The next morning I reached early at my coaching class. All of our friends came there but not Rose. I was really worried why she was absconding. After my class I decided to go to her house to find out the matter. I took my bicycle and went to the street where she lived. I was not courageous enough to ring the bell and find whether she was there or not. I made nearly fifteen rounds on that street just to have a glance of Rose but my dreams ruined.
“Like a butterfly returns without nectar from flowers.
Like a sheep went for grazing in a field without grass.
Like an audience gathered to watch with no shows.
So was I returned from streets without seeing Rose.”
After three days when I reached at my class I found her vehicle at the parking stand. There was a gleam in my eyes as soon as I saw her sitting in the class. I was a bit angry with Rose so I decided not to pay attention to her. I entered the class and pretended as if I hadn’t seen her. She turned back to say something to me but our teacher came and started the lecture.
As soon as our class got over I came out fast and took my bicycle to rush back to home before Rose could come out. Back at my room I was thinking whether I had taken a right decision or not. I was a bit apprehensive about the step I took. I thought of going back to the class and talk to her but my ego didn’t allow me to do so. Nearly at 7:30 in the evening Rose called me up and asked me to come to the garden where we usually met. I was on the top of the world with that invitation from Rose. I got ready quickly and asked my father for his scooter. He asked me the purpose for which I replied by telling him a cock and bull story.
I drove very fast that day to reach there as early as I could. I found Rose sitting on a bench in the garden with her scarf and purse kept by her side. I greeted her in a soft voice and she replied with the same warmth. She looked sad. There was a kind of hesitation in her body posture. I was reluctant to initiate. She asked me why I didn’t talk to her in the morning. I was to shoot up all the anger hidden under my heart but was unable to do so.
I simply said sorry to her and asked, “Where were you for the last three days? Why didn’t you call me up?”
She explained me the reason for that in detail. It was heart throbbing to hear from her that one of her best friends had lost her mother and she was with her for three days. It was 10:15 p.m. so we decided to part.
The things went on fine for months together. Our happy days passed very fast. It was February end when the syllabus at our coaching got over. We had our exams from 23rd of March. We all departed to meet finally on the doom’s day. I and Rose went to the nearby restaurant to have a cup of tea. She said, “It’s high time to gear up for studies and so it will be better for both of us that we do not meet till our exams get over.”
I too agreed to her suggestion without analyzing its implications. We left for our homes with a promise to each other to work hard for getting good marks. This was really a good decision for the time being we agreed upon.
It was really difficult for me to concentrate on my studies as my mind was with Rose always. I used to find her face in my books or used to write “Rose” on the papers or registers of my notes. It was really a period of exile for me but by the grace of God the agonizing days got over. I saw her after long in our college at the vehicle stand. She was revising her notes. I was glad to see her after a long time. She was looking more beautiful than earlier. Her eyes were shining like diamonds kept in shells. Rose was equally excited to meet me. We greeted each other good luck for the exam and went towards our respective classrooms.
After the exam got over we sat for an hour to discuss the paper. She was more concerned about my performance and so was I for her. Our exams went for 29 days. On the last day after our exam all of us gathered at the vehicle stand and started planning for the holidays. I was very happy as Rose had already planned for a movie with me.
I got ready and waited for Rose at the pre decided place as I did not have any vehicle. Rose came a bit late so I was a little angry but didn’t reflect it to her. We reached the multiplex where she asked me to purchase tickets for “Titanic” movie. I was a bit reserved to see an English movie but for me being with Rose for the next three hours was important. We purchased a packet of popcorn and two soft drink bottles. I was literally staring at Rose rather than watching the movie on the screen.
After few minutes when Rose noticed my expressions she pinched my hand and pushed my head in the direction of the screen. I never knew when the movie caught my attention. I started visualizing myself and Rose in the characters of the movie. It was really a wonderful experience to watch such an astonishing movie with Rose. After the movie when we came out of the theatre Rose said, “Let’s go for a long ride.”
I was overwhelmed by the idea but when looked at my watch it was already 9:15 pm. I tried to convince Rose for getting back to home but she was reluctant to understand. I suggested her to go to a temple which was not very far from that place. It was really a Hobson’s choice for her so she accepted with an artificial smile on her face. After worshipping in the temple we sat on the bank of the river near the temple. The place was lonely and isolated from the crowd. The flowing water of the river was making a soothing crackling sound. The moon was shining in the clean water of the river. We were sitting quietly looking on the other side of the river.
She broke the ice and told me that her younger brother, Anubhav had got supplementary in mathematics paper in his board exams. She told me about the kind of tensions prevailing in her family. Since I was good at mathematics I offered my help to which she was flabbergasted. I told her that if she wished I could come to her place to teach her younger brother. She said that she would let me know about it if her parents agreed to this proposal. She started telling me the reasons for her brother’s failure in exams but I was just staring at her like a deaf. Not a single word entered my ears.
“The moon was charismatic and so was my Rose
But who was more appealing was a doubt in mind
One is for millions a symbol of beauty, love and warmth
The other is for me endearing, gorgeous and kind.”
We left for our homes as we were already too late. Rose dropped me at the place where I left my bicycle in the afternoon.
The next day Rose called me up and asked me to come to her house as her mother has accepted my proposal of teaching Anubhav. I was very happy as this was my first chance to get in touch with her family. I dressed myself well so as to impress her family. When I reached at her place she was waiting at the doorstep for me. I wished her mother and she welcomed me with a smile. Rose guided me to the drawing room. It was really decorated well with a lot of antiques and a soft carpet on the floor. Rose went to bring a glass of water for me while her mother came there and sat on the sofa in front of me. She asked me some questions about my family which I replied reticently. Rose brought some snacks with a glass of water which she kept on the attractive center table with a thick black glass. “What would you like to have, coffee or tea?”
