Success in love is… Part 18

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5  Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17
I took fast steps towards her with a heart that had out stepped me and was already trying to comfort her. She was facing down without any energy to look up. I went near, kneeled down to see her face and my hands went up to hold her face almost involuntarily. But something stopped me; my mind processed an archived memory and caught hold of the information beating all Data warehousing tools known. “I won’t talk to her without you allowing it” my own words were stopping me and with tears flowing I turned to look at her Dad.

He had tears as well and nodded in affirmation. I reached her face and my touch should have made her process whatever ATPs left in her body, helping her manage a smile and her eyes met mine. Those eyes which have captivated me all these years showed every expression known to me. Her smile, her tears, the sticky chicks from the dried tears, the single drop that was hanging from her left eye lid, everything lost their divinity when I felt her saliva in my forehead. She placed her forehead on my forehead and closed eyes to force the tear to drop between us.

I sat near her and she reached my shoulders as if she was expecting that for a long time. She held my left collar with her left hand and I wrapped her inside my arms. “I love you” I said in her ears, for the first time. Yes! for the first time in all these years. She looked up, offered the genuine smile that reached her eyes and forced some tears out of it. I bent down, kissed her forehead closing my eyes and my tears flowed in her face.

Her father moved a few steps forward towards my family and started speaking “I never thought you all will come. We had started seeing grooms for her for the past one month. But when her mother talked to her about this, she started to create a big fuss, which turned into a big fight between us” he was narrating how all this happened as I saw the same from her eyes.

“What do you think about yourself? You are going to marry the guy I select for you and the decision is final” he said with a firm look.
“Yes. I will, if you choose him”
“Don’t even dream about it. When did you become cheap enough to even think about marrying a guy from that caste?”
“When I felt that he has a heart that no one else in this world can even come near to”
“Shut up. He is just acting. You don’t know how barbarous they could be. All illiterate, cultureless people have started ruining the society when they learnt something. They should have remained as slaves”
“Oh Dad. Whom do you call Cultureless or illiterate? For all the powers his relatives possess he could have took me by force long back. He is waiting for you to accept when I myself feel your acceptance is secondary when my life is in question.”

He reached to slap her and as she fell on the floor, said, “All those people can do is to use the brutal force and take you away. What does he even know about culture and the pride that a girl child holds in a family?”
“Dad! Stop accusing him. He is far more cultured than us. He values my decisions and your acceptance even when the love of his life is in question. I know how cultured and matured he is, he would even forgo his love and move on with life if that is my decision.”

“So you think he is very cultured and won’t take any stupid decisions when I say No to this marriage and also that he values your word.  For all the tantrums you did all these days and the remaining love I have for my girl, I will do one thing. Let’s arrange for your wedding, a fake one. If at all he respects your decision and values my acceptance, he won’t indulge in any mean ways to stop the marriage or take you away by force. But what I feel is that he will abstain from this marriage as there has been a big interval and he would have moved on for sure.”
She laughed and then said, “I accept Dad. I know he will certainly give importance to my word.”
“But you should marry any guy I say after this, if he does anything to stop this marriage.”
“That won’t be necessary.”

“I will make it look exactly like a real marriage. I will print wedding cards and send it to him.”
“A wedding card alone won’t make him know that I have accepted the marriage, I will write to him and you can very well read it before sending him”
“Yes. At last you are going to marry the guy I have selected.”
She didn’t speak anything after that.

I was very certain that he will not come. But I didn’t want to take any risk, so I planned everything as real. Since I had already selected the groom who was also a relative, I could print the wedding cards with his details. I attached the letter she gave with the card from the first few wedding cards I printed and posted it along with her as she wanted to be sure that I don’t play any tricks in that. She left to Chennai, back to her software Job the same day. I sent the remaining to all you people to make sure you stop him even if he intends to come or make him do some heroics to stop the marriage. Both of which will make her realize her mistake.

But when my relatives came to know about all this, they were very upset with my plan and accused me for playing with family values for this girl. They were furious about this fake marriage and made me accept that her marriage will happen on that day as fixed in the wedding cards. My relatives had taken over all the arrangements from me and every work was carried out by them. My mother consulted our family astrologer and insisted that the marriage timing should be changed to 4-6AM. This alternate timing was fixed and cards printed after that had this timing. I didn’t even give a thought about informing the change in timing to him as I was very sure he won’t come. After all I had so many other things to worry about. It is my daughter’s wedding.

