文字难度：★★☆
Shirish are you coming on time tomorrow morning or as usual will you be late?” said Rita, as she was packing for college before retiring to bed. Shirish said, “I will be on time. I promise.” Rita hung up the phone wishing him good night and went off to sleep. The next morning Rita started for college. As she approached Shirish’s house, a note lay outside his house for her which said that he would meet her at the bus stop in 3 minutes. As she waited for him, the bus pulled in at the bus stop. With a final glance at his house, she boarded the bus.
谢瑞什，你明天早上会准时出门吗？还是会像往常一样迟到？”丽塔问。在念大学的她正在收拾书包，睡前为明天回学校上课做准备。谢瑞什说：“我会准时的。我保证。”丽塔跟他说完晚安就挂电话了，然后上床睡觉。第二天，丽塔出门去上学，当她到达谢瑞什家时，看见门外贴了一张给她的纸条，约她三分钟后在公车站见。她等着他，公交车来了。她最后瞟了一眼他家，上了车。
In college at the end of the first lecture, Rita saw Shirish waving out to her. Rita ignored him and went to the 1)canteen to chat with her other friends. Shirish came up to Rita and apologized to her. Within minutes she was convinced that he wouldn’t repeat the mistake again.
学校里的第一堂课结束时，丽塔看见谢瑞什在朝她招手。丽塔不理他，走去饭堂和她的其他朋友聊天。谢瑞什走到丽塔面前，向她道歉，并再三保证不会再犯这样的错误，不一会儿，丽塔又相信他了。
This would happen every day. Shirish would keep written notes for Rita and she would collect them. Days passed into years and they became the best of friends. They met every day and spent the maximum time with each other. Rita was an outgoing girl and she made a lot of friends. She was a 2)tomboy, so a lot of guys would hang around with her. After college, Shirish would wait for Rita at the station. Once, Rita told Shirish to go to the station without her, as she would be late. After an hour, when Rita arrived at the station, she saw Shirish sitting on the seat on the platform. This touched Rita and she was happy. Rita asked Shirish, “Why didn’t you go home? I’ve told you I would be late because I had to copy some notes from Hemant.” Shirish replied, “Rita, all these days you would wait at the bus stop in the morning and every day I would be late. Can’t I wait for you for one day?” Then there was silence throughout the journey. After reaching their station they would 3)make it a point to have a cup of coffee at a café very near to their house where they would share the day’s events. The bond was so strong that if either one of them was feeling low, the other would understand it. Shirish was so dependent on Rita that he would need her whenever he was in doubt. If Shirish’s mother wanted to put forth something to Shirish, she would have to call Rita to make Shirish understand.
这样的事每天都在重复上演。谢瑞什每天都留纸条给丽塔，她都会看到，然后收起来。几年过去了，他们成了最要好的朋友。他们每天都见面，大部分时间都在一起。丽塔是个性格外向的女孩，交了很多朋友。因为假小子的性格，很多男孩都会和她玩。每天放学，谢瑞什都会在车站等丽塔。有一次，丽塔让他先走，因为她要晚一些才回家。一个小时后，丽塔来到车站，她看见谢瑞什坐在站台的凳子上，这让丽塔很感动，她很开心。她问谢瑞什：“你为什么不先回家？我告诉过你我要迟一些才回，因为我要抄赫曼特的笔记。”谢瑞什回答说：“丽塔，这些年每天早上，你总是在公交车站等我，每天我都会迟到。我就不能等你一天吗？”接下来大家一路沉默。每天回到他们家附近的那个车站，他们总会特地到离家很近的一间咖啡厅喝杯咖啡，他们会在那分享一天发生的事。他们是那么亲密无间，以至于只要他们其中一个情绪低落，另一个总会感受得到。谢瑞什很依赖丽塔，有任何疑问都会去找她。如果谢瑞什的妈妈要给儿子灌输什么想法，她总得打电话给丽塔让她去说服他。
It was Rose Day at the college. Rita asked Shirish whether he could come on time because she was wearing a 4)sari for the first time and didn’t want to go to the college alone. But as it turned out that he didn’t come on time, she had to go by herself. When Shirish finally arrived, he went to look for Rita. He was stunned to see Rita in a sari. He just stood there staring at her. It wasn’t until that day that he realized how beautiful she was. He came up to her. Hardly spoke. She shouted at him and left angrily.
