CHAPTER - 3

And she drenched me again.....

It was raining heavily accompanying thunder storm when I was on my way back home from college around 8pm. It resembled a calamitous scene of a Hollywood movie with wind blowing too fast to similitude tornado. As our college happened to be on out-skirt, almost 20 kilometres away from Raipur city centre, the only way to commute was local auto/taxi & city buses running only during the usual working hours from 7am -6pm that too with less frequency. That night I was to stay back late to finish of my practical work missing my regular college bus at 5.30pm. My old Titan watch displayed 8pm when we were walking out from our college campus. I always had wore the same watch for last five years which was gifted to me by my Aunty i.e, Mausi. I’m already weak on relation management & when it comes to English it becomes more difficult as you’ve only uncle & aunt while Hindi is more specific. We ran towards the main road but it took not more than seconds for us to be complete wet with that heavy Rain. Me along with my friend were completely drenched, hopeless to get into any public transport, were all desperately waiting for some benevolent to lift us till city centre.

"Prateek, I think we are trapped here in this bull shit F**king place, this is what I hate most about this college." Said Manish, too annoyed after practical of the day which was actually very impractical due to copy-paste from our senior’s notes.

"Calm down, we got to get out of here. Did you forget our trick? " I said, with mischievous smile on my face.

Our college is very adjacent to NH-6 (National Highway 6). NH-6 is one among the busiest highways running through states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal. You can always find trucks, semi-trucks and trailers round the clock running at its full pace without brake on its speed. But they only always had helped us to be home when we were anytime late, penniless or pretended to be loose pocket. Since most of them regular drivers were already familiar with our college students begging for lift to reach town thus will never stop exceptions were few kind-hearted. So, I & our friends used to seek lift after around 1-2kms of walk pretending not to be an engineering student. Manish after such a tiring day was so reluctant to walk for around 2kms with storms adding to our difficulties on roadside with no foot-path for pedestrians like every other Indian city. But we were left with no other go to do so.

"Shit, I can't take it any more" Raj murmured, before he joined us in walk even though he didn't want to.

I in-spite of too tiring & busy day seemed to be so fresh. Yes, something had happened to me which always made me feel alive. It was too cool & I was enjoying the weather to its best. Suddenly, a thought of she being with me had strike my mind & I wanted her to be with me to walk by my side. I'd developed a lot of respect & feelings for her in these four months since when I first met her. I wished of her singing a romantic song for me here. It was always a refreshing thought for me.

It was evening of 22nd September 2007 & I never did speak to her for past three months after an action turned reaction out my curiosity or you must say a stupidity. I can never forget that incident after which we never spoke till now for around three months till day. Only Raj had known of all these & was easily able to make out from my face while I was all ahead them in the dark road. I wanted to be sorry for my act but I had no contact of her now in my mobile. She had may be dropped her mobile or switched to a new operator with new number, I had no idea. Neither I was able to contact Palak nor I had dare to speak to any of my/her friends to inquire about her. However, she was always there in mind making me feel sad & happy at times, I wanted to hear her at least if couldn't see being located far away. Watching out my each & every steps along the muddy road I imagined her trying to be in sync with my steps. I found It was so romantic but she wasn't there by my side. I couldn't resist strong feelings for her beating every now & then in my heart.

Raj had always suggested me & tonight also he has noticed something running towards my mind through my heart. I literally had no idea that it had been more than 20 minutes of walk & we were almost 2.5 km away from our our campus with no lift yet.

"Hello...Hey...Please stop" Shouted Ashish with his hair completely glued to head with water. We all had added weight to our body with water flowing down the pants all the way via shirts. A befriend Truck driver saw us four on the road & stopped to help us out. He seemed to be full of enthusiasm towards his job & was too enjoying the weather like me along his journey.

"Are..Jump in Paaji" said a traditional Punjabi, with a Pagadi overhead along with dense widened moustache on his face.  It's never easy to get into a truck that too when you're almost dipped into water. We all however easily managed to be inside considering it as our common act for last one year. Clock displayed 9 O'clock  pm on the truck replacing mirror at its place with Lord Ganesha’s face embroidered within in background. I had a very good feeling that night. Also, by now Raj, Ashish & Manish were too relaxed & assured that we'll be all back in correct time.

"So , Why did you guys walk for around three kilometres in this heavy rain, It would not have charged me extra fuel if I had stopped three kilometres before." said he laughing loudly in Punjabi style revealing the fact that he’s aware why did we managed to walk extra.