Her Dad gave a big pause and her mother stepped forward to continue. “She was very casual with the grand arrangements when she came here yesterday morning. It was only when the Engagement function started, she came to know that all this is for real. She tried to protest when we asked her to wear saree and come for the function but she can only show her anger to us not to her granny. My mother in law made her dress up and come for the occasion. But I know my girl, She sat amidst us in shock and didn’t everything she was asked to do. She didn’t utter a word to any of us after that. I don’t know what all she went through inside her heart when she had to exchange rings. I was terrified by her silence and had to keep an eye on her all night to make sure she doesn’t do anything to herself.

At around 2 AM, she woke me up and showed a wedding card to me.
“What is this?”
“What? It’s your wedding card.”
“Why is the timing wrong?”
“No this is the timing. Your granny had changed the timing after the astrologer said this is auspicious”
Tears started flowing in her firm face before I finished my sentence.
“So you people don’t have any value for me and my feelings” she said and wiped the tears off her face.
“It’s not like that dear. We just want to be sure you live happily.”
“Happy? What’s left in life to be happy?” she said and lied on the bed.
I tried to tell her that all this is for her well being. But she closed her eyes in protest and didn’t utter a word after that.
But I never thought she will do, what she did today” her mother said wiping her tears with her saree. She turned to my chest, moved her left hand from my collar to put it around my neck, hugged me close and started breathing heavily on my heart.

Success in love is… Part 17

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5  Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16

"We are late" Mom said in my ears.

I turned to see the poster again. It said the marriage is scheduled from 4AM to 6AM and not 8-9AM as given in our cards. My cousins and Uncle showed anger which was visible from everything they did. From the way they closed the door, kicking stones off the road, and tying hands behind their backs, to their failed attempts to hide their anger from their face. The intern was in my Aunt’s arms. I closed my eyes for a minute, rested my forehead on my mom's shoulder and she patted my back. My dad came near and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry. What if we missed the muhortham. We are here to wish the girl and we can do it even now."

I came out of the cuddle and saw him.

"I can understand what is going through your mind. Anyways this is your decision and we can do whatever you decide"

"I don't know Dad. I don't know what can be there inside those walls. They might even mock at us. I don't want any of you to endure the pain. It's my destiny and only I should face it."

He had a wide smile and called everyone and informed them what I said. I smiled at them

I turned to walk the toughest path I ever ventured. I knew it will be hard and prepared myself for the worst.  I rehearsed what will happen inside those walls. I could see Her Dad having a big smile and the relatives having a demeaning gaze signifying the failure of my love and the victory of their wrath. After a few steps and an array of bizarre thoughts revolving round the quest that people have towards superiority, I found a weird feeling in my cheeks. I reached to my cheeks to see if that was because of the tears, which I didn’t want to have. Not because of the stupid male chauvinism which defines a man not to cry, but control his feelings and act as if he is composed and fearless. But neither did I want her to see my tear filled face nor give her relatives their final laugh about their triumph. I didn’t find any tears but I was having a wide smile instead, that I should had been holding involuntarily from when I started walking.

I reached the gates which stood higher than me. I saw few people inside the hall through the gaps in the metal frame that the gate had. I held the handle of the half opened gate and the next moment, a tear appeared on my hand. But I had no feelings to have shed one. I couldn’t understand if the brain still controls my other systems, I tried to smile, which brought an invisible lump in Adam’s apple and a strange pain spread through my jaws reaching my ears. I turned away from the bus for no one should see me and wiped the tears on my stained shirt right on the red stain it had.

A few minutes later, someone spotted me from inside the hall and turned away. I made up my mind and pushed open the gate which was struck. I raised my hand to push it again, but before I touched it, I swung open. I wasn’t in a state of mind to analyze how it opened on itself but a hand on my shoulder said the reason. I turned to see my family right behind me and my Aunt reached to wipe my face with her saree and kissed my forehead.

“We are with you to face anything that happens in there” my Dad said.

