The things went on smoothly for weeks together. Rose and I started behaving like couples. We used to quarrel and used to enjoy each others company for hours together. I was preparing for CAT exam to get admission into IIMs. I started taking tuitions to earn money to meet my personal expenses but Rose was unaware of that. Rose used to motivate me for studying hard as our future was dependent on my career. She asked me not to see her till my exam was over. I was sad to accept her suggestion as it was only 20th October and CAT was scheduled on 7th December.
In the fitness of things I decided to concentrate more on preparation of CAT. After that day we didn’t meet each other as I took leave from my coaching class. I put best of my efforts to crack CAT. One day while combing my hair I saw the calendar hanging near the mirror of my room. It was 23rd November, Rose’s birthday. I planned not to study that day, as I would spend the whole day with Rose. I went to the market and bought a beautiful Barbie doll for Rose, as she liked playing with dolls at this age also. She was still a cute naughty teenage girl from her heart. I thought of rushing straight away to her house to wish her but something in mind restricted me to do so.
I called up Rose to wish her Happy Birthday. She invited me to her house but I requested her to come to our favorite place, the garden where we usually met. She was on time there with a big packet in her hand. I wished her and handed over the gift. I asked her to guess what was inside that parcel to which she laughingly said, “I know it’s a doll.”
I was unhappy to hear the right answer, as the suspense was brutally killed. I took out the cake and lit candles on it. Rose blew all the candles while I sang the birthday carols for her substantiated with my clapping. She cut the cake and put a piece in my mouth and I also did the same. Rose gave me a peck on my right cheek to which I was happily surprised. She expected the same from me by forwarding her face towards me but I was not courageous to respond in the desired manner. I slowly patted her cheek with my cold hand and she laughed at my shyness. We sat there for half an hour talking about my preparations for the exam. Rose motivated me to put more efforts and wished me good luck. We left the place and returned to our homes.
“My target was Rose, not CAT
The aim was quite apparent
As it seems to be perceptible
this was reasonably evident”
I started working sincerely for CAT. Though Rose and I never met till my exam but we used to talk on telephone. I was ready to shoot for my target with all my efforts. On 6th December I received a call late in the evening from Rose. She wished me good luck for my exams. I was leaving for Jaipur which was my examination center. I went to Jaipur and appeared for my exam which was justified to my preparations. I was but a bit apprehensive of the results as I had already heard that CAT is the most unpredictable exam. While on the journey by a bus I was planning to meet Rose and see her. My heart beat was ringing in my ears due to excitement, as it was a long time I had seen Rose. I reached my house at 9:00 p.m. My mother asked about my exam and prepared a cup of tea for me. I called up Rose and told her about my exam in detail and asked her to meet me in the garden at 10:00 a.m. as I would not go to the coaching class the next day. I went to the garden early and was waiting desperately for Rose to come though it was only 9:30 by my watch.
“Love made me obsessive
Love made me edgy
Love made me passionate
Love made me nervy”
She came at sharp 10 o’clock. She was looking more beautiful and amorous. It was first time Rose came without locking her long shining black hair. She was wearing Salwaar Kurta and a black leather jacket, as it was too cold that day. I was staring at her while she was walking towards me with a striking smile. Rose looked more a Punjabi girl in that attire. She sat by my side on the bench and put her soft warm hand over mine. She was looking like an angel with her beautiful eyes sliding on the grass of the garden. Rose looked extremely gorgeous and attractive when she used to control her smile with her lips tightly pressed between her teeth. There was a glow in her eyes which looked like on hunting spree always.
She asked me about my exam to which I gave her the total details starting from the point I landed in Jaipur. She crossed her fingers for everything to be all right. She prayed for me there itself with her hand joined and eyes closed. I was staring at her while she was chanting prayers for my success. Rose, my love was so chaste, holy, honorable and amiable. She was so concerned and caring that she touched my soul with her behavior. To make a confession I liked Rose for her eyes, smile and voice. I wanted to record her voice and hear for years but was unable to do so as I didn’t have a voice recorder. I wanted to catch her beautiful eyes and smile but couldn’t do so as I didn’t have a camera. She pushed me with her ankle as I was lost in her beauty. We laughed loudly for the unspoken reasons. Rose and I stayed there for nearly three hours discussing our future. We parted and returned to our homes.
It was the coldest January I had ever experienced. I never used to wear woolen clothes while Rose used to come packed with gloves and scarf as she was very sensitive to cold. At our tuition class the syllabus was rushing like anything as the exams were scheduled in March. We started preparing ourselves to appear for the final exams. There was a sense of nervousness as all of us were worried about our careers. It was really a big question troubling our minds. Though I was clear about my goal but still used to get worried with the discussions we had. Rose never thought to be a professional woman. I wanted her to pursue management like me but didn’t impose my decisions on her. She was completely baffled about her future goals. Rose asked me to accompany her to Anubhav’s school for getting his results. We went to her house to pick Anubhav. It was really difficult to manage three on her Kinetic but somehow we managed.