We had a nice conversation with Mr. Parmeet along the way.  

“You look to be so smart, don’t you’ve a girlfriend Paaji” asked Manish trying to be familiar with him.

“Ha..ha.. I too had” he said smiling.

“You had, what does that mean? “ I asked showing my  interest.

“No, we’re no more into any such relationship” his face was expression less when he spoke that.

“Whose mistake was that?” I asked, with an intension to know reason behind that. I was quite interested into love stories after I thought I had my own.

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“It neither was I nor she but it was both of us who did end this relationship because we couldn’t have carried out like that anymore. We were to go far away in life & you just can’t keep up with such a relationship which exists only in heart & nowhere in society.” he sounded little confusing to me.

“Where is she now then?” Ashish expressed his involvement too with a concluding question.

He looked at all of us & laughed loudly again in his Punjabi style reminding me of one of the comedy serial where judge was a Punjabi with an excessive laughter even to a joke where a normal person would like to throw egg & cry.

“chalo, Kids….Jump Out.”He said, applying sudden brakes indicating that we had reached our destinations.

We all jumped out & Said thanks to him. I was still waiting for an answer of Ashish’s question to Mr Parmeet. Before he could have shifted the gear from neutral to one, I interrupted him with my question, “Paaji, you didn’t answer our last question?”

“We’re married now & she might be cooking my favourites tonight” he said shifting the gears applying acceleration.

I was surprised while all others smiled & waved their hands giving a final look to Parmeet.

He had dropped us near the ring road from where we could have easily managed to our room. We got into a public auto-rickshaw with low cost which could have taken us to city-centre.  When we were inside the Auto-rickshaw, I was so happy & was smiling within, since after the Parmeet’s story, I too had now realized my love for her Sowmya. Raj saw me smiling silently & also smiled in response to mine as if he had read what’s running through my mind.

Auto wala had dropped us to Ghadi- Chowk, clock house forming a square to four different routes, known as city-centre. We all were to be on our own way now.

"Bye..See you Guys on Monday" Said I, turning back & running towards city bus which was about to leave. Manish & Ashsih resided with their Brother's Family while I & Raj shared a common room. Next day was a Sunday & we were thus to see each other only on coming Monday.

Me, Raj, Aashish & Manish were all involved with the practical assignment together in college. Raj & I used to be a roommate since my college days. Raj's father was a professor in girl’s government college in Jharkhand but was soon to be transferred to Raipur then Raj had plans to move to his parent’s house. Raj has happened to be a very good roommate & friend of mine. We shared all our activities with each other; rarely did we have small disputes as expected among every good friend & most of the room mates. Thus, knew almost everything about each other. That night too, I never realized when it was 3 am of morning while we were speaking over the terrace enjoying the cool weather actually it was only me narrating “my would be love story” to him. He too also was trying to be a good listener when I saw him taking silent nap.

Aashish too was very special friend to me during my college days not only because of his peace loving nature but there was another reason why he was one among my special friends. I'd met Ashish fortunately again during my college days. I first met Ashish in Year 2000 when we studied 7th standard together in a Hindi medium school "Saraswati Sishu Mandir". After a year, my father got transferred in Bhilai a city near to Raipur also known as "City of steel" because of the presence of one of the biggest steel Plant of SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited). I was then put into an English Medium school from 8th standard. Thus, I had lost all my contacts of Ashsih for next five years & surprisingly met him in the same college as one of my classmate. Manish had also become very good friend of mine within a year. We all had a wonderful time together Partying outside till last four months when I wasn't in love with Sowmya. She had completely changed me, which I felt was discovering a inner self of mine making me avoid drinks, smoke which we would have commonly done while out along with chasing the girls down the streets for fun. This was completely reverse feeling for my friends who felt that I’m becoming more Dumbo day-by-day.

After we were down the terrace around 3am, I could see her & only her face revolving all around me. I couldn’t wait any more to speak to her again. It was my mistake & because of my immaturity I came to a conclusion. I decided to find her contact all over again. I was so inquisitive to listen her saying “hello” to me. I was only waiting for the clock to make an angle of 90 degree again at 9 o’clock in the morning. Raj had slept after listening to my complete story may be a sheer nonsense to him but I was too influenced by today’s rainy experience. I had realised what I have been missing for last three months. I never wanted it to be like a stupid Hindi Bollywood movie, where hero-heroine will dump either because of their egos.