“But I can manage. You don’t have to....”

“But we can’t manage waiting outside without knowing what you are going through. We are here for our sake and not yours” my mom spoke with the determined tone she always has.

“But...”

“Don’t worry. We are here to see the girl and wish her. Nothing more nothing less. We won’t involve in any argument” my uncle smiled, as he said this.

An instant feeling of happiness like a tiny beam of light through a dark room, spread around and we entered the hall with all our gifts. The people in the hall were startled to see us and everyone stood up. I walked in first and my heart was reaching it maximum beats competing with my eyes that were scanning the hall’s length and breadth to get a glimpse of her.  But I couldn’t see her anywhere. After all, the bride should have left to the Groom’s house by now, I was being rational. Darn! Not the right time for my right brain to be active but it did it work as if am going to give credits for exceeding expectations.

My Cousins kept the gifts on the floor as the Hall workers have started to remove the chairs and stack them on a corner. A bunch of the people came towards us and stopped half way when her father stepped out of a room. He stood there in silence for a minute and came towards us. His eyes travelled from us towards the assembled gifts and back towards us. He was in shock for sure but he didn’t speak anything. I moved forward towards him and said, “Sorry we are late. We just came to wish your daughter.”

He stood before me without saying a word. I was perplexed by his silence and started speaking more to ease the situation.

“We are not here to create any problem sir. We just wanted her to know that I can live a normal life after this. I can live....” I stopped mid sentence as my jaws couldn’t move in synch to perform the neuro signal orders that my mind was sending them. “I can live without her” I completed the sentence which may just be the biggest lie I have ever said.

He looked into my eyes now and showed a startled look. I didn’t know what to react for the look. Her mother came out of the room and stood near the door. She was startled herself and cried holding the door. A strange feeling spread through the heart holding its beats which became loud, clear and slow. I shifted between her parents for every split second but no one was speaking anything. I turned back to an equally puzzled lot who stood still near the entrance of the hall.

“For heaven-sake say something” I shouted and her relatives turned to send a scornful look at me. Her Mom walked inside the room wiping her tears.

After silence for a minute or two, the door swung open and she stood there with her green half saree drenched in tears, the same green half saree she wore when we walked up the temple hill of the God who married a tribal girl after doing a lot of tantrums to woo her. Before I could relish the relief of seeing her, she broke into tears that rolled down her cheeks. She took a few steps towards me, lost balance and kneeled down. Before I could take a step towards her, she wiped her face in attempts to wave away the sadness and managed to smile amidst the new tears.

I finally took my steps, went near her and kneeled down to match her gaze. She reached my cheeks to wipe away my tears and kept her hand on cheek. Neither her look nor her hand was firm, they were losing their grip. She gained her energy, stood up and folded hands to greet my family and took a few steps towards them. My mom moved front with her hands spread open which she reached and my mom kissed her. I was watching the ladies hug each other, whom my Aunt joined making a cuddle of the most important and influential people of my life.

She came out of the cuddle and held hands with my Dad. A minute later, she turned back to see me kneeling down on the same place and took a step towards me. I stood up with my mind analyzing numerous possibilities of what could be the reason behind all this; the mind never loses its attempt to gain the exceeding expectation credits. She was losing her grip in her gaze and then her legs trembled. Before anyone could make a move, she fumbled to reach a nearby chair and sat on that. Everyone in the hall took a step towards her and she waved off our fear with a smile. A smile that sent chills to my spine and my mind was begging itself to abstain from reasoning.

Success in love is… Part 16

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5  Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15

We reached the General hospital in a few minutes and the panic we had shifted to the paramedics who handled it with ease. The doctors asked us to inform the local police station before entering the operation theatre. They were not impolite as the movies showed but were just following rules at the same time doing their duty. When my bro was enquiring the receptionist for phone numbers to call the cops, a constable appeared from nowhere and headed straight to us. The policeman took our witness about the nature of the accident and made a report.

He made a few calls and found his address from the motorcycle registration number. But this wasn’t helping the case as the address turned out to be an old one where no one knew this guy. Then he called the last dialed numbers from his mobile which were reaching random persons who knew him only by that call. I suddenly felt the importance of Emergency contact numbers and the uniform code for identifying them. I vaguely remembered a forward mail which I partially read and moved to my personal folders which had something like storing our emergency contact number as ICE (in case of emergency). I quickly opened my cellular and entered my Dad’s number as ICE almost involuntarily and had a sheepish look after doing it.

