And I was peering through my thoughts...An infinite ocean !! With a gamut of ineffable experiences !! Thinking unthinkable !!
Suddenly train whistled and pushed off the station triggering me out of my thoughts !! It had been ages since when I visited my aborigine !! The vague images of the past was roaming around in my mind....the trounce of the tutor, pretending to ignorant of a destruction of a toy(even though I was responsible for the same), playing kabaddi, Nukka-Chhippi, Gulli Danda blah blah all those silly games which you may see in a small village dictionary......Completely unaware of the fact that some day life will bring me to such a turning point and make him stand at the square to answer all possible controversies, shilly-shallying at every turning points....Actually nitty gritty is that these had been proved to be catalyst for me to bring him to the fore.....I never knew when I have grown from a plant to a sapling...and still going ahead with exponential rate....!! I still remember my whimsical decision to go out of home after that serendipity took place...and I still missed those momentous moments of my life...I was overflowing with emotions suddenly
"Is this coach no. S7, seat no 32-35." asked a lad which I presume was a teen of around 17years. He was accompanied by one lady and one gentleman, probably parents of the teen. It was certainly a frivolous question, but still I replied indifferently,"Yes". I wanted tranquil to be surfaced & complete solitude at that time..!! But it looked to me that all odds are against me. The teen was was quite enthusiastic about this journey, like he have just won a world war-III. His nonstop chit chat with his father were breaking the palace of my solitaire. The only thing I could figure out from that uninteresting itsy bitsy pieces of noise is, this lad had got selected in The brand symbol college IIT. "He must be a genius",I thought.
After looking at that kid, I was flashed back and envisaged the time when I was selected in engineering college for my admission in MIT(Thats what we call it, actually its full name is Muzzafarpur Institute of Technology) by working like a trojan. I surmise it was one of the best engineering college in India until IITs & NITs were founded. Those were the golden day of my life. I could see all the past events making a vague video by my brain waves. How can I forget the days when for the first time I was felt some attraction toward a girl. Although I wasn't misogynist but this fantastic word never attracted me until I met this girl. May be you can call her my dream girl. I never believed in the story of Romeo & Juliet, Hir & Ranjha, Salim & Anarkali, Devdas & Paro...and It always made me feel like What a silly people were they!!
But somehow this combo of Kamlesh & Chaitali nay me & she quite made a pleasant sense to me!! The first time I met her was in a college fest. I was in my second year of compsci and she just had joined her first year in elec eng in BIT Sindari (about 40 km away from my college). I was quite a shy guy, non willing to get involved with any girl, serious about my studies & career. I was walking across the Hathi Circle ;) to my way to CCD (Chai & Cold Drinks hub) and suddenly one soft gentle voice made a tangible sensation in my ears.
"Can you please tell me, what is the way to Hexagon Avenue?",She asked.
"Why not? sure, Look as you can see a number of hoardings over there that place is Silpagyan Center, take a right turn go about 100 steps, you will be at your desired venue.",I said, almost bumbling with my words.
"Thanks a lot",She said.
I was so stunned by her that I even couldn't say anything more than that. She gave a sweet angel smile and flew away. For the first time my heart wished that this conversation could have been a bit longer. But its ok, no problem. Many people & things come and go. We must not expect much from all these coincidence. Again heading to CCD.
But perhaps god wanted something different. After completion of my 4th semester, I went to my maternal home to enjoy my vacation. We went for a picnic to Manorma Place, a very well renowned place for excursion. And quite by serendipity I saw a girl. I was perplexed," perhaps I know her". I wanted to go to her and ask but my shy nature didn't allow me to do so. That too when my family people are around, Nooooooooo Wayyyyy. So I tried to get her attention towards me by some other means. I started Antrakshari, first time I must accede that I am a genius :). Idea did work out, and I could gaze with the eye corner that she too have recognized a bit. At least I expected so. Once our eyes came in direct interaction which I could not handle and pretended that I haven't even seen her. But I could sense someone coming towards me from background, but couldn't dare to look back. My heart started pounding.
"Aaa...Have we met before?", the same soft gentle voice touched my eardrums. My eardrums can never forget this pitch.
"Sorry !!?", I replied with controlling pitter patter of my heart.
"Oh..perhaps I have mistaken, sorry for interruption", she replied.
"Oh god..no no..I am doomed", I thought and gave a quick response without any room for delay, "Yeah, I suppose we do have met earlier, near Hathi Circle, MIT !!".
"Yaaah, now I remember,...so how are you? and how are the things going on your side? ",she asked.
"Things are going fine, I never thought that we could meet again, Its my pleasure to see you again" I said.
"BTW, I am Chaitali", she forwarded her hand to shake.
"And I am Kamlesh",I replied with a formal sound.
It was just a casual meeting. Don't know, somehow she conceived me a genius. "Am I???",the first thought came in my mind. I wanted to ask her contact number, email id ..something to get in touch with her again, but again my weak heart didn't allow me to do so.
I must admire her candidness, she gave me her contact number, email address and asked me for the same. It was really a nice evening which I whole hearted wished, wouldn't have ended. But no dream can survive for longer, one has to wake up. After then I was completely engrossed in fun , sweets, relatives, friends and her thoughts every night. Vacation was over, and it was the time to go back to my karmabhumi.
