Short story series. Love Jihad.

Love Jihad.

     Bengaluru was at its climatic best in November. The pleasant climate was just the right time to go around romancing for the twosome.

     Syed and Gayatri.

     Syed was a Muslim migrant from Kashmir Valley, who had settled down in Bengaluru, since he was 10 years of age. His parents chose the place as it had good climate and living conditions. They had a family business of carving wooden furniture and artifacts. Syed had learnt the art from his father. He was educated as well with a graduate degree, but he could not find a good job. So he took to his family business. A staunch Muslim, he went for his prayers 5 times to the nearby Mosque.

     Gayatri was a South Indian Shaivite Hindu girl, deeply engrossed into the Literature World. She enjoyed the poetic Sangams her father recited and the Carnatic music her mother played. She was a graduate with a Major in English Literature. She enjoyed being with friends and often went out with them. Though she was from a conservative family, she was a modern, bold and carefree girl.

     That day she was waiting for her best friend at their favorite Café. Café 42, a rooftop café in Indiranagar. It had been their favorite spot with friends since their college days. She enjoyed the Poetry Recitations held there. She was anxiously waiting for Renisha, her closest friend. Sitting there in the ambience of Art and Literature, she went down memory lane. It had been 5 years since she last visited the place.

     She remembered the day when Renisha had introduced her to Syed, who was Renisha’s friend. Tall, handsome, well mannered, a personality difficult to resist. As he entered, their eyes exchanged glances and something clicked. Initially, they had formal introductions that slowly bloomed into intimacy and love with time. They were serious about their relationship. They wanted to legalize it with marriage, but the geographical divide had created a barrier between them. He a North Indian and she a South Indian.

    She remembered the day which was just like this day, when she was waiting for Sonia.                                                         “Hi Gayatri! Nice to see you.” said Sonia.

“Hi Sonia! I have been waiting for you since an hour. What kept you so long? How are you? It’s a pleasure to see you after a long time.” Said Gayatri.

“Oh yes dear. My boss is a rogue. He took away my one hour. Sorry dear.” Sonia apologized.

They sat together chatting for a while. Sonia felt some uneasiness in Gayatri’s talk. She asked straightaway,                       “Gayatri, what is the matter? You sound confused and quizzical. Can I help you in anyway?”

“It’s just that I am unable to convince my parents about Syed. You know how it is. Our caste, our religions are poles apart. I do understand my parent’s situation, but still, I cannot live without Syed. He is my life. I have called him here as well. So that we can sit and find some solution. That is the reason I called you here.” Gayatri replied thoughtfully.

Sonia was a practicing lawyer and also a very practical and down to earth person. She could find solutions to problems very easily. Gayatri always admired her for it and so she chose to seek her advice.

Syed and Gayatri didn’t mean to fall in love. But love happens when you least expect it. It creeps up suddenly. When someone needs attention, care, conversation, laughter and maybe even intimacy. Love doesn’t look at logic, or at backgrounds and least of all, religion.

Gayatri was from a very conservative South Indian family and went to a temple every Saturday. Syed bought goats for his family every Eid. That said it all. Their paths would never have crossed if it hadn’t been for that fateful day. That day when he walked into the coffee shop. Gayatri wondered if destiny chose our loved ones for us. Did we have any role to play at all?

She looked at her watch. Syed was late. They met every Thursday at five pm to catch up. Their conversation lasted for hours. Sometimes at the café, sometimes in his car, sometimes in places that she could never tell her friends about. They would never understand. And yet Syed made her happy.

Suddenly her phone beeped. He had sent a message. “On my way. Have something important to tell you.”

Gayatri stared at it and realized she had knots in her stomach. Thoughts flooded her mind. What did he want to tell her?

Here she was waiting for him to discuss matters with Sonia and now he had something to tell her. ‘What could it be?’ She thought. She had till then given Sonia the complete picture of their relationship, of their parent’s reactions, their decisions, their problems, everything.

Sonia felt that Gayatri was getting impatient and insecure about the relationship. The constant social pressure and her own emotions were playing havoc with her. She could feel her inner turmoil. She wanted to help her in coming out of the situation. At a certain point Gayatri broke down. Among deep sobs she said, “Sonia I am feeling so helpless. I don’t know what to do. One side is my love and on the other side are my parents. I do not want to hurt or leave either of them. How can I do that? My parents have made me what I am today and Syed has given me the love and care that any girl would yearn for but few could find it.  He loves me truly, selflessly. I am unable to find any faults in him till now. He also respects my parents. Then why this barrier of religion and caste? He is not even asking me to adopt his religion. Why can’t we live a secular life? My mother always keeps on saying that they are descendents of the Aryan race and we are the Dravidians. They eat a lot of meat and wheat as their staple food and we eat fish, coconut and rice. Now you tell me, is that a reason to part from the love of your life? So absurd.  I just don’t understand what to do.” Gayatri was getting hysterical.

Sonia replied in a concerned tone, “It’s Ok Gayatri, control yourself. We will think it out and find a solution. Let Syed come.” Gayatri went on, “Syed is also facing the same situation in his family. He is educated, skilled, intelligent, running his family business successfully, then too he is helpless where his family comes. We are trying to convince them in whatever way we possibly can, but to no avail. It’s been four years, we are in a relationship. I am 26 now and he is 28. We are close to the age for marriage, but still we can’t get married. Syed often goes to Delhi for his business trips. He asks me to join him, but how can I go for days together when just one weekly meeting with him has become difficult. I am fed up with this kind of life now. I just can’t carry on like this. There has to be a solution. Sonia please help me.”

Just then Syed entered the Café. All smiles. Gayatri was confused and disappointed. What was making him smile when she was in such a chaotic state of mind? Syed came and sat beside her. He gave her a quick hug and smiled. Sonia was amused to see him in a good mood. Gayatri looked at him quizzically, “What is it Syed? Here I am in such a bad state of mind and you are smiling? What is it?”