Then the policeman handed the phone to my cousin and asked to him find any contacts which my kin did within a few tries. He spoke in a very mature tone and informed about the accident and asked them to come as soon as possible. He also gave a small description of the patient’s condition and assured them, he will be alright before he disconnected the call. I was witnessing a freak college guy transform into a matured man when the situation arises. After all, the younger generation has grown a lot to handle any kind of situations, as they witness more worst-case-scenarios in their everyday life.  Most importantly they have understood that the older generation’s emotional level is of very low threshold than theirs and act accordingly.

The doctors informed that the patient is of O positive group and they need someone to donate as the blood bank didn’t have stock. There was an instant surge of anger over the ill-maintained nature of the government blood banks but my cousin stepped forward and eased the situation. After they left, a feeble pain from my knees made me realize that we were standing from when we arrived here. I turned to see a room full of vacant chairs which I didn’t notice all this time and sat on one. My bro was busy talking over the mobile.

I stretched my legs and closed my eyes which as always showed her. The eye hospital visit we had together looked very ancient and I wasn’t able to recollect all that happened there. I remembered the receptionists smile and the fight we had over the ogling topic. But something else that I had forgotten came into thoughts.

We had taken our evening snack in the hospital after selecting her contact lens. We were tired fighting about the receptionist and walked towards the gate through the emergency block. That was the first time both of us had saw a patient being taken inside the emergency room. The stretcher filled with blood from the facial injury had left us in shock and she reached to my chest which was drenched with tears in no time. I hugged her to ease the shock and we walked towards the reception where she sat down without getting hold of the surroundings. I put my left arm around her, and held her trembling hands in my right. I tried to assure her that the patient will be alright. She rested her head on my left shoulder and reached my collar with her left hand, filling my shoulder with the silent tears. I didn’t utter a word for a few minutes after which the receptionist came near and informed us that the person is out of danger. She stood up, hugged and thanked her as we left. She was holding my hand very firm to avoid it from the shivers and we took an auto back to hostel.

Loud cries from the entrance brought me back to the hospital. The patient’s family had come and my brother started assuring the relatives. Two kids came near me and sat next to my chair. The little girl was unable to get on the chair whom her brother helped to climb. She turned to me, smiled after the achievement and made me take the hand from my Chin.

“Dad always says we should not be in this position no matter how big the problem is.”

I turned to see a kid who had come to see her Dad, met with an accident, advising me to be cheerful in life. I removed the hand and smiled at her. Her bro got up and came to me, kept his hands on my lap and asked, “Did you bring my Dad here?”

I looked up to show him my brother or my cousin and tell that it was them but no one was there, so I nodded in affirmation.

“Thank you very much. Dad always works till late night and come to say us Good night before we go to sleep. Today he didn’t come till 12, so we thought we will fight with him tomorrow.”

I hugged him and tears started rolling from my eyes. These tender words made me realize “Every man here, good or bad lives not just for himself. We are a society of highly chaotic network where even small losses in remote places make a great impact in us.” I started talking with them and getting to know the beauty of their world.

The emergency room became silent when my cousin came out holding his right elbow. All three males stood silent as they saw him walk and sit on the first chair. They came near him and with embraced look, one of them started speaking.

“Thanks for saving our son. We ill-treated you and fought with you when you came to our village. Sorry for that”

He looked at them and turned away.

“Please accept out apologies. We were enraged by your friend’s behavior and lost control when they started living our village after breaking our village law and made the two communities fight.”

He looked up and with a smile started speaking, “What was their mistake? They loved each other, made their parents accept their love and are living happily. Who are you to determine something is wrong and right? Just know one thing I am certainly not from your caste. If my blood runs in your son’s body what caste will he belong to? Stop all this and understand nothing is more important than love.”

The relatives stood there without saying anything for a few minutes. My cousin stood up and rushed to the paramedic who came out and enquired after the patient. The sense of relief spread through the room as she explained that patient is out of danger and asked everyone to be seated and remain silent.