Raj was in so deep sleep after last night’s walk & was snoring annoyingly adding to my restlessness. I also was to sleep now but I put an alarm at 8:30am decided to call someone to inquire about Sowmya, I don’t know to whom. This night her thought has drenched me all over again after three months of aridity.

“Yes, She’s the only one for You Prateek” I said to myself loudly before I could sleep.

However, Raj was already sleeping without any distractions out of my words. I put switches off, pulled over my blanket & closed my eyes to relax myself after so much of thoughts flowing throughout my mind via heart the whole last night.

CHAPTER- 2

FIRST TEA TOGETHER—

“Hi”, I heard a voice. She was my friend Palak. Palak stayed next to my house.

Our house shared a common boundary. So, I could easily listen her shouting at her mom very often. I & mom had visited her house several numbers of times to attend Pujas organized at least thrice in a month.  So, I was expecting her today again with any such invitations. Of course today I was least bothered about anything but my fascination towards her. Finally, out of my illusory dreams, I found myself ill-fitted. It was now time to run & change to be a handsome hunk  in front of my dream girl.

“Hey, Hi Palak, C’mon get-in, It’s too hot outside”. I'd deliberately used such dialogue to avoid any further abashment Nevertheless its waste mentioning that inside it will be twice with Zero power. Saying this I ran away towards my bedroom leaving them in anteroom. Running straight toward kitchen I informed about Palak's arrival to Mom. Now she had come out to foster them. I was so embarrassed about the thought for first impression I would have left on her. Standing against mirror, merely for 3-4 minutes, Constantly watching myself in the same costume I was trying to rate myself negatively. Thinking that I will lose my chance to meet her in my home for the first time ever, I scattered all the cloths from cup-board.  Took my favorite blue color jeans which unfortunately mom hadn’t ironed due to power cut. I out of my elation wore it along with a transparent orange color Shirt.

I was too bothered about my looks at sudden within my own house.

“Prateek, What’re you doing dear inside, C’mon meet palak & her friend”. She asked softly.

“Yes Mom, I’m there in a minute”, Replied I.

“Hey , Prateek, being so busy haan? Don’t you wanna meet us too after you’re out for engineering. That’s sad”, said Palak in a Sarcastic but soft voice.

Before I could put any silly excuse, She again interrupted but this time it was of my interest.

“Meet Sowmya, She’s my best friend. She too had come for her vacation”. Palak Introduced.

“Hi”, I said with almost 270 degree of fake smile.

“Hi, Prateek”, Was her decent reply towards my fake one.

“How’s life then? How about your two semesters. Hope you did clear them without any carry forwards, isn’t it? Just Kidding”, said Palak making me feel so nervous in front of her.

“Yeah, I did & there’s nothing to kid about. Engineering is all about carrying forwards”, I gave a suspicious smile looking at palak.

My mom prepared the first of my romantic tea ever. It was like as if she's been arranging date of her own Son with an angel he always wanted to be with. However, everyone of us had our tea without any nonsense talks in between.

In the meantime, I didn’t speak anything but constantly kept an eagles eye on her. She too also seemed to be little uncomfortable. Palak & mom were busy in their own discussion about rituals & pujas customary things which I’m least interested in. We were sitting facing each other diagonally opposite & she was on my left.  Times of India was what she was trying to turn over every now & then.

I finally did dare to speak to her.

“So, you too an engineer, Huh ? I Mean a would be engineer ?”, I started with a usual question.

She smiled at me before she could answer.  That was the moment I wanted to capture in my eyes forever. She looked stunning with her all white teeth’s polished properly. I was falling for her every now & then.

“Yes, I too am pursuing B.tech & will be an engineer very soon by the time you’ll be one of course”.  She answered. May be with a Hint that we both belong to same batch.

“Okay, Namaste auntie ji, then we shall go, Prateek, keep in touch. Meet you next time again you’re back. I had to invite some other People too”, Palak told mutually to me & mom.

We hadn't even spoken for two minutes & it’s time for them to go. Palak was least interested in introducing Sowmya to me. And also I didn't had enough information about her to contact again. But this is what I’m good at.

“Palak, Can I've your contact number, I hope you won’t mind. I can forward you some  good SMSs &  May be I need them sometime when I do need to contact my parents urgently”, I blabbed when they almost reached the main gate.

