There is still enough time left for dawn. The earth is glistening in the silver of the moon. I am tossing and turning on my bed. Sleep is hard to come by. There are so many thoughts crossing my mind.

Three days ago, on a cold December morning, I woke up to a house bustling with noise. Laughter and loud conversations, coming from every corner, robbed me of my sleep. I could see people clad in their best outfits sipping tea. I knew most of the people I saw. There was a queue in front of our only bathroom and towels and toothpaste were in short supply. My house was bedecked with guests. After all, it was my brother’s marriage.

Our janti was to set off to Biratnagar from Inaruwa. Everyone got ready and so did I. The bus arrived. People made a queue and got on one by one. The bus started. We played antakshari singing many songs on our way to the city.

Not interested in the rituals, I was wandering like a vagabond, least interested in the wedding. When all of a sudden, a beautiful lady walked past me; I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. Her enchanting smile and mesmerising beauty made me fall for her at first sight.

I couldn’t just sit there and stare at her. Mustering up all the courage I had, I approached her, and advertently dropped the handkerchief I was holding in my hand. As anticipated, she picked it up and handed it over to me. I asked her name. Astha, was her instant reply. Such a lovely name, I thought to myself. She didn’t bother to ask mine. She didn’t seem too interested in small talk, which I could make out from her fiddling with her smart phone. But I am not someone who gives up easily. I asked her whether she was from the boy’s side or the girl’s, already wary of the answer she would provide. She was a distant relative of the bride and a native of Biratnagar.

We became friends on Facebook. Our friendship now shifted from the real world to the online world. We talked about a lot of things, including our hobbies, passions, aspirations, likes and dislikes. She skipped questions about her love life. However, she hinted at being single.

The time for the departure arrived—something I didn’t wish to happen. I wanted time to stand still. But time has its own rules. It waits for none. I left Biratnagar with a heavy heart. That night we chatted on Facebook till the wee hours. By then, we had known many things about each other. I had revealed some secrets of mine which even the best of my friends didn’t know. And so had she. The next day I asked for her phone number. She gave it right away along with a warning that she could talk only during nights.

I couldn’t wait for the night to come.

At around nine pm, I gave her a call.

She answered it in the first ring itself.

We talked until one. I asked her if we could meet in person the following day. I told I would come to Biratnagar so that we could roam around Mahendra Morang campus or watch the latest Bollywood flick at the Himalayan hall. She preferred the first option.

So here I am. All set to meet my lady love in a few hours. I will be on my life’s first date. I am super excited. On cloud nine. This is the reason why sleep is hard to come by. Should I ask her to be my girlfriend? Will she accept me? What if she turns me down? There are so many thoughts racing my mind right now.

Pokhrel is a +2 graduate from Merryland College, Biratnagar