We started from the hospital by 4.30 AM. The whole family said their thanks and they showed signs of change towards enlightenment from the darks of separation. The children gave the most memorable presents as I walked out and that was warm on my cheeks. I stretched myself on the backseat and after a very long time got drowsy and fell asleep without any thought. We reached the hotel by 7.30 AM and the marriage was from 8-9AM. The Executive bus had left when we arrived at the hotel as I had advised my Mom to do.

We rushed into the bathrooms and everyone was ready in 10minutes. Everyone except me. I had left my travel bag with all my clothes in the bus. I stood there not knowing what to do now and started searching my Dad’s bag in hopes of finding any spare shirt. Instead I found my other bag along with my mother’s luggage and saw that it had a white shirt in it. I took it out and found that it was ‘the shirt’ that I had hidden away to be kept as an antique.

The shirt which had the blessing to hold her tears, the last few which she lost on my shoulder, the shirt that still gave the jasmine smell it acquired from the petals that had fallen from her hair, the shirt that still had the red Kumkumam mark that I wiped away from my cheek as I watched her being dragged away from me. The same shirt, which I wore when I had her with me as my own, was in my hand and is my only choice to wear when she is going to be gone forever as someone else’s. I smiled at the irony filled life of mine.

My bro asked about the stain in the shirt and offered his shirt instead but I said I am okay with this one. He didn’t protest as he knew that I am not in a state to think anything else. We reached the street in which the marriage hall is situated and found our bus parked well before the hall. We parked behind it as my Uncle signaled and I came out. The intern came out running and hugged me.

“I didn’t know this will end like this. Look at the poster.”

I turned to see the poster twice, thrice in disbelief as my Mom pulled me into a cuddle.

Success in love is… Part 15

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5  Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14

Some movies have the ability to absorb us and make us see ourselves in them. But this movie took me to the streets and made me linger around the Cinema hall that we reached late. The hurried walks through the busy Cross cut road, the moment we crossed the busy road with our eyes fixed on the rushing vehicles, when I moved my hand involuntarily towards her and she grabbing it without seeing my hand or me and the calculated steps we took brought the same smile that I have had all days after that.
The micro second stop I made to see her if she needs water before entering the hall and her small nod suggesting she is alright with the sweat following down her cheeks, the single strand of hair that was drenched in sweat, the pitch dark hall and our search for our seats with cellular lights, the way we held to each other whenever we slipped, the relief we relished when we finally sat on our seats, the act of wiping my face with her dupatta and she doing the same in my shirt which made people around us miss few seconds in the movie, the moments I waited for my eyes to get accustomed to the darkness so that I can see her face clearly, her smile when she turned to see me watching her instead of the movie,  her blush which made her pull me close and lean on my wet shoulder, everything were running in the screen that showed the movie to others.

I came back to the bus when I felt someone sitting next to me and held my hand. My aunt had come and she was watching the movie holding my hand. After a few seconds which was necessary for me to gain myself from my past and quick wipe to verify tears, she turned and looked at me.

"How are you?"

"I am fine. Don't worry about me."

"I don’t know if you have got the meaning when I introduce you to all my colleagues as my son. You are my son more than your Mother's. When you were born, your mom got ill and I had to take care of you. That was a time when I was down with my bad performance in the PUC exams and being born in a family of intellectuals like your Mother, I was very ashamed. I had isolated myself inside our house, felt small in my heart due to the guilt, and got irritated whenever someone pestered me to go out. You changed my world. My only thought for the next one year was you and you saw me as your mother. Slowly I got the confidence I never had and since that time I have had a very successful life. It’s all because of you."

I was shocked to know she could do badly in any exam. She is currently the HOD of Chemistry department in the only college at my hometown and has a Dr before her name and a PhD after that.

"That one year is everything for me. Whatever I am today is because of you. You are my first child and I don't want you to be sad any single moment in life. If you feel like crying please do it. Don't be hiding everything inside your heart and show this fake smile" she continued.

I smiled a wide smile and hugged her. She gave a few blows and said, "I am serious. I don't want you to have a single moment of sadness after tomorrow. You are everything for me" She said and tears that were stagnating behind her eyelids started flowing.

