Tomatoes

 As a rotund man of forty I wonder where life is headed. Things have been a little off the cuff and basically going nowhere. While everyone around me seems to be going places I am finding myself sinking deeper into a well. I wonder what is happening - is this how it feels when you are forty and a nobody. 

“Tomatoes?” 

I was just about filling my mouth with another spoonful of upma, still immersed in my project work when my wife pulled me out of my reverie. 

“We need Tomatoes” she said  

My heart missed a beat, I was feeling a little faint. The spoon slipped from my hand as I was brought back to the real world. 

I will save it for a different article to tell you about how unkind the real world is to an IT professional - who is living in his cocoon constantly moving from one screen to another screen to another screen. 

“The markets are falling and inflation is at an all time high, which includes tomatoes too” I retorted. 

“You know if we stop eating tomatoes and invest the same money in Asian Paints, Tata Chemicals, Tata steel or even Banks we will possibly not have to worry about the costs in the next eight to ten years” I added, chewing on another mouthful of upma after having collected myself.

“Why what have you done in the last eight to ten years? We should have been Ambanis or Jhunjhunwala, or at least been able to buy tomatoes without having to hear your diatribe” my wife snided 

“You wont understand, it takes time and patience. Stock market is not for people who lack those qualities. For example look at Mr. Naidu, he went on and bought a new car. Frankly what a waste of money. If he had instead invested in Stocks he would have been able to afford a Maybach instead” I said trying to sound smart. 

“Papa we dont want a Maybach, we only want an XUV 700” retorted my son who was contemplating on how to leave his unfinished plate of upma with as little confrontation as possible. 

“Well even Anand Mahindra has booked one for his wife and is on the waiting list. What chance do we normal people stand” I said winking at him. 

“Well In fifteen years kids would have moved out and we will be searching for a place to retire. What use will your stocks be of then?” my wife said before adding

“ …. And the way the last fifteen have passed I am sure we will still be haggling about tomatoes? ” my wife said, sounding furious. 

“I wish my father had better sense and found someone in public service. All you IT guys ever do is build castles in dreams and make excuses. Look at my sister's husband, they now have a huge bungalow. They even bought a Porsche last month. And all you have done is give us idle talks about Maybach while driving in an Alto” added my wife banging the plate on the sill. 

“Papa you never took us anywhere outside India. Look at Vindhya, her father just took them to Australia last year” my daughter chirped in helpfully.

I swallowed on my Upma and wondered how this conversation would end. There was an eerie silence as I looked from my son to my daughter and finally with some courage at my wife. None of them seemed amicable for a compromise. Well, to give them credit I should have been a millionaire by now instead of trying to add to my misley portfolio of stocks and mutual funds. I was for once quite happy that they did not insist on looking at the numbers. I wonder how all these buggers like my brother-in- law get rich. I was sure all of them resorted to something illegal, but who was going to explain that to this group? 

In fifteen years I was still trying to reach that magical one Crore while my Brother in law thought little of spending that much on his car. Whoever said that the world was a fair place? All that I did in the last ten years was to cut my budgets and hunt around for the best deals from Amazon to flipkart. The only thing that has changed in the last five years is that now I have to worry about Big Basket, Dmart, Dunzo, Zepto wondering who will give me the cheapest deal on tomatoes. 

I silently finished my Upma.    

“Honey I have added the tomatoes, do we need anything else from Big Basket please?” 

The Insurance Policy

And he thought he knew it all ….

Prashanth was not a normal IT employee, he was one of the smarter ones. He knew more than most of us about Smartphones, Computers, Shopping offers, online deals, cars, bikes, Apples, OnePlus’s and more. 

In office Prashanth was the go to person whenever anyone wanted to buy something or was looking for the best deal. Prashanth also specialised in movies and food. He constantly posted on twitter and instagram about his latest escapades. In short Prasananth unlike us was a street smart guy. 

So in the winter of 2019 when Prashanth started looking around for add-on medical insurance everyone thought that the wait had finally ended and in a few weeks we would know where we should put our money. We all waited with baited breath, like every other fad that hits the collective psyche of an IT company, we were all taken up with the frenzy to buy add-on medical insurance.  We all knew we finally had our answer when Prashanth shortlisted Cigna Manipal as a prospective company. And we got our wallets ready when his policy arrived. But sadly for us things did not go as planned. 

Prashanth had looked around a number of Insurance providers and spoken to most of our colleagues who had insurance before finally arriving at the life saving decision. 

He spoke to the agent on the Cigna Manipal helpline and was suggested one of the policies. 

Prashanth immediately made payment online without bothering to check - after all the agent was an employee of the company who wasn't working for a cut. And finally Prashanth had shortlisted a policy for us. 

A week later when the policy document arrived, Prashanth did not bother to read it because he knew everything about the policy. He did not bother to keep the document safe because he knew everything was available online. 

The problem started when Prashanth received a welcome call the next day. He initially like most of us wanted to get the call over and continue browsing the internet. But he was forced to hear the lady for the call centre out as she insisted that this was an essential step before he accepted the policy. Prashanth nodded mindlessly, listening half heartedly as she rambled on about the terms and conditions. 

‘Hold on can you repeat the last sentence please’ Prashanth said, stopping her in between

‘No that is not correct, I was promised something else by the agent’ said Prashanth once she had repeated the sentence. He was now fully alert. 

‘ You mean I have a ‘Pro-Health’ policy while what the agent explained to me was ‘Pro-Health plus’’ Prashanth added after listening to her reply

‘No please keep the phone down I don't want to talk further, let me call and speak to the agent first. ‘  Prasanth mumbled angrily

‘Please keep the phone down I don't want to give you feedback’ he shouted before cutting the call. 

Prashanth immediately dialed the agent who had called himself Mayur.

Mayur was very polite and apologised for the confusion and asked Prashanth for a week before the policy would be corrected. Mayur even told Prashanth that he would send him a link where Prashanth would have to pay the difference of 854 Rs for the upgrade.  

‘You know the document says I have 15 days to review and cancel the policy. Are you sure you will be able to correct it otherwise I am cancelling the policy’ Prashanth asked, having now found the document and read it. 

‘Oh dont you worry sir, this will be taken care’ replied Mayur. 

And this is where our story started …. 

Prashanth kept following up with Mayur on whatsapp and phone. He was constantly assured that the policy error would be corrected. 

Days moved into week and the week became a month. 