Syed took her hand in his and said looking towards Sonia, “We have found a solution we don’t have to worry about anything anymore. I have received a very good business proposal to start my business abroad in Canada. I have convinced my parents for our marriage. They have agreed to it that we go abroad and settle there. They were against the marriage due to social constraints. You know how it is in our Muslim society. Once we are there they won’t have to answer people’s absurd questions.” He looked at Gayatri lovingly. She was dumbfounded. She could not believe her ears. Sonia jerked at her hand and said, “Congrats, see!! I told you. There is always a solution for every problem. Now stop getting jittery and rejoice.”

Gayatri came to her senses and felt very happy. Now it was her parents whom she had to convince. She took Sonia’s help for doing so. After a month they were at the International Airport, awaiting their flight, with both the families to see them off.

She suddenly realized, it had been five years to that day. She was back in India for a short visit now. Syed had stayed back in Canada due to his business engagements. They were well off and happy. Renisha was her closest friend and she was meeting her that day to greet her and to celebrate, as both of them had got married on the same date. She in Canada and Renisha in Bengaluru. They were meeting for the first time after marriage. Just then Renisha entered the café, with a cute baby in her arms. Renisha was glad to see Gayatri and her baby boy fast asleep in a cradle beside her chair.

They enjoyed the entire evening, talking, laughing, gossiping and exchanging their views of married life. Renisha’s was an arranged marriage and Gayatri’s a love marriage. So they had ample to talk about and they did not want to miss out on anything. And they both agreed at the end of the day that Love had no boundaries, geographical, political or religious.

Love was only love. Pure, Divine, unblemished.

Gayatri told Renisha what she had once heard Syed saying, that Love and Jihad were the two opposite poles. The word Jihad had lost its real meaning, which was to fight against the evil that rests within our own self and not outside,  towards other human beings. People and politics had made Jihad a weapon to fight against humanity and against countries in the name of religion. They enjoyed the evening and bade good bye to each other as Gayatri was flying back to Canada the next day, with her heart filled with love and more love for Syed. He had taught her such a good lesson of life. To understand and love humanity.

Short story series. Life and Loss.

Life and Loss.

She had settled down in Mumbai since last 7 years. Initially it was a very difficult and unfamiliar environment, as her hometown was in the beautiful Nilgiri District of Tamil Nadu, in the lap of nature.  A place of beautiful mountains, waterfalls and grasslands. Now she had adapted to the highly populated place and mechanical lifestyle of the city of Mumbai. Though it was a completely contradictory life, she had to adjust to it as her circumstances had brought her here,  after the landslide and complete destruction of her ancestral home, losing her entire family in the catastrophe. Her qualification and her own self was all she had. Perturbed and penniless she decided to travel far away from her hometown to keep away from the grief and melancholy of the place.

      Once in Mumbai, she managed to get a decent job with her intelligence and competence. She stayed at a girl’s hostel and worked hard to establish herself.  She was sitting in her office cabin that day. A little sad and lonely.  The designation on the name plate read,

                                                                         Mira Nathan.                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                            Chief Executive Officer, HRD.

Her nervously fluttering eyes glimpsed around the office and rested on the designation plate.  HRD, Executive officer,  it read.  And her thoughts flew back and forth through the years that had gone and the experiences, bitter and sweet, that she had before reaching this position.

      A knock on the cabin door brought her to the present with a jolt. Prashant walked in. He was her colleague and a good friend. They always discussed their work projects and life problems. He had been a great help and guide to her in various matters. Prashant was an over ambitious person, willing to take undue risks to attain his profits. And Mira always opposed him in his risky endeavors.

      That day Prashant had offered Mira a deal.  It was regarding illegal transfer of information from their official business transactions.  The documents that dealt with the transactions with a Multinational company.  Prashant had received an offer worth crores to get the information, but it would not be possible without Mira’s help. He gave her a fifty-fifty offer for it.  The offer had made Mira nervous and a bit edgy.  She did not know what to do. She had always lived her life on her values.

     He walked into her cabin and sat down. He put forth the entire plan and asked her about her final decision, whether she would help him or not.  Mira was apprehensive of herself. She had tossed and turned all night but could not make any decision. Her values and her priorities were holding her back.  Prashant said in an edgy tone, ‘Mira, why don’t you answer me? Is it a deal or not? I do not have time to wait till eternity. We do it now or never. I am not going to wait for you. Please decide and let me know in half an hour. I am waiting for your answer.’                                                                                                                               And he walked out of the cabin.

      She sat there silent, motionless, perturbed.  Her entire life came afloat in her eyes, her poverty, her misery, her circumstances, her sufferings, and her loss.  Contradictorily she was in a good social and financial position now. Why should she give in all she had achieved for a fraud that would ruin her life again.  Why should she cheat her firm, which had given her the respectable status and position. She could not decide. She was restless. Time was moving fast. She had thirty minutes in hand to make the decision that would change her entire life.  Once again she was in a dilemma.  Before seven years she had faced this situation and now she was not willing to leave her comfort zone.  She picked up the phone to tell Prashant that she was not interested in the deal. Ten minutes were left and Prashant would go off on his own with the plan to transfer the information through another source, he said he had tracked down. She was about to talk to him and the Devil popped up in her mind.  Crores of rupees!!!  Greed worked at its best.  She could live a life of luxury that she always yearned for. And she made the call.

‘Hello, Prashant. Done. I am with you in the plan. Let me know, what has to be done and when.’                               ‘OK, Thanks Mira.’ came Prashant’s amused voice.

      During the week she transferred the important data to her account in the late office hours after the office staff had left the premises. She stayed back on the pretext of important projects to be completed. Prashant remained out of it, so that nobody could doubt their liaison. He would give her instructions on the phone regarding the exact information needed. She would safely transfer it to her account. The entire operation took one week.  Meanwhile, Mira applied for a fifteen days leave to keep away from the office the following weeks. If at all any confusion or chaos occurred over the information leak. So as a precautionary measure she chose for a leave in advance. Prashant told her to get the information in a pen drive. He was smart enough to not take any risk on himself, not to take any information through email in his own account, so that if they would be caught, all the blame would go to Mira. He was playing a double game but Mira never realized it, as she considered him to be a good, trustworthy friend.  And because she had slowly, unknowingly fallen in love with him. She had tried to talk to him and propose him twice but he kept on declining her. It was also a reason of her giving in to the offer.

