UNEXPECTED LOVE

Enchanted by her beauty, which was further enhanced by her intellectual acumen, he was captivated by the way she radiated the effulgence of the goddess of love. He couldn’t resist the urge to express his feelings to her. Despite the class barrier that existed between them, his love for her transcended societal boundaries. Pressing forward, he walked briskly to her and said, “With you is where I belong, and that’s where I want to be.”

She, pleasantly astonished by his courage and the ease with which he spoke, was overwhelmed by a commoner who, defying the societal norms for interactions between an aristocrat and a commoner, disregarded the social divide. She smiled at him in response to his advances. Accompanied by her maids and bodyguards, she glided into the palatial building with grace and poise.

Convinced that genuine love was in the air, the young man was overwhelmed with joy and excitement and was unable to sleep the night he met his love. Being someone who never relents in his pursuit when he sees a glimmer of hope, he went to the stream, knowing she would be there.

From a visible distance, he saw the beat of his heart. He walked straight to her, oblivious to those around her. Speaking in anticipation of her response, he looked into her eyes with a squint as though he was searching deep within her soul for the unquenchable fire of her affection and said, “If Romeo truly died for Juliet's love, then I’m ready to die for you, and if need be, live for your love.”

She looked at him smiling, though she tried to conceal her blush, for she was swept off her feet by his choice of words. She responded, “If what you say reflects your feelings towards me, then I propose you do something to prove your love for me.”

Not wanting to give her any reason to doubt his love, he said, “Speak like a flowing river, and I’ll go with the tide like a helpless fish.”

“I propose you serve in my father’s vineyard for seven years without pay,” she said. She made this proposal, mindful of the deceptive nature of men, who might promise anything in their desperation to win a woman's affection without meaning a word of it.

Prodding him further, she said, “I’ve heard sweet words from nobles—men trained to speak in captivating and irresistible ways - but I’m not easily fascinated by their sugar-coated tongues. They often turn out to be a show of sweet treachery. But to hear these words coming from someone considered a ‘nobody’ leaves me stranded in utter amazement.”

To be continued...