As December gave way to January, Prashanth’s optimism started to wane, he started to follow up more frequently. In the first week of January 20 days after Prashanth had bought the policy Mayur finally stopped responding to whatsapp. This is when Prashanth had his first inkling that something was wrong. 

He tried calling Mayur but the phone went unanswered. Mayur finally responded on whatsapp in the evening.  

‘Sir my dad told me that you are trying to call me. I am not keeping well and am admitted to the hospital. Please rest assured that your case will be dealt with on priority’ read Mayur’s message on whatsapp. 

Prashanth waited for a few more days before following up again. Prashath still believed in humanity. Their exchanges continued for another week. It had been a month since Prashanth had bought the policy. Two weeks after Mayur’s illness Prashanth was worried because Mayur refused to recover. 

Prashanth had tried calling Mayur but the phone always went unanswered. 

‘Sir I will tell my team to look into it’ was the last reply from Mayur after which he did not seem to read the messages from Prashanth. 

It was the end of January when Prashanth realised that he was conned. Mayur had stopped replying. 

Prashanth still a little hopeful had called the helpdesk only to be told that Mayur had resigned. 

It all added up now for Mayur had never intended to correct Prahanths policy, he had collected his percentage and was only buying time till his last day at the company. 

Prashanth fruitlessly followed up with the company, posted messages on twitter only to be snubbed.    

The Agent had received his cut and the company had collected its premium. And we can only hope that Prashanth had learnt his lesson.  

One in a Million

He was a million dreams without desire

He was a voice unheard and a ranging fire 

He was a fading hope that never tired

He was a cure that had long died 

His voice reverberated throughout the hall. And for first time that evening one could hear the sound of silence…. the only voice that could be heard was his. People held their breath, fearing least they disturb the music. They listened in rapt attention as the notes flowed. The pitch voice and the rhythm had them entwined to the their seats. 

It was not everyday that a city like Bangalore was treated to a voice unparalleled.

People lost track of time and strummed to the beats as they listened to him.  The dance performance, the musicians, the actors and the story all took to the backseat, they were all but reduced to an afterthought. 

Shruti stood at a corner of the stage leaning against the pillar. She was feeling faint, she had not eaten since the morning. But it was not her hunger that troubled her, it was the joy, the ecstasy of watching Anil lost in his passion that did her.  Shruti had spent months working on a job that she hated to make this evening possible. She had struggled against the taunts, she had fought against desires, she had cut corners to turn this dream into a reality. She had stolen food from their mouths, deprived their only son of his birthday present to provide for this hope ..... a night that she thought would end all their wait. This night ..... 

Her hopes had been her strength. Their families had long lost the will to support Shruti and Anil. Her job at the neighbourhood school was the only thing that helped Shruti put food on their plates. The job was the only thing that provided them a place in the society. And then there was her love for Anil .... her only undying dream, her ever burning desire …. an dying wish that Shruti had harboured since their marriage.

X----------------X

Shruti had first heard Anil singing at a function at their village school. She had been sixteen then. 



Her father Sitarama had been an adherent fan of Yakshagana. Sitarama unlike his name was a big let down to the mythological characters he was named after.  

Shruti's dad had once been a famous Yakshagana artist. He had been very close to touching the pinnacle of glory when the tragedy had struck, leaving him incapacitated for life. 

Sitarama had fallen from helm into the lap of his wife to lie there for ever .... never to rise again. 

Sitarama had been a famous Yakshagana actor. Even today, people in the village who were old enough to have seen him perform could not stop singing praise for his performances. But his fate could not stand the test of time and he was plucked from glory by his misfortune. The pain of this fall was too big for Sitarama to bear and he took to drinking hard. His life was reduced to a orgy of drinking and listening to Yakshagana performances on his small tape recorder. 

Shruti had been a few months born when the ill-fated event had occurred. The people in the village labeled her an ill omen and blamed her for her fathers fall from grace. It was Shruti's mother had stood by her child and shielded the little one from the inhumane taunts. 

Shruti's mother had always been a strong women. And this sudden turn of fate had made her stronger.  She worked hard to support her disabled husband and little daughter.  The family thankfully had received some help from the village landlord who was kind enough to employ the services of Shruti's mother as a help at his fields. Life had slowly taken the steady road and things were starting to get stable. 

Shruti had always been good at studies and was doing quite well at school to her mothers liking. Shruti now a grown up girl was also able to take responsibility around the house letting her mother work harder at the field. Life was settling down and their only problem if it could be called so was her fathers constant carving for a drinks and the abusive slander once he was satiated. The mother and daughter were used to the daily ramblings  at home and at times even had a hearty laugh about it. 

..... But fate had different plans for them.

X----------------X

There was finally hope ....

Shruti was finally able to dream again. She was able to feel the wind in her hair and breathe without a concern. Her father had found a stable job with a catering service in the city and had moved to the city. 

Her feet had a spring in them as she ran towards the village school where she had recently taken up a job. It was only a temporary job but was  enough to kindle her dreams of future. Anil and his family were to visit her village tomorrow to talk of their marriage. Shruti's father was returning from his city this evening to make arrangements. All arrangements were being made at Shruthi's aunts home. There was little to talk about the hatchment where Shruti and her father lived. The place that Shruti had known as home for all her life was nothing more than four walls with a cot and a chair. A dark curtain at one corner acted as a partition, hiding the stone stove and few old vessels that made up most of the kitchen. 

For Shruti her aunt who stayed close by had been a great support. Shruti's mother had always been independent and wanted her family to be as little burden to her younger sister as possible. And after her mother had passed away Shruti had continued to take care that she and her father did not become a burden to her aunt. Her aunt was always welcoming but they had drawn boundaries that ensured that no strain fell on the relationship they had shared. 

Tomorrow was a special day and none of them had wanted to leave any stone unturned. Shruti had agreed without hesitation when her aunt had suggested that Anil's family should visit her aunts house instead of Shruti's house.

Shruti sat with bated breath as the sun came up next day. Her joy knew little bounds. She hoped her mother was alive to see this day.

X----------------X

Death knocked at their doors unannounced. 

Her mother was alive one moment and ceased to exist the next. The doctors blamed it on a sudden heart attack. But Shruti knew better than to believe the doctors .... she knew what had killed her mother.

X----------------X

                                                                                                      ....... to be continued

Story VI Match Maker II (Anvita Part I)

Marriages are made in heaven and ‘the Matchmaker’ is the messenger from God

The evening Sun shone over the manicured lawns of a park in Vasant Kunj. The two gardeners responsible for the upkeep of the park stood watering the grass and the potted plants. The receding winters had brought life back to the potted plants, which was evident in the beautiful flowers that had sprouted lately.

