Short Story Love – Love
Photo credit: rachjose from morguefile.com
I got a face like wet week-end, when I had to share my berth with a man who is almost my age; 21 or 22 years old. His moustache shrivelled in long beard. Crystal clear glass on his eyes which were busy in reading English book called Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler. His gesticulate brought a heavy signal in my body, he looked like a dictator, and overall he was looking like an old Hindi villain ‘Prem chopra’. He did not see at me, he was busy in reading.
‘How will you manage? Are there women in your compartment?” My mother was tensed and making me tensed by throwing many questions and the reason is I am travelling alone in a train in sleeper couch and more on that my ticket was RAC. Dad asked if he can book AC couch but I refused to waste his money. When reached my seat, I was shocked and literally nervous.
“Excuse me…. shall I…..!” I show my hand indicating I am willing to sit here on other side of the seat. He removed his headphone which covered his whole ears. He took his luggage and kept under the seat.
“RAC” I said him “Did you try to get seat somewhere with TC” I continued the conversation with him; I just wanted him to get out this berth.
“Not yet. If TC comes I will try otherwise we should adjust here” he answered and kept his headphones back.
“Hello madam, you can sleep here but I will sit at one corner since there are no free berths in Train. I just inquired with TC” his loud voice awoken me, it was 12 AM and I fell asleep on my bag. He introduced me just to make me comfortable but I was not interested in him and did not listen anything.
“Wellcome to Bangalore City’ I heard the announcement and suddenly I woke up. Most of the passengers vacated their seat and few were searching for their chappals and luggages. I saw the person who was sitting at the corner but he was already moved out of the train.
“Hey, Kuvira…. hey… here” I heard my name. It was Kalpita. I am going to take admission in her college. She is my cousin and works in MNC where I am joining as a trainee. I called my parents and informed them about my journey and the person who took my safety responsibility.
“What’s wrong with these people why are they making so much of noise around me? Oh.. What’s wrong with me? Why am not able to lift my hands, my body has pain, it’s an unendurable pain. This siren making me nasty, why this siren is following me?”all these thoughts surrounded me, before I could understand what is happening
“I feel like a wretched soul, a sinking ship” I lost my consciousness. Now my mind is calm, am unaware of what is going on around me. It seems I was injected with an aesthetic which made me unconscious. After some time I heard someone crying but I could not hear it properly I guess it was my Kalpita ,”She is not responding to the treatment” I heard someone telling to her. Kalpita hold my hand said “I am culprit, I am responsible for this”, a tear fell on my hand and rolled down. I tried to open my eyes but could not. I tried to open my mouth and ask about Kalarav but oxygen mask did not allow me to speak.
“Where is Kalarav?” My first question to the people who were surrounded me. Kalpita put her neck down when I asked again the same question.”
“He did not come to see you. His phone is switched off” I got this answer after 1 month when I was recovering. Perhaps! Reward for loving someone so badly is “Missing & Crying”. They say “Time heals any type of wound” what if time hits that wound? Kite of life had been cut. I was standing there, still there, all alone. It seems, he took step back; vroom away permanently from my life. My world came to a standstill.
“How are you doing, Kuvira?” Doctor asked me when I came to hospital with Crutches after 3 months. It took almost 3 months to come out of coma.
“Yes, now you are fit and fine. You can travel now”doctor said after my regular check-up done when I asked if I can travel and join office again.
“Try walking without crutches” doctor suggested me just before my exit. I cried my eyes out when Kalarav came in my mind, I shrived and cried. I sit here wondering, is there a way out? I keep looking but nothing is found. The only thing that crosses my mind is to find something to end it all. I know that eventually I’ll find something, but I’m not sure what. If I did find something, I wouldn’t know it, nor would I? I’m alone in the dark and trying to find something that I can’t see or feel….With heavy heart;I started my journey towards Bengaluru.
“2 months to go for our marriage” I sighed and a drop of tear rolled down from eyes and fell on my hand where I have a tattoo written KK between a heart.
“Today its first day and you are late!”trainer interrogated to a late comer. He gave some silly reason and finally it was his time to introduce to himself to the whole class. I was in cloud nine. It was time for me to know about him and I was very curious to know because he is the same guy whom I met in the train last night. That time I did not listen to him because my perception about him was different as he was stranger to me. I felt bad about my self when i realised he slept below the berth allowing me to sleep.
I did not understand anything except “Kalarav” because he spoke in his mother tongue, later I came to know he is Kannadiga.
“Excuse me..! Excuse me..!….! “I followed Kalarav
“Do..do you remember me?” I asked Kalarav after our class at corridor. He smiled and left the corridor without saying a word.
“disgusting. Egoistic fellow. Never talk to him” I thought and decided in my mind.
“I spoke to him today but he didn’t give damn to me” I threw my phone on bed and went to bathroom to get fresh. “Whom did you meet and with whom did you speak?” Kalpita asked me while putting cigarette in between her lips. I informed her about my conversation with Kalarav.
That day I did not sleep, I was thinking about him. First time when I met him in train I hated him but something happened, I did not sleep that day.And I guess I was waiting for morning and meet him again.
“Hi… I am Kuvira, I believe you remember me” I asked him when I met him in front of our training room.”Hi, yeah I know” he replied.” Finally opened your mouth”I murmured. “I saw you yesterday evening in my street; you were doing some street play” I continued my questionnaire to Kalarav who always thinks a lot speaks less.
“Yes, I do street dramas for awareness” he replied, and stepped forward and stopped suddenly “Are you interested in plays? He questioned back.
