Derailed-or-what

When Bharat got into the train little did he know that the journey is going to change his life forever… sitting next to his beautiful wife Devi, he got everything he asked for, she was lovely, compassionate and loved his parents too. He was going to his native for the weekend. Devi has never shown face to his mother and he knew for sure that she loved his mother not for his sake, but for her own sake….

He does not regret the decision of choosing Devi as his beloved wife before 2 years… They were working together, and Bharat was smitten by Devi from the day 1 he saw her. He wanted to talk to her, and approached as a friend. Things worked out and they became good friends, but every time he tried to propose some how words failed him… and he doubted if he was making a fool out of himself that such a beautiful and well mannered girl would fall for him, and there was some other reason too… Devi was always with her best friend Renu. They were inseparable. Whenever Barath was around them he saw Renu eyeing him, he felt uncomfortable with the situation and sooner he realized that Devi and Renu were both in love with him. 

Now that he had created a love triangle, and any decision he makes would destroy their friendship on the whole. The girls seem to know about each others feeling for him, for they were showering him with attention. He was helpless now, dragged between 2 girls, who seem to love him equally, he wondered if Bermuda triangle is better than this. But one thing that he was sure of was, his love towards Devi and there was nothing other than friendship to Renu. He wanted to sort it out, so after looooot of thinking he decided to meet Renu and told his heart to her, she seemed to have taken it pretty well, the tissues which he brought along with were never used. Now he felt a bit disappointed, does he not even deserve a tear or two? She looked deep into his eyes, and heaved a sigh, some how it broke his heart, but he didn’t love her and that was the reality. She said, “Its ok.. I am happy for Devi she is a very lucky girl” and without invitation, hugged him tight and planted a kiss in his cheek and went away. After a month she left for onsite and was never heard off.

He felt it was high time that he expressed his love and happily proposed to Devi in the Sea shore in a romantic evening, in the midst of setting sun, raising moon and the glittering stars, she accepted readily. After 5 month they were married and there was no looking back. What astonished Bharat more was that Devi never spoke of Renu or spoke to her. The friendship somehow seems to have dissolved in their Love for each other and even Bharat was relieved of this, else it would have got him in an awkward situation seeing Renu again.

Now sitting in the train after one year he felt happy and content. Devi sat close to him, sliding her hands into his and looked up at him and asked, “What were you thinking dear!” he smiled and said “nothing honey! Just about us”. The train was about to start and the seats near them were filling slowly. Bharat was looking through the window; he always liked the general coach than the AC, what kind of person will miss this beautiful scenery for AC. He was showing Devi the birds flying in the sky, in V shape.. But she was not listening, for she was staring at someone standing in front of her… he turned to see who it was, he was shocked too to see Renu standing there and staring at both of them. She smiled to Devi, who didn’t reciprocate the same, but Bharat felt bad and smiled at her, she sat opposite to him and for the rest of the journey chatted happily with him. She said that onsite was not that good and she missed many things in here, with the words came a huge sigh directed to Bharat, who felt a pang of guilt rise in his throat, he swallowed it helplessly, after all there is nothing he can do to mend their relation or the friendship between his wife and Renu. There seem to be a sarcastic smile playing at Devi’s face which both Bharat and Renu didn’t fail to notice… Barath knew that it was her victorious smile, which meant that she has got something that Renu didn’t get and she is happy seeing her friend still in pain…

When they got down in the station Bharat bid farewell to Renu and Devi didn’t even care to look at her, her husband couldn’t bare it any more and asked her why she was showing cold face to her friend. Devi looked at him deep into the eyes, her usual penetrating look, searching his face for the reason for the sudden outburst of emotion towards her friend. Finally when she was satisfied that it meant nothing other than kindness(which he doesn’t know how she got from his face?) she sat down in a nearby café and motioned him to sit too. They ordered coffee and then she spoke..

“Bharat back then, you know that both Me and Renu were in love with you and we were literally competing with each other, we started fighting with each other and it became very bad. That was the time when their was a long term onsite offer, the one Renu took remember?” He nodded and she continued, “We both wanted that very much too, so finally we decided to pick chits and who ever wins gets the best, it was either U or onsite and thus I ended up with you and she went onsite.. But after that I realized that it was not for competition sake that I liked you, but it was the deep passion in my heart and the real love towards you… I am actually thankful to God… if I had won that bet…!!! Oh my God I don’t know what would have happened…”

Bharat who was smiling till now gave a start and stared at her.. “Devi? What did u say? Did you say that you lost the bet?”

“Of course honey! I LOST THE BET… were u not listening??” said she a bit annoyed.. Bharat’s head started to sway back and forth…

He wanted to shout at her and storm out saying “OH MY GOD!!! I was ur SECOND CHOICE? That too for a stupid onsite offer?” but no words came out of his mouth.. In such a situation he was the sort of guy to lay low to himself and not talk to any one. Y the time he reached his native home, Devi had forgotten the conversation and carried on as usual, but he could never be the same. He remained silent and reserved and grumpy through out. She repeatedly asked him what was the reason and he gave her his “As if you don’t know” look. But she stared back at him innocently with tears in her big brown eyes. All she could infer was that her husband has been upset after seeing Renu and that made her furious.. Dead silence prevailed between both, she thought he didn’t love her any more and he felt that he was her second choice.

