I'll never forget the day I first saw a 'dream walking'. Her name was Susie (name changed to protect this fantastic girl). Her smile, which sparkled beneath two twinkling eyes, was electric and it made people who received it feel very special.

While her physical beauty was astounding, it was her inner beauty that I will always remember. She really cared about other people and was an extremely patient listener. Her sense of humour could brighten your entire day and her wise words were always exactly what you needed to hear. She was not only admired but also genuinely respected by both guys and girls. With everything in the world to be conceited about, she was extremely humble.

Needless to say, she was every guy's dream girl, especially mine. I got to walk her to class one day, and once I even got to lunch with her, all by myself! I felt on top of the world. I thought 'If only I could have a girlfriend like Susie, I'd never even look at another girl, ever.' But I figured that someone this outstanding was probably dating someone far better than myself. I just knew I didn't stand a ghost of a chance.

So at graduation, I said farewell to my first big crush. A year later I met her best friend and we had lunch together. With a lump in my throat, I asked her how Susie was. "Well, she got over you," was the reply. "You were always cruel to her, the way you led her on, always walking her to class and making her think you were interested. Do you remember the time you had lunch with her? Well, she stayed by the phone the entire weekend, she was sure you were going to call and ask her out!"

I was so afraid of rejection, I never risked telling her how I felt. Suppose I had asked her out and she had said no? What's the worst thing that could have happened? I wouldn't have had a date with her. Well, guess what? I didn't have a date with her anyway! What makes it worse is that I probably could have!

Nishikant, Imphal