Success in love is… Part 28

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, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, Part 27

Yes, a numerous parts hurt due to the fall but my heart ached more, masking all the other pains and spreading panic all over the system. Nothing else mattered in the world. Nothing else. The dilemma, the mortal’s pursuit to attain importance, everything seemed immaterial compared to her. I turned to see her, who by now had grabbed me in panic. I saw her getting worried over my fall.

“What happened? Are you all right?”

I didn’t answer. I was seeing a person cry for me and show all the world’s love. The list of uncertainties never had an end and never will, but this certainty is going to mask all that for eternity. She rubbed her red eyes making it redder, and starting searching for my wounds. I didn’t speak, I didn’t move, I just let her to decide what I should do. She pulled me up and held me by my shoulder, walked me to the bench next to the gate. She ran to the watchman’s cabin, got the first aid box and came back to nurse the wounded chin which by now had dried after staining her white dress.

She had by now cleared all the dirt from the wound and started applying the antiseptic. I reacted with a sign of pain and she reacted with a sign of concern. She looked at me to convince it’s not going pain and I nodded in genuine belief. However old we are, we have a child inside us yearning for love and however young we are we have a mother inside us yearning to care.

She sat down to clean the right toe. I felt something weird that pushed me to bend down and stop her.
“I will do it”
“Why?”
“It’s ok. I will do it.”
“Don’t be a chauvinist. Sit back and let me finish this.”
“Chauvinist?” I thought. She soon gave a stare, forcing me to sit back and turn away.
“What’s the bloody difference between nursing your chin and your foot?” She was speaking in a low voice that had enough decibels for me hear. I didn’t dare to ask her anymore. May be She was exaggerating my act as Chauvinism or teaching me how to curb the subtle Chauvinisms left with me. Well, I have a lifetime to learn and a lovely relationship to learn from.  

She stood up after finishing the first aid and I remembered why all these have happened.
“What was that sound?”
“What sound?”
“That truck, it…”
“Ya, the truck. The driver saw me near the gate, applied the brakes, craned his neck out of truck with a frightened stare and resumed his drive in a hurry, giving raise to all the dust.” She said while wiping her eyes with her handkerchief that showed my names first Syllable.

I smiled re-creating the scene, held her hand with a wide smile and pulled her to sit next to me.
Kept my arm over her shoulder and said, “Angels and demons have a lot in common and differ only on their purpose.”
“Why are you saying this?”
I smiled and she gave a minor blow saying “Yes, I am a devil and am going to haunt you all your life.”
I hugged her saying, “Lucky me. I love my devil. The poor driver should have had a minor heart attack seeing you in your white dress and the flowing hair.”

She pulled my face and our heads collided, stayed together for our lips to follow suit. Well almost.

“Guys! What the hell are you doing here?”

Someone was calling us and we turned losing our collisions. The watchman looked at us and we gave a lame smile. I thought “How the hell do you guys to do this? Bugger! a huge truck’s voracious brakes, a fumble and fall on your footsteps, a hurried search in your closet nothing woke you up except for this tender moment. Fuck off you brute.” Oh ya, I can only think all this. I am a good fellow, ain’t I?.

“Are you alright?” he asked with a concern.

When I was wondering how he was making his concern as genuine as it could be, she said “He is fine. Don’t worry” and turned back to kiss me.

Yes, she kissed me making me kiss her as well. I stumbled for a minute and closed my eyes that had the watchman watching us. Moved my hands in air to hold her face, lost the watchman’s image, and the grip of existence. Finally when my hands reached her face and started to enjoy the bliss of being human, she turned away from me. I was holding my hand in air and watching her turn away lost in thoughts for how worthless was the turmoil I had in my heart today.

She turned to see me with a tear rolling down the left cheek and we moved closer to wipe away the tear on each other’s cheek.
I held her face, “I am very lucky.”
“I know.”
“That’s unfair. Wont you say the same?”
“Do I have to?”
“Not if you don’t feel so.”
“Or if I am sure you know that already.”
“Sometimes we have to say things that aren’t necessarily new”
“Oh! I am not very lucky. You don’t know to reciprocate well”
“What?” I looked at her in disbelief.
“And not smart enough as well.” Spreading her smile to me.

As I moved near her, she moved away from me and there was a roar of applause from the Balcony that shared our moments some time back. The Balcony looked like the Indian rooftops next to cricket stadiums in a World Cup Final. Our family stood there smiling and passing comments as we walked with our heads down to face them.

Very soon we stood on the dais and the same crowd was standing down and passing comments. Yes! A month is a very small time period when you have a Mother to run behind and feed you in the morning, a love to kiss you when your Mom has gone to get ghee for your Sambar, a father who smiles without taking his eye off the newspaper, an uncle who shows his thumbs up for his daughter’s triumph, an aunt who hits your uncle with the rolled magazine commanding him to stop the gesture, a sister who has grabbed your ear and a grandma who sends your Mom back to kitchen and signals your love to continue loving me.

