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“Sorry Shruti, as decided presciently, I couldn’t make to
dinner last night. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Why would I mind? Even I was busy last night with my
article. I am glad that we met today, albeit the same place.” Replied Shruti…
continuing her sentence, “Do you really want to listen to my story?” , her eyes
made a questioning move to Vasant’s eyes.
“Yes, very much… I presume you don’t know where Darshit is,
do you?”
“I wish not to know. I saw his face three years back and I don’t
want to reminiscent the withered past” the tone grew stern with this line.
“Well Shruti, why do you hate him so much? Nobody needs to
certify Darshit. He is the MOST CULTURED & MANNERED guy I have ever seen. He
never defies anybody’s trust, feelings and integrity; deals with utter
veneration everybody’s thoughts, very ambitious, determined in chasing his
dreams….”
“Stop it!!! Will you?!1” screamed Shruti and with an
exasperated expression, she frowned away from
Vasant, but he managed to get up
from the rock quickly and persuade her to get back with some fake-some-real apologies.
A silence followed between the two. Vasant kept starring her
angrily upset face; as if she was gripped with some ghost of past, a dark yet
strikingly tough-to-digest truth.
“Sometimes, ambitions precariously
ebb you, they make you greedy: for achievement, for success and for fame. That is
exactly the story of my love life.
Once when I started to work for a local
English magazine after my graduation, I was very happy and contented with my
job which involved talking to people and framing my opinion on issues and writing
it.
One fine day, he came up to my
office and asked me to come out and have coffee with him. I was surprised to
see him after many days. It had been a long time since we met last time. We both
were busy with and in our lives. But I had this gut feeling that though we didn’t
meet up regularly, we both had a matured relation. Unlike other fascist
couples, we never resorted to flaunting of our love by some imbecile actions
and stunts.
That day, having met him after many
days, I hugged him tightly in front of all my co-workers. We left for the
coffee shop. While having coffee he said that he wanted a break up. I didn’t
ask for any justification and left the place silently”.
Cutting her in the middle, Vasant
erupted, “what!! You didn’t ask him the reason for his decision? Insane!! Freaking
insane!!How did you digest that!! I still can’t believe that you both are
separated. This is a bit hard to believe. C ‘mon, don’t lie to me Shruti …. Just
be honest and come up with truth. You think you can coax me with such a petty
reason”
The moment she heard this, she
calmed down, wiped her moist eyes, sat opposite to Vasant and holding his hands
with eyes locked up with his confounded eyes, she spoke softly, but swiftly,”
My dear lost friend. This is the truth. Why is your mind too stubborn to accept
this? It’s because, you, and of course and many of us, always expect a big, adventurous
drama when a relation ends.
I don’t say you can’t have, but the
point here is, not everyone has a Bollywood pot boiler, fictional story. This is
pragmatic world and the life we lead is full of reality, devoid of all fiction
and drama. We always make ourselves believe that something different, uncanny
should always happen when a relation is made and destroyed and in the process
we forget that life also has simple things in it too.
I am serious. This is what happened back
then. I loved him truly and so did he. I bet anything on that. Well fortunately
you will believe me in this since he was your best friend. But there were
things in front of him to be sorted out and he did so. He didn’t wish our
relation to be a hindrance in his dreams, ambitions and success. I don’t wish
him a good life because I don’t need to be an altruist all the way to do so. We
aren’t in relationship anymore and thence I, or him, has no credentials to wish
anything for each other.”
“You’re such a nice girl. Thoughtful
and matured. So bold, but still soft spoken. Life has been so cruel to you”
“Shut up Vasant, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL,
any relation can’t be cruel to me and my life. I have many parameters to measure
the beauty of life. Don’t cry like a sick girl!! By the way, how come you are unaware
of all this? Aren’t you in contact with him?”
“Not much. His is the CEO of his own
firm named BRIGHT TECH and hence a very busy man. He runs every second. He has
hardly got time for his best friend”. Getting up from his place, Vasant asked
her, with a lingering smile on his face, “You do realize that you have accepted
this relation with me, in front of my and your family, do you stand by that?
ARE WE BOTH READY FOR THIS?”
“We are never ready for what comes
up in our lives. It’s the sheer perception and courage within us makes us rate
what comes to us; some call it ‘sorrow’, while some ‘joy’. Some calls it ‘luck’
while some ‘helplessness’. And right now I am not calling it anything. Let’s just
start the new chapter of our lives, not by trying to UNDERSTAND each other, not
trying to SPEND MORE TIME with each other, by not CURSING our fates, by not
trying to ADJUST with each other; let’s start by SIMPLY living the way it
comes, by simply enjoying the moment we have and by simply being SIMPLE.”
And having said this, both started
walking together near the shore to enjoy the impulsively shy sea waves, to
enjoy this moment…………………………………..
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