The walkways ran all the way around the lush green lawns. As the evening drew closer, the walkways got busier with people. A group of children was busy playing ball games in a corner of the park while a few more were busy at the swings. There were four green benches located close to the playpen that enclosed the swings. These benches were occupied by parents looking out for their little ones.

A group of senior citizens was sitting on the benches round the corner, a little away from the swings. The group seemed busy in a discussion. Rajneesh Verma and Rajaram Prathasarathy were a part of this group that consisted of old friends that had long since retired from the automobile manufacturing unit outside the city. The septuagenarian group had made a habit of frequenting the park every evening -- This routine gave them something to look forward to, providing them with a semblance of hope, a purpose, an illusion that they had something to come back to everyday. This routine filled the emptiness left by their jobs.

Nearly every evening since Rajneesh and Rajaram had retired about twelve years ago had been the same. Rajneesh and Rajaram had then joked that one of the rewards of retirement would be the ability to spend quality time with friends. And now Rajneesh and Rajaram were living out that statement.

Rajneesh and Rajaram stood up, intending to walk away from the group of friends they had been talking to. After bidding their customary goodbyes, the friends moved to the walkway. Walking four rounds around the park was a part of their daily ritual and they did not intend to miss it today. Rajaram was in a hurry to get home, but did not want to leave the park before completing the four rounds. People pick up some habits as they go through life. It is common for these habits to quickly take the shape of revered rituals, and before a person realizes, it has become an important part of him. Simple habits, like that of visiting the restroom or checking on the doors just before you walk out of your home, walking round the car before you enter it, moving the car a little forward before you reverse it, slowly develop into rituals that, when missed, can haunt you for the rest of the day – the visit to the park and the four rounds around the walkway had taken a similar hue for Rajneesh.

It was peculiar that Rajneesh had passed away on the very day that he had missed his ritual for the first time. It was equally peculiar that Rajaram continued to attribute his friend’s demise to them having skipped their ritual, instead of agreeing with everyone that it was a cardiac arrest. Life is peculiar – not only because of what has happened, but more because of what has not.

‘It has been more than eight months since Varsha passed away, you should try and get Ranjan married, while he is still young,’ suggested Rajaram offhandedly as they walked past the group of kids playing cricket.

‘Springfield School’ written in bold blue letterings on the yellow facade of the building across the fence was faintly visible from where Rajaram and Rajneesh walked.

Mr. Verma had been thinking about Ranjan’s marriage ever since Varsha had passed away. He and Neelima had discussed the topic of their son’s marriage at every available opportunity. But both Rajneesh and Neelema were worried about bringing it up with Ranjan. They had also been concerned about Sonu, who was all but eight years old. Sonu was no longer a little innocent kid, he understood many things happening around him. The thought of his father’s marriage would surely be a nightmare for him. The thought of ‘losing’ his father as well, just a few months after his mother left him would be a nightmare for him.

‘Ranjan gets angry and reacts furiously, every time we broach the topic with him,’ Rajneesh replied as his eyes continued to look at the school building, as if searching for something among the bright letterings.

Rajneesh and Rajaram were distracted from their thoughts by the sudden sound of a motorcycle approaching them from behind. They reacted instantly, moving in opposite directions on to the green lawns. The motorbike passed between them on the walkway as they stood wondering, too shocked to react.

‘You Idiot,’ shouted Rajaram angrily at the biker. But by then the bike was beyond earshot. It was very doubtful that his utterings would have had any impact on the rider , even if he had heard it.

It took a few more seconds for Rajaram and Rajneesh to gain their composure and continue with their walk.

‘People these days have no social responsibility. Driving a bike through a public park, imagine what they will do next,’ Raman said, sounding annoyed before adding ‘With all the kids playing here, God knows what could happen!’.

They continued walking, both silent. Rajaram continued mumbling to himself about the bike rider’s audacity.

It happens so often with most of us in life – an incident that we have little control on, takes hold of our mind and doesn’t let go. We, sometimes in our fervor to react, end up directing our anger towards our family or friends even. We end up behaving unlike ourselves, reacting angrily to every slight provocation with an vengeance that is uncalled for.

Why then are we responsible for our actions, when it is the environment we live in decides most of our actions and reactions.

Rajaram and Rajneesh had known each other for more than twenty years.

Rajaram had once joked to Sonu ‘I have known your grandfather since the time that dinosaurs roamed the earth’. Sonu who loved anything to do with dinosaurs had looked up at his grandfather and Rajaram with awe, wondering if they had taken any pictures with the dinosaurs. Rajaram and Rajneesh had worked together at the automobile manufacturing plant. They had worked in the maintenance department whose main responsibility was to train mechanics for external workshops and look after spare part sales. Following retirement, the two friends continued to spend a lot of time together.

They had been walking around the park for a little more than an hour.

It was a long time before Rajaram spoke again.

‘Why don’t you ask Ranjan to move out?’

Rajneesh looked around, perplexed at the suggestion, wondering if his friend was joking. Rajaram did not look like he was joking.

Rajneesh’s thoughts were interrupted by the ringing mobile phone. He excused himself before attending to the call.

‘It was your bhabi, Neelima,’ said Rajneesh smiling, when he had finished with the call.

‘I completely forgot that I have to pick Sonu up from his classes,’ Rajneesh added.

The friends exchanged pleasantries and parted ways to their homes, having completed one more day of their respective lives.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

The room was still dark as Tanmay struggled to button his shirt. All the other kids in his room had left for breakfast. Tanmay had woken up late for the fourth time this week. It was freezing outside and Tanmay hated having to wake up early during the cold mornings. It was impossible for him to leave the warm quilt.

Tanmay shivered as he brushed his teeth with the lukewarm water. Being the last one to wake up he always ended up having to do with lukewarm water. Tanmay had then entered the bathroom intending to have a quick bath. But as he pulled himself out of the blue sweater he was shivering uncontrollably. He quickly snuggled back into the sweater cursing the cold. He carefully washed his little feet that protruded out of his woolen pyjama’s not wanting to wet his nightdress before walking back to his room.

Tanmay looked around sheepishly, hoping that no one had noticed him entering the bathroom – if the warden had spotted him, he would have taken Tanmay to task for not having had his bath properly. He was doubly sure that Sister Fernandes would scold him if she discovered that he had skipped his bath for two consecutive days. Tanmay convinced himself that tomorrow would be a different day.

