I was lost in thoughts and recounted my golden days. By then, three buses had passed by. All the three were over-crowded. I was eagerly waiting for the fourth one, hopefully not so over-crowded. After waiting for half an hour, it appeared that there was no 4th one! This is the problem with people who are too optimistic and very patient. I belong to the same lot. Such people never realise that they lose infinite number of things due to such special characteristics.
At that point of time, I was certain that I had to either walk home or hire an auto whose driver would charge me as he wished! Before I could reach a decision, I saw a car running on the same road after a few minutes. I don't know what happened to me that day. My hand went up and my mouth uttered 'lift please'. I very well knew that it would never stop. Surprisingly it stopped and windows went down! It was a couple; the lady was on the driver's seat. The man first surveyed me from top to bottom; thereafter, he said, "Come fast." Amazing! He treated a stranger like a beloved friend. I thanked my stars and the motherland for raising such kids. I gently opened the door with one hand and managed my umbrella with the other. I tried to be slightly upper class and pretended to be someone who was accustomed to cars. Thus, to further reinforce my position, I said, "Thanks." It was said in a medium-pitched and calm voice to show that sitting in a car was no big deal for me. Nor it was very low-pitched to make the couple believe that I am doing them a favour by travelling with them. For two minutes everything was normal and peaceful.
Soon the man said to me, "We want to have tea at Saajan Restaurant. Would you like to join us Raju?" What! I was surprised to hear my nickname that was very popular among the hostel guys. He was Mohit, the tech-savvy bookworm. Then, I recalled that Mohit had eloped with her girlfriend Radhika. Soon they got married. So these guys recognised me while I was standing at the bus stop. Great Memory! Realising that they knew everything about me, I decided to quit my car-acquainted etiquettes. I left my body loose and released a deep sigh of relief like a balloon pricked by a naughty boy. In order to confirm the identity of the driver, I said, "Looks like, Radhika is fond of tea." Mohit answered, "Oh! She is a tea-enthusiast like every Indian." In a while, we reached Saajan and parked the car. At this point, both the parties (The couple and I) were well-informed of each other's past.
"Whatever you do, people who hate you will never support you. On the other hand, those who love you always stand by you unconditionally," said Radhika forcing a mouthful sip of tea down her throat. Amazing girl! She spoke for the first time and that also without beating about the bush. I don't know why but by then I was slightly jealous of Mohit. Radhika looked beautiful in that plain sari with almost zero make-up. Also, it appeared that she was earning well and undoubtedly intelligent she was! Mohit didn't have the courage to propose a girl. In fact, I arranged the first meeting. For me, it was a simple task. We followed Radhika and her friend Nupur to the nearby restaurant. After ten minutes, we made an entry and pretended to have met them accidently. Ultimately, they asked us to join them (what else could two pretty and innocent girls do after encountering two idiot batchmates). I kept Nupur busy by discussing her likes and listening to her views on current issues. At the same time, I kept on hitting Mohit's leg under the table to hint him to start the conversation with Radhika. This was the spark, the first encounter. Under my consistent guidance and tips, Mohit turned that spark into fire. Soon Radhika was his and he was hers. Otherwise, Mohit was the guy who was called female-repellent!
One unexpected thing also happened. Nupur was attracted towards me, but I was not ready for a relationship then. Not because I don't like girls or I am a saint. I had my own problems: career, financial constraints and over-ambition. Now, I realise that Nupur was a nice girl. I was lost in thoughts, every sip invoked a new wave of college days and each wave calmed down with a fading image of Nupur. That means Nupur was present in my sub-conscious mind and I never knew that!
"Nupur is also in the same city and yet unmarried," said Radhika. "My God! This girl is meticulous and too direct!" I said to myself. I banged the table and said "What!" Everybody present there looked at us in awe. Soon they thought us to be three idiots meeting after centuries. "Yes, she always asks about you but hesitates to interact because of your reluctance," added Mohit. Before I could utter a word, I heard Radhika talking over the phone, "Hi! Nupur. Yes, he is with us..." and she passed the cell to me. "N...Np...r!" that was the only word I could utter at that moment. I disconnected the phone and pushed it towards Radhika. "Do what you want to. Those who really love you will ultimately stand by you. All they want is your happiness. Those who don't love you will initially pretend to be your well-wishers, but in the long run they would reject you. Remember that," Mohit tried to encourage me by copying Radhika's words. "Don't think or wait. It's already too late," Radhika joined her spouse.
The next day, I was at Saajan discussing tons of things over coffee with Nupur!
No comments:
Post a Comment