那天是大学玫瑰日。丽塔问谢瑞什能否准时出门，因为那天是她第一次穿上纱丽，她不想一个人回学校。但结果他还是没能准时出门，她得自己一个人去上学。等到谢瑞什终于回到学校，他去找丽塔。当他看见穿着纱丽的丽塔时，他惊呆了，只是站在那盯着她看。直到那天，他才意识到她多么漂亮。他走向她，几乎说不出话。她朝他大吼，很生气地走开了。
He went to the canteen hoping she would be there, but she wasn’t. After 3 hours of futile efforts, he went to the station alone. It was at that time that he realized he wanted her in his life. He missed her terribly when she wasn’t around. When he reached the station, Rita was there with Hemant. She came over and smiled at Shirish and apologized about the incident, after which Hemant left, and Shirish and Rita left for home.
他跑到学校饭堂，希望她在那里，但她并不在。找了三个小时，还是徒劳无功，于是他自己一个人去车站了。就是那时，他意识到自己想和她共度一生。当她不在身边时，他总会特别思念她。当他走到车站时，丽塔也在那里，和赫曼特一起。她走过来，朝谢瑞什笑了笑，为刚才那事向谢瑞什道了歉。然后赫曼特走了，谢瑞什和丽塔也回家了。
Later, Shirish sent Rita a friendship card, which expressed his feelings for her as a friend. Rita was happy. Days passed into years and they were in their last year of friendship when Rita knew that unknowingly she had started liking Shirish but didn’t have the 5)guts to tell him fearing she may lose his friendship forever. After college, both parted ways—Shirish didn’t take his graduation examination and lost a year. Rita took her examination and later took up a job, which kept her busy throughout the day.
后来，谢瑞什送给丽塔一张友情心意卡，表达他对她的友情。丽塔很开心。几年又过去了，一转眼，他们的友谊走到最后一年。这时丽塔才知道自己不知不觉中已经喜欢上了谢瑞什，但她没勇气告诉他，她害怕可能会因此永远失去他这个朋友。大学毕业后，他们各自过着自己的生活——谢瑞什没参加毕业考，耗了一年时间。丽塔参加了毕业考，不久就找到工作，每天都忙忙碌碌。
This went on for two years. Rita had been keeping her distance from Shirish. She wanted to get Shirish out of her mind as she was sure their relationship wouldn’t work out. Rita’s parents found a match for Rita and Rita agreed. She called Shirish one day and asked him whether he could meet her. Shirish met her. They both were quiet for some time. Shirish broke the ice by telling Rita that there was something he wanted to tell her. Shirish poured his heart out and confessed his feelings for her. Rita was open-mouthed. All she could say was, “Shirish, why did you express your feelings so late?” and she got up from the table and left.
这样的情况持续了两年。丽塔一直刻意和谢瑞什保持着距离，她不想再想着他，因为她确信他们不可能在一起。丽塔的父母为她物色了夫婿，她也同意了。一天，丽塔联系谢瑞什，问他是否能和她见面。谢瑞什去见了她。有那么片刻他们什么话都没说。还是谢瑞什打破了沉默，他告诉丽塔他有些话想和她说。谢瑞什倾心尽诉自己对她的爱意。丽塔惊呆了。她什么话都说不出来，只说了一句：“谢瑞什，你为什么这么迟才表白？”她从桌边站起来，离开了。
Rita and Shirish didn’t meet for 4 years after that. Rita heard about him from her mother that he had become a poet and writer and was 6)penning a book. Later, Shirish met with an accident and wanted to see Rita. Rita came to the hospital in a 7)crisp white 8)salwar kameez, looking as gorgeous as ever. Shirish asked Rita whether they could be alone for some time and she agreed. “Rita I want to know before I die, did you ever even like me?” Rita had tears in her eyes and replied, “Shirish, I’ve always been loving you but didn’t have the courage to tell you. I was frightened that if I ever disclose my feeling, you may go away from me.”
那以后，丽塔和谢瑞什有四年时间没再见面。丽塔从谢瑞什妈妈那得知他成了一位诗人和作家，并且正在写一本书。后来谢瑞什发生了车祸，提出要见丽塔。丽塔穿着一身亮丽的白色纱丽克米兹去到医院，她看上去像从前一样美艳动人。谢瑞什问丽塔他们能否独处片刻，她同意了。“丽塔，我想在死之前知道你有没有喜欢过我？”丽塔满眼是泪，回答道：“谢瑞什，我一直都爱着你，但我没有勇气告诉你。我怕对你表露我的感情，你会离开我。”
Shirish and Rita realized that just a matter of words drifted them into different worlds and now it was too late to change it. A few days later, Shirish died and left her his entire earnings from the sale of the book, which was dedicated to her.
谢瑞什和丽塔意识到，不过是几句话的事，把他们分隔在了不同的世界里。现在想要改变一切已经太迟了。几天后，谢瑞什走了，他把所写一书的全部收入留给了丽塔，而这本书，正是为她而写的。