I said “YES” but I swear I never interested in Dramas but I do not know how ‘Yes’ came from me.
“You introduced yourself in Kannada that day, but it’s MNC and one has to use the common Language English”.
I think he did not think it’s mandatory to answer all my questions and kept going towards his bike. I followed him asking questions just like he is a politician and I am a journalist.
“Tonight we have a play would you like to join us” He offered me to join his troop
“I do not know your languages how will…” I was in confusion
“Talent did not require any language” he smiled and started his bike. I was standing like dumb!?
“Should I drop you somewhere?” He stopped few meters and asked me. I took drop from him. From that day we became good friends. I met few of his friends who are least interested 6 to 9 jobs but very interested in Plays, dramas. They write plays and they have their own team to play them, to make people aware about the AIDS, Cancer, Paying TAX on time, sending kids to school, importance of education and many more. They all are Kannadigas and I belong to North India which makes me to stay back in their conversation. Though Kalarav knows Hindi, he merely speaks as he is devotee of Kannada Language.
It’s already two years passed; we are together as a best friend in same company and same project.
“Are you serious, you did not tell him yet?” Kalpita asked me when we were out to have coffee in CCD.
“I am afraid, if he says no. I do not want him to lose. Who knows what is there in his mind” I shrugged.
“If a boy is friendly with a girl for two years that means you both are in Love” Kalpita put her coffee mug and thrown my mind in ocean of thoughts.
“So… So you want me to talk to him?” I let out a long sigh.
That day we discussed about our small fights, messages we send, late night talks, friendship day gifts, food we exchanged, trips with friends and many more. I thought YES I think am in love with him but how to tell him whether he also feels the same about me, what if he put me in friend zone? So many questions rolled in my mind.
Finally, decided one day to propose him in his language. Took help from a college who is a Kannadiga and met him “ Nangeneenuandre ISHTA, Madveagtiya? (I like you, will you marry me?)” Somehow I managed the language flow and proposed him.
“kurvi, are you gone mad, we are just friends” Kalarav replied.
I felt like my heart is in a commode & he has just pressed the flush button, heart sank.
“Kurvi…Kurvi. i am sorry. I Love you too” i heard the voice with laugh and it was Kalpita and Kalarav.
“Yes, Kurvi…! kalpita already told me about your feelings and I was in love with you from the day first when we met in training but…..” I interrupted him and kissed him and hugged him tightly.
I am in full of the joys of spring; I got the answer what I wanted to hear from him. Days passed and flying like life is just a bowl of cherries.
It was his birthday and he was dull “What’s wrong with you, it’s your birthday. Instead of enjoying you are sad?” i asked him in pub where we were gathered to celebrate his birthday.
“My parents are forcing me to get married to a girl whom they like” kalarav blasted bomb on me. His words hit my heart that I had a lump in my throat I fell down and cried out louder which he never expected. He showed a photo of that girl which brought smile on my face, it was my photo. I hugged me so tightly that I never hugged him before.
I met his parents and they gave green signal to us and Kalpita helped me in convincing my parents for marriage. As kalarv wished, our marriage date fixed on 1st of November; on Karnataka Rajotsav. Still we had 6 moths to go to get married; we were like in seventh heaven.
“Can you come along with us; we are going for trekking on bike. It’s one day trip” Kalpita called me. Kalarav did not agree to go on bike for first time but somehow I convinced him.
“Hey look out, Kuvira” Kalpita shouted when I was overtaking a bus in Highway and suddenly a car hit me from front in one-way where a car driver from other side lost his control and entered in our lane and hit me. I saw few people were lifting me, I do not know what happened to me later but I was able to hear the sounds.
Before I knock the door, the door opened “Kuvi!….!” Kalarav burst in to tears. His throat was closed & voice cord totally jammed he hugged me tightly in front of his parents. His parents were silent and they did not speak to me.
“I came to know what you went through, Kalarav” I whispered and turned to his parents who were still silent. The day when I came to know the call off of my marriage I tried to reach kalarav many times but could not. When reached his friend He told me what has happen and happening in Kalarav family.
“Mamma and papa, I understand your troubles. oh O char Log kya kahenge (What people will say) problem if your son gets married to a accident victim but it was not my fault. I did not do any mistake it was my fate but your decision of call off of our marriage is not good. What if this has happened after marriage? if this happened to kalarav and my parents rescinded the marriage?”
I came to know from my family that Kalarav parents changed their decision as not to have me as their Daughter-in-Law. They strictly ordered and emotionally blackmailed him as they will suicide if he come to meet me when I was in hospital. First time I saw tears in a strong man who was crying like a kid.
“Kyu Papaji, ab to mai thik hogayeehu, Kar do ab to Vardaan apka bete ka. Banalo muje apni gharki bhahu (Now am fit and fine, allow us to get married)” I delivered some dialogues (which I saw in movies and daily soaps when I was in Bed rest). “Enheltira?Nim mane sose madkotira? (What you say, will you allow me to be your Daughter- in-Law)” again dialogues came from my mouth and this time in Kannada.
“We are very sorry Kuvi, we thought like a typical Indian parents” Kalarav mother came near to me holding my hand she said. “Being elder we acted like a kids and tried to break your love. Kalarav suffered a lot and you too. We are glad that you both love so much” My father in law added. We all hugged and once again I in Cloud nine.
There is no end for Love; there is no end for feel affection. Fight for your Love till you get it. It’s not obligatory to have all love stories have heartbreaking Endings
–END–