      Trust was at the centre of their friendship. It was the cause, the reason of all that was happening between them. It was the reason she dared to take such a bold decision.  Sunday evening she informed Prashant that all had gone well according to their planning and that she would give him the pen drive that evening. They were meeting for dinner that night.

 It was a beautiful place, the ambience was romantic, with soft music, candles, flowers and lightly perfumed dinner hall. It was a five star hotel and they were celebrating for their success. Mira dressed beautifully and joined Prashant who was waiting for her. They enjoyed the dinner. Mira handed over the pen drive to Prashant with the same trust that had brought her there.  She informed him that she would be leaving for Manali on a 15 days holiday and that she had been looking forward to this break since long.

Prashant assured her that he will keep updating her about the proceedings of the deal. On Monday evening he was to exchange the information for the large amount. He would get the money at the earliest and would give her share immediately. She believed him and told him to keep her informed. She wished he would talk something other than their deal. She was awaiting some romantic moments. But Prashant was distracted by his greed. He showed no sign of any involvement other than their deal. They parted after a hearty meal.

      Mira reached Manali the following day, had a beautiful stay in a hotel overlooking the picturesque view of Manali’s scenic beauty.

      Two days past, it was Wednesday. She had not received any message from Prashant.  She felt uneasy.  Strange thoughts kept emerging in her mind. What could have happened?  Why didn’t Prashant contact her?  She tried to be patient. She took a long walk in the beautiful hills. Maybe the deal might have taken some more time to materialize. Maybe some procedures took longer.  She kept on telling herself.  

     That evening she called Prashant.  He did not answer her call. She left a message.   Thursday mornining she called. No reply. She left a message. She was getting impatient now. He was totally out of sight on the mobile as well. He was not even checking the messages.

 What was happening? She could not understand. She had staked her job for this deal and for Prashat’s sake. The job that had made her what she was, that had given her status in society.  The whole thing was getting on her nerves now. What could have happened? Why was he not attending her calls? Was he in some trouble? Was the fraud exposed? Questions were playing  havoc in her mind. She called his home number. No response.  What was she to do? How could she contact him? She did not know.

      On Friday, she called one of her office colleagues to inquire about Prashant. He immediately attended the call. And what she heard from him, left her speechless. She was aghast. What was this? Was all that he said true?  She felt dizzy.

     Her colleague informed her that Prashant had gone overseas on Monday with his wife and child. He had informed the office about it earlier, but had requested not to disclose his whereabouts to other colleagues, as he was going on an important business trip. That on Wednesday he had called the office and informed that he would be discontinuing his job. Reasons were no t known to him. That he had informed the boss earlier about it. They had no other information about him.

      Mira went blank. Her entire world collapsed. What was this?  What was happening? What had he done with the secret information she had given him?  What if she got caught in the fraud case? Whom should she talk to?  What was to come next? She did not know. She felt choked between her sobs.  She tried to calm down.  Called Prashant once more.  Sent a message to contact her urgently. But to no avail. She felt lost. She felt cheated. She could guess now the reason of his hostility whenever she tried to be close to him. The reason why he did not respond to her affection and love. He had double crossed her.  He had used her for his selfish intentions, taken away the information, made the deal and disappeared with the money.  And his Family?  She had not known that he was married. He never ever talked about it.  That he had a child.  She felt betrayed, cheated, lost and depressed. 

      After two days, she managed to be calm and composed. She decided to think practically, leaving all the emotions aside, and to move on. She thought about what needed to be done.  She sent him a final message that said it all. Her disappointment, her frustration, her accusations and her betrayal.  She did not wish to talk to him after that and decided to tackle the whole thing on her own, with whatever needed to be done to save herself.  She did not know whether she would get her job back or had she lost it. She still had a week’s time on hand to sort the things out. She decided to talk to her boss and disclose every detail about the deal and to confess of her crime. Her thoughts were on Prashant all the time.  Had he read her message?

She willed herself to not check her phone to see if he had replied. It had been about three days now. She hated that she was constantly checking his ‘last seen at’ status and yes, he had logged in just five minutes ago. Yet she couldn’t stop herself. This sinking feeling to find absolutely no communication from him was becoming unbearable, almost torturous.

And then, just as she sat down in her chair, her phone vibrated. With her heart thudding in her ear, she unlocked her phone and stared at the screen. Finally! It was his message.

But when she opened it, she nearly stopped breathing. She didn’t know if he was joking or not. What was this?

He had sent a message with a lovely bouquet. With love and kisses.  He said he had successfully cracked the deal.  He had received the amount. Gone overseas, to Dubai.                                                                            That he had bought a lovely flat there. He was alone and waiting for her.                                                              He posted a photocopy of her air ticket on Whatsapp.  And that NO, he was not married. He had told the colleague to tell her what she heard from him.                                                                                                               That he loved her and knew that she too loved him. That he wished to marry her. That he will receive her at the Dubai airport that Friday evening.

Lastly, he added that they had not committed any crime. They had not cracked any secret deal. That he was working on an important overseas project for their firm and his boss had posted him to Dubai. That he was testing her love for him and was awfully sorry for hurting her.

She closed her eyes to let the thought sink in. Was she imagining things or was it reality. She thought,

What was this?

 TRUST or BETRAYAL.

  And she just let it be.

 Whatever it was. It did not matter because she had found the love of her life. She was ecstatic.

Short story series. Ilaa.

ILAA

        The atmosphere was resonating with the chimes of the temple bells. The cock was crowing far away in the fields and little birds chirping in their nests. It was a calm and enchanting environment. The sound of the great river Godavari flowing, formed the perfect backdrop of an early morning, in a beautiful village. It was Sauviragram, a small village situated along its banks, close to the city of Paithan.

