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 25

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

I held her hand and she turned to see me. The eyes that were hiding the tears smiled and a micro nod conveyed she is fine. She extended her free hand to the intern who looked at us with guilt. She continued before I could ask anything:

“Yes! I love you. But that doesn’t mean I want to marry or live with you. You gave me the much needed hope, when I said about my past love to you. The burnt I had in my heart which I didn’t want to visit and heal, vanished all of a sudden when I saw your eyes glow up in appreciation after hearing me say I didn’t pursue the relationship. I haven’t seen anyone who had such a reaction; it was either sympathy or anger. You are someone whom I won’t be remembering as a friend but as someone who had made it to my heart like my Mom and Dad.”
She gave a pause and wiped off her tears. “I started living without any regret in heart. Life became pleasant after a long time.”
Her dad kept his hand on her shoulder and wipe off the remaining wetness from her face. He looked worried.

She came forward and caught the drop which fell off my love’s chin and they smiled forcing a few more fall. They hugged each other and she said, “I was worried when you said you love him. Seeing your tears, I thought I have made another person feel bad.”
“Another person feel bad! What? You have made everyone feel great when they finally understood you.” The Intern spoke like she had known her for ages.
“And these tears did not come because of him but because I realized my Dad is the same person who would find all my worries before I tell them to him. I have been longing for his love all these days as he doesn’t show them unless necessary.”
“Love you Dad. Thanks for showing me that you are the same person.”
He smiled and she hugged him. He kissed her forehead and turned to see us and smiled.

My Roommate came exactly when we were back to normal and the intern introduced him to her Dad and started reciting few funny moments we shared in lab. The whole atmosphere of the cafeteria changed once again and the air was filled with happiness.
My love who was watching us and walked to the Balcony. After a few minutes, I went near and hugged her from behind. Her tears spread equally on our chins. I made her turn and she wiped them off from our faces.
“I want to marry you” I said with wetness spreading inside my eyes.
“Why are you asking this now?” she asked with the stress on the last word.
“I want the whole world to know that you are my everything and I belong here” I said and pointed to her.
“Is marriage necessary for that?” she was not meeting my eyes.
“No. But something inside me tells that we should tie the knot soon. So that I can kiss you whenever I want and you can hit me as you wish.”
“As if they don’t happen now.”
“Oh! Come on dear. Why are you doing this?” I kept my hands on her shoulder and searched for mischief in her eyes. But they showed something else, they showed pain.

But I couldn’t understand what was bothering her. I lifted her face and asked her with a tear rolling down, “Don’t you want to marry me soon?”
“Of Course I do. I wake up every day in hopes that you would say this to me. But why today? Do you think I am hurt from what she said? Are you doing this out of guilt?” she asked with new tears flowing faster than the older ones.
“No dear. I was certainly worried when she said about love but I also knew you are mature enough to handle this. In fact I already had spoke to your dad two days back and said marriage in 2-3 months is fine for me. I can’t say No to him this time.” I spoke in a hurry to put her tear glands to rest, “You were very busy the past two days, so I couldn’t tell this to you.”

“You spoke to my dad? And accepted?” She asked in suspicion and surprise.
“Yes. I had called him to know a few places around Coimbatore for a friend and we spoke. May be the tone he spoke with and the fact that he was hospitalized, made me accept it. But I have been feeling great since I said Yes.” I said and suddenly realized that I should not have said what I said.
“Hospitalized?!!! Why? What happened to him?” she asked holding my collars with her eyes searching deep into mine.
“He had High BP and was admitted to make a few checks. He is fine now.”
“BP! You didn’t ask anything else.” I could see her get worried and kept my hand on her shoulder.

She pushed it down and made a call on her cell and went to the other end of the Balcony. She became restless as the calls went unattended. I went near her, “He is alright dear. I spoke to him and he himself said he is fine.”
“Of course. He will say only that. I can’t imagine why you didn’t tell me. I know it will take time for you guys to get close for what he did to us but I didn’t expect you to be this careless.”
“It’s not like that dear. He is alright.” I said with half the confidence I had went I said that first.
Just then she received a call and went a few feet away. Instant drops fell down without forming channels on her chin. She shouted, cried, plead on the phone while I watched in anticipation that everything is normal. Your confidence shatters when your loved one is in tears. You try to pin the sun and moon together to make things normal again. But here I can’t do anything. I visualized the call I had with her dad. He certainly sounded weak but also confident and her mom who spoke next discussed things about marriage and didn’t say anything about him. But looking at my love’s tears I couldn’t be sure. My patience was reaching its threshold when she finally kept the call. For a moment she wiped off the tears and looked at me. I took a step and she took two. She came near grabbed my shirt, pulled me close and said