Rose asked me with a smile on her face as she knew that I relish drinking tea. I was a bit hesitant in accepting the tea but Rose requested me once again or rather it was more an order to which I succumbed. While we all were having tea Anubhav came and sat near his mother opposite to me. Rose explained me his grey areas in mathematics. I asked Rose and her mother to leave us alone so that I could start teaching Anubhav.
It was now a part of my daily routine to go there to teach Anubhav. I taught him for nearly thirty days continuously to cover the syllabus. During these days I came very close to Rose’s family. Her mother always used to praise me a lot. I never knew what impressed her but I guess it should be my intelligence and simplicity. Her mother even trusted me a lot. Many a times it so happened that I and Rose sat for hours together in her drawing room gossiping but she never took it otherwise. I was now treated as a part of that family. Rose had never been to my house and even I was not courageous enough to invite her but never complained of that.
One day it so happened that when I reached Rose’s house she was not there. Her mother asked me to come inside and wait for her. I was surfing the pages of a magazine while her mother brought water for me. She insisted to have a cup of tea with her to which I agreed instantaneously. While going to the kitchen she gave me an envelope to have a look at some photographs inside it. I opened the envelope and found two photographs of a boy. They were proposal photographs as I could easily interpret by having a glance of them.
“What’s your opinion about the boy?” Rose’s mother asked me while keeping the tray in her hands on the table.
I said “He is really looking smart. But who is he?”
The answer to my question stunned me. She told me that it was a proposal for Rose which had been forwarded by her maternal Aunt. .I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. She asked me my opinion about it. What could a person overburdened with faith have answered? I also did the same by approving that boy for Rose. My mind was wagering as I was worried what to do now. I took her leave and returned to my house.
In the late evening hours Rose called me up to know why I didn’t wait for her in the afternoon. I made an easily palatable excuse. She asked me come to the park next day where we usually sit secluded from the whole world.
“She was my love and was made for me
She has to be mine and she has to be.”
As per the order of my love I was there on time. She saw a fear on my face, the fear of losing my most loveable thing. Rose asked me why I was sad. I told her that there were some personal problems in my house. She insisted on knowing the cause behind my sadness but I averted her from that issue by asking a foolish question about her brother’s studies. I tried my level best to be normal but was unable to pull the wool over Rose’s eyes. She could read what was going on in my mind. We sat for nearly two hours much of it unspoken.
The days went on and even our summer holidays passed very fast. We got our results and as known earlier to me Rose scored the highest in our group. I was happy to find her hard work repaying.
It was again time for fun with the friends at the coaching class. As usual I and Rose used to meet every day. One fine Sunday Rose and I decided to go to a temple nearly one hundred kilometers far from our place. It was planned as an outing cum picnic. I packed some eatables from my house and went to the public square near her place where we decided to meet. She was on time with her bag packed with a bed sheet and eatables. I always used to have a problem with her heavy brown coloured leather bag she always carries with her. She drove her Kinetic while I enjoyed her driving. It nearly took two hours to reach the temple but none of us felt the movement of time between our talks. The temple was on the bank of a river and surrounded with lush green lawns. We were pleased to see the picturesque scenes there.
“God created an arresting nature
With beauty spread across the ground
But for me beauty starts with her eyes
And beauty ends with her sound.”
We went to the temple to worship God. Rose was standing by my side praying to God with her eyes closed and her hands joined together. I was gazing her beauty rather than concentrating on my prayers. When she finished we came outside the temple and moved towards the bank of the river. Rose asked me what I asked from God in my prayers. I replied laughingly that I had asked for a beautiful girlfriend. She pinched my arm in jealousy and feigned anger. I said sorry to her and begged pardon for my words. We sat on the bank of river and opened our food packets. She had brought Poori and mango pickle, one of my favorite dishes and I took Laddoos for her which she likes the most.
While enjoying the delicious eatables Rose asked me about my plans for future. I told her that I would go for a post graduation in management from some reputed institute and I had already planned to join a coaching institute for its preparation. She praised my decision but was not satisfied with my answer as she intended to ask something else and I replied totally different. She filtered her question and asked me about my plans for marriage. I again made the situation odd for myself by replying that I would marry the moment I get a nice girl.
She got angry of my foolish humor but didn’t reflect that on her face. I became a bit serious then as in the backdrop of my mind there was a fear of losing Rose. I wanted to discuss the matter with Rose but couldn’t gather the strength to do so. I thought that Rose might be unaware of the issue otherwise she would have discussed it with me. I was engaged with myself suddenly Rose shook my arm and raised her eyebrows as a gesture to ask the reason for my mental absence.
She said, “If you have something in your heart you should speak it so that you will feel light and relaxed.”
I told her that there is nothing serious I was just thinking that where would we locate ourselves after marriage. Her face was blushing while she said that she would manage anywhere in this world with me. I was happy to have a love like Rose who was so cooperative. While sitting hand in hand we painted our future with lively colours for nearly three hours. Rose decided to help me by working in the initial years of our family life and I insisted that she should be at home taking care of our daughters.
How powerful the dreams are
They take you to your future
We were not even engaged
But planned for our future.
We returned to our place at nearly 7:45 p.m. Rose was a bit afraid as she took a permission from her parents only till 5:00 p.m. I suggested Rose to accompany her to her house. I knew that her mother would not scold her for being late if I told her that Rose was with me. Rose didn’t like the idea, as she never wanted me to get a bad name in her family. She went alone to face the music. I returned to my house with a dream woven by Rose and me.
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