        Paithan was also known as Pratishthana  (which means place of importance). It was the capital of the powerful rulers of the Deccan, and also an important commercial centre encouraging art, architecture, literature, trade and commerce.  And Sauviragram was one of its many small villages.

       The climate was dry and hot. The Sun was rising in its full stature, spreading the golden rays onto the vast fields that were ripe with their crops. The villagers were mostly farmers and traders. Due to the prosperity of the Satvahana dynasty, trade and commerce were encouraged.  The villagers lived simple lives with traditional customs and rituals.

        Ilaa, a young woman lived in Sauviragram with her family. They had a joint family business of cotton farming, as cotton was the richest produce and brought home great dividends. Her father was among the well to do merchants, very business minded and opportunistic, completely dedicated to his work.   But still they were not amongst the richest. The entire family including women had to contribute in the work. They helped to pick cotton from the plants, leaving the tougher tasks for the men. Collecting cotton and making bales was the work in progress as they had to be delivered soon.                                                      But Ilaa disliked this work.

        In the 17^th century, Europeons came to India. Their trading companies competed with each other and so local business was very demanding.  As it was the business season, the wholesalers and traders from Paithan would be arriving in just few weeks carrying gold and goods for barter. The commodities produced in Paithan (Pratishthana) were brocade, textiles, ivory products, conch bangles, terracotta ornaments and precious stones. They would exchange these goods for the cotton the farmers grew. The business season was at its peak. The bales of cotton had to be ready in time. All the members of the family were busy doing their share of work in the fields.                                                                                             But Ilaa was not in the fields.

        She loved to stroll along the river bank, to be all by herself, thinking about her life and her future.  Ilaa was very attached to her grandmother, who had passed away few months ago. She had not yet overcome the grief and the emptiness that was created in grandma’s absence.                                                           She was in a melancholus state of mind.

       Her grandma would always tell her interesting stories from olden days, from the glorious Vedic period. She often heard episodes from the Rig-Veda, which revealed a stage where women enjoyed equal status with men, of how Vedic sacrifices were performed jointly by husband and wife, that women acquired education and became poets and philosophers during that period. They were also free to choose their partners in life.  Social evils like female infanticides, sati and child marriages were totally discouraged.  Inter-caste marriages took place and many social norms that seemed to be the opposite of what was being followed in the present times in Sauviragram.  And it disappointed Ilaa.

         These thoughts of freedom and change that were passed on to Ilaa from her grandma had made a great impact on her.  They made Ilaa think differently than her fellow villagers. It was the 17^th century; she had good knowledge of history and mythology. She could differentiate between the good and the bad between the commonly followed social norms. She knew how the degradation of women came about in the post-Vedic period. How during the time of Kautilya, women were treated as chattel. They had no identity of their own. The scriptures and the Dharma shashtras favored Patriarchal systems, which further marginalized the role of Indian women.  Ilaa recollected hearing that it was formerly believed that seclusion of woman was introduced by the Mughals in India. It was during the pre-medieval period from 3^rd century to 12^th century AD, when the status of women underwent further deterioration.  And Ilaa did not like it.

      When the entire family was engrossed in the field work, Ilaa was not working. She was questioning her life instead. Whenever her father would call her for some errands, she would be missing from home or fields. Her regular escapades of quietly venturing out of the fields were known in the entire neighbourhood. People passed mocking comments to her mother for it. But Ilaa was not bothered about such petty matters.

“Ilaa, where are you, bring me some water.”   Her father would call, waiting for a reply that never came.

“Ilaa, gather this cotton and keep it in the corner.” Her mother would command unaware of her absence.

“She is not in the fields.”  One of the workers would reply.

“Ilaa, come and help me in cooking, you know Pitla bhakhri takes time to cook, and we have to rush to do the field work.” Her mother’s words would fall on the silent walls of the empty house.

It was not that Ilaa was lazy or arrogant. Nor would she run away from her responsibilities, but the monotonous daily chores and a marginalized lifestyle suffocated her.  Her thoughts were more open, expansive, and progressive with enthusiasm and fervor. She could not settle for anything less. The differences in the positions of man and woman disturbed her greatly. She could not accept it.                 And   she yearned for a meaningful, purposeful life.

“Aai, why do I have to do all this work? Why am I not allowed to do what I wish to do?  Why is Narain (Ilaa’s elder brother) not doing work in the fields? He is also grown up now.”

“I will also go to study and become a scholar. This is not my work. I am here for more important things.”

“See how the men are bossing over the women. Don’t you see Aai, how Baba always lets you down in front of other? Do you not feel insulted?”

Her thoughts would pour out in the form of questions to her mother. But all her pleas fell on deaf ears. And Ilaa felt disheartened.

      During that time period Paithan also played the role of religious leader in Maharashtra. The Arya movement, Vedic religion and Bhakti cult became popular. Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sant Eknath were popular religious leaders from Paithan. The Marathas recognized the value of Paithan as a centre of religious and economic importance and hence strove hard to keep it under control. The social environment was therefore very compact.  No one dared to think out of the box. Where thinking about change was like a crime. The locals had rigid beliefs and were satisfied with their marginalized social structure. They were like the frogs in a well. For whom the well was the entire and the only world that existed.  And Ilaa longed to jump out of the well.

      She was open minded, inteiligent and enthusiastic. The seeds of freedom, growth and equality were sown in her tender mind through her grandma’s stories. She had secretly learnt to read and write. And now the compulsion on her to live the life of a normal village girl, doing domestic chores and field work, frustrated her. She could not accept it. And yet there was nothing she could do about it. Because in her society women’s role was only that of a housekeeper and child bearer. Her broadminded thoughts were not accepted.  And Ilaa did not like it.

“Aai, I don’t want to do this work” she would oppose.

“Dear Ilaa, be sensible, you are of age now. We are looking for a groom, so that we can get you married and settled in a rich family. Be practical. That is what we women are meant to be for.” Her mother would try to convince her, while adjusting her Nauvari sari, while Ilaa looked on, fidgeting with her skirt.

“I don’t want to marry now,” Ilaa would protest.

“Oh no! Don’t say such nasty things, dear. It is a bad omen to say such things. We women are not supposed to think that way.”