I stood there, looking at the people gathered. The hall was filled with people from every part of India and Beyond. People who would have otherwise lived as separate families, castes, religions, languages. A marriage is not just an union of two hearts, it’s a union of two families. And ours, an union of two different sets of people separated by centuries of discrimination based on imaginary lines.

My love pinched my hand saying, “Why are you smiling?”
“I am very proud today.”
“Our marriage is tomorrow. This is just the reception. So save some pride for tomorrow.”
“It’s not about the marriage or the reception.”
“So what’s it about?” She turned to see with wide eyes.
“Look at those kids.”
“Ya! my Cousin’s girl and your Nephew. Lovely kids. But what’s with them?”
“Look at their parents conversing with each other not worried about their kids.”
“Why should they be worried?”

Just then the girl fell down from a chair and my lab-mate rushed to kid and rubbed her knee, while the boy was wiping her eyes and handling over the toy he had ran with.
My love came close and whispered “Wipe your eyes man. What happened to you?”

“Success in our love is not the reception we are having today or the marriage we will have tomorrow. It is what we are seeing now. Thanks for everything dear. Those kids will grow into a single family and defy the rules that the Castes have put on them for centuries. Their love will be unbreakable once we have our casteless kids who will become their cousins. Life will be good without barriers for them. They won’t have a tough battle like you had when they grow and pursue their life and dreams. All thanks to you.”

“Not just castes. They will not have the barriers of religion or language. We will not let them have them.”
“They have already broken those.” I said and pointed her to the kids who now were talking with lab-mate’s daughter in the hands of the Krishnagiri couple’s Kashmiri daughter in law.

“We just have to encourage them and let them have the same heart without corrupting them with our stupid beliefs of superiority over caste, religion, language, country or lifestyle. They don’t see the differences while befriending each other and once they become friends the differences won’t have significance.”

She nodded as I spoke and moved a step away to ask, “By the way. Were you speaking about our kids already?”
“Who? Me? When?”
She gave stare and I smiled, “We are not yet married dear.” I said, “We shall start from tomorrow.”
“Start what?” her stare was starting to break
“The fight.” I said in the usual matter-of-factly way I own, “Oh! Wait a minute, what are you thinking?” I smiled with all the front teeth visible.
“Oh no! What am I going to do with a Stupid like you?” She turned away with her hand on her forehand. ‘Man, You can love her all your life just for these acts.’ My conscious kicked my  brain.
“Just watch” I said and kissed her, a long kiss which got back as much love as it gave, filled with claps and whistles all over the place and a blast resulting in flying color papers.

The celebration called Life had just started for me, my love and all those who love us.

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 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 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.

Success in Love is... Part 13

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

I wiped away the tiny tears that were trying to join together to roll down and opened the letter. It was not her handwriting, it was mine. It was something that I had written for her in second year, when she asked me to define the girl of my dreams.

I want a girl who is an equal

Enjoys life for there is no sequel

Energies and Effervescence filled in her bone

Loves and lives for a mind of her own

Decides her destinies; Determines her stand

Shares all available seconds like DNA strand

Spiraled, bonding, contradicting and dictating

Giving birth to a new me after each separating

I want a girl who believes everything said above is her own right

Knows I own the same set for she is no goddess and me no saint

Mocks every custom that beholds and belittles based on birth

Holds my hand and leads me if I hesitate amidst raging wrath

Laughs at the love myth of two body and single soul

Loves my concept of bonded rods on which rails roll

Running parallel as equals, holding hands, waiting for station

To overlap with passion and create a family of fusion

Takes the initiative in adopting our first girl child

Teaches her, the only God true is her mother of blood

For how many Gods risk their life for our birth

Who gives us elixir, unbiased, unlike the gods of myth

I want a girl who is proud of her sex

Knows my pride is neither an ounce more nor less

I want a girl who is an equal

For one life is all we got, there is no sequel

“I tried hard to be the girl you wanted but I can’t anymore. My struggle has come to an end and I have accepted defeat. My parents are important to me as much as you are. And I am accepting to this marriage to make minimal damage to my close ones. Hope you understand my stand and move on. Please come for the marriage, I might cry when I see you but I can’t take this step without your approval. I want you to know that I tried till the last minute, but failed. Hope this society changes in the coming years and no one else suffers as we had suffered. Please move on. I am very sorry.” She had written.

I kept the letter on the table nearby and closed my eyes which showed her cry in a red bridal saree. I cursed the whole caste system and thought about the numerous hearts it has broken. I came out to see the dark clouds ready to send showers. The intern came near, held my hand and looked at me like someone who would cry any moment. I smiled a weak smile and patted her in hopes of conveying that everything is alright. I went in, sat on the table and opened the draw to see the only photo we took together, which showed some tear drops as soon as it was taken out.

