Success in love is… Part 21

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, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20

I turned to see her looking at me. Our eyes met each other and the blurring vision from the tears weren’t good enough to deter our sight. Everyone rushed by her side. She tried to smile at them and looked me as I walked to the bed and stood near her feet. I was feeling weak and kept my hands on the beds edges, bending down. She tried to get up and showed a concerned look which made us exchange smiles. I don’t remember exactly but it should be my cousin sister who signaled everyone to move out. She smiled as she passed me and gave a quick kiss on my cheeks saying, ‘I love her’.

I sat next to her and she said, “Finally” for which I smiled and replied the same. She wanted to sit up and with the help of the nurse we folded the bed to a slanting position so that she can sit leaning on it. She tried to raise her right hand that had the cathetar but couldn’t. She then kept her left hand on my right cheek and said “I guess I have never seen you with a beard. I used to look like a Gillette model back in college. Always clean shaven.”

“Ha! Those were days I could do a weekly shave and yet maintain the look.” I started to explain but she had that mischievous smile back from college days. I stopped halfway in realization that she is indeed making fun of me. I pinched her nose and said, “You creep!”

She smiled and kissed on my hand. “How long have I waited for a day when everyone will accept our love? Now I don’t want anything more.” she rested her cheek in my hand and closed her eyes as she spoke.

“Actually there are lots you should do now. I want you pursue your dreams and make it big in your passions.” I said in a firm tone, moving my other hand to her free cheek, to hold my life in my hands.

“Ya! Now that I have achieved my first and foremost dream, I have time for the other dreams. But it’s actually tough to realize what I want more from life.” She said and turned to her right.

“Hey! You wanted to be a designer. What about the Interior decorations? Come on. Don’t say you don’t want them now.” I removed my hands, took her right hand that had the Cathetar and caressed it.

“It’s not like that. They were my dreams, dreams that you nurtured. Dreams that I never had when took up Fashion Technology. Dreams I realized could be possible only after meeting you.” She said without looking at me.

I turned her head to face me and said “Please dear. I want you to be free of the strings. I can never live with a puppet just because I love it. And by all means am dumb when it comes to handling puppets.”

“So this puppet is finally free. But don’t leave the doll as such before it learns to walk on its own. Just be there round the corner. If at all, I am falling down, I should fall in your hands. So dear…” She paused for a moment, made herself look serious and said, “I too can say things with metaphors,” with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Hey! You are a strong self confident woman who should have dreams and destinies of your own.” I started reiterating my stand in a more serious tone.

“Oh! Just stop.” She said and pulled me close and hugged me. “See I always wanted to feel two hearts beating for me on either side of my chest like this. I don’t want to wait any longer. Let’s marry as soon as possible. I promise to become a dominant, super achieving wife and torture you all life.” She bit my ear as she said the last words.

I smiled, hugged her close and said, “Oh! Don’t hurry up. We haven’t really enjoyed the careless love life anytime. Let’s have that first and marry later. There are too many places to roam around and celebrate in Bangalore.”

“Well nothing can beat the Chennai Beach which has shared all my tears and thoughts. Those evenings I spent watching the relentless attempts of the ocean to hug the land irrespective of the failures, that night when I got back all my strength after reaching the brink of giving up when I saw the Moon drive away the darkness and appear from behind the dark clouds, those moonless nights that make me feel that horizon has finally become a realty with the ocean and sky having the same inseparable color are cherished inside me to share with you. But all those times were necessary to realize how strong I am. But not anymore, dear, I don’t want any of those days again.

“There are lots we are yet to explore inside ourselves. Let’s visit all the places that shared our loneliness and sorrows. Let’s party and make up for the lost time. Marriage can happen anytime.” I said and kissed her ear.

“You speak as if you are taking a warm up session before a big match. Anyways I too want to have a worry free, commitment free life for some time. And it’s important that we share our memories, tears, smiles from lost times before we tie the knot.” She was spoiling my hair style, “Anything is fine as long as I am with you” she said with a tear falling on my neck.

“So when are you coming to Bangalore?” I asked.

“Soon! But come to Chennai for a week and share my sea, first.” She smiled.

“Sure.” I said and came out of the embrace as our parents came in.

We had a good time discussing various things as we had one big family inside the small room and she was discharged that evening. Any ailment, let alone dehydration, can’t be any serious when there are too many people to love and take care of you.

As we were about to leave, her Dad called out loud for his driver who arrived in a second and stood next to him. Her dad looked at him and as if a sudden thought crossed his mind, held his hand, “Sorry bro, I have never respected you. Though you are elder to me, I have never thought you as an equal because of this caste stupidity. Sorry for everything.”

The Driver looked confused. He has never seen anything like this all his life. He smiled finally, “Yes Sir, Your daughter has taught this to me when she was a small kid” and smiled at her as we walked out. “But I have never seen anyone else as old as you say what you have said and to someone working for him.”

“Yes. We lose many good qualities as we grow up. But we also get opportunities to realize our mistakes.” Her dad said and hugged him.

“I know your daughter is studying in Vellore. What is she studying?” he asked still in the embrace.

“She is studying in the Government College to become a doctor sir.” The driver said with pride in his face.

“Great! She is a good student. She will be a great doctor. But how are you managing the expenses? I never realized that I should increase the salary as years go by.”

“She is studying in Bank Loan that she had got on her own.”

“Great! The young lads are well informed nowadays and are standing on their own legs from a very young age. I am very happy for you.”

They walked to the car, hand in hand and were discussing other things about each other’s families more like long time friends than a master and servant. The seed for change has been sown and it will shake the foundation of the caste system prevalent within her family and may be the whole village.

My parents and her parents had agreed to have our marriage a year later. My cousins hugged me and her from all sides before they left and made her promise to join them in all their outings in Chennai. She received a lot of hugs and kisses from my relatives and her parents were making sure the balance is maintained.

She had booked her tickets to go back to Chennai the same day and we had a nice discussion at the railway station with the intern. They were getting close to each other and pulling my leg now and then till the Nilgiris Express arrived. She got in and signaled the intern to get a water bottle. As she left to buy one, she pulled me by my shirt and said, “She is very pretty. If at all I hear anything about you flirting with her, I will kill you.”

“Is it? Actually I never felt she is pretty before. One minute.” I turned to see the intern, who smiled at me, unaware of our conversation and I smiled back.

She tightened her grasp and pulled me saying, “I was just kidding. I love you and this won’t change for anything. Even if you had had hundred girlfriends my love won’t change. It’s my heart that determines my love and not yours.”

“Well you have underestimated me dear. The count is much higher. But any girl I meet reminds any of your actions. So even if I have thousand girlfriends, I would have only admired your qualities in them.”

We remained in that position amidst the comments passed in the coach until the intern came near and gave a pat in my shoulder. “Guys! There are people watching you. Enough romancing or else the window panes will break.” The Intern said in a mischievous tone and everyone in her coach smiled. I watched the train leave till it disappeared into darkness unaware of the big changes that are waiting for me.