He raced back to his room intending to dress up for school. Tanmay glanced at the big clock as he passed the window on the way to his room. The cold gust of wind hit him. Tanmay shivered involuntarily. The big hand of the clock that was shaped like an arrow was inching towards twelve and the small arrow was at eight. Tanmay grimaced, realizing that he was going to miss his breakfast again. The lunch room served breakfast only till eight.

Tanmay cursed himself for the nth time that day before entering his room. He felt bad about everything around him. It was like the world was conspiring against him, nothing seemed to work. He wondered if there was anyone in this world who really loved him. Would anyone miss him if he would disappear suddenly? Poooof …. Tanmay is gone. And nobody really misses him, everything goes on and no one realizes that Tanmay is not there. The thought made Tanmay feel worse, he started sobbing but then realized that if he did not reach to the class in fifteen minutes he would be punished again by Mrs. D’Souza. He wiped his eyes, forgetting about no one caring for him and started looking for his dress. He had just put on his shirt when he realized that the tie was nowhere to be found. Tanmay looked around helplessly trying to find his tie, which had gone missing. He was close to tears when he heard the big clock chiming - It was eight. Tanmay promised himself for the hundredth time that he would wake up early the next morning. He resumed his search for the tie after wiping the tears from the eyes. He continued to look for his tie but the tears were blurring his vision. He finally found the tie under the bed. He must have thrown it there in the evening when he had returned from school. Tanmay quickly hooked the tie around his neck before picking his shoes and socks from opposite corners of the bed. Tanmay had been reprimanded by Mrs. Fernandes, the warden, many times before for not taking care of his things. He always tried his best to put things in places where he can remember but they just walked out of the closet wandering around the room before hiding. Their wanderings had become even more erratic with the winters. Tanmay wondered if it was the closet that was haunted, or probably it was too cold for the clothes, which made them walk out at nights.

Tanmay picked up his red and black Spiderman bag that his dad had gifted him on his last birthday, before rushing out of the room. Tanmay felt the funny feeling return to his stomach and his chest started to pound fast when he realized that he had forgotten to complete his maths homework. But he knew there was no time to rectify the situation. And continued to walk towards the school. He could probably copy the sums from Vicky before Mrs. Gupta called for the homeworks. The thought of having to face Mrs. Gupta without the homework was nothing less than a nightmare.

Tanmay trotted on towards the white school building as fast his little feet could carry him. His ten year old brain was working hard trying to predict the various scenarios that awaited him. The cold wind blowing in the opposite direction made walking hard. Tanmay cowered trying to avoid the cold wind blowing on his face as he walked. He could hear the announcement from the auditorium, signaling the beginning of morning prayers. Tanmay quickened his pace hoping that he could reach the auditorium before the prayers ended. He would then enter the auditorium unnoticed.

Tanmay walked through the main entrance to the school building. The name of the school ‘Bishop Cottons Boys School’ was written in bold white letterings over the entrance. Tanmay turned right and walked down the alleyway towards the auditorium. The announcements could no longer be heard from the auditorium. He started running, praying that he was not late. He remembered the last time he had been caught by Peter Sir for having missed the assembly. He had been asked to kneel down in the church for about an hour. All the kids who had passed by had made fun of him.

The kids in his class and the teachers had continued to refer to the incident for days afterwards. Tanmay cringed with discomfort recollecting the incident.

Tanmay heard the sound of auditorium door being opened, the sound confirmed his worst fears. He was late. The students would start walking out any moment, it was too late to try sneaking into the auditorium unnoticed. He could try to jump the queue but one of his classmates was sure to give him away - It would be foolish to try that. The first set of students would reach where he stood anytime now. Tanmay looked around helplessly. He knew nothing could be worse than being spotted by the Head Teacher as the students approached him. Tanmay felt his cheeks starting to burn as the fear rose within him.

He contemplated running back to the hostel but discarded the idea knowing well that the warden would spot him on his rounds. And anyway he would be caught when the attendance was taken. Tanmay heard the footsteps approaching him. He involuntarily took the only available escape towards left.

As Tanmay ran down the corridor, he could smell the faint foul smell emanating from the toilets.

Tanmay again took the first left entering the first door that he found in the alleyway. As he rushed into the door, he was greeted by his image on the huge mirror across the other end. The black tiles that made up the floor were shining like they had just been polished. There were three washbasins mounted on black counter top in front of the mirror. Tanmay stood still, letting the door close behind him. Tanmay looked around trying to take stock of the huge room. In all the time that he had spent at the school he had never explored the alley before. On his, left and right there were doors that he guessed led to other rooms. Tanmay walked towards the mirror wondering how funny he looked. He stood still holding on to the black counter, watching his face. His round face had turned red from fear and cold. He smiled looking amusingly at his image, he thought he looked quite funny. Tanmay smoothened his disheveled hair trying to put them back into place. No matter how hard he tried his hair always stood straight once they moved out from under his hand. Tanmay gave up on his hair after a few attempts. He stood there admiring the gap left be by the front teeth that had recently fallen off. Tanmay could even see the beginning of a small white tooth making its appearance in the place where the old one had stood. Tanmay laughed at his image as he made faces at the mirror. He stood there laughing, while his thoughts wandered wildly, when he heard the door behind him open. Tanmay went stiff with fright! He turned around.

Tanmay saw a beautiful teacher whom he had never seen before, enter the room. She was wearing a light pink saree, she seemed disturbed and yet there was still something peaceful about the way she moved.

Tanmay stood still unable to react. His eyes were struck on the beautiful angel entering the door. He for once imagined that it was a fairy queen who had come down to help him.

‘What are you doing inside the ladies toilet,’ the teacher asked bringing him back from his thoughts.

Tanmay having gained his composure darted towards the door. The teacher was standing in front of the door blocking his escape. Tanmay pushed his way past her as he ran out without looking back.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

Anvita had always hated winters. The cold mornings of Bangalore left her feeling morose and ruminating about the unpleasant.

It is always so common that an individual tends to feel sad when facing physical misery. The winters always left Anvita feeling unhappy. The days at Panchgani were much colder than Bangalore. Anvita had been taking anti depressants occasionally before her marriage to Ashok. But the marriage had soaked her brain of all positive thoughts. All that she was left with was a long dark memory of a life gone to waste and the dreams left unfulfilled. Anvita never openly blamed her parents for her troubles, but at the same time, she was never ready to forgive them completely for the situation that she found herself in. Her move to Panchgani had been a revolt against her parents and a celebration of freedom. An opportunity to prove beyond doubt that there was hope, a chance to make a living the way she wanted to.