My aunt's daughter came near us and kept her hand on her mother's shoulder and looked at me.

"You are her first child. She loves you more than anyone"

My aunt wiped her tears and looked at her daughter. She was not in a position to explain anything. Her only child has heard that her mother loves her nephew more than her child. I reached for my cousin's hand and made her sit on my lap and said, "You are my darling sister. I love you more than anyone else."

"I know bro. I am not complaining. After all, it’s you. I am fine with that. I love you more than anyone else too." She said and turned to her Mother, "You and Dad are exemptions" and both the ladies smiled. I hugged them and both reached to kiss my chins.

Instant flashes occurred and my uncle was standing there with his camera.

"What a moment? I am going to have this photo framed in our Hall."

Everyone rose from their seats and smiled at the cuddle we were in and my Dad had big smile and said, "I always thought you will take this guy away from us and proclaim him as your son. I wouldn't have any standing ground to defend myself."

"Where ever he is, he is my son always." She said and when everyone was smiling, "Hope my sister is not hearing this." She said in a feeble tone.

"I have heard everything and I am ready for the deal if you give me my daughter." My mother spoke with her eyes fixed on the Civic which my bro was driving.

The princess, who has followed my footsteps and joined my college, jumped from my lap and ran to my mother and hugged her saying, "Deal Okay"

We all smiled at her and she showed signs of triumph to her Mother who hugged me closer and conveyed she is happy as well.

Everyone returned to their respective places and I moved to sit near the intern as advised by my aunt. She showed a micro second smile when I came towards her and turned back to see if the hero conveyed his love in the movie, which he won't till the interval.

"You have a lovely family. I have never seen so many people in a single house. Back home it's just 3 of us and a few friends whom we see in parties. I have seen my cousins only in Skype and my grandma visited us once when I was in 10th and went back to Canada. I never knew a big family is this much fun."

"Yep! Its good especially today, as everyone has come for me."

She smiled and turned back to the movie.

"So much into the movie?"

"Yep!" She said but something said that she isn’t.

I held her face and made her face me. She smiled and asked what.

"What’s wrong? You are dull.”

 She showed a weak smile again “I don’t know. I suddenly feel bad about having a nuclear family and various problems between the elders over our ancestral wealth, which has reduced all my cousins as mere acquaintances whom I barely know.”

“Every family has its own problems.”I said and gave a small pat on her head.

“Yes, you are right.” She spoke nodding her head and after a short pass, turned back with a big smile and said “Your aunt told about your love. You are so good. I just couldn't wait to see her. I want to see for myself if all this is worth it."

"What? Worth it?"

"Yep! I want to see if she is good enough for all this love."

"Actually she deserves lot more than this."

"Hmmm. I will have my own conclusion tomorrow. Now say if this guy will propose his love or not." She turned back to the movie.

I smiled and turned to see the road where a motorist drove past our bus. She pulled my shirt and asked, “Please tell what will happen in this movie?”

I signaled her that I won’t tell and turned back to the window. Before she could protest, there was a loud clattering sound indicating a crash followed by a sudden stop of the Civic and our bus followed suit. My Uncle ran out first to see what happened.

The motorist who overtook us had lost balance and was thrown to the sides of the road when he had hit the mile-stone. My cousins were rushing towards the guy who had luckily fallen on the bush a few feet away. My brother had started doing first aid when I reached the place and the motorist showed occasional movement confirming that he is alive. I could see that he had taken alcohol, a lot of it as the place was stinging with his blood and vomit. I stood there helpless cursing him for driving this fast and for driving after drinking.

My dad, who was shouting at someone in the phone, came back and said, “There is no ambulance nearby.”

“Not a problem dad. Attur General Hospital should be within 20kms, we will take him there, you guys continue. We will come by morning.” My bro talked as her applied direct pressure to control blood loss from his head.

I started walking back to the bus as my cousins carried him to the car. My Dad was lost in thoughts and suddenly grabbed my collar.

“You will have to go with them.” He said.

“But Dad, wont brother take care of that creep?” I said not understanding why he would do this to me. The thought of her, anticipating my arrival came to my mind.