“Aai, why are you so different from my grandmother? She was a woman of free will and thought. You were married to her son and lived with her for years. Didn’t you learn anything from her? And Dad!! How can he be like this, when his own mother was so different and broadminded?”

“Ilaa, you are being rude to me now. Have respect for your parents.” Her mother remarked.

“Sorry, Aai, I did not mean to hurt you, but its just that these thoughts keep on disturbing me.”

“Ok, Ok, I am going to the fields now. Your Baba must be waiting for lunch. See that you come soon.”    

  Just as her mother left the house, Ilaa ran to the riverside, where she often spent her time. Sometimes with her friends giggling and running around and sometimes all by herself, contemplating, giving way to her free thoughts. That day she somehow dropped the idea of going to the fields.                              Because she was upset.

      In the evening her 

Short story series. Human Touch.

The Human Touch.

I was sitting in the balcony admiring the sunset with its beautiful hues of the orange sky,  that enchants the creative human eyes. I was in complete awe of nature’s beauty and its sincere service to the world which is done in silent contemplation, with its full potential and selfless existence. I have always been very close to nature because I felt that it was only the nature or the superpower that could understand me and give me solace. Rest of the world was as if against me. Opposing my existence, forbidding me my rights. At times I felt lost in the complex world.

It had been a hectic day. I had gone for the Marathon run in the morning, after that my work schedule at the NGO, I worked for, and the entire afternoon I was busy with my PRO job at the Mckensy’s. It was a busy day indeed, but quite satisfying and joyful, as I spent my time for some special purpose. I am a person who loves doing things for others, to help people, to do meaningful social work. And that is why I joined the NGO. I believed in giving some meaning to life.

I am in my 25^th year, enjoying life at its best, and in love with a handsome colleague, Rohan. He loves me and cares for me. He is my complete support system.  He is by me in every thick and thin I faced in the five years of our relationship. My mind went back to the memory of a dilemma and turmoil I was in.

That day I was feeling a bit low and depressed over the agitations that were going on outside my house since about a week.  The dilemma was that I was born with two hearts beating in my chest. A rare thing to happen, but true to the core. Initially, the doctors were not sure whether I would survive with two hearts pumping inside a tiny body. But I grew up to be a beautiful and healthy girl and completely fit. My case had always been a centre of attention and controversy. Different people reacted differently to it. As years passed by a strange situation arose and people started demanding one heart from me to be donated. It sounded absurd to me. Donate my heart?!! How weird. I could not digest the thought of it. Simply unacceptable. I would get nervous, upset and agitated at the thought of cutting off a precious organ from my body. I shuddered at the thought. Then one day my mother tried to discuss about it with me.

‘Are you sure, Rhea?  asks my mother.

‘Of course I’m. Survival of the fittest, mother. I am not going against Darwin. Also I don’t want unnecessary scars on my body.’

It’s a known fact that we all are born to die. And frankly, I don’t understand why it has to be made into such a big deal. If it were not for my mother I would have said that to the bunch of people outside my house, some of them with young kids, shouting slogans, waving placards, literally wanting me to cut one of my beating hearts out.

“Save A Life. Donate!” they shout.

For someone who is in billions, 7.125 billion to be exact, I expect to be treated better. Scientists are still befuddled regarding my condition that gave me two hearts in my mother’s womb. But years of research and sticking needles into me have led them nowhere, and they have labeled me as a freak mutation. It’s so rare- literally one in all humankind- that they didn’t even name the anomaly (as they call it, I will call awesomeness). I wanted to name the condition myself, something in the lines of Rhea’s Hearts awesome, but the doctors aren’t thrilled with the suggestion. Instead they want to cut one of them out and save a life. Huh?

An IQ of 180, increased concentration, exceptional athleticism and phenomenal metabolism rate- are just the few boring benefits of an increased blood circulation. Why would I ever give that up?

Mother was neutral in her views. She did not force me for anything. She told me it was my choice. But for her a humanistic approach also mattered. I was adamant. I knew it was a great job to donate a heart and save a life. But then, I was not even responsible for any other life. I had not taken it from anyone. God had given me two hearts. Then why should I part from it?

Just then Rohan came home. He could make out my clumsy mood and suggested that we go out for dinner for a change. It was a good idea, but I feared being surrounded by media if I went out. My life had become very depressing in the last week. Everywhere I went I was followed by some media persons, and strange or rather irritating questions were asked. I told Rohan to drop the idea. He understood the reason and told me that we were going to a place where no one would follow. My mother also agreed and off we went to his house, where I could be peaceful and fearless.

‘Rohan, what stupidity is this? Why am I being made a target of controversy? Don’t I have the right to live my life as I wish?’ I questioned aimlessly, lost in my thoughts.

‘It’s Ok, dear. Forget it. We are here to change your mood. Don’t keep on thinking about it.’ He tried to console me.

He brought me a soft drink and we sat on the moonlit porch. Cool breeze, quiet cozy environment. It was a lovely garden house he lived in. I just loved its peaceful ambience. He handed me the glass and bent forward to kiss my forehead.

‘Relax, Dear!’  he said.  I felt better and relieved. He sat down beside me.

‘OK, what will you have for dinner? Let me tell you I have brought fresh fish, some chicken mince, fresh mushrooms and broccoli. All your favourite things. What would you like to have tonight?’ he asked.

‘Anything will do,’ I said absentmindedly.

On seeing my condition he came closer, gave me a tight hug.

‘Rhea, are you going to be here, in this moment? Are you going to accompany me on this beautiful night or should I drop you home?’ he sounded a bit offended.

 I immediately came to my senses. Acknowledging how he was trying to help me to come out of the situation. And I immediately apologized and tried t change my mood.  We had a wonderful dinner of grilled fish and mushrooms, mince cutlets and sautéed broccoli deliciously cooked by his maid. It was fantastic. I felt so good and happy being with him. After dinner he gave me a small gift, expressing his love for me, when we were sitting under the starlit sky. I was touched by his loving gesture.  At the same time I felt guilty. He was doing so much for me. And what was I doing?  I was only making excuses and delaying our marriage, because I was lost in this strange situation, where I was made a social target.  People were making my life difficult and I was not able to analyze the situation or make a decision, nor was I coming out of it. My work, my life, my relationship were at stake, just because people wanted my heart. How absurd!!