“For the past two days I have been feeling like I have come a long distance away from my Dad. Now, when she spoke about her Dad being the same, I can’t stop myself from holding the tears. That’s why I came out. He has been there for me all my life but now he is down ill and I stand here few hundred kilometers away from him, unaware of what I should do. You could have told me. Nothing that kept me busy these days would have meant more than his good health.” She said and took her hand from my shirt. She continued in between her sobs, “I don’t know if it’s your fault of not being responsible enough, my mother’s fault of not informing me or my own fault of not calling him frequently, but I feel low inside my heart.”

A few seconds of absolute silence prevailed when she shed the remaining tears and I stood there watching the person for whose happiness I would go to the ends of the world, cry in pain. My roommate’s voice echoed from the café and ordered us to come in. She smiled, wiped of the tears and the sadness from her face and walked in. I stood there not knowing what to do.
I called her dad and it was answered by her Mom.
“What happened to Uncle?” I asked, which was the first time, I had called him so.
“He was travelling in his car and a kid suddenly came before the car from his house. The Driver stopped the car in time but Uncle had become tensed and rushed out see the kid, if he is fine. After making sure the kid is fine, he got into the car. The driver said, uncle’s hands were trembling and he fainted in sometime. Driver took him to the hospital nearby. The doctors said he was having High BP and made him stay there for a day to take tests. He is absolutely fine now.”
“Can I speak with him?” I asked.
“He has gone out without cell phone as usual. Is there anything I can tell him?”
“Nothing. I will call him later.”
“Okay. Take care.”

I walked into the café. The gang had made plans for dinner and the Intern’s dad wanted to take us to Oberoi where he was staying. I stood there unsure if I should go with them? Will she want to be alone? Are we going to Erode? But she joined the intern in making everyone come. I stood there wondering how she had masked everything that’s inside. The Intern’s dad came and put his arm over my shoulder.
“What happened sir? You seem to be lost.”
“Nothing sir” and said with enough masking to convince him that I am normal.
“Thanks for everything. My girl is really happy here. It’s long since I had seen her like this.”
“Please don’t thank me. I haven’t done anything.”
“Sometimes you don’t have to do anything. Just your presence, a missed call, a micro smile makes a huge impact in the person who loves you.” He said seeing his daughter.
“It sure does.” I said looking at my love.
“Life is just about being there for our loved ones when they need us. I realized that because of you. I thought children don’t stay the same loving apple pies when they turn into adults and move away. But they have the same problem as their parents do. We keep an Everest of love covered inside our heart until it dawns on us to shed the snow and let the love see light. After all, every child and parent long for the child’s childhood days. But we forget that the lovely past can just repeat itself if we open up our hearts.”

He said and took a few steps to meet our Professor, who had been refusing the intern’s plea and held his hand asking, “Please come. The family is never complete without the head.” 
Everyone stopped speaking and watched as the Professor took a few seconds to say, “Yes. I will be ready in 15mins.”
The Oberoi was spectacular as it should be and we had nice time. We were the last few people to come out of the restaurant after the usual crowd started getting irritated with our high decibel chats and laughs. I was dropped at my love’s place, as no one was driving back to the Campus.

We entered the home and again I could witness the super clean house with all things kept where they should be. I sat down to watch songs in Television while she changed and came near me. She stood near and watched the song for a moment and went to the bedroom. I went in next and asked, “Are you okay?”
“No, I am not.”
“Sorry. I thought it’s not a big issue.”
“It’s not a big issue.”
“It’s not like that dear. I care about him.”
“I am angry with myself and not with you. Don’t worry. I will be normal when I wake up. Switch off the lights except the night lamp when you come to sleep.”
“Come?” I said within my mouth.
“Yes. It’s a new house. You will catch cold if you don’t sleep on the bed. You can hug me if you still feel colder.”
I smiled when she finished saying all this like she was reading the news headline in the national television.

Success in love is… Part 24

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”

“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”

“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.”

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.

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?

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.”

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.

“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.

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.

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.”