“Yeah sure”, she replied. I was reluctant to bring up my black & white handset which my father had provided me as my first one after looking at their color ones.

“Better we exchange our numbers over pen”, I said avoiding the idea of missed calls which would have led to the monotonous sound of my mobile make noise.

“Sowmya, if you don’t mind we two can be friends”, I said smiling offering her a piece of paper with my mobile number over it. Palak had found nothing unusual in this & as she was my classmate & neighbor for past four & two years respectively.

She smiled & thus had accepted my first proposal.

It was time for them to go while for me it was to go ahead.  So, I finally had her number in my mobile. Couldn't dare to call her of course for at least first 2-3  days.  However, I can never forget the first tea we had together sitting in my own house. I just wanted to go & kiss the Cup with my own lips before my mom puts it for washing. I just wanted to hold the moment forever. I can’t let her go like this anyway.She meant something very special to me. Everything she possessed meant something to me. I just wanted to sit & think about her & only her.  

“Prateek…Prateek, Beta get those Cups & plates here in the kitchen”, said my mom. I kissed the cup gently on the way towards kitchen. It added to my madness when she said, “ We’ll anyway wash it tomorrow morning, so keep them aside”.

Note to readers:-

Many of you may/mayn't  be liking it but having a question of course  whether its all dramatization, scripted, real or imagination. I would answer to that by saying that this may/mayn't be completely real, I won’t reveal it & I leave it to you. This is very near to my heart. I’m working hard to find time out of my daily routine to complete it. Hope I’m able to do so & with consistently improving quality.

When it comes to answer your question, I would say the title of the blog should be sufficient. With this I put my UltraBook back to sleep & I too go inside the bed.

CHAPTER-1

THE NEXT MORNING -

It was 10:30 am when I checked the clock hanging on the wall. Yes, I had missed my college bus. But this is what exactly I thought two hours before. I was turbulent the whole night. It wasn’t a very usual morning for me. With a lot of her thoughts bouncing on my head the whole night made me felt so sick.  I got up & went straight towards the restroom; my burning red eyes were pure reflection of my restlessness & were narrating something unusual has happened to me.  She, out of sudden but most expected proposal from me was astonished & wanted couple of days before she responds. I was told not to call again, so the only thing I could do was to wait till she calls me back. Expecting a gigantic surprise on my birthday oon 16th January was all I could think out of my curiosity. It was now time to get through with the daily routines.

I was least interested in anything but her. It’s not of course a quixotic one.  I didn’t even see her for past two years. But it was not too long when I started falling for her.  It all started six months back, when I had fortunately gambled with my friend cum roommate, all in joke. I had never thought that very soon I will be the one most bothering about her.  See was now everywhere. I wasn’t interested in any other girls in my college though I had a proposal from few too. There was a girl who had proposed me & wanted to share a kiss with me but unfortunately I was too shy (or you say stupid) to make use of the opportunity. All I did was able to get out of her was a bracelet & a big greeting card like your university degree hard to handle. Uuuuhhh..  I think we shall time travel exactly 3 months back to past.

Blackout in Jharkhand–

 It was a hard time during summer of May 2007, when a group of Maoists had attacked the southern part of Jharkhand destroying all the power grids from nowhere to make the complete city Black. Jharkhand is supposed to be one among the mostly affected areas by Naxalites.  They are very prominent among northern part of the India including Central India too. This was the time when I was in the city to enjoy my semester break which finally turned into a catastrophe. There was shortage of everything. When I say everything here, you were to pay 10 rupees to refill your mobile batteries once. I also had daily job of following married women to get 3 buckets of water promised to each family by our state government. This all lasted for 15 days. The only thing which kept us connected was Newspaper which local vendors used to sell for thrice the price since it was being imported from the nearest unaffected city at a distance of around 150km. While this was not the only trouble there were loot, robberies & theft too started taking place overnight. Situation was worsening day-by-day. Government had again come up with their delusive promises. I just wanted to go run-away back to Raipur seeing all these hullabaloo but wasn't in my destiny too due to sky touching fares of travel which were almost around 5 times the normal adding to your life threatening risks on the way. I was left with no option but to wait for the government & their servants to take an action after they are done with their inutile talks.
But it has been correctly saId, “There’s something good in everything even if it seems to be bad eventually”. Putting those thoughts of the unknown motivator, I started finding out the ways to pass away my leisure time. Ideally speaking, my complete day was full of time with no other work after 10 am once I had provided my mother with three buckets of water.