I stood there with the gift in my hand, with tears in my eyes that were constantly rolling down my cheeks, staring constantly at Rohan’s delightful countenance. And there he was to whom nothing else mattered as long as I was with him. I stood there silently, then I moved towards him, closer, looking into his eyes, I broke down. He held me close to him, without uttering a word. I said, ‘Rohan, please help me, I don’t know how to handle this situation. I don’t want to cut off my heart. I want to be one whole, complete self. I don’t know what to do. On one side is my body and on the other side is humanity. What should I do?’ and I was sobbing in between my words. He held me tight for some time. Then slowly, softly he said, ‘Do you trust me? Will you let me handle the situation without any excuses or arguments? Will you do and accept whatever I say?’

I nodded between my sobs. He kissed me and made me sit down, and softly said, ‘Wait for tomorrow morning.’                  I was anxious, what was going to happen the next morning. Seeing my quizzical look, he smiled and said, ‘Didn’t you say you trust me? Then be patient.’

I felt really good. My mood had changed completely after that because I trusted him. He always had easy solutions for the most difficult problems. He was my lucky mascot. He dropped me home and promised to come over early next morning. I slept peacefully that night.

Around 9 am. When the crowd outside my house had started shouting slogans, Rohan stepped out and gestured them to be quiet. He was going to say something. He stood there before them, a crowd of more than hundred people and the media persons, he stood fearlessly and most confident. He said,

‘I am Rohan Kapoor, Rhea’s fiancé. I am here to make an announcement that might be of interest to you all. Rhea and I are getting married next week as I have to go abroad next month. And I wish to take her along with me as my legitimate wife because my mother is awaiting both of us there. It is really sad that she will now not be able to donate any of her body parts as I am eager to start my family soon. I would not approve her of any major physical operation. I hope that has made everything clear. And from now onwards I expect co operation from you all. Please do not disturb Rhea anymore, as she too has a right to live her life on her own terms. We do understand the humanistic view and we promise to help people in whatever possible way we can do. So please excuse us and do not hold any such campaigns outside the house. I am really thankful to you all for listening to me peacefully. Thank you.’

There was complete silence. The people quietly dispersed. I was just blank. There were no more slogans or shouting. I could not imagine. Such a simple solution, which I never thought of. In all this confusion I had pushed my marriage to the backseat. Unnecessarily worrying about what would happen to me if my heart was cut out. How would I survive, and all the stupid thoughts connected to it. But I could not think that my marriage could bring such a simple solution as I also had a right to live my life on my will.

I was so happy. I was finally relieved of all the mental torture or self proclaimed stress that I was going through. I had never faced such helplessness in my life. But this situation shook me.

The ringtone on my mobile, ‘Careless whisper’, brought me back to my present. It was Rohan at the other end. Our tickets for United States had arrived and we were to fly next Monday. I felt the cool evening breeze, sitting in the balcony of my mother’s home. It had been just one week to my marriage and I was so happy and eager to fly.

“Rhea Rohan Kapoor”. It felt so good. So complete.

     

Short story series are the stories submitted for Times of India Write India campaign. ---- Sapphire.

HOW BLUE IS MY SAPPHIRE.

     It was 6 am. I was standing in the balcony of my apartment on the 11^th floor. The cool morning breeze was so soothing and refreshing. The Sun still below the horizon. The sky in its beautiful hues of blue-grey-golden yellow. A picturesque sight that touches the heart. Just then a memory of my hometown came up in a flash. The cool catchy weather reminded me of that day when my friend Rita and I were getting ready for a morning walk. That day we were to go to our new college. It was our first day. We were so excited. We returned from the half an hour walk and were all set to go to college, impressively dressed and so happy.

     Just then the doorbell rang. It was the dudhwala on his regular time. I was stunned as I opened the door.

‘Who are you? And what do you want?’  I questioned directly at the sight of an unknown person standing in my doorway.

‘I am your new dudhwala, Madam.’ He said.  But something about him disturbed me immensely. I took the milk and shut the door. I got busy with my work as I had to rush to office at 8 am. But his face, his body language, something about him kept coming up in my mind again and again. Who was he I thought. Had I seen him before? I could not recall.

     My pet dog Shiney came to me wagging his tail, as he heard someone at the door. I ignored him as I was lost in my thoughts, but he insisted and pulled at my clothes. He wished to go out for a stroll. I realized it was his time to go out. I took him out after sometime.  As I was passing by the gate, I saw the new dudhwala talking to another strange person outside the compound wall.  That person I noticed was also someone I felt I had seen before.

     My work at the office was hectic that day, but I felt even more exhausted as something was disturbing me at the back of my mind. I could not fathom it.  As I was entering the elevator suddenly I recalled the face of the dudhwala. It came up in a flash. A face I had seen 20 years ago. Yes, I was sure it was the same face, though a bit more matured. The face of a criminal, of a person who had taken two lives. It was the face of Sanjay, the vagabond, the biggest rogue in college where Rita and I had joined. The entire picture came up in my mind. And the other person I saw talking to him in the morning was Junaid, his partner in all his deeds.

     How come they were here? What were they planning now? Did he recognize me? Suddenly a series of questions, and fear started erupting in my mind.

     I remembered it was our first day at college. Rita and I went with the excitement of meeting new friends, teachers and a new environment. We looked forward to that day since a long time. After about an hour of the introductory class we started to go around the premises to explore the entire campus. It was so beautiful. We were so happy. As we entered the second building of the college, we saw that it was quite isolated and quiet. There were no students in that wing. We felt it strange but thought that maybe as it was the first day so there may be no classes there. We went on as we just wanted to have a look around the campus. After a while we felt someone was following us, we turned around but there was no one around. We were bit scared and decided to move out of the building. Just then a creaky sound of a door came up. We turned to the direction of the sound and moved little further to peep in. As we did so we were terrified.