“No you have to. You are AB- negative and your brother is A-negative. Both are rare groups. Small hospitals won’t have proper blood banks and even if they do they are unlikely to have stock of these groups. Let’s not take chances. We don’t know what group this guy is. Though he was wrong in driving after taking alcohol, think about his family that needs him or a lover who lives for him.”

I walked to the car without a word and bro started the Civic which rushed towards the hospital. Dad’s last words kept resonating between my ears, “A lover who lives for him.”

Success in love is… Part 14

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5  Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13

We reached the Parking lot and she asked me to get into a Honda Civic parked there.

“Whose car is this?”

“Mine”

“What? You have a car!!”

“It’s here since last weekend. My father uses this car when he comes to Bangalore on his business trips. He left this here due to some renovation work in the guesthouse.” she said in a matter-of-fact tone and kicked the front tyre.

“Oh!” I said and got in.

I didn’t speak anything for another 30 minutes as she was cruising through the huge traffic with sudden sprints and sharp stops. But rather than going straight to reach Kempegowda Road from Palace road, she turned at SJR College and reached KR circle.

“Hey! Where are you heading to? The Inter-state bus stand is not in this route.”

“I am not leaving you at the bus stand. I am taking you home.”

“What?”

“Yes. I have informed Prof. I can’t let you leave in this state of mind. I also want to know why any family would reject you for their girl.”

“Hey! I will tell all that when I come back.”

“Nope. I can’t wait. I couldn’t get sleep last night after seeing you in such state. Please don’t argue and don’t worry, I am very good in driving.”

I tried to explain and make her go back but she wasn’t listening. I told Mom about the situation in hopes that she will assure her that I am fine and make her go back to campus but she was too stubborn and convinced Mom instead. The car was rarely reaching 80s and 90s and most times it was showing 3 digits in the digital speedometer. I didn’t speak anything for another 30 minutes and we reached the Karnataka state border.

She switched on the radio to hear Westlife and I watched the trees running back fast but slower than my mind to the college, coffee shops and theatres. We weren’t the couple who have never faced a misunderstanding or a fight. But we were two people who would stay close just to have the misunderstandings and fights. She is the only reason for me to have a colorful life, a life filled with happiness in college. My life was full of labs, experiments which usually leave me exhausted when I reach room. But the same experiments and labs left me energetic to talk about after she came into life. The first day we walked 5 miles not knowing if there is a road ahead or dead end was still fresh in thoughts. The first rain in which I spread my hands and enjoyed still makes me shiver. Small things like a classmate bringing lunch for me or giving a soft blow brought huge arguments every night and we used talk in the top of our voices never losing our stand. Those nights bring the most awesome mornings when I will stand on the second floor of my department and wait for her to come. She will walk to her department not lifting her head up but will turn back to see me when she turns to reach the door. That micro second meeting of eyes brings out a smile and will be followed by a longer meeting of eyes and she will convey few life threats which will be enough for my smiles the whole day.

The car stopped with a big sound. I jerked and looked at the intern who looked at me with stern face.

“What? What happened?”

“What kind of person are you?”

“Why? What did I do?”

“You were smiling for the past 10mins and having tears at the same time.”

“Oh! What is wrong in that?” I asked wiping my cheeks.

“You are going to your lover’s marriage dammit.”

“See its love. Off all the many things she has given to me, memories are the most important and no one can take that away from me. I am this person because of her. She has made me smile alone for all these days, even during the separation and even now. Love is something of the heart and it has its own world. People can’t separate us in that world.”

“Why would anyone say No to you?” she said holding my chin to lift my head which I had put down when speaking. We remained so for a second and she was scanning through my eyes.

“Caste” I said.

“What? Caste? Don’t tell me it’s only because of it. Hasn’t the caste system become a thing of past nowadays?”

I smiled at her ignorance. She showed anger seeing me smile.

“Caste is not like poverty which you can destroy by development. It something which is determined at birth and followed with pride/regret”

“Oh Come on I haven’t seen any such things.”

“How many places have you visited? How many different people have you talked to? Have you read any regional papers?”

“See my Hindi reading isn’t that good I accept but I do read English papers and the caste based violence occurs once or twice a year much like polio cases.”