Then came the day when I heard her for the first time.

“It’s your turn now , make your service”, said my brother shashank to me.
“Uuuuhh…wait its still 5-8, I’ll make it bro..”, I said to my brother with over-confidence.  We were playing badminton as usual for the sixth day as our daily time pass in evening.  While I was in Bermuda Shorts  & only sleeveless to bear with  humid weather, my brother was more bothered about his looks when out & was wearing a blue color jeans with a green color t-shirt over it.

“Here, I go “, I shouted & jumped with my service. Shockingly, my brother didn't respond to the shuttle & ran shyly towards the main gate of my house. He was a kind of reluctant to girls but no he too has his own story like everyone else.

 I was now to turn back to examine if something has really gone wrong. And there she was,  right behind me with her friend actually with our friend gazing at me with my sophisticated looking attire. I too was so insensible for a moment to run like my brother. Her eyes were the only twinkling things I’d ever noticed since the day of blackout. I could feel the smell of her perfume over my half displayed body as was the only fresh things I’d noticed after very long in this blackout where I was only suppose to smell sweating of my brother the whole night . She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen in my life since my birth standing in front of me next to my mother & sister. She was looking fantastic in light green color salwar with embroidery over it in white & blue. She was absolutely perfect; No doubt that was the moment, when gravity of her love started pulling me & I'd became a victim of “Love at first sight” in this blackout.

PROLOGUE

So here is where my story starts from….

Just after complete four years I realized that yes she’s the same. This night unlike all other I was unable to sleep.  Trust me this had never happened to me before.  Tear droplets falling down my eyes were questioning me, wind blowing outside windows made me felt her essence, I can still recall my heartbeat running twice than normal. It could have been a very usual date of 14^th Jan 2008 to many but to it was the first & last 14^th January of its kind.

To tell what this feeling has served me today,  very few sentences will be good enough. I am what today because of the beautiful January. No doubt that January already has been my favourite for many other reason too, few among them will be ours too & of everyone else of course. The new Oath you take the very first day of January for the complete year, you set your goals, you wipe out your old sin, confess in front of god. January has been always reckoned worldwide not merely because is the beginning of the year but cause is a beginning of many more beautiful things. One among them is I, not to joke but yes it’s my birthday month too.

I can hardly but strongly recall that it was 8:30 pm when I called her, was not the first call of course but never realized that it is my 37^th call to her. To be very frank, I was really afraid to hear her father when someone hangs up the phone. So what now, like every Indian love stories, a bug, yeah there was a sudden knock-knock at my door, good enough to annoy me with dizzy feelings? Expecting my room mate I ordered him to push the door & pull it back to open it with loosely married locks. Neverthless it was my neighbour who will for sure take the start of the story to 9pm, making me expecting her father on call for sure now. After 20 minutes of useless talk, I managed to get rid off him. Now it was too late considering our regular talk to call her, may sound odd but ofcourse her family switches off the light by 08:45pm with her father sleeping with his only mobile girlfriend & her stupid landline crying in the lull.  But when you’re under such a critical condition, you were left with no option but to go crazy.

Yeah it was her, “Hello, Is this you? Are you Mad? You know right its 9pm & its midnight for my father. You are going to kill me too.” Firing a bullets of questions on me, “Hey, Are you really going to awake your father when he’s still asleep even with this agitating phone, Hunn..?”. “I’m Sorry, I was longing for your call since last 5 days, you know. Why didn’t you called me?” She said. “I wasn’t having enough money to recharge my mobile, my father was to credit it yesterday but he did it today just like yours”, I answered in taunting manner.

Even with 25 minutes of junk talk, I was unable to put my point; with my rapidly reducing mobile balance the time had now come to at least initiate the talk. It was never very easy to propose a girl even for a comic Romeo while I was a real-living character. The point which adds to this was I never ever had seen her after we were in love. “I would like to say you something today, promise me you won’t cry. Please Please”, While it was also in mind that I’m running low in balance. While she was in straits, I was under basket case. I thought nothing neither waited for approval but “I love You, I’m in Love with you” that’s what I fleeted. A big Pause adding to my phone bill alongwith my accelerating heartbeat made me little more anxious.  “Yes, but we shouldn’t go beyond our friendship, didn’t we promise that? “ was her most expected reply.