She had only reached Panchgani yesterday evening and was still trying to get a foothold in the new place. The travel and the wintry season made her feel sick. She had a headache and had walked into the rest room after the morning assembly hoping to get a break before she started her job teaching maths to the kids at the ‘Bishop Cotton Boys School’. Anvita stood dumbstruck as she watched the little boy run past her. She was too shocked to react- the pain in her head momentarily gave way to astonishment. But only to return in a little while.

Anvita had been feeling nauseated since she had woken up in the morning. The feeling had only increased as she stood alongside other teachers during the morning assembly. Anvita had asked Mrs. Fernandes for the directions to the restroom as the lines of students had started to trickle out of the assembly hall. She quickly rushed out alongside the moving group of children and took the deviation to the left leading to the ladies room.

Anvita had been taken by surprise when she opened the door to the ladies restroom. She caught sight of a little boy, who stood making faces at his own image in the mirror. Anvita would have found the scene amusing had it not been for her headache and sickness. She stood there wondering what the kid was doing in the rest room.

Anvita had stood gazing at the little boy peering into the mirror. She finally asked him ‘What are you doing inside the ladies toilet?’

She was caught unprepared for what followed. The little boy rushed to the door and in doing so pushed her to the side before running out into the corridor.

Anvita stood there gasping, her mind unable to register the event. She carefully checked all the rooms to ensure that no other kid was hiding inside them, before heading to the washbasin.

Anvita wondered what the little kid had wanted inside the ladies toilet. She pondered over the incident for a while before discounting any buried motives in it. And she decided not to report the matter or discuss it with anyone.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

Mr. Ravindra Hegde was filled with joy. He felt a burden coming off his head. He and his brother Surendra were returning after meeting the boy’s parents. The boy’s parents were very simple and down to earth. Their house was neither luxurious nor did they own any possessions that could hint towards affluence. But Ravindra knew that such things did not matter – the boy was an engineer working for a reputed company. After all his daughter wasn't going to settle in the village. She would settle in Pune, where the boy worked.

“Anvita ooputala ?” - Will Anvita agree to the proposal, enquired Surendra as he eased himself into the seat next to Ravindra.

They had been on the bus for the last forty minutes. There had been only one seat available when they boarded the bus; Ravindra had been the one chosen to take the seat because of his seniority in age. As the bus moved on, a few more seats were made available.

Surendra’s question pulled Ravindra away from his thoughts.

‘Hmmm,’ replied Ravindra, looking out from the window towards the vast countryside that the bus was passing through. It was four in the evening. The sun had started to set. The setting sun had colored the sky a beautiful golden hue. The bus ploughed on, cutting through the wind blowing in the opposite direction. The bus was filled with a smell of the wet earth that comes with the first rains. The wind was laden with clouds indicative of the monsoons. It had been raining heavily for a few weeks.

Lush green trees lined the road on both the sides. Every time a vehicle passed, the trees shook, sprinkling water on it. The trees were celebrating, unaware of the emotions that filled the world around them. They were ignorant of joy, happiness, pain, sadness, anxiety, lust, anger , ego …. They were free of the illusionary world that humans had built around themselves.

Ravindra sat on the seat staring at the beautiful world outside. He was soon lost in the scenery. The forests and farms, that were his playground from childhood. Ravindra felt a sudden lurch in his heart as he recollected those wonderful days from his childhood. He wondered where they had gone, lost in the hustle bustle of the city life which he was now accustomed to. His heart pained as the realization that those days would never return, sunk in – Ravindra knew that those days were the best part of his life.

The bus, blissfully unaware of Ravindra’s thoughts, moved on towards Udupi.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

Tanmay sat on the last bench, behind Chaitanya, well hidden from the teacher’s view. He preferred sitting behind Chaitanya because Chaitanya was very tall and Tanmay could comfortably stay hidden behind his bulky physique.

Chaitanya was much bigger than the rest of the class and by the natural order of things, had become the class bully. His parents were in Dubai and they had left him behind in the hostel at Pune to complete his education. But Chaitanya never seemed to miss them, on the other hand he seemed to enjoy himself in their absence and was always saddened when the holidays approached because he had to go home. Tanmay could never understand this behavior of his friend.

Tanmay’s stomach grumbled with hunger. He had not eaten since the morning. He was suddenly saddened by the thought of his mother. Tanmay wondered if he would have still stayed at the hostel if she had been alive. And suddenly for him all the people around him seemed to be unaware and unconcerned about his sadness. He blamed his grandparents, who had refused to put him up unless his dad got married. Tanmay knew that this had left no other option for his dad but to admit him at the hostel.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

The ringing of the bell was greeted with sighs of relief all around.

The bell indicated that the English period was done and Tanmay could re-enter the class.

Tanmay was yet to recover from the morning’s incident when the English class had started. The English teacher had started on a new chapter from the reader. She had asked Suresh, who happened to be her favorite student to read out the lesson to the class. Suresh had always stood first in the class was usually picked out by the teachers whenever they wanted to someone to do an assignment in front of the class. Tanmay looked on with indifference as Suresh read page after page from the textbook without a stutter. Tanmay could hardly concentrate without his hunger pulling him away from the lesson. Chaitanya had earlier reminded Tanmay that the second period was Maths and they had still not done the homework.

Tanmay had requested Abhishek who sat next to him for his Maths notes so that he and Chaitanya could copy. Chaitanya had been busy copying the homework throughout the English period, while Tanmay had been eagerly waiting for him to finish. There were a number of sums to be completed and Chaitanya had halfway through when the English teacher had caught them at it.

‘What are you two doing back there?’ shouted Mrs. Shanti Shree, looking at Tanmay.

Tanmay who had been anxious for the notebook had been punching Chaitanya, egging him to complete copying faster. The constant punching had annoyed Chaitanya who had turned back to give Tanmay one of his no nonsense stares. Shanti Shree had spotted them in the act.

Tanmay sat speechless. His fear getting the better of him, he sat still, unable to react. Every additional second that Tanmay spent contemplating made Shanti Shree angrier.

‘Tanmay stand up I am talking to you’ said Shanti Shree roaring with anger. Tanmay shuddered involuntarily. He stood up very slowly. He knew that a punishment awaited him.

‘What were you two up to? Do you people need someone to constantly monitor you ? Don’t you know how to behave in the class? I feel like a shepherd. Who do you think you are?’ she added while shouting at the top of her voice.