I smiled. “That’s how the national papers show them. Caste violence occurs every day. Caste discrimination occurs every second. Murders and rapes occur every month because of caste. Very few are reported. And the separation of lovers and their struggles are never reported. When a model is shot for liquor by a drunkard its national news and when a family is burnt because of caste in a village its local news. I am not telling that the model’s death is small but isn’t every life important. Media brings only the misdeeds of/to the rich/influential to limelight. So coming from Delhi, you are bound to know only national news.”

“Hmmm. But aren’t you guys equally qualified. I can also see that you belong to upper middle class at least. Then…”

“Caste is nothing about money. How much ever you earn you can’t change the system that still calls some people as lesser humans and protest when you attempt to go into a temple. How many temples allow the devotees inside the inner sanctum near the idol? How many temples have priests from lower castes? But thanks to some efforts by the government, nowadays few temples don’t have these rules. But this has to go a long way. If you drive a few more kilometers I can make you meet two people who have lived all life fighting against caste discrimination and won the battle.”

She started the car with a confused mind. I pitied the people who have grown inside apartments and blocks where only visible discrimination was based on the eating habits, where the people who don’t eat non-vegetarian foods are considered as subjects for mockery and sometimes ridiculed for their voluminous prayers and other religious activities. This discrimination, though very small considered to the violence meant out outside the apartments also should have to be stopped. After all any discrimination subtle or violent, is against humanity.

We met the old couple and their daughter in law who explained their life to the intern on my request. She was all tears when she heard their struggles and reached to their shoulders. She was kissing their daughter in law and hugging her when she said about her love story. We left by 1AM and she slept soon after we started. I plugged in my pendrive and made Illaiyaraja spell out his magical tunes, opened the window and made the breeze flow in. She had lifted her legs and slept like a fetus inside the womb, with the captivating smile that always spreads itself around.

We reached home at 6AM and I introduced her to Mom, who in turn introduced her to everyone. My aunt came and hugged me, wetting my shoulder with tears. I said “I am fine Chithi.”

“I know you are not” she said

I came out of the hug and smiled. I went to my bedroom after breakfast and was asked to sleep, which I did. I woke up at 4PM and saw dad has come and the intern has transformed into a family member serving tea to everyone and was wearing my cousin’s saree. I smiled at them.


She was getting glued into our family and getting involved with numerous discussions happening. She joined the cousins in playing cards, became the chief taster for the Kitchen, suggested the jewels and sarees for my Mom and aunts, went on a walk with my Grandma, made my entire family laugh and the house was slowly getting to become normal.

The Swaraj mazda executive bus which came home by 9PM and we started loading the things. I saw my aunt adjusting the necklace of the intern when I went in to fetch a bag. They had grown very close to the point that they didn’t even notice me walking in and out.

I came out to welcome the cousin who got married a few months back and she hugged me crying in my shoulders and her husband was having wet eyes as well.

“Back in college, I never liked her. She wasn’t like how a girl should be according our society. She was very playfully and we had numerous silly fights when we were together. Though I showed anger whenever we see each other, I admired the small pranks she does, silently. But I couldn’t accept that my cousin is talking only to her and not to me. I know I was silly, we were never close but still you were my cousin and I felt I reserve the right to be close to you since we were far away from our family. I don’t know if my grudge has separated you. I am very sorry dear.”

“It’s not your fault. In college we were of two different streams BE and BSc with different timings and you never had a mobile phone. Apart from that I always considered you as my best friend. I still remember the day when you came running from the placement cell and hugged me shouting you got placed. Very few people in college knew we are relatives and everyone was staring at us. But you never cared, neither did I. We are just two people who are close in heart and far in real-time.”

“I wish she had not taken this decision, I was hoping she will come to our house and we can have our silly fights all life and I can make her jealous often.”

“There were numerous times when she had become jealous. She becomes furious whenever I refer you as the most important person in college.”

She smiled and reached her husband’s shoulders saying, “You don’t deserve this.” I smiled and waved them bye. They stayed back as she said she won’t be able to see the marriage without crying. My brother and few cousins came in the intern’s Civic. We left to the marriage and I took the first seat in the bus so that no one notices my face after seeing the video player stream the first romantic comedy we saw together. There are many memories to remember for remembrance is the only thing left for me.