Skip to main content

A Turn Towards Love

By
Pratap was in his room thinking about whether he should text her or not. It had been two days since they talked; tomorrow is school again, and he wanted to apologise for shouting at her. She was right about his parents; never had anyone talked to him about them before. He knew she was trying to help. He opened her chatbox on WhatsApp and typed, "I'm sorry. "
 Within seconds, a reply came, "Why?"
" Because I shouted."
" I know you didn't mean anything."
" Then why were you sad?"
The moment she saw this message, he regretted sending it. They never talked of their feelings to each other, but now he has officially let her know how well he understands her.
" Nobody shouts at me like that." Came a well-thought-out reply.
He smiled. This girl can't even lie properly. Her words played in his mind Your Parents... They still love each other... 
He remembered the last day in school, when they were discussing whether Phool and Vishal were in love, and he had asked Roshni, " What is true love to you?" She thought a little and answered, " One day you will find someone who will love you and know you more than you know yourself. You will feel the same about her, and you won't be able to imagine life without her; that would be true love." The way she explained was simple yet beautifully mesmerised him. He wanted to tell her It's you I feel for... A pain held him back! Tears came at the thought of losing her over his insecurities in relationships.

Dadi came knocking. His chain of thought was broken.
" Beta, I want to..." She saw him wipe away a tear and sit up.
" What's wrong?" She asked, worriedly.
"Nothing." Pratap shook his head.
" Your mother... " Dadi cleared her throat as she sat down.
" What about her?" Pratap frowned. "Is she fine?"
" I think you should talk to her; she is worried about you." Dadi smiled faintly.
" About me?? Why?" Pratap sat up and looked perplexed. Dadi shook her head.
" Ask her yourself."
 A little scared, Jaivanta entered the room. Dadi left them alone.
" What's wrong, Pratap? You seem upset for the last two days."
" Nothing Maasa..." Pratap looked away as his jaws tightened. Roshni's words played in his mind.
" Did you fight with Rohan? " His mother asked, a little concerned.
" No, we didn't talk." He shook his head. "He is busy preparing for the entrance exams to go abroad."
" Vishal? Or that girl Phool?" His mother asked, trying to ruffle his messy hair as he resisted.
" No. You know they are together now." He tried to give a smile and change the topic.
" Roshni, is it??" His smile faded as his mother sighed.
" Maasa, I am fine. I fought with no one. Seriously, you can ask her." He shrugged.
" Then tell me something straight, do you like her?" Jaivanta saw her son's eyes sparkle.
" I don't know..." He wished she wouldn't ask that. He felt uneasy with the conversation.
" Pratap...." Jaivanta was not one to leave without a reply.
" Yes.... ??"
" Tell me, do you like her?" She asked again, this time holding her son's cold hands in hers.
" Yes...I .... Umm..." Pratap was shocked at his own confession as his mother smiled.
" Then what is stopping you?" Pratap had no answer. Jaivanta's fears were coming true.
" Is it my failed marriage?" Her voice choked.
 Pratap looked into his mother's eyes for the first time in all these years. She was in tears. " I love your father, Beta. I don't know what went wrong." She sobbed. He hugged her. She hugged him back. She told him something very important then, something he totally forgot.
" As I have told you before, in your family, it is a tradition to get engaged when you are eighteen. Only two months are left, and your father will start looking for a fiancée soon. He asked me if I liked someone already, I told him I would ask you... So you'd better act fast if you want to... I can talk to Hansa if you want..."
" No, let me talk to Roshni first." He said determinedly.
" As you wish." Jaivanta smiled, but she knew her son too well. He was brave enough to face anything but his own feelings.

The next day in school, he arrived late and saw she was not there. Phool informed him that she was not well. Pratap was worried. Knowing her, she must have cried all weekend over what he had said. He felt restless all day, so much so that he wanted to tell her and listen to her.
Phool saw his restlessness and told him, " Why don't you go over to her place and sort things out?"
He decided to make things right. After school, he arrived at her place. Hansa welcomed him quite casually and informed him that Roshni was upstairs resting. Then she got busy with a call, as he walked up the stairs. " He's here!" She giggled, " I have told Ram, and he is more than happy."
" Udai is happy too that he has found himself a girl." Came the familiar voice on the phone.
"Let's plan to meet soon"
" Yes, we have to, Hansa, so much work and so little time!"

Roshni sat on her windowsill, lost in her thoughts. Her skirt and hair blew in the wind carelessly. What she felt about him was love; she knew it, she thought he knew it, but would they ever talk of it? Or things will go unsaid forever. Yes, they were just 17 years old, they had all the time in the world, but will it be too late? What if he doesn't want all this love stuff? He came to the room, and his footsteps made her sit up.
" You?" She asked in a low voice, her eyes wide in surprise. He gathered his courage to walk up to her and feel her forehead. " Where's your fever? You don't have any." His voice was plain.
" Yes, I had medicines this morning."
" You could have come to school."
" Why? What did I miss?" She tried to smile a little.
" I missed you." Her heart skipped a beat as she looked into his eyes. He meant every word.
" Pratap .... I ...."
" Let me talk first... Whatever I said about Love that day...." He paused to think how he should put it.
" Jaivanta Mausi came today." Now he was in shock. " Maasa? Why?" He dreaded what she might have told Roshni.
" She came to talk to me about you."
" What about me?" Damn it, Maasa, I was going to...
" Why did you shout? What scares you the most..." She looked away. " I didn't know you told her what we talked about." She turned away and sighed.
" I didn't say anything; she assumed I fought with you." He defended himself.
" I know. She told me what else you told her. " His heart skipped a beat.
"Roshni... I...." He continued uneasily, " I don't know what to say... I have never... before you... "
He couldn't put it right. She turned back towards him.
" You know what your maasa gave me?" There was a child-like enthusiasm in her question.
He stopped. " What?"
She held out her hand. Her wrists, he noticed, had his mother's favourite bangles, carved with gold and diamonds.
"This!"
He remembered when his father had bought that for his mother on their anniversary, back when they used to fight less. She had kept it away, saying, " I will give this to the girl I will choose for my son."

He held her outstretched hand. " I assume she told you the story behind this, too?" He smiled.
" Yes," Roshni ignored his glances," I told you they still love each other, you just need to find out where the misunderstandings lie."
" Maybe we can find it together, and you can help me solve this problem."
" Maybe we can, but we have another problem," Roshni replied, their hands still in each other's, they shared an eye lock.
" What?" He asked in surprise.
"Mr Pratap Singh, you still have not told me what brought you here, apart from my fever..." Her tone was teasing.
" And apart from the fact that I missed you all day?" He pulled her by the hand, closer.
" Yes..." She looked at him with a smile.
" Well," He acted like he was thinking, " I forgot what I was going to say..." He got an inch closer.
" Okay, when you remember you come back! Bye!" Roshni let go of his hands and turned around to leave the room. He held her back by the wrist.
" You told me one day, someday, someone will love me more than I love myself..."
" Yes..." Roshni waited as her heartbeat increased.
" Am glad I found someone like you." He blurted out in a choked voice. " And I promise I will be nothing like my father."
She turned around, eyes filled with happy tears. " I know I am a bit like him, I can't tell what I feel, and I get angry easily, but I am not him, I won't hurt you..."
 She stopped his speech with her hand, " I know that!" He smiled at her and held both her hands again, " I know we only know each other for two months, but...."
" Sometimes that is like an eternity!" She completed his thought. He hugged her in joy. She hugged him back.
" By the way," He released her from the embrace ", You know it's my family tradition..."
" To get engaged at eighteen... I know, I heard."
" I will get you a ring, diamond or platinum or both?"
" Just you... " Roshni smiled. " And no matter how hard you try, I am not getting married soon!"
" Five years?'
" Ten!"
" No Five!"
" No, Ten!"
" Okay, stop!"
" You stop!"

They burst out laughing, they knew five years or ten, it didn't matter, they were one from the heart. They had discovered adulthood with each other, and they turned to mature adults from the children they had been, because of these feelings.
" There is still a lot to do, first, find out your dad's problem!" Roshni suggested Pratap nodded,
" Mission Parents!"
He was about to leave when he turned back towards her...
" What happened?"
" I love you, Roshni Punwar. I really do," he said without a fumble, then hurried out as if he would miss a train!
Before she could react, he was gone. She ran to the balcony to watch him go as his car drove away. She looked at the Bangles and smiled, they were a promise of her happy future...

 She sat down and created a WhatsApp group with Pratap, Vishal, Phool, Rohan and herself and named it " Mission Parents." They had to act soon, at least before the engagement due in two months.





Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Towards You

By
The Afghans, after Sher Shah Suri's untimely demise, were at loggerheads for power. Their troops near Mewar were now led by Mehmood Shah. They secretly captured territories in the forests and waited to attack Mewari camps when the time was right. Rawat Chundawat and his spies had confirmed the news, and Udai Singh sent a warning to Mehmood Shah to withdraw his troops from Mewar in vain. Now that it was out in the open, it was time they declared war. Mehmood Shah had limited resources in Mewar. His internal rebellion against his commander did not help his cause. His spies clearly suggested that in no way could he win, especially with Kunwar Pratap leading his troops. He was having second thoughts about the war. It was then that one of his aides suggested a perfect plan. Maharani Jaivanta Bai had decided to go to the Mahakaleshwar Temple near the outskirts of Chittorgarh, in the forestlands of Bhilwara. They had travelled a long way and across the Gambhiri river that meandered during...
Read More

My Everything

By
Kunwar Pratap stormed into the Mahal at Gogunda amidst uncertainty and chaos. Happy faces of the chieftains and soldiers welcomed him as Rawat Chundawat, and some other chieftains stopped the ongoing Raj Tilak. A visibly scared Kunwar Jagmal looked clueless at a visibly angry Kunwar Pratap. Rani Dheerbai Bhatiyani hadn't expected Kunwar Pratap to show up, that too, despite her conveying to him his father's last wish of crowning Kunwar Jagmal. Twenty-one days after Udai Singh's death, she was finally close to a dream she had dared to dream since Jagmal was born. He was not informed about the Raj Tilak as per Dheerbai's instructions. She eyed Rawat Ji. He must have assembled the chiefs to this revolt against her son, against the dead king. No one except them knew where Kunwar Pratap was staying. It was for the safety of his family. " What are you doing, Chotima?" A disappointed voice was directed at her. She could stoop down so low? For the first time, an anger...
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Five

By
It took Trilochon half a day to figure out something was wrong at home. Since he was back, Somnath did not talk to him at all, and Aniruddha looked visibly upset. They avoided each other at the dining table and the living room. Trilochon was not comfortable with asking Ashalata anything. In the evening, as Kalindi poured tea from the pot, Trilochon groaned inwardly. “It’s not even six months since he got married, and she has started a war between brothers.” Kalindi stopped pouring the tea as she turned to him. “What?” She asked, a little cluelessly. “If I had chosen a bride…” Trilochon stopped at Kalindi’s disapproving stare. “What makes you say that?” She asked rather calmly. “Well, I never saw Som and Aniruddha fight until she came here.” Kalindi looked amused at his words. “You are the type for whom people hate in-laws.” “Pardon?” Trilochon narrowed his brows. “What do you mean?” “Bondita. Ask Bondita.” Kalindi shook her head. “I told her it was a bad idea to work with him.” “You ha...
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Twenty One

By
The morning after the Chief Minister of the state attended the reception party, Binoy wrapped the newspaper that had just arrived at their threshold, eyeing the picture of him and Trilochon with the chief minister smiling proudly, made a mental note of framing it for his office in Siliguri and stepped out to see the car waiting for him in the entrance to take him to the station. He glanced over his shoulder at the house, still asleep and watched Bihari put his luggage in the back seat. Bihari had been with the Roy Chowdhury House since he was a teenager. He eyed Binoy as he lit his pipe and straightened his jacket when Bihari approached him. “Boro Saheb, should I inform Kotta Moshai once?” Binoy eyed Bihari with a disapproving glance.  “If I wanted to tell him, I would have done so myself, Bihari. Where is the driver?” He checked his watch. Bihari sighed as he ran to check on the driver. Bondita stopped on the gravelled path leading from the entrance to the main gate as she watched...
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Four

By
Aniruddha let the shower run as his skin erupted into goosebumps under the cold water. He breathed out and removed the locks of wet hair from his face. He turned off the shower, wrapped the towel lowly around his waist and walked back to the room, not caring about the wet floor from the water dripping down his torso. He lay on the bed as his body soaked the blanket. He stared at the ceiling, stretching his arms over his head. Bondita’s promise played on his mind in a loop. “I will not leave… I will never leave.” He wanted to believe her. He wanted one person he could fall back on, trusting them to catch him when he stumbled. But his experiences proved him otherwise. He remembered that day as vividly as if it were yesterday.  He had bought a scarf for Bondita from Palika Bazaar as a truce because he felt bad leaving home after fighting with her. He had tried to be patient with her and sat her down numerous times to make her understand why boarding school would benefit her. Aniruddha...
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Two

By
The winter morning was pleasant, especially when the sunshine hit the dewy grass on the lawn, and Bihari set down the porcelain cups for Trilochon and Kalindi to start their day. Kalindi had just taken up some orders to knit sweaters and mittens for some of the neighbourhood kids as she wrapped the thick brown shawl tightly around herself, on the chilly morning as she sat down on the lawn chair with her needles, pin and colourful balls of wool, as she knit a pair of mittens while waiting for Trilochon to join her. Bondita hurried out of their place and stopped at the sight of her sitting alone, unsurely. “Do you need something?” Kalindi raised her eyes briefly from the wool and asked as she shook her head. “I was hoping to talk to Jyatha Moshai…” She shivered a little as Kalindi scolded her to find a sweater first. She rushed indoors as Kalindi spotted Trilochon in a thermal t-shirt, a pair of pants and a shawl walking towards her with the cane in hand. He stopped as he watched her kni...
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Twenty

By
Trilochon’s only desire for Som’s wedding was for it to be so grand that the entire Chandannagar remembered it for the longest time. He had also invited the leaders of the opposition, ministers and even the CM, and if rumours were to be believed, he would accept the invitation. That meant trying to impress him for a ticket to the next Lok Sabha elections. He knew the only way to do so was also to showcase Som as a prodigy. Their family name was enough to earn votes for the party in the area. “Perhaps you could tell him about Somnath Babu’s involvement in some of the projects here. Like the slum area where water was flooding the pathways…” Poritosh had suggested. “But it was done by…” Bapi Da had stopped as Trilochon shook his head, “How does it matter who did it? What matters is that we say Som did it.” They agreed. “Jyatha Moshai.” Bondita walked into his room, not expecting the elderly men from the Party office to be there. “ Bolo, Maa. ” “The Gaye Holud is here.” She smiled. “How a...
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Three

By
“So the question is, do the slum dwellers get their dues to relocate, or do they protest on the road, grabbing media attention? If one of them mentions the sewage project where all this started, we can’t guarantee not dragging certain names then. It will be beyond our control.” Bondita breathed in as she eyed everyone at the table. The conference hall of ARC & Associates had an oval table with a whiteboard, projector and podium and sitting around the table were a stenographer, Bondita’s secondary attorney, Debashish Ghosal, the contractor and his attorney Biswas, the representative of the NGO with the Union leader of the slum, Trilochon, Somnath and Aniruddha. The people of the NGO appreciated her strategy with a nod. Ghoshal looked perplexed as his lawyer whispered something in his ear. Somnath did not look up from the table as Aniruddha passed a note to Trilochon in writing.  “Now the decision is yours.” Bondita continued. “We are keen on out-of-court settlement if our basic ...
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Nineteen

By
“Wake up, wake up!” Bondita smiled, amused at Aniruddha and Batuk sleeping on his bed, hugging each other like children. She removed the curtains, and the room was flooded in daylight. “Urgh.” Batuk stirred as Aniruddha sat up. “What is wrong with you?” Batuk threw the pillow Bondita caught before it hit the floor. Her wet hair shone in the sunlight, with droplets of water lingering on its tips as she adjusted her well-pleated orange saree with a blue border and opened the window. A gust of cold breeze blew in from the Ganges, prompting Batuk to pull his blanket over his face. “Let me sleep, Daini !” He murmured. “Is it not enough that you all gave away my room to guests?” Aniruddha was stretching and yawning as Bondita chuckled, amused, pulling her wet hair to the side of her shoulder. “Why are you dressed up?” Aniruddha asked, suppressing a yawn. “Oh, you should be, too. Jyatha Moshai said We are going to Kalighat.” She raised her brows, amused. “Oh shit,” Aniruddha murmured, hitting...
Read More

Purnota: Chapter Twenty Six

By
Bondita was surprised to find Binoy in the living room of the Roy Chowdhury house as she entered the premises early in the morning. Trilochon sat with his brother, looking serious as they discussed some paperwork, as Bihari walked out with tea. Noticing Bondita so early in the morning, Trilochon looked up questioningly. “I have some errands to run before the office.” Bondita smiled as Trilochon nodded. She had to pay some bills and deliver some of the orders Kalindi had finished because her ankle hurt in the morning. Trilochon enquired about her need for medicines as Bondita reassured him that she had made sure of it. Bondita briefly eyed Binoy, who did not take an interest in her or the conversation, as he did not look up from the papers. Bondita cleared her throat, informing Trilochon that she should be on her way. “I think you should show her the papers, Binoy.” Trilochon stopped her as he suggested to Binoy, who eyed Bondita briefly. He looked unsure as Bondita opened her mouth wit...
Read More