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, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23
“Hello”
“Hello”
“Yes. So you are my daughter’s mentor in lab?”
“Menter! Nope we a fellow researchers under the same Professor.”
“Whatever. She says you have been a great person to be with and intends to spoil her future in your lab.”
“Spoil her future? Our lab is one of the very few labs in India which are comparable to labs in top institutions worldwide. I can’t comment about your decisions and your daughter’s future but our lab is the best.”
“Ha! Smart answer. I really don’t understand why would anyone forgo a life in the States for a lab like yours. I presume your Prof won’t be offering her a PhD now.”
“Ya! He has his own standards but your daughter is smart, she can start her PhD in a year.”
“You don’t have to tell how smart my daughter is. I know her more. I haven’t said no for any of her desires but now she is asking something that is far too sub-standard from what I had imagined.”
I kept quiet, not sure whom or what he is referring as sub-standard. I mean “Far too Sub-standard”
“Menter! Nope we a fellow researchers under the same Professor.”
“Whatever. She says you have been a great person to be with and intends to spoil her future in your lab.”
“Spoil her future? Our lab is one of the very few labs in India which are comparable to labs in top institutions worldwide. I can’t comment about your decisions and your daughter’s future but our lab is the best.”
“Ha! Smart answer. I really don’t understand why would anyone forgo a life in the States for a lab like yours. I presume your Prof won’t be offering her a PhD now.”
“Ya! He has his own standards but your daughter is smart, she can start her PhD in a year.”
“You don’t have to tell how smart my daughter is. I know her more. I haven’t said no for any of her desires but now she is asking something that is far too sub-standard from what I had imagined.”
I kept quiet, not sure whom or what he is referring as sub-standard. I mean “Far too Sub-standard”
“By the way, Are you a Hindu? I can’t make out from your name. Nowadays people have started keeping these neutral names, names that can belong to more than one faith.”
“A Social Humanist”
“A What?”
“Nothing Sir. I don’t think my religion is of any significance in deciding your daughter’s career.”
“I wish it isn’t.” He paused for a moment, cleared his throat and continued, “Anyway I will be coming there to have a look and take the final decision. I will let you know when I come.”
“Sure. But before you do that please ask her to mail my Prof regarding your visit.”
“Whatever.”
“A Social Humanist”
“A What?”
“Nothing Sir. I don’t think my religion is of any significance in deciding your daughter’s career.”
“I wish it isn’t.” He paused for a moment, cleared his throat and continued, “Anyway I will be coming there to have a look and take the final decision. I will let you know when I come.”
“Sure. But before you do that please ask her to mail my Prof regarding your visit.”
“Whatever.”
He kept the phone and I stood looking at my lab from the cafeteria. “A sub-standard place” according to her Dad is assumed to be the best in the country. I had a smile thinking about the Indian parent’s obsession with foreign countries in the west. A son/daughter settled abroad who leads a dog’s life there is assumed to be a well-settled and happy chap compared to a person having a comfortable and happy life here.
I had a discussion with my Prof about the intern and he promised that he will consider her if she intends to join our team again. He also cautioned that the projects need someone who is committed to research and not the laboratory or to fellow researchers. “You can’t become emotionally attached to your workplace or colleagues, in a research set up.” He mentioned at last sounding like a Nerd which we all are, in a way or the other.
I had a discussion with my Prof about the intern and he promised that he will consider her if she intends to join our team again. He also cautioned that the projects need someone who is committed to research and not the laboratory or to fellow researchers. “You can’t become emotionally attached to your workplace or colleagues, in a research set up.” He mentioned at last sounding like a Nerd which we all are, in a way or the other.