We went to the office of the school and took his result. I was tensed as if it was my result. To our surprise he scored 83% marks in mathematics. All of us were overwhelmed. Anubhav was so excited that he jumped in the air and was unable to control his feelings. There was a sense of satisfaction in me for the efforts I had put to teach him. We decided to have a small celebration but suddenly I remembered that it was Saturday and as usual I was on fast. Rose invited me to lunch on the next day at her house. They dropped me at the tuition center from where I picked my bicycle to reach home.
I put a new dress and bought a pen set for Anubhav. When I reached her place she welcomed me with the same moving smile. While I was sitting there Anubhav came with a glass of water. I patted his back and congratulated him once again with the gift. Firstly he hesitated but when Rose insisted he accepted my gift. Rose’s mother was busy in the preparations for the lunch and her father was out of station. Anubhav said sorry to me as he was to go for a movie with his friends. Rose and I were more reticent as the place required being. Her mother called us for the lunch which was arranged on the dining table near the kitchen. I was well fed with the love and affection of her mother. I thanked Aunty for the delicious lunch. Rose smiled and waved her hand from the backside of Aunty to which I didn’t respond because of fear.
The next day when I went for my tuition class I found Rose standing with a red rose in her hand. I was a bit confused and thought, “Is it Valentine’s Day today?”
She came rushing towards me and wished Happy Birthday handing over the lovely rose to me.
“Oh! God, its 6th January.”
Rose laughed at my words and expressions. We decided to bunk the lecture that day for a celebration and left the place before our other friends could join us. We went to the nearby confectionery to buy some eatables. Rose insisted to buy a cake for me but I convinced her for pastries and some snacks. We went for a long drive to reach the farm house of my friend. She took out a bed sheet from her bag and arranged everything on it. I was judging the pre-planning of Rose while helping her to unpack the packets of snacks.
Rose and I started enjoying the yummy pastries and other eatables. She asked me when I would take her to my house to introduce her to my family members. I never thought of this situation during our relationship. I started breathing fast just with the imagination of the situation when I would tell my parents about Rose and me. To handle the situation I asked Rose whether she had revealed about our relation to her parents. She moved her head to assert “no” as her answer. This was the first time I thought that Rose and I did not belong to the same community. We were living in a society embedded with the boundaries of caste, creed and religion. What would happen if my parents did not accept Rose? What would I do if her parents did not accept our marriage? While I was occupied with these thoughts, Rose was also in a state of void. I asked Rose to leave the matter for the day and celebrate my Birthday.
Though we started discussing other issues but still the matter was alive there in the backdrop of our minds. It was very dark when we looked around. I saw the time in my wrist watch. Oh! God it was 7:30 p.m. I asked Rose to get up fast and pack everything. She didn’t respond even by listening to the time. I again asked Rose to move quickly as we were already too late. She pulled me down and requested to sit for a while. I was unable to read her mind for the first time since I knew her. She put her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes. I wanted to say something but she put her finger on my lips to make me quiet. Within few minutes she slept with her head resting on me. There was a different kind of feeling in me which I was unable to express. It was really difficult to control the thoughts and emotions rushing in my mind. I didn’t want to disturb Rose so was sitting without any movements. Nearly after an hour she awoke and we packed our baggage and left for our place.
“The atmosphere raised unusual feelings
I experienced different sensations
God granted me strength and serenity
So I managed to control my emotions”
I spent a sleepless night with the images of the day hovering around me. I thanked the almighty for the tranquility, astuteness and control he had blessed me with.
The days passed very fast and the syllabus at the tuition got over. I received some group discussion and personal interview calls from some of the reputed CAT allied institutes. I was now busy in preparing for that. Rose and I used to meet at least once a day in spite of my busy schedule. I saved nearly twenty nine thousand rupees within six months by taking tuitions at home. I appeared for CET Maharashtra for getting a good management college in Pune to keep an option for me. I got selected for a management college in Pune in the month of March. I was on the top of the world when I got the news. I went straight away to Rose’s house to share my happiness with her. Her parents congratulated me and blessed me for success in the near future.
Rose was so happy that she was unable to put words to her happiness. She asked me to concentrate on the final year exams now as it was hardly a week for the exams to start. Rose helped me a lot to get good marks. She used to teach me for hours together as I had missed a number of my sessions at the tuition class. I put the best of my efforts to score good in the final year. Our exams went on fine and all of our friends at the coaching did well.
I felt relaxed after months as the burden of exams was over and I was to join my college in Pune in the first week of July. I was worried about Rose as I could not leave her alone. I suggested Rose to take admission in one of the management colleges in our city. I convinced her mother and Rose got admission in the college. I was now a happy man because I knew that now Rose’s parents would not think about her marriage for two years and even I wanted Rose to go for a management course.
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