark circles had simply begun to adore the fine freckles. It was surprising how finally looks did not matter at all...The chords of love had musically struck in the eyes itself and had travelled straight to the core of the heart..., that heart which was safe in the casket was now going to meet its Mr. Right! Priya was glad, her fairy-talewas jus about to flip open its first page! While people believed in Love At First Sight, here she had begun to simply believe in‘LOVE AT SIGHT’!!!