Tanmay confused from all the thoughts and hunger was frightened beyond words. He managed to reply meekly ‘Sheep mam’.

The whole class broke into loud laughter as Mrs. Shanti Shree looked dumbfound. Tanmay was yet to realize his gaffe and stood looking around innocently.

Mrs. Shanti Shree was furious and had asked him to get out from the class. Tanmay was relieved in a way because he enjoyed standing outside the class watching the playground. Tanmay’s class was on the first floor with the door facing the playground. The playground was always busy with activity as some class or the other always had a Physical Training period.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

The bell finally rang announcing the end of English class. Tanmay could reenter the class.

His relief was short lived as Tanmay realized that he was still to do his Math’s homework. He quickly rushed back to his desk and asked Chaitanya to pass the notebook before starting to copy the sums hurriedly into his book.

Tanmay had only about managed to copy the first problem when he heard the clank of benches as the students stood up to greet the Math’s teacher.

Tanmay rushed himself hoping to finish as much he could before the teacher asked for the homework.

‘Good Morning’ Tanmay heard the teacher’s voice.

The voice sounded very different, Tanmay was still sitting with his head down over the book and working on the homework. Realizing that the voice was not of Mrs. Gupta’s, he looked up from his notebook.

In front of the class stood the very same teacher who had spotted him inside the ladies toilet.

Tanmay was sure that she would recognize him if she spotted him. Tanmay tried to conceal himself as best as he could behind Chaitanya.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

Anvita was lying on her bed. The room was dark, her mother and herself were alone in the house waiting for her dad to return. Anvita had dozed off entwined in her thoughts.

She was woken by the sound from the drawing room. Anvita collected her thoughts and tried to concentrate on who was making the sound. She heard her parents discuss the new proposal from the confines of her room. Her father was speaking loudly, Anvita wondered if he was doing so internationally so that she would hear what he was saying. Anvita tried to go back to sleep but her inquisitiveness got better of her as she heard her name being uttered more than once in the conversation.

Anvita heard her mother’s voice ‘But they seem to be very poor. And the boy, is he not very thin’.

‘What did you expect after what your daughter has done?’ her father retorted angrily before adding ‘He is in a very good job and doing very well in Pune’

‘I am sure he will put on weight after the marriage’ her father added as an afterthought, hoping that it would placate her mother.

‘Oh!! But she was so young then. She did not realize what she was doing. And anyway no one in the village knows about the incident. It is wrong to punish her for her innocience. Remember she is our only daughter’ her mother added meekly. Talking to herself more than replying to her husband.

‘Oh!!! You foolish women, it was on all the local papers. Even if they don’t know now someone is bound to tell them about it before the marriage’ her father had sounded furious.

Anvita recollected the nightmare that she had lived thorough during those days. The thoughts from those days returned to her one by one and so did the tears.

‘Never’ he shouted

‘Never in my life had police stepped into my house,’

‘Don’t you remember the story in the Kannada daily next day? Be glad that they accepted our proposal.’

‘This is the last I want to hear about it’ he added after a pause.

Anvita realized that this was the end of the conversation. There was no more anyone could say, her dad had made up his mind.

‘Talk to that foolish girl and make her understand. I don’t want anything to go wrong this time’ her father added before walking out from the room.

Anvita sunk her face into the pillow and cried.

She no longer knew or realized what troubled her. She had gone numb to everything around her since long. Anvita cried in remorse and pain unable to understand what was troubling her.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

‘Hi! Good Morning everyone I am your new Math’s teacher’ Anvita said to the perplexed faces looking up to her expectantly.

It was Anvita’s first day at work, she was the Math’s teacher for the fifth class. The current teacher had to leave suddenly and the school had been hard pressed to find a replacement for her. Luckily, for Anvita she was a gold Medalist in Math’s, which was her forte. And she also new someone very important at the school board who had been kind enough to suggest her name as an replacement.

‘Why don’t we introduce ourselves’ Anvita continued as the students still seemed very confused.

Mrs. Gupta had been a very strict teacher who never missed an opportunity to punish the kids. She was in her late fifties and belonged the old school of teachers who believed in the saying – spare the rod and spoil the child. Every student her class dreaded Mrs. Gupta. Mrs. Gupta was also famous for giving a lot of homework and was generally hated all over the school by the students. The younger kids dreaded the fact that they would soon have the face her and the seniors retched at the memories from the Math’s class. It was probably the prayers of all the students that had been the reason behind Mrs. Gupta’s sudden disappearance.

‘Can we please stand up one by one and tell everyone a little about ourselves’ added Anvita before waiting for the class to speak up.

The class continued to look at the new teacher silently without reacting.

Taking the cue and realizing the that the students were confused or frightened Anvita spoke again ‘ Ok Let me start’

‘I am Anvita, I have just joined this school as your Math’s teacher,’ she smiled before continuing.

‘I am sure all of us love Math’s. If all the other subjects are the parts of our body Math’s is the spinal cord supporting all the other subjects. Just as much as I love Math’s, I love singing. Most of my friends tell me that I am a good singer’ Anvita smiled again looking around at the eager faces.

The tension seemed have eased. And the students seemed more receptive to what she had to say. It was hard to tell if it was her beautiful face, her pleasing voice, the fact that the tyrant Mrs. Gupta was gone for good or all of these put together that made the difference. But the change was apparent.

‘Let me bring my guitar one day and then I can let you people judge for yourselves. What do you think?’ said Anvita looking eagerly for an answer. And this time the class responded. There were smiles everywhere as the students sounded a unanimous yes.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

‘Ranjan beta, wait a minute. We want to speak to you’ Ranjan heard his dad call out to him as he was about to leave the house for work.

Ranjan turned around wondering what his dad had wanted.

Rajneesh looked across to his wife for support - not that he was frightened of Ranjan but only because he understood the pain that his son was in. Ranjan had always been an obedient son, heeding to his parents every request and probably this was one of the reasons why Rajneesh found it hard to speak on this subject to his son. Rajneesh struggled for words and looked at Sunita helplessly hoping that she would fill in the void left behind by his failure to utter the words that he had so meticulously planned and rehearsed until this moment. There was an uncomfortable silence. Ranjan looked on from his father to his mother wondering what they had to say.

‘Ranjan, we have given this a lot of thought. Sunita and I have finally decided that we want to move back to Pune. We want to settle down and spend our last days peacefully in the city where we had found love’ Rajneesh blurted out in one breath.