     A chill ran down my spine. Rita too was shocked. There were four persons in the room. Two of them were standing over the boys and forcing them to have something. The boys were refusing, but the other two persons had guns in their hands and were threatening them at gunpoint. We were just staring, dumbfounded. As the person shifted a little, I could see that he had some sort of powder packet, Drugs, in his hand, that he was forcing the boys to have. One of the boys was bold and tried to kick them and suddenly the bullet went off through his forehead. He died on the spot and the other fell unconscious with fear. He was also beaten up on his head. The two persons with guns were Sanjay and Junaid. They were running a drug racket in the college premises and forced the juniors to have drugs to build up their business. I pulled at Rita and we quietly tried to move away from there. But they heard our footsteps and ran after us. Luckily a group of students was going towards the library and we joined the group.  Sanjay and Junaid had heard our footsteps but not seen us. They ran up to the library but could not detect us as we pretended to be searching for some books with other students. Though we were trembling beneath. We kept mum and were saved that day. Though we had witnessed the crime no one knew about us.

     The legal procedures went on. Both Sanjay and Junaid were caught by the staff and teachers as they rushed to the room at the sound of the gun fire. They did not get a chance to escape because they were searching for two persons who had witnessed the crime and in the mean time other people from the college gathered around. The boy, who was shot, died on the spot and the other was badly injured on the head, he later went into coma.   I would become upset at the thought of the whole incident. Sanjay and Junaid were arrested and legal proceedings followed. Their crime was proved as they were caught red handed with pistols. They were sentenced to several years of imprisonment. There was no need for us to come into the picture.  We went to college for three years with constant fear, pretending as if we were unaware of the things happening around us. It affected me very badly. After completing graduation Rita went abroad and I was married. But I settled in Pune, whereas my husband stayed back in my hometown.

     Sanjay and Junaid’s sudden appearance had disturbed me immensely. Did they know that I was a witness to their crime? Were they here for some reason? Had they recognized me? But they had never known or seen me to be present there?

Questions upon questions, doubt and fear gripped me. My mind was going berserk. I reached the 11^th floor and walked towards my apartment. I put the key to the door and surprisingly the door opened itself. I was shocked. Who had entered my house without a key? As I entered, I found Shiney grunting in a corner. He was bleeding profusely with a deep cut on his stomach. What was happening? Why was the door open?  Who could hurt Shiney so insanely? I tried to save Shiney but within minutes he passed away. I went blank. What was happening I could not understand. I called the security, but he was not present. I went down the elevator to ask for help, but to my amazement, there was no on at the security chamber. Sanjay and Junaid were sitting there and chatting. They said the security had gone out for some work. I was scared. I could sense something fishy. What were Sanjay and Junaid doing here at that hour? I said, ‘My dog is hurt, can you please help me?’ They were more than willing to do so. I suddenly remembered that when I left my apartment I had noticed, my bedroom door was open, which I always closed while going out, and some splinters of wood were lying there. Someone had tried to break open my cupboard but could not succeed.  I could immediately guess that it must be the two of them who had tried to rob my home. And that Shiney must have attacked them and they slit him. They must have been waiting for me to come home. I became alert. I did not want to go up alone with them. I immediately refused to go up and called the police and medical help. I was now sure that they had not recognized me, but were here with another plan of robbery. It gave me some relief. But their presence over there, their hurting Shiney and the act of robbery terrified me.

      After about an hour, things were settled. The police and the medical aid came over. Shiney was taken away and later given a decent burial in my presence. I felt lonely without him. I was scared to stay at home alone that night knowing that Sanjay and Junaid were in the vicinity. As I returned home I saw them being taken away by the police for attempt to robbery and hurting my pet, and trespassing private property. A sense of relief came over me. I entered my apartment and called over my friend Sunita. She was more than obliged to come over and stay with me that night. I wept in her presence and narrated to her the entire incident of the college and how the same persons were here after years. I had recognized them. But something more, some strange feeling at the back of my mind kept on disturbing me.

     ‘What is it Rekha?’ Sunita inquired.

She had known me since years and had never seen me in such a condition before.

     ‘It’s OK, I understand Shiney’s loss is unbearable for you, but I feel there is something more to it. Apart from your college incident, it seems there is something you are hiding or running away from either yourself or from accepting it. What is it? Feel free to share. Release your burden. You will feel better.’ She said.

     I kept quiet for some time. Not knowing what to say and whether to say it at all. Would it make any sense?

     It was around 1 am. There was no trace of sleep for either of us. Shiney’s absence was haunting me. Sunita looked tired. I told her to go to sleep, but she preferred accompanying me in the living room. After a period of silence, I just began to pour my heart out.

     ‘That incident in the college had left us jilted. It had also saved us from a major trouble by not being detected. No one knew about us being witness to the crime. Rita went away abroad and there were no news from her ever since. But I was unable to completely forget what I had seen at my subconscious level. I would feel guilty at times. Not for protecting ourselves by being quiet, but for not being able to help the other boy immediately as he was badly injured. If he would have got immediate medical help, he wouldn’t have slipped into coma. Wasn’t it our selfishness that led us to run away from the place to protect ourselves instead of helping him? This question often disturbed me. I felt guilty. Was it not our human responsibility?’

Sunita did not interrupt. I went on.  

‘Perhaps that is why I chose to live in this city, rather than living in my home town Rajasthan. After marriage I took my transfer to this city. My husband Sumeet opposed it severely as he could not give up his executive job and shift here. Years passed on, our differences and separation led to divorce. I am here alone now. But that fear, that guilt made me so arrogant that I sacrificed everything, even a good marriage, to run away from that guilt and fear. I thought moving out of the place would help me overcome it. And see it is brought back to me to face it.’

Sunita interrupted then, ‘Rekha, you are wrong here. There is nothing to feel guilty about. Any sane person would first think of protecting himself than helping others. You did the same. Come out of it now. Release that guilt. You are safe. It is Ok. It was for your own good or else they would have attacked you too. See Rita, has she ever looked back and complained about it or allowed the incident to ruin her life? How could you do that? You are at the prime of your career. How could you hang on to the silly thought of guilt?

