(Chennai July 25th 1991)
The train finally stopped with a huge heave and a sigh at the station. The place was buzzing around with activity. The porters came pouring in to catch their prey! My eyes went over to the beautiful young lady who was sitting in front of me. "Thank you so much. My daughter enjoyed your company". She said. She was in the early thirties and was going to Calcutta alone with her daughter who was 6 years old. "How long are you going to be in Chennai"? She asked. "Well maybe for two days", I mumbled. I did not know how long I was going to stay. I showered a flying kiss on the girl and then said.."Sneha....be a good girl till you get down at Calcutta. Bye"..
I got down the coach and then made my way out of the platform to the entrance. Rickshaw drivers and Car Drivers cornered me. I managed to duck some of them but finally fell prey to an auto driver...... "IIT...poonam"..I shouted at the driver. "Amanga sir" he shouted back...The drive was very long...nothing had changed here..in Chennai...same buildings, shops, the flyover....
"Sir, IIT vandachu"..."Hostel ullla pongo" I said....I got down from the auto and then made my way to the Research Scholars hostel. IIT went to Room number 267 and then knocked..."Wow! what a surprise yaar...How come this sudden visit"? Naveen asked. He was literally shocked to see me! "No yaar...I came to see Sowmya". "But why"? He exclaimed. "She already married the guy she was after nah"? "Yes....Naveen, but her life was a nightmare after that. She rang me up in January and said that she was out of the relationship. She was totally shattered to find out that he was an animal. She is now with her father. I was here in January and went to see her. She was all in tears and asked me to forgive her for giving me false promises and then suddenly changing gears at the last moment. She had this guy in her life before I came in. Her father was against this relationship as he was a non Brahman. But Prof. Raman liked me..he wanted me to wed his daughter, but I did not even have an inkling to her affair with that guy". "Then why did she give you her word"? Naveen asked. "She was forced to keep away from him by her father and I approached her at that time. She did like me but I became a pawn of her vengeance towards her father". "So now she wants you back"? Naveen asked. "No....I offered to take her back". I said. "My god! Shyam why the hell did you offer to take a divorcee back"? Naveen exclaimed. "I loved her Naveen...I loved her immensely. I wanted to give her a second chance". "You are really mad Shyam"..."May be Naveen...but that's how I am. I can't be different". I replied.
The next day I went to Prof. Raman's residence at Anna Nagar. I knocked at the door and Mrs. Raman opened the door. "Vanakkam Amma.." I said. Strangely enough she did not tell me anything. She just asked me to sit and went in. Prof. Raman came and said... "Shyam... please sit. How was the journey"? "I am fine sir. Where is Sowmya"? I asked. He did not say anything and was strangely looking sombre and had a blank look in his eyes. "Shyam...I want to tell you something. I hope you have the courage to take it". "What is it"? I asked. My heart was pounding! I sensed something was not right. "For god's sake tell me"! "Sowmya went back to him two days back! They are getting married again next week"! My heart stopped...I felt as if the whole world was being taken away from under my feet! I did not say anything. I just walked out of the open door. "Shyam listen.." I heard Prof. Raman shout behind me. but I did not listen....I walked aimlessly out of the house...looked at the crossroads....I did not know where to go....But I had already taken one decision...I would never fall in love again.
8 comments:
And then I becomes selfish when it comes to sharing- especially myself. ....for now I know that love leads to pain… so I stayed clear from that emotion- both from boys and girls alike....
But hey!! they say life has a very funny way of hitting on the face when you least expect....I find someone and then the naughty fellow called "Hope" climbs up to your heart and there you are all set to greet again the princess called LOVE ...
Keep writing and keep that lady princess alive forever :)
preetha....that was a story :) If it were me instead of shyam....I would not mind loosing my heart again and again and still bear the pain if I am used again as without love there is no existance for me! I believe in unconditional love. And in unconditional love you only give....
got in here through preetha's blog...
crisp writing :)enjoyed reading it
write more
"I walked aimlessly out of the house...looked at the crossroads....I did not know where to go....But I had already taken one decision...I would never fall in love again."
hey dont be upset with such things, someone will be there again in your life. We can't predict anything in life, but still there is something which soothes us whenever we r in pain.
LOVELY WRITING........ DEEP EMOTIONS........ NOVEL IDEA!!!!
PLEASE CUM OUT WTH MORE.......
Ekalavya -
It was as if I was travelling with Shyam & had my eyes wet at the end of the story .. These lines really touched my heart deeply ...
"I walked aimlessly out of the house...looked at the crossroads....I did not know where to go....But I had already taken one decision...I would never fall in love again. .."
But "True Love" is something that happens in your life without your knowledge or consent and will live in your heart forever ... I can feel Shyam's intense , deep emotions ...
- Keep writing more!
Durga
I am a bit unsure if Shyam would be able to stick on to the decision which he takes towards the end of the story,that he would never fall in love again. Despite having put up with such mental trauma, one is inclined to think of Shyam as only to be a sort of person whom, the bitter life experiences might not prevent from falling in love again. Shyam appears to be very softhearted and genuine, and such people find it hard to find a place in the market where materialism prevails over sentiments, and tend to trust people too easily only to be fooled by them for their benefit.
The first impression one gets out of Soumya is that of a selfish woman who fools her parents and Shyam by giving them false promises. Why did she cheat Shyam twice? From another perspective, is Soumya the one who is really weak-hearted? Why did she choose to rejoin the man who has given her only pain and suffering? Just like Shyam, she too has had a bitter experience, and that clearly has not prevented her from giving it another go. Perhaps she lacked maturity in making clear decisions concerning her life. Perhaps the feelings that she preserved at her ex-partner struck the same chord with those Shyam kept for his love. In certain ways, Shyam and Soumya are alike. It would have been interesting to know how Shyam and Soumya would have acted had they been in each other's shoes.
-----------
M.B.Das
"True Love" is something that happens in your life without your knowledge or consent and will live in your heart forever ...
I like this. Somewhere through the threads, I felt a wet eye looking back at his past.. Remembering the Shakespearean sonnet.. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove...
Post a Comment