My happiness came by train on the next Friday. She had asked me to wait outside her coach and I did as instructed. For the first time I was on time and the train was late. I sat on a chair and closed my eyes which were burning from lack of sleep. Last two days weren’t easy for me. The success in research meant we have to repeat our studies a numerous times to be sure. I had to set up all the arrangements for the next round of experiments. The entire family had called me asking about her arrival, place of stay, Nature of the job, and lot of other things about her for which I didn’t have any answer. Doing justice to the kind of person I have grown into, I haven’t asked her any such details. Aren’t they her decisions? Why is everyone asking me and getting upset when I say I don’t know? She has control of her life and as independent as she can get. Sometimes if we stand away and see our loved ones handle life’s problems on their own, we have a high risk of being looked upon as less caring, and insensitive. But unless they face the wind how are they going to learn to sail? I spoke philosophy with family but inside my heart I felt I haven’t cared enough.
A whistle followed by the classic train sound woke me up and I stood up and moved to the edge of the platform almost involuntarily. I turned either side and couldn’t find any train. I abstained from the idea of jumping down to the rails and check out the metal rods with my ears. I turned to see the people around and no one gave any signs of the train’s arrival. Before I could start to analyze, the Satabadi express passed on the opposite platform towards Chennai. I smiled and came back to my seat. For a moment I didn’t have anything to think about, except for her. If she had been here, she would have laughed her hearts out, hugged me and I would have said “This didn’t happen”in her ears. She would have bargained for a few chocolates and a animation movie which we would have watched already. As always I would have acted as if it was a tough task and agreed at last. She would have said “You are so so loveable.” Though we very well know that I would go anywhere in this world and beyond, if she holds my hand and talks to my ears, we would do all this drama, again and again.
Now the whistle and classic train sound was accompanied with panic in the platform. I stood up and walked to the S9 coach’s door. She jumped from the train before it stopped and ran a few steps to jump on to my chest, planting a kiss on my cheeks. Before I could realize, I have made every single person in the Bangalore cantonment Platform envy me. She didn’t showed any signs of getting down even after a hundred eyes passed watching us.
“Shall we get your luggage.”
“Nope. I don’t have any. I had sent everything through movers and packers.”
“Wow! I didn’t expect that. Shall I keep my luggage down?”
“Nope. I am not going to allow you do that. Just hold me for some more time, till I gain back the spirit to kick you for what you just said.”
“Come on yaar. There are people around us.”
“So what? Am I stopping them from hugging their lovers?
“Shall we get your luggage.”
“Nope. I don’t have any. I had sent everything through movers and packers.”
“Wow! I didn’t expect that. Shall I keep my luggage down?”
“Nope. I am not going to allow you do that. Just hold me for some more time, till I gain back the spirit to kick you for what you just said.”
“Come on yaar. There are people around us.”
“So what? Am I stopping them from hugging their lovers?
She bit my ear after saying this and jumped down to run before I hit her. I didn’t chase her but stood there looking at my life get backs its colors. She came back to me and I held her face in my hands. She closed her eyes as the cold hands sent chills and I kissed her forehead saying “I love you”
She informed about her place of stay which was close to my lab, closer to my lab mates house and far from her office. She took me to the flat and we spent the rest to the day receiving her luggage, unpacking and arranging it. After the basic arrangements were over, I headed to the bath in order to make sure, I don’t get cold from dust allergy. I came out to find a dusted, wiped house filled with the pleasant agarbathi smoke. She came out of the kitchen with a cup of tea and gave it to me. I felt like I have a family already.
Days passed with her getting busy with work and we kept ourselves together as much as we can. One such evening she called to say that she is on the way to my Lab and we promised to have dinner together. As I walked out to make a reservation in the nearby restaurant, I saw her coming in. She had a dull look and her smile wasn’t the one that brings smile in me. Her Dad walked beside her and looked very much like a big businessman in her suit and Blackberry. The intern gave a hug and I shook hands with her dad. She informed that they have met the Prof and he had asked her to join as a junior research fellow. Her Dad was looking around and asked if he can smoke. I took him to the smoking Lobby.
“So how is our Lab?”
“Ya. It’s good. Though not comparable to the labs in US, this is good.”
I restrained from stating again the elegance of my lab and smiled.
“So you are a Hindu.”