Today, I will tell you about a fact of my life that nobody knows. I was physically and mentally tortured in an orphanage where I grew up. I never let the supervisors have their way with me and so they continuously harassed me. It led to my mental depression and schizophrenia. But I never lost hope. Since then, my life has been affected due to my schizophrenic condition. I kept on taking medical help and whatever I could do to overcome it. Thankfully, today I am out of it. My husband Anand has been really caring and helpful. All of us live with our past. All of us allow it to shape our future. But some of us know how to shrug the past. I think that is who I am.  I am now the general manager in my company, am earning well and enjoying my life. You too come out of it. I have heard your husband also is still alone. He is waiting for you. Go back to your hometown.  Face your fear. Don’t let such incidents change your life. These are fears we need to overcome. Life is full of negatives and positives. Take the positive route fearlessly, don’t run away from it. It will lead you nowhere.’

     Her words were making sense. I felt better. We fell asleep on the sofa.

     At 3 am, my phone rang. It was Sumeet.

Sunita had informed him about the whole incident. He was concerned.

‘Come back Rekha. It is Ok. We will try to make up for our differences. I am waiting for you. I still love you.’ His words were ringing in my ears for long.

     I took the 6 am train to Rajasthan.

On the Cruise.

On the Cruise.

It was a cloudy day. Hot and humid climate of Goa in the midst of April. The day was exhausting and so our decision to go on a Cruise over the Mandovi River was so exhilarating. A pleasant relief from the scorching heat.

We took the 6.15 pm ride. On boarding the vessel, we had the great experience of sailing over the water. As we normally travel only by road or rail. The change was pleasant and overwhelming. As the machine started, the vessel began to drift away from the shore. Slowly, majestically, heaving heavily, as if it was delighted to go into the lap of the deep sea, its home. As if it was eager to find peace and happiness, calm and relaxed as we do in our homes.

As the cruise set out to sail over the deep waters, the passengers on board began enjoying the music and dance on the deck, which was organized by the crew. Live music, orchestra, blowing sound along with cultural dance made the environment like that of some celebration. Swaying to the tunes, clapping, laughing, and creating a euphoria that no one on the vessel could resist. The old and young all full of joy.

Enjoyment on board and natural scenic beauty in the background set a complete enchanting atmosphere. Oh! What an experience.

Though there was a lot of noise all around, my love for nature and my fascination for the deep sea, kept me out of the entire bustle. Though I was enjoying the music, my subconscious mind was lost, absorbing the strange serenity, the perfect beauty all around. I felt as if I was alone on the cruise.                                                          The deep green, calm waters enchanted me so much. Oceans, rivers, waterfronts, always make me feel that I belong there. I stood at the edge of the deck and stared continuously at the Sea, the lush green forests lining the banks on both the sides. As if in a trance, it made me go blank, the picturesque view imbibed into my soul, creating an eternal impression on my heart. A feeling of emptiness, of deep silence, of peace and perfect beauty. Nothing else around me mattered at all. I was lost. I was the sea.

We clicked beautiful pictures of the lovely memorable spots, of other cruises sailing around, of yachts, landmarks, to capture them in time. It was with my daughter that I enjoyed the great experience with. She too was lost in the magic of it all, moving to the beats of music.

What if it was only for an hour?

 As the limited timing for each round brought us back to the shore. Those 60 minutes, gifted us moments of eternal bliss, of infinity, of the presence of that perfection, that spiritual power around that can only mesmerize you.

HUMOUR

Humour in Daily Life

     A sense of humour is the most essential and inevitable factor in one’s life. People without humour can only be in a constant irate condition.

     Finding humour in daily drudgery is an art. No malicious, unpleasant person can do that. Such incongruous people have wit more dominant in their nature rather than humour.  Wit is the ally of a cunning and sharp mind. It has a tinge of acid to it and usually strikes sharp like a dagger. Whereas, humour is the dancing of happy thoughts like a beautiful stream down the mountainside. It is gurgling, bubbling, cool, refreshing and soothing. Humour brings delight and laughter, a beautiful smile on otherwise unpleasant countenance.

“A sense of humour is a house slave’s salvation. In a housewife’s life, with its variety of dull and serious situations, a sense of humour is a necessity if living is to rise above sordid drudgery. A woman’s life will be sorry thing if she lacks a sense of humour and a pleasant disposition.” ------- John Schindler.

     Because a sense of humour is a diversion, a quick release from the most intolerable situation. It is a diversion of thoughts and feelings that may otherwise make you a sour, shadowed personality that can only reflect melancholy and pain.

“If I had no sense of humour, I should long ago have committed suicide.” ------- M.K.Gandhi.

     An attempt to bring humour and sweetness in our life can change the entire perception of life. It is the determination to bring back the warmth and love in our lives from the troublesome obstructions at every curve of life. It will enable us to enjoy every minor joke of life, how life twists and turns and how it brings about the most pleasant moments in its tiny crevices.

It teaches us to laugh on ourselves, to realize the importance of humility and to relieve ourselves from the ego that stands in the way of every sort of enjoyment, of happiness, of fulfillment.

     Humour is to discover life, without which, no other sense can be as affective, no life can be enjoyed. And as John Schindler comments further,

                     “If you can’t enjoy yourself,

                      What on earth can you enjoy?” 

A most essential factor in human nature, but still the most ignored one.  Humour is not easy for all. For those who take life too seriously, for  those who believe they are the sole responsible persons on earth, and for those who believe that laughing and making merry is a loser’s domain. Serious, responsible people do not need to feel happy or laugh in public. It is out of etiquette. But that is what makes them snobbish and not contented happy beings. An excerpt from an article published in the ‘Times of India’ clearly takes the point through.

                     “Humour can sink many ships.

                       Laughter is a serious business.

                       It is a universal language.

                       Humour, say modern thinkers, pits hope against despair.”