The world was blank for a few minutes/hours/seconds. I was startled when someone patted me on my shoulder and the intern was standing beside me, wiping her tears. She showed my mobile phone on the table which was ringing. She held my shoulder saying, “Be strong. Never lose hope” and walked away. “What hope is left for me to hold or lose?”I thought as I attended the call.

My Aunt was on the other end and she informed that she has got a wedding invitation from Erode. I jumped up and asked for her name and the answer was positive. My mom called and informed that all my close relatives have received invitations.

My brother called me and asked if we can storm into their house and bring her here. He was so agitated that he just needed a yes from me to do that the next moment. After all he has friends in every part of this state because of his social activities. I declined the idea and said she has made a decision and certainly would have thought about this option. But for some reason has decide it won’t be the right thing to do.

He then made a conference call to all close relatives and my uncle was very angry that her dad has tried to show his caste pride by sending invite to everyone in our family and wanted to teach him a lesson. He even suggested that his friend is a Police commissioner in Coimbatore and will do any help he asks for. “We can complain that the marriage is done against the girl’s will” he said. But I said she has written a note to me that she has given up her fight and finally accepting the marriage.

Mom asked me what else has she written and read the letter loud for them. Mom was moved and said she is such a nice girl. But my aunt was angry with her for giving up. The other cousins who spoke were supporting my brother’s stand to bring her here and marrying her to me.

Finally my dad spoke, “We should know that she is strong girl and has taken a decision about her life. We should respect that but at the same time we should teach her dad a lesson by making him realize that we are better than him and his caste pride is nothing compared to love.”

Everyone else were silent to hear what he going to say next, “We should all go to the marriage and wish the girl all success in her life. Make her dad realize that by rejecting her love he has denied a great alliance for his daughter. He should know that we respect his daughter’s decision more than him. She should know that even after this she has our blessings and love. She should lead her life without guilt.”

As always my Dad’s decision is final in our family and everyone agreed without second thoughts. They started discussing about the saree they are going to wear and gifts they are going to get for her. Dad asked me to come home a day before the wedding, so that we can leave from here together.

I opened the card again to see the Date and it was on Sunday which meant I have 5days to make up my mind. I washed my face and came to bed. Mobile showed it was 11.30PM, I tried to sleep but I couldn’t take her out of mind. “How can you quit? How can you ever live without me?” I was worried for her. All I want now is to know that her groom treats her well. Hope he understands her and she adapts to the never imagined situation. She isn’t someone who can give up on love. She was all over my retina. Eyes closed or open, she was to be seen.

The door opened suddenly and the intern came in with a parcel.

“Please eat this.”

“No! I am fine. I don’t need anything.”

“Please. Will she be happy if you are in this state.” she said looking at the photo in my hand.

I didn’t answer that. I know she won’t be. I know she will be wishing same for me. A happy life. I don’t know if it’s possible.

“Please eat. I am leaving now. Prof wants to meet us at 10 tomorrow”

She left soon after saying that. I took out the parcel which had a sandwich, which she should have made herself as the cafeteria closes by 10. I had a bite and thought, “Why would Prof want to meet me? Has she told him? I don’t want him or anyone else to know this. I can’t live a life of sympathy in my workplace.”

I reached my Prof’s office at 9.45 to make sure that the meeting is not about me. But he asked me to stay in lab and not to enter his office before 10. My lab-mates came by 9.55 and Prof called us in at 10.

“So how are you guys?”

“Fine” we said with ambiguity filled among us.

“Do you remember what you did 6 months before?” he asked us.

6 months back I was went my college convocation where I saw her last, my friend had his accident. But why is he asking this now?

“Come on man. 6 months back.”

“Nope! I don’t remember. Why?”

“6 month back you did something that has brought great credits to this lab and me.”

I was totally lost. All I could remember was about the convocation, the time when she has given another invitation.

“The paper you guys did, is published today in Nature and here check this” he showed the paper in his laptop.

My friend hugged me and the intern was shaking our hands very firm and showing great excitement. I saw our paper in the journal with my friend as the correspondence author, my name next and my Prof's name at the last. He has edited that part and made us get all the credits. To any researcher, a paper published in Nature is something like winning an Olympic gold or an Oscar. To me and my friend, it was like getting one in our debut. I smiled with them for the success and inside me I laughed at the unpredictable life I have.

Prof asked me to start working on my thesis for PhD under his guidance. Well, as always life has pushed me from the top of the cliff and kicked me back to top when I was about to collapse on the ground. All I could do now was to have a weak smile and carry it wherever I went in the Campus as everyone started identifying me.

Before I realized it was Friday and I started from lab in thoughts of catching the 10.30 bus. But when I was near the gate, the intern came and stopped me. She had walked fast and was gasping for breath. She couldn't talk but held my hand and dragged me, I didn’t know where.