I turned to the salesman and told him my decision.

"Ok. I'll have this used car. But could you please make the paperwork faster as I'm in a hurry.“

"Sure. I can have everything ready in an hour. You can wait here or come back in some time.”

We finished all the formalities, and I transferred the entire amount. And with that, I was finally the proud owner of a car. But my mind was completely somewhere else.

I knew what I had to do. And I never had such clarity before. I immediately went to the jewellery store which I had been to with Priya before.

I directly went to the ring section and took out the blue ring. Without out wasting too much time, I bought the ring.

I had never imagined I would pay such a significant sum for a piece of jewellery in my entire life. But I had no regrets at that moment. In fact, I could not have been surer of my decision.

I wanted to propose to Priya before she left. I wished I could have done at the Lovers peak at midnight like she had wanted to. But considering the time limitations, I decided to do it at the railway station before she left. I called her up and told her I had a surprise for her.

We decided to meet near the station to spend time with each other before her train arrived.

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While driving to meet her in my new car, the only thing on my mind was how beautiful the ring would look on her hand and how it would match her beautiful eyes.

I met Priya at the railway station. She had put all her stuff in the locker and got her boarding ticket. So she was all done. She just had to get her things and board the train once it arrives. Since there was another couple of hours for the train to come, we were free to spend time as we wish.

I picked her up and decided to take her to a nearby coffee shop.

I was still trying to decide what would be the best time to propose to her. I was also rehearsing the lines in my mind.

"Oh. Is this the surprise you wanted to show me? You finally got your car? Wait a second. This doesn't seem like the one we saw. What happened?”

I decided to lie a bit.

"I got a call from the dealership. They told me that my car delivery would be delayed by another few months due to increased demand. I was getting tired of waiting. That's when they told me that they had this used car which was in good condition. I went and had a look. It seemed great, and the price was also reasonable. So I bought it today. How does it look?”

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"It looks good. I'm sure you must be thrilled. I know how long you have been waiting to own your own car. Congratulations.”

She seemed genuinely happy for me. And I couldn't help feeling proud.

We went to a nearby coffee shop. We spent the entire time talking about our upcoming year and how we would manage it. We were both really upset about staying apart for such a long time.

Priya made me promise that I would visit her as soon as possible. Considering how hectic the practice was going to be, I just hoped I could keep the promise. We both kept looking at our watch and were getting sadder with each passing minute. We couldn't think how we were going to say goodbye and stay without one another.

We went back to the station and decided to wait the remaining time over there. There was only an hour left for her train to arrive.

The ring was starting to feel heavier in my pocket. I was still trying to pick the right moment to propose.

We were sitting on the platform now. We both had so much to say but were happy looking at each other and enjoying the silence.

"Do you know what I like the most about you?”

Priya suddenly asked me a question out of the blue.

I thought it for a minute and figured it would be best to hear the answer from her.

"No. I'm curious myself.”

"Well. I like a lot of things about you. But if you asked me the one most important thing, I guess it would be your resolve and determination.”

"Well. What do you mean by that?”

"I mean, you plan out everything, and unlike others, you show the willpower to stick to them no matter the situation. For example, I remember how you told me how you had decided that you would not think about marriage before becoming a Doctor. I don't think I could have stick to something like that. If I were in your position, I would have at least proposed today. But I know you wouldn't. If it were anyone else, I would have felt a bit upset. But knowing you, I understand, and I even respect you for it.“

I suddenly found myself in a complicated situation. While we were talking the train had arrived.

I, who was so sure of what to do till a few minutes ago, found myself completely confused about what to do next. After what she had just said, I couldn't go ahead and propose now. After a long thought, I decided to hold on to the ring for the moment. After all, I would finally be a doctor in a year.

I decided to wait for the right time. And maybe having the ring with me would make me feel that Priya was with me always. I also decided to propose to Priya the day she got back from Trivandrum. I would try to make it as memorable as possible for her. I would do it at the Lover’s peak at midnight as she had always wished for.

She soon boarded the train. I helped her with all the luggage. I sat on the train with her. We were both distraught, and I could see her holding back tears. We both consoled each other that we would be together soon.

The train started moving, and I had to finally get down. Watching the train move farther away, I couldn't help anymore, and tears started rolling down my face. I was completely breaking down. My only consolation was that this was only temporary, and we would be together forever soon.

But despite knowing that, I still stayed at the station for a long time. Even after the train had left, with tears still rolling down my face.

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End of Part 2