I wiped the remains of the Thilak that had managed to stay from the early morning temple visit and asked, “Now?”
“Yes. You are a Hindu. With or without the thilak.”
“I am not a Hindu. I don’t believe in any God. I feel anyone who shows acts of kindness and love are divine.”
“Don’t speak this atheist crap with me. You are in India not Russia to be an atheist. These communist have spoiled everything”
“Well actually atheism is more common in Japan, Sweden, France and Germany which are not communist. By the way, Communism is a economic phenomenon and administers all powers to the state and in turn to the people. It just disowns all practices that control people by force. And mostly importantly I can’t say I am either.”
“So you accept God.”
“I accept God as the love people show. I can’t trust that the showers of blessings from the heaven are any better than those I get from people who love me.”
“So how is our Lab?”
“Ya. It’s good. Though not comparable to the labs in US, this is good.”
I restrained from stating again the elegance of my lab and smiled.
“So you are a Hindu.”
I wiped the remains of the Thilak that had managed to stay from the early morning temple visit and asked, “Now?”
“Yes. You are a Hindu. With or without the thilak.”
“I am not a Hindu. I don’t believe in any God. I feel anyone who shows acts of kindness and love are divine.”
“Don’t speak this atheist crap with me. You are in India not Russia to be an atheist. These communist have spoiled everything”
“Well actually atheism is more common in Japan, Sweden, France and Germany which are not communist. By the way, Communism is a economic phenomenon and administers all powers to the state and in turn to the people. It just disowns all practices that control people by force. And mostly importantly I can’t say I am either.”
“So you accept God.”
“I accept God as the love people show. I can’t trust that the showers of blessings from the heaven are any better than those I get from people who love me.”
We entered the cafeteria and the intern was speaking to a friend.
“All her life, she has got all that she wanted.”
I smiled as he nodded his head in disappointment and looked into my eyes.
“But now. She wants to be here, a place that can’t offer much to her. She had become emotional about this place. She hasn’t been very lucky with love. I hope she is not disappointed this time.”
I looked at him in surprise. Before I could think anything, I was dragged to stand up and given a kiss on my cheeks.
“Hey our first project offer was signed today. A big deal. We are going to do the interiors for the new Hidesign Showroom.” My love spoke as I smiled and said “Congrats”
The intern came back to our table and we all took our seats. The ladies were having a brief gossip session and she came back to lean on my shoulders.
“All her life, she has got all that she wanted.”
I smiled as he nodded his head in disappointment and looked into my eyes.
“But now. She wants to be here, a place that can’t offer much to her. She had become emotional about this place. She hasn’t been very lucky with love. I hope she is not disappointed this time.”
I looked at him in surprise. Before I could think anything, I was dragged to stand up and given a kiss on my cheeks.
“Hey our first project offer was signed today. A big deal. We are going to do the interiors for the new Hidesign Showroom.” My love spoke as I smiled and said “Congrats”
The intern came back to our table and we all took our seats. The ladies were having a brief gossip session and she came back to lean on my shoulders.
“She is my life.” I introduced her to Intern’s dad.
He smiled and the turned to see the intern as she spoke.
“They are just too good Dad.”
As we smiled, her Dad seemed very disappointed and turned to daughter to say, “I thought you loved him.”
The intern’s smile vanished and she held her head down. She looked up after a moment with wet eyes and her Dad kept his hand on her shoulder.
“I thought no one will find out” she said.
He smiled and the turned to see the intern as she spoke.
“They are just too good Dad.”
As we smiled, her Dad seemed very disappointed and turned to daughter to say, “I thought you loved him.”
The intern’s smile vanished and she held her head down. She looked up after a moment with wet eyes and her Dad kept his hand on her shoulder.
“I thought no one will find out” she said.
I looked at her in surprise and couldn’t understand what just happened. As I was trying to analyzing the situation, she left my hand, lifted her head from my shoulder and sat upright in her chair. I turned see my love turning away from me, biting her lips, hiding her disappointment and holding her tears.
