Arti was working as a safety engineer at the Laboratory of Electronic Devices Measurement and Testing at one of the capital's largest factories. But he was not fully satisfied with this job, and he was seeking for a more interesting job in another department of the same factory. This problem was solved with difficulty due to his persistence. He was not immediately acknowledged within the new staff members, but soon he felt adapted to this new environment and joined the team as a full member. He was slowly back to his career path with this new job. And just in those days he met Sati, who was working at the same lab. Not predicting development of the further relationship, they were good friends, as colleagues of the same laboratory. Sati had an attractive look and communicative temperament. Arti always considered himself to be a discoverer of the human souls, but this time he didn’t correctly foresee the desires hidden in the depths of Sati’s spirit, trying to understand what ideas, dreams and thoughts were hidden in her head.
Very often, they were returning back home together after work. The way towards the bus stop was long and they usually were talking about things that might seem less interesting. Day by day the scope of their conversations and interests was growing and their friendship was slowly and spontaneously strengthening. They seemed to be studying each other, analyzing and testing mutual emotions.
"I've heard that you've fallen in love with someone who has been in the army for two years, and I suppose that your love has already weakened," Arti said by the way, once, when they were returning home, especially emphasizing the word "weakened", to determine the current level of their relationship.
"No, it's not weakened, I just transferred my relationship to a remote mode," Sati laughed.
-It's interesting.
"Yes, just like that," she laughed.
"You have to wait two years to find out the strength of your mutual love," Arti continued.
"Yes, unfortunately, that is what I decided to do, I promised, and I should not break my promise," she said and Arti felt, that there was a tone of regret that words, and a sad expression of the recent realities.
Arti was feeling some emotions towards her and was trying to understand whether Sati has some feelings towards him.
-Sati, it's all zero, temporal, the main thing is the LIFE that is momentary, and you have to spend it well, there are days that are worth a year, and there are years that are not worth a day, I suffered so much in the past year that it’s enough for a lifetime,” said he philosophically.
Arti's words prompted something to Sati, and she glanced at him asking:
“Listen, can it happen that someone loves, but still doubts that it’s a true love? I often ask myself, “Do I really love him? Or it’s just an allurement, and our relationships have become just a habit, and maybe that's not the kind of thing that really happens, I don't know, I don't understand.
Sati raised her black and big eyes to Arti and was waiting attentively for the reply.
"You know it happens, when your soul and your blood are totally infected with that disease, but you ask yourself why you love, what especially you like, what attracts you. For example, sometime ago, I was in love with a girl and every time, when I was asking myself why, I couldn't find the answer. I just loved her: her presence, her body, her smile, her long hair, her black eyes, her beautiful legs, her look, her style, all that was hers. Such a love may not be repetitive. But who knows … The TIME decides everything. it is formulating who and how loves, what is the secret of the true love.
Arti was enthusiastically searching for the right words, taking the conversation in a way that was favorable to him. His egoism and sympathy to Sati, were committing a “crime”. Maybe Sati was not hearing him, not understanding where his mind was leading, or just she didn't want to show it.
Women are sensitive and can pretend being indifferent, even when the discussion topic matters more to them.
"You're right," Sati said finally, as if waking up from the sleep, "The time is the best doctor, and it decides your next steps." Let us also wait and let the time to rule over us.
“No,” Arti said, we must control our destiny, we must rule over the time and the space.
"You're becoming a philosopher, and we have to go home," Sati said, and walked to the nearby four-story building, where she was living. Arti still had to get on a bus station and have a long trip to get home. He was still following Sati's steps, until she disappeared in the entrance of the nearby building.
***
From that unfortunate day, he became more and more attracted to Sati. Something unchangeable started to penetrate his soul. Later, Sati jokingly will say, that everything started the day, when she shared her lunch, a bottle of a sweetened milk with, and that was her favorite sweetness.
But no one really knew when everything happened, when started, when ...
Arti felt very comfortable with Sati, telling her all about himself, things that could be a secret for others. Perhaps the process of forgetting the previous rejected love was the thing, what was driving him to Sati, realizing that she may be of help. Sati, too, was open-hearted, understanding him, and was convinced that she is not mistaken. And the person who understands you, catches your thoughts, reveals them, responds timely, is becoming your closest and the dearest. And that closest person often turns your life into a hell you never expect. And why did she come so close to him, played with his delicate feelings, attracted him, and now he could no longer live without her?
With her and without her, oh, horror! He had barely recovered from the old wound, and could hardly forget the strokes of the last love he had, when this new sparkle lightened. Arti had told Sati about his miseries, and it seemed that he had forgotten that feelings, but the new bomb of Sati's was in action and soon had to explode. With her everything had been forgotten - sadness, loneliness, dark thoughts, mystical thinking. His life was improved and had become so good.
After two years of a painful life, there was peace in his soul, a feeling of sweetness from the life, a desire to fulfill the dreams of future ...
A new life was beginning for him, and he had forgotten the one he had ever loved, the one who has buried his dreams, and left only painful and some sweet memories.
Now Sati, as a bright star, shines on the azure of his life, and he moves towards like a moonstruck without realizing her inadequacies, passions, maneuvers, and eagers to see her every hour, every minute, every second. He is falling in love with her, knowing that she loves someone else.