Success in Love is... Part 5

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Bengaluru International airport witnessed a high emotion drama when my friend and his wife checked in for their Paris flight at 2.30 AM. The couple was hugging me and we were standing like Team India after T20 win. I asked him not to drink but enjoy every moment wide awake and asked to her not to throw utensils at him.
“Hey when are you leaving for your convocation?”
“Soon. I will catch a bus after going to the Campus to park your car”
“Hey. Leave now. Take the car. You will need it tomorrow”
“It’s ok yaar. I will manage”
“No. You are taking it. Mom and Dad would like to visit a few places” he was being earnest.
“Have you hired a bike for rides with your special someone” she gave out a smile and a wink.
“Okay now leave or you will miss the flight” I pushed them to move coming out of the cuddle.
We exchanged smiles and she dragged him to the check in. I stood there watching them wave their hands till the security literally pushed them into the door.

I came back to the black sedan and had a quick check in google maps, which showed that I am 390kms away from my college. I had informed Mom and Dad to have their temple visits in the morning after checking in the hostel accommodation I have booked for them and that I will join them for lunch. So I didn’t have to hurry. I switched on the stereo and plugged in the USB that’s full of Illaiyaraja’s creations. The collection had the love songs first and they brought many flashes of incidents from my memory and I was smiling, singing and rarely had wet eyes hearing them. I reached krishnagiri by 5 AM and stopped the car in a tea shop. I took my seat in the shop and ordered tea to the elderly man making tea. He signaled me to get the token from the woman in the counter.
“Hey! Just give him the tea. Why do you want the token, as if there is huge queue behind him” she shouted at the master but had a smile.
I moved towards the old man who was smiling and my tea was ready.
“It’s been 35 years; I have never done anything without her permission. She is always the master and I am her servant” he said with a wink.
“Oh! Stop the drama. Now let him have his tea.” She said with a smile and sat opposite me and he followed suit to sit next to her. I saw them hold hands from the corners of my eyes and an instant smile spread all over me.
“Looks like the best lovers I have ever seen” I said.
“Ha! I don’t know that but he had something in him for me to run away with him. That was long back, both his caste people and mine wanted us dead. We had to live in Bangalore for some 30 years without contacting anyone, we knew.” she wiped away the tear that came out with her saree.
“But she is with me. That’s what is more important. She has always taken care of me and managed the family with the meager earnings that we could earn” he continued.
“There were tough times when we had to manage the family and also support our son. But he is brilliant kid. He is in Army now. We came here after he joined the army and wanted us to settle down in some place” he concluded with pride in his eyes.
She kept her hand in his lap and started “But we did not expect our relatives to reject us when we came back after 30 years. No one had changed even then. They forced us to leave the Village. But where shall we go leaving our village. We came here, started this shop with the money we had saved, to drive away the loneliness. 5 years passed still none of our relatives talk with us and they won't drink tea here because we don't follow the two tumbler system.”

I went near and hugged them. I sat on the ground before them holding their hands. She wiped away the tear in my eyes and showed the road opposite to the shop. “Our village is 2kms from here.”
“We have never told this to anyone before” he said and we all stood up.
I took out the money but she pressed it inside my purse saying, “No need, you brought out our feelings after such a long time. Now go! See your love. Let your life be filled with all good things you wish for”

I left after a few minutes of amazement. I was filled with thoughts about them. I didn’t know what feeling it was but I had met someone who has broken the biggest of barrier in this society and fought the system when it was at its peak. Lived a life of struggle and now have made their only son join the army. They appeared to me as heroes who had fought both internal problems in the country and sent their son for its external problems. Best of all they had read my heart which I had kept masked for all these days.

I reached college by 9 and checked in the room booked. Mom and Dad had already left for marudamalai and then they had plans to do a little shopping; we agreed to meet for lunch. I was very tired and without any second thoughts I fell on the bed, head first. I woke up by 11 and the hostel campus was filled with alumni, well that’s what we had become now and everyone was introducing their parents to their friends. I got ready and my Dad called to inform that the shopping had taken longer time than expected and they are having their lunch there to continue with the shopping. I said its fine and asked them to come back by 4.30 for the function. I started the never ending introductions to every friend’s parents and later had a small meeting with my Profs regarding the recent trends in NCBS, my research and life in general. Later I rented the Yellow robe and few of my friends called me for snaps with the robe and soon the campus was filled with patches of yellow everywhere and flashes following the patches.

It was 4.30 and the gallery was filling up soon. I got tensed and my calls were unanswered for a long time. Finally when mom picked up, I yelled at the top of my lungs and she didn’t respond. After a long pause she said, “We are in the Parking. We will come in 5mins.” She kept the phone soon to register her anger. I could imagine how she would be having a stern face and avoiding any questions from Dad and got a small feeling of guilt.

After another 15 minutes, they came to the gallery. But they didn’t come alone. They were with the family I least expected them to be with. Yes! She came in guiding my Mom to cross the road. My dad and her dad were having a big conversation. I didn’t want to break their enthusiasm and waited till her family left. I went to my parents who felt very bad for not getting to introduce me to the family. I took them to the gallery, asked them to sit in a place I had reserved and went to join my classmates. I turned to my sides and got glimpses of the eyes that I wanted very badly to meet. She was wearing a green saree, which resembled the one I had promised to buy for her when we had once stopped to see the sarees displayed in Maharaja silk emporium. We just saw each other. There wasn’t a smile or a tear, we just saw. The guest of honor had finished his lecture and had started giving away medals to the toppers. I turned to make sure Mom and dad are comfortable. But they were not in the seats I had asked them to sit in; instead they were sitting along with her parents immersed in some discussion and her dad laughed giving a high five to my Dad after he said something.

 “Darn! What is happening here? Are they my Dad's friends? Will I bring their friendship to an end? My Dad will never approve my love if it comes at the cost of his friendship.” I felt like this is the end of my love as my parents' decision is like veto power in anything for me. I closed my eyes for a moment and saw the Automobile guys assemble in queue to receive the certificate when i opened them. Alphabetically, it’s my department next.