Again new semester started, things were again exactly in the same form as it were from last two years to me. Even thought I had her number, I couldn't dare to call her, and mail ...forget about it. But I had to do something for my little single heart which I presumed that I have already given to someone. Finally I made it, starting with a mail, writing my CG, courses and few other academic stuffs. I was totally neophyte to the romantic world. I didn't know what to talk with someone special, how to talk. I was just a lad who always believed in some unknown ideal character and always tried to follow ideality. Taking every step with care, trying my best to be earnest, honest and truthful. I never used to flatter anyone, so did know again how to do so. The reply did come saying she got 10/10 CG. The only word could come out of my mouth was "Wowwwwwww,..she is Chupa Rustam".
After few mail conversation I was planning to move on her hostel number. At that time the cell phones were too expensive, so that I could SMS her. :( And it was extremely difficult for me to make a call to her hostel and tell the receptionist to call Chaitali. Later on I came to know that she is a daughter of an affluent industrialist of the city, and she have a phone in her room. Somehow I managed to call her one day, but couldn't talk much. With the course of time, we started knowing each other. Although she was a modern girl, but she was very conservative. Speaking very slowly and gently. The talks were quite friendly, we started understanding each other. At least I thought so. And I was never willing to lose the contact with her by telling her about my feeling towards her and asking her about it.
The time passed, things went smoothly, but still I couldn't ask her. Talking to her on phone, going for outing on some weekends. Days were flying like anything, and it were so pleasant time that I did never want to endanger the situation. Final year came, I was going to bid adieu to my college and enter in professional world. One day I was determined to ask her about this, but again odds were agin to me, deep in my heart there was a great fear bcz of her conservative nature. I wasn't sure that even if she will like me, will she say me yes!!??
In such a great dilemma finally one day I said this to her, but perhaps my way of expressing my feelings were wrong.
"WTF,what I did!!? I made her cry....no no I am a sinner.", I thought. I tried my best to convince her that "No no..it was just a premature thinking, we aren't mature enough yet to take such decision so don't worry. We still are good friends." Hoped things will become right again. Couldn't dare to contact her again. Perhaps she too was in same situation. I wished that hey once you came to me when I was shy, please do come back again once. Things didn't go as it were dreamt of.
Taking this as a decision of almighty,along with a heartfelt discontent I paved my way to corporate world.
Suddenly din at station reeled me back to present.
I could clearly hear "Chai le lo chai..."a child with tea tray.
"Kaun sa station hai bhai..??",some lady yelled from next coach.
"Nungambakkam", Someone answered.
NUNGAMBAKKAM...
:D.this is where she called me today. I started winding my luggage and getting ready to get down at the station. You must be thinking what happened with my love story...? Could I meet her again ?
Yaah,...although she couldn't say her words at that time, but somehow she also realized that she too needs me. But that was too late. She did her MBA from some institute and now owner of the well renowned company which her father founded. Presently, I am also playing a prominent role in corporate world. I too started a company which fortunately got a good deal from her company. The serendipity took place again and we saw each other in one business summit, but couldn't get a chance to talk to each other. After that when I en queried she had left the place just after meeting and took a flight to her place. My wound went green again. I was feeling too much dejected, thought that "If she doesn't want to see me, I'll come out of this business and start something else, so that at least she don't have to catch flight again so early just after the summit." I too left the place second day.
In office the receptionist called me and told "Sir there is call from miss chetali, she wants to talk to you."
It felt me like , the earth just below my feet has slipped. I did not know what to talk. A number of questions had started jiggling in every corner of my mind.
"Ok forward it to me",I said with a bumbling voice.
"Hi kamlesh, how are you?"Chetali said.
"Hi Chetali, M fine..how are you? It had been a ages since when we have talked...so how is life..how are you doing?", I said nervously.
"I am sorry Kamlesh..",Chetali said.
"Hey c'mon, why sorry,..infact I must say sorry,,,I misinterpreted your true friendship. perhaps I was wrong..but still I feel that it was worthy to have such great experience once in a life...I liked you that is true..and I am not sorry for that....what I am sorry for, is I could not express myself as anyone girl may want...I couldn't be a dream boy of yours ..and sorry for any mistake which might have hurt you in one way or any other possible way..." I said almost in a single stretch.
And I never realized that gradually conversation went down from aggressive start to a pleasant soft murmuring. And finally she admitted that she did like me, but it was too early for her to decide on this. When I left the college, she did miss me. And still she couldn't forget me. And today I am going to meet her again.
"And this is the happy ending of my love story. I wish all of you to have a great success in your professional life as well as your love life", thought Kamlesh with a closed eye prayer to almighty.
PS:This story has been written in one stretch(almost), so there can be many mistakes..which I'll review some other time. I hope you enjoyed the story...I know that there could much far better presentation of the scenario in which the story have ended...but i got a bit frazzled at the end..i'll try to make up it ASAP.. Please please & please comment on the story & let me know your feed back...and any further suggestion to improve my writing skills. Thank you !!
