My love story melted with the ice cream.

Quarantined life could be so exciting and overwhelming, I never imagined. In this time of global pandemic I came up with a new adventure in my life. My first love. I never new someone would become so special for me even when I don’t know who he is.

Due to Covid19 we all were locled up in our home. Only my brother was one who would wear an N95, gloves and go to market. Later on, he would return and take a shower. Time went own like this. Eventually, the fear of corona virus and the lethal disease went off. We were now getting bored of our lives. My mom and me starting moving out on our car. I started buying grocery for home. My masculine brother would now allow me to buy it, as for him now the spread rate has declined.

One day I was in the grocery store when a boy: his face was covered with N95 and he was wering black dress shirt and beige pants, bumps into me. Both of us dropped our bags. We matched our eyes and something click there. I didn’t realized what it was.

I came back home and starting sanitizing the items I bought from the grocery store. Mom asked if I jave bought her peanuts:she always demanded those whenever I came back from grocery. I started looking for them, when I realized that those were not my bought items. “Oh! I must have exchanged my nags with that blacky boy” I murmured and rushed back ro the grocery. It was a sunny day, sun was shining to its extremes. Wiping sweat droplets from my heavy eyebrow I asked the shop keeper of the grocery store if someone came to replace the bag. “Here madam! I am your victim” the boy said loudly.

“Hey! What do you think of yourself. It was you who bumped into me. Just because I am a girl, who dares tp leave her home independently, you can’t blame me for everything. Asian patriarchal man”

(I guess the sun had already heated me enough that his words just blew me out). The boy was shocked. Perhaps, he was not expecting such a huge response. “I am sorry mam, I didn’t mean that. I was just kidding. I know its very hot outside. Sorry again. And yes, you are really a brave and independent girl. Trust me I have no issues with that”(he smiled)

I was all calmed down. I just took the bag from him and ran to never turn back. He might have also gone after a second or two. I was all abashed. I kept scolding myself for over reacting. “ He and the shop keeper must be laughing at my back.Now, how I am going to visit that grocery back? I don’t even know his face. How can I avoid him. Oh God just make him go out of this city”

After almoat three days I manged to go to the store again. I was glad that the shop keeper was behaving normally and there was no one in the store. I took my items and was about to leave when I heard a familiar voice. “Hey! Watchout independent women. Don’t mess up again”. It was him again. Perhaps, he was living in this store just to see me. I tried to avoid him. He came near and gave me a pen. “Madam I think this dropped off your bag in my car. Believe me I didn’t mean to steal it”(his eyes showed that he he was smiling) “Thank you and sorry foe that day”. “Two heavy words together?It’s ok mam. You just owe me an ice-cream” he said in his heavy voice. “Sure, that’s a cheap cost. Lets have one” we two had our ice-creams and ate standing there.

The next day, we met again. We starting meeting up in the grocery. We didn’t exchanged our numbers. I don’t know why. May be because we were just enjoying out meet ups. We both used to wear masks. We knew our voices but not our faces. But we were happy. Because it made our love more adventurous and exciting. One day, he came we had our usual ice-creams but he was not the same.

“I am going to another city. My university is about to open. We have to visit our teachers for our last year results. I may not return this month” My heart started bouncing like a basketball. I didn’t know what to say. “May be I should give him my number. Should I remove my mask? Why is he leaving?Is he just making an excuse to break up? “(My head was full of thoughts) He looked into my eyes for a while and than he left.

I came back home. regreting on what just happened. "He must be waiting for me to give him my contact number. I should have removed my mask. At least we had known each others faces. Damn! how foolish I am".I decided to vist thr grocery store the next day. "I know. He won't leave without seeing me. I will give him my number now. Yes! I will" The next day I went ro the store. Kept moving all around in the store. It was almost an hour for I was waiting for him. But, he was right. He had left. Left forever.

It was almost a month. Covid 19 incidence rate has lowered to a less lethal level. We still used to wear masks but not the gloves. A notice "No mask. No service" pasted outside every store,made up to still wear the gloves. I was picking up my items when a voice came into my ears. "Miss independent! how are you". I couldn't believe my ears. It was him or I was day dreaming. I turned and it was him. The real him. He removed his mask and said "Mam crona has gone back to the bats.Now the bats wants us to fly together".I was amazed to see him. He was more handsome than I thought. I also removed my mask. His expression were the same. He was holding ice-creams in his hand. "Since you didn't gave me your contact number. I kept waiting for you at the store. I am glad to see you. I never knew I would miss your company so badly" he said in a casual way. Calm and composed as always.

"I! I!. when didn't you asked me for my number?" I could hardly speak.

"Ok miss! give me now." he smiled while offering me ice-cream. I took the ice-cream and smiled back.

Today, I gave him my number. He told me he was in his last semester and would love to visit my family as soon as he completes it.

This summer made us meet.Let see how many summers we are going to spend together.