‘But Dad’ Ranjan started to speak after what was a long pause.

‘No son, it is not sudden. And it is nothing to do with anything from your side. We had always wanted to settle in Pune after retirement. You know how much we love that city. And that was the reason why we had bought that house in Kothrud. We had imagined that we would do so once you were married and settled…..’ Rajneesh left the rest of his sentence unsaid.

Ranjan could see tears gushing out of his mothers eyes. He knew how hard it had been for his parents to make this decision. He also knew why they wanted to move back to Pune. He wondered if he would be able to convince them otherwise. Ranjan was worried about Sonu. He loved his son and wanted to provide him with all his love.

Life is mean, for it always rears its evil head when things seem to turning the tide for the better. Life is a like a game where there are constant challenges being thrown at you. Just when you are ready to rejoice having seen the back of a problem, life presents a new one that is harder than the first one.

Ranjan wondered what had happened in the intervening weeks for his parents to reach such an conclusion. He tried to recollect if there was something that he had done to hurt them, but could think of nothing in particular. Ranjan knew that it would be impossible to manage Sonu if his parents left for Pune. He was getting ready to plead his case and try to convince them. He even considered looking for a job in Pune.

‘Has something happened dad? Has someone told you something?’ he asked.

Ranjan felt helpless. He felt the same feelings return, the way he had felt when Sonu’s mom had passed away. He felt weak in the Knees. His legs had started to shake a little. But he held his fort not wanting to make his weakness evident.

His dad spoke up after what was a long time ‘No Son, we just want to move because the strain of living in a big city is getting on to us. We want a peaceful life for the rest of our days.’

‘But Sonu’ Ranjan managed before his dad started speaking again.

‘We have made up our mind and nothing you say is going to change it. Sunita has called Sashi aunty requesting her to get our house cleaned. We will be going next week, can you please book the tickets for us’

Tears streaked down his mothers face as she held onto the chair for support. His dad suddenly looked to have aged by a few years. Ranjan felt a lump in his throat, he was finding it hard to breathe. He was unable to understand why his parents were putting him through such an ordeal. But at the back of his mind he knew the real reason for his parents decision, he knew they wanted him to remarry. They were doing what they thought was good for their son. And he, their only son, the son who had always wanted to bring smiles to their wrinkled lips would have happily done anything but that.

Life, as we sometimes wonder is nothing but a series of misunderstandings - Everyone acting the a way he thinks is right, Everyone judging each action in a way that is favorable to him. And yet the tendency to classify something into good or bad is imbibed in us and we cannot but make a judgment either way. But there are no rights or wrongs to any action and there are only consequences that result from them.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

The classroom had suddenly transformed. There was so much energy and laughter all around that even Anvita would not have believed that it was the same classroom if she had not seen it firsthand.

Before long the students started to introduce themselves. Anvita listened keenly to the introductions. She had always loved little children and this was her dream come true. She would never be far from their exploring eyes and inquisitive minds. She had never felt so happy in her life. The life at school she thought was her destiny and her eternal goal.

It was soon Tanmay’s turn to introduce himself, Anvita immediately recognized him. She smiled reassuringly. But Tanmay was so frightened that nothing could comfort him any longer. He was close to tears, all he wanted was to be back with his father. He wanted to hide his face on his father’s chest and listen to the heartbeat.

‘I am Sonu’ he blurted out still lost in his thoughts

The entire class reverberated with laughter.

‘Sorry mam’ Tanmay added still looking desolately towards the new teacher.

Anvita continued to smile at Tanmay. Her pleasant face reminded Tanmay of his mother, his cheeks felt warm as the tears started to trickle down from his eyes. He felt pain, remorse, shame and loneliness all at the same time.

Anvita rushed towards him and took him into her arms. Tanmay felt the soft skin her stomach touch his cheeks as her arms embraced him. He could smell the scent of his mother.

He cried harder, not because he was saddened but he was frightened that it would all end if he stopped.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

Ranjan and Sumeet sat in the cafeteria sipping tea. Ranjan had been too disturbed to do any work since morning. Sumeet who was Ranjan’s colleague at work and also his good friend was troubled to find the lines of worry on Ranjan’s face. Sumeet had suggested that they go to the cafeteria for a tea.

They had been sitting silently with their cups in hand for a long time before Ranjan felt comfortable enough to start speaking.

‘I am moving back to Chennai,’

Sumeet looked on perplexed. He wondered what Ranjan was driving at.

‘What about Sonu?’ asked Sumeet after a long pause between them.

‘I guess it is time for him to find a place for himself in the world. It is probably our fate that has brought us here and it is time we came to terms with a life without ….’ Ranjan left the remaining sentence unfinished.

Ranjan started looking at the painting on the faraway wall wondering how life around him could be so normal when there was nothing but emptiness that he felt.

People trickled in and out of the cafeteria, unaware of the pain that surrounded the table where Ranjan and Sumeet sat.

‘What do you mean by find a place for himself?’ asked Sumeet before adding

‘I hope you are not planning on doing something foolish’

‘No, don’t worry’ Ranjan replied trying hard to smile.

Ranjan was trying but was doing a very bad job of hiding his pain. His eyes had filled up and were waiting to burst open.

‘I will admit him to a school in Panchgani. That way I will be sure that he will have my parents close by if something happens’ Ranjan wiped his eyes before continuing

‘I need sometime away from everything. I need to build my life back and staying here I will not be able to do it. Every road, every corner, every gust of wind carries her memories. I need to move to a place far away from here. And I think Chennai will give me time to heal and recover’

X ------------------------------------------------- X

Anvita held onto Tanmay for a long time before he calmed down. They finally parted, Anvita got down on her knees and kissed his cheeks before wiping his eyes dry. Later, realizing that she was in classroom where all the students where looking at her and Tanmay, Anvita started to blush.

She quickly stood up.

‘Can you introduce yourself’ Anvita said to the student sitting next to where Tanmay sat, after clearing her throat.

The introductions were done and Anvita was about to start the first lesson when the bell went off signaling the end of the period.

‘Oh! I did not realize how quickly time flew’ Anvita said smiling at the children.

‘See you tomorrow,’ she added as she collected her things before starting to walk towards the door.

Anvita stopped just as she neared the door and turned back towards the class.

‘Tanmay, can you please stop by at the staff room when you leave for the day,’ she added before turning around and leaving the class.

A few people foolishly believe that they have a choice when life itself provides ample proof to the contrary at every corner. If we ever wondered hard we would realize, we only see what we believe and we only believe what we hear.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

Tanmay had kept to himself in the last few days. He had spoken very little apart from when something was asked of him. Tanmay repeatedly watched all the videos that they had taken of him and his mother enjoying together during the holidays.

His grandfather and grandmother tried talking him out of his glum mood but failed. They had even tried reasoning with him, trying to convince him that it was important for his dad to get married.

Ranjan on the other hand had said little to Tanmay, every time he had wanted to speak the words failed to come out. It had taken Ranjan more than a week to finally find enough courage to face his son.

‘Sonu, do you realize that papa is helpless,’ Ranjan’s eyes were brimming. And he was looking at the floor unable to look his son in the eye.

‘Give papa a few years and we can stay together again, I promise. Papa has to go beta and he cannot take you to Chennai.’ Ranjan added

The time that they spent together was filled with an uncomfortable silence, where each hoped that he had been dreaming and when they woke up life would return to normal.

‘Can you please do papa a big favor, just this once Sonu. Papa will promise to come and meet you every month and then Dada, dadi will always be there near you. They will come to meet you every week’

Tanmay continued to stare at the wall.

Silence is sometimes much stronger than words, when it comes to healing pain.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

Anvita’s revulsion for her parents clouded her thoughts. She went through the proceedings without really involving herself into anything. She did not even want to look at the bridegroom.

Anvita had shouted at her mother whenever her mother had tried to talk about the subject or even wanted her to look at the photographs.

Anvita’s eyes darted trying to catch a glance of the person standing next to her, but her heart refused to give in.

She no longer cared about what happened to her life.

'What could be worse than having to stay under the same roof with her parents?' she thought

She hated her dad. But she hated her mother more for having meekly adhered to everything her dad had said.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

Ashok fiddled with the shawl as he stood next to Anvita. He did not want to go ahead with the proceedings after what had just happened. He only stood there because he did not want to make a fool of himself in front of all his friends.

He had been elated in the morning and was joyous as he got down from the car and walked towards the marriage stage. He looked around at the people who had come in and others who were streaming into the hall. He felt rich and powerful. He felt proud, for he was marrying into a family of such repute. And added to it the girl was so beautiful and well educated.

Ashok was about to enter the hall when his eyes met Praveen.

Praveen, Pradeep shattru’s son had been waiting for this moment.

Ashok looked at him menacingly. And life smiled, sneering at the turn of events; it laughed at the fact that no one could change fate.

Ashok wanted to give Praveen a resounding reply, he wanted to announce his victory. But there was something about Praveen’s face that made Ashok uncomfortable.

‘What are you so proud about, you are marrying a prostitute,’ said Praveen as Ashok passed him.

Praveen’s group of friends laughed.

Ashok stopped himself, he controlled his anger but could not refrain from turning around and enquiring from Praveen. Ashok wanted his victory to be complete, he was not going to let Praveen spoil it for him.

‘What are you talking about, you bastard’ sneered Ashok angrily rushing to take Praveen by his collar.

‘Oh don’t get angry at me, ask your father and if he does not tell you ask your Father in-law.’

Praveen turned around and left with his gang, not waiting for Ashok's reply. Praveen knew that his work was done. Victory was his.

Life laughed for it had used Praveen to roll the dice. And now the job was done.

Ashok stood there stunned not realizing what had just passed.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

Tanmay meekly entered the staff room clutching his notebook.

The Math’s teacher was talking to someone. Tanmay slowly edged closer to her fearing the worst.

‘Miss’ he managed meekly.

Anvita looked around wondering who was calling to her. Realizing that it was Tanmay she smiled patting his cheeks. All fear seemed to evaporate from Tanmay. He was not sure what was happening.

‘Chalo Shama, talk to you later’ Anvita said before turning back to Tanmay.

Anvita collected her books and walked along with Tanmay to the canteen. They both savored on the hot Maggi while Anvita asked Tanmay a lot of questions. And when they finished Anvita knew more about Tanmay than anyone at school. She felt sorry for the little kid and wanted to make him feel better.

Anvita convinced Tanmay to join her for dinner at her flat and they walked slowly holding hands.

The road was wet from the light drizzle that had visited Panchgani, as they had been eating the Maggi. The wind was filled with the sweet smell of wet mud. The trees lining the road were whispering with the wind. A few drops of water made their way on to Tanmay and Anvita.

It was getting dark, Tanmay held on to Anvita’s hand, pressing it hard.

Tanmay enjoyed the sumptuous meal that Anvita served him and also enjoyed the Television. They had limited access to Television at the hostel and the food was never this good. Tanmay was very sad when he had to leave. Anvita accompanied him to the hostel gate. She hugged him before he left and made him promise that he would drop by her house every time he felt sad or remembered his mother.

Tanmay walked back to his room, feeling happy for the first time since his mother had left him. Tanmay wished that Anvita could become his mother. And the next day morning he prayed to God hoping that his wish would be granted.

Life sometimes is like a jigsaw puzzle, waiting behind the bushes to push the pieces into place when you least expect them to. But who has known, and who can know what fate has in store for him, it has and will always remain a mystery. All we can do is hope for the best.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

Ashok rushed to where his dad and would be father in law stood discussing something.

He pulled them away from whatever they were doing.

In a wink the lights went off

In a wink the darkness stayed

In a wink life smiled at you

In a wink it all grayed

A wink is all it took, for everything to fall in place

A wink is what it took, for everything to go disarray

X ------------------------------------------------- X

Anvita was getting ready for school. She had woken up late and was rushing with her chores. It had been an exceptionally cold night and she was still trying to recover from it. She was heating the milk when she heard a loud knock at the door. Anvita rushed to the door wondering who it was at this early hour.

She was surprised to find Sonu standing at her door. He seemed very excited. She smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

‘Miss, my dad is coming to meet me this weekend’ Sonu said without waiting for her to speak. He was still panting for breath. He had probably run all the way from hostel to her flat.

‘Miss will you please meet him. I am sure you will like him’ Sonu added before rushing into the house and sitting on the cane chair on the living room.

In the weeks that had gone by Sonu had become very comfortable with Anvita. They had started spending a lot of time together. Each finding happiness, a semblance of hope that filled their empty life.

Sonu had received a telephone call from his father in the morning, informing him that his dad would be coming down to Pune for two weeks.

X ------------------------------------------------- X

End of Part II – The Matchmaker: a person who arranges or tries to arrange marriages by introducing possible mates