Photography.
Facebook.
February 14. My birth date.
Those basically sum up how our story started.
We both love photography.
Facebook page of a famous photographer, that’s where we became “friends”
“I envy your b’date.”
“My birthdate??”
“14th Feb, isn’t that ur bdt?"
“Yes it is…I didn’t know it shows on my profile page, got to check that…Hey nice pics by the way..”
Simple first conversation, thru that FB chat. Jaan was at that time having the time of his life in Vegas with a friend. And I was at that time in a crazy relationship… and 13,600 miles away from him.
Amazing that though he was partying at that time, he kept on replying to my messages. He later admitted to me that normally he would ignore all phone messages when he is partying. But on that particular night he said he just wanted to keep on “talking” to me.
And so messages were exchanged, back and forth. Across the thousands of miles. While he was in Vegas, until when he reached home in New Jersey. Even when he is working in Philly.
Conversations came easy. Bond was felt right at the start, that feeling that we have known each other for a long time. So much so that on the 5th day I was telling him about my whole life, failed relationships and all. And he listened. And didn’t judge. And even gave me advices!
And opened up he did, too. I learned of his culture, his past relationships, and how he doesn’t want to be in one any time soon.
Simply said, we became best of friends. I say “best of friends” because I told him things that not even my closest friend know about.
And we began to look forward to the conversations. Time difference didn’t stop us from talking to each other, both sleeping late, adjusting to each other’s schedule. If one is not online then messages will be left, bringing instant smile upon signing in, finding those sweet-nothings, giddy at the though that each was thinking of the other.
I guess we both knew that this was something special. Uncommon, remarkable. This has to be more than friendship. But neither wanted to say it.
But its there, just waiting to be acknowledged out loud.
At that time I was in a crazy relationship, so he was always taking a step back. Always there for me, but never in a romantic way.
Until I finally closed that chapter on my crazy affair, not because of jaan, but because I just had to. For myself and that other person.
Though Jaan and I were already exchanging sweet messages “miss you” and “thinking of you” all the time, we would always say its “pure, friendly way.”
Until when we finally admitted that, hey, this could not be just this - a friendship.
Because this is something extraordinary. Awesome. Unbelievable.
And, let’s face reality, this is also not that easy.
Because of that 13,600 miles between us.
But we are working on it. We will make it happen. Because we need each other. We make each other smile. We make each other happy.
As Justin Long said “f*@k the miles, f@*k them.
It has only been 70 days since that first message.
It hasn’t been smooth sailing all the time.
We’ve weathered storms, at one time even to the point of saying our goodbyes.
But I guess we love each other for real, because we are still “together.”
We are working our sails.
We are adjusting on those winds.
And we are smiling, laughing, learning, loving while we are at it.
We will be happy and that’s all that matters.
To hell with the miles!!
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