Love Short Story – Broken pieces of a promise (1)
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In our life sometime such situations come, when we are not able to stop our tears falling from eyes irrespective of place where we are and position at which we are. If they have decided to leave our eyes, it is impossible to hold them. In such situations our endless efforts does make it. Today, same situation arise in his life, when his own eyes, his own tears are not obeying him; his tears are ready to roll down through cheeks and want to fall on barren land of thoughts.
After concluding the budget meeting held, prior to budget session on most critical revenue issues being part of his bureaucratic job, he gave a at his phone, it showed six missed calls. All were from his mother’s number and that was enough to make him tensed. He immediately left the conference hall and moved towards his cabin. While sitting on the chair he dialed his mother’s number.
“Haan Maa. Tell me, what is the urgent matter”
Mother replied “Chirag beta gajab ho gaya.”
“What happened Maa? Hope everything is fine there.” He asked, showing concern towards his dear mother.
“We are all right, nothing happened to us.” On hearing that he took a sigh of relief.
Mother continued “Do you remember the tuition teacher in our neighborhood in Kanpur who taught you Math and Chemistry in tenth standard? She had taught to your sister too.”
He suddenly slipped into the river of thoughts on hearing the word tuition teacher, remembering the name and face of that girl. How can he forget that girl, how can he forget that face? Within few seconds overcame from all thoughts, came to the present; he has to make his mother unaware of all these thoughts.
He acted “Maa I don’t remember? What was the name?”
Even in the most unconscious stage of mind, he could have told that name, the name which had been attached to his breathe. The name from which he had been getting inspiration, motivation, and strength. Everything belongs to him begins with that name. The name itself has the meaning “the beginning”. He had not forgotten that name and face for the last fifteen years and his mother asked “Do you remember that girl; that name?” Any way, he acted that if he was the least bother person.
His mother continued telling the most disastrous incident and told that the lady Ithi is no more, she died a week back. Without giving ear to other words, he lost all of his consciousness and strength at once. His phone slide off from hand and fell down on table. His legs started trembling. He just dragged himself till the point where couch was lying inside rest room section of the cabin.
Mother was saying hello…hello…hello. From this side, there was no response at all. A silence had been scattered over the room. A stream of tears started flowing from his eyes which was resting there for the last fifteen years. He wondered, why his heartbeats have not stopped, why blood is still flowing through veins and lost into an ocean of memories, left behind.
FIFTEEN YEARS BACK
Chirag came from school and was very upset as the result of half yearly exam had been declared same day… he could not make two papers clear. He had no hopes no dreams about his future…just wanted to clear all papers. He was not interested in studies at all. Any how he wanted to go to next class. His father enquired about the result and he showed the report card. His father consulted with his mother and they decided to send him for private tuition. One of his friend suggested that there is very efficient teacher in their neighborhood and his own daughter used to go to that tuition class. They decided to send him to that teacher for tuition class. As he was very shy, not willing to go for tuition class, mother convinced him.
Next day evening he went unwillingly to class for the first time alongwith his mother. His mother introduced him to the teacher. Teacher, the most beautiful girl with most beautiful smile, he had seen in his life so far. Long hair roughly tied in a knot, pink and green colored pattern churidar set, simple yet elegant. Her lustful eyes were blinking like lighted earthen lamp. Her presence soothed his senses. Students used to call her Ithi didi. Didi means “elder sister”.
He did not want to call her Ithi didi so he called her Ithi ji in similar manner that sounds “Ithi didi”. when she was talking to his mother, he was just staring at her, she noticed and told him to sit and open his books, pointing on an empty chair. That was an embarrassing moment. He did not want to make a bad impression. But those words really appeared unforgettable melodious music to his ears. That was the first interaction with his tuition teacher. Already there were five more students studying in that room. She was very polite. She was the best teacher he had seen, her way of teaching was very different from other teachers. She never got angry to her students. Once she started defining things every doubt of student will be cleared.
At the time of class he started paying special attention. He found her very knowledgeable in her subject of teaching. He was very happy to have such a nice teacher in his life. He kept on waiting eagerly for tuition class. To impress the teacher he started working hard on studies, within two months with hard work and dedication (dedication to impress tuition teacher) he was among the top rank holders in his class at school.
He scored a decent score in his tenth class exam which he had never expected. He went to show his result card to his tuition teacher. He hit on the door bell, as she opened the door, he showed his marksheet and could not say a single word. After examining the marksheet she congratulated and patted on his back. That day he felt himself on the seventh sky of joy. Whole night he was dreaming about that patting hand on his back and cheerful smiling face. Now he had two faces one happy face for result and another side very sad as he will not be able to see his favorite teacher. Daily in the evening he used to go on terrace in the expectation to see the face of his teacher. Sometimes he succeeded in his mission, sometimes he did not.
Days were passing. His family members planned to go to his village in summer vacation for one month. He gave many excuses for not going but all became futile. He had to visit his mother’s place too. That period of one month seems hundred years. Every now and then he wanted to come back to Kanpur. Now he realized that he cannot live without seeing her. Her cheerful smile was fresh air in the morning to him. He was missing her a lot. Earlier, whatever things gave him happiness and pleasure, those became meaning less. He kept on thinking about only one name one face, his tuition teacher’s face. May be he was in love. Yes…innocent first love or something like “Love at first sight”.
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(To be continued…)