Walking alone or wandering through the streets of his native became the greatest pastime for Bharat and on one such walk he met Renu, she looked at his sad face and enquired the reason… wanting of compassion, he told her that he knew about how he got Devi and how Renu went onsite. Sensing the danger in the situation and hatred in his voice, she took him to a near by café and sat down after the orders were placed, Bharat kept looking down, he seem to be depressed. Renu didn’t know how to start but she needed to and spoke, “Bharat do u know Devi's character? Do you know how childish she is? If I say I want this, she will say the same and if I say I want that she would want it too, that was what I felt when I saw her show interest to you, though I was the first one to like you (sigh).. But soon after I understood the real love in her towards you and yours to her and I was the one in between.. not allowing you guys to unite, but If I had told this to her and decided to move on she might not have been happy with you, thinking that I sacrificed my happiness for her, that was why I came up with this onsite plan… she took the bait and acted as I expected, we decided to pick a chit.. so I asked her to prepare 2 chits one with your name and other with onsite on it and I took onsite and left you guys to enjoy the eternal happiness of wedding bliss..!!!”

Bharat Sighed and wondered out aloud, “So if she had got onsite? In the chit she would have forgotten the so called true love towards me and left?? Huh?”

“Oh dear! You don’t know her at all.. I told you that she prepared the chits, their was no way that I would have picked your name. After I opened mine I looked up to see her jumping in the chair, and when she left me after half hour, she accidentally missed her chit and when I opened it, I saw that she had written onsite in both!!! I didn’t fight with her or reason out! Because that was the same day you told me about your feeling to her! It was you two meant to be together and not us! I have got over it, and after going onsite I understood that it was her and her friendship I value and missed more than anything else, but speaking to her would not be a good choice, so, I didn’t contact at all, any way I am getting married with in two weeks and he is working their in onsite along with me, we met there and I guess that was the best for all of us! I would invite you but I don’t know how she will react… “

Bharat smiled after many days and said, “its ok..! I understand and by the way you girls are very silly!!” they both laughed heartily, he was all in hurry to go meet his wife, he hugged Renu in a friendly affectionate way, wished her good luck for marriage and off he went to meet his sweet heart. He dashed into the house and couldn’t find her in the room and went to the balcony, there in a far corner she sat, she was leaner than before, and had cried, he went near her and sat down. Before he could speak she started, “I know you still like Renu and she seem to like you too, I don’t want to be between you guys tell me what I should do?”

He smiled and said, “How about you write your names in 2 chits and I pick one?”

She stared at him and cried again, he went inside and came out with two pieces of paper and said, “Pick one” she cried harder but a smile played in his face.

Finally thinking that he is taking revenge on her, she took a chit and sat silent… he forced her to open it, but she didn’t heed. So he said, “Fine I will open mine, and if I get your name that means you have her name and that settles the doubt… fair game huh?”

After opening his chit he cried out “Oh GOD THANKS!!!!” and jumped in happiness. She was heart broken when she saw her name in her hand.. so he is happy that he got Renu huh? She thought to herself and was about to move into the room when he held her hand and looked into her eyes with a smile and opened the paper in his hand to show her name and hugged her tight.. “It is always you! It will always be you my dear!” with that he kissed her…. a deep passionate and prolonged kiss, and she leaned on his shoulder and so peace was finally restored…

Suicide

Roopa was suddenly awaken from her deep sleep by the sound of her cell phone ringing, she rubbed her eyes and switched on the light, it was 7:15 in the morning, she has over slept because of her fever. She looked at the mobile screen, it said "Hubby calling", "Why is Shiva calling me at this time? was he not supposed to reach home today" she murmured to her self and answered the phone.

After 4 hours, sitting near the mortuary in the Meenakshi hospital Madurai, she was not even able to remember how she reached there from Chennai. All she remembers was the strangers voice from her husbands mobile telling that her husband has ended his life in one end of a small rope. Her 2yrs old child was sleeping in her lap. Roopa was silent, except for the silent tears. The stretcher was brought out of the mortuary, she looked at Shiva’s face, it looked peaceful, as if he was sleeping, she kept staring at him, and suddenly everything around her went black, and dark, she fainted.

The Mushroom that betrayed me..

It was a fine day.. every thing was fine and nice who would have expected that it would turn out to be a dreadful day for me…

My best friend Rekha is getting relieved today, she is following the footsteps of many Indian girls, getting married to an NRI and settle down in New York, I am happy for her as long as she is happy. She wanted to treat us all, the fifteen members of the team. We decide to go for sizzlers and we meet at the restaurant near my office by 1. I was about to order when she nudged me and pointed to the nearby table.

He was sitting there with 2 of his friends, my man… he turned suddenly to our direction by a similar nudging from his friend which we didn’t fail to notice, our eyes met, my heart was about to explode. It is the same feeling every time I look at him.. But why does he not ask me out? I heard a whisper in my ears, that was Rekha asking me to calm down. I seem to have been staring at him longer than the required time. With pain I tried to disconnect from his gaze with a small acknowledgement smile, he smiled broadly displaying his beautiful set of teeth and a twinkle in his eyes.

I turned to Rekha and asked, “Wow did u see that? did u? he gave me a broad smile..showing teeth!!”

“I saw that but stop getting excited like this”

“Ya but look at the smile.. he is so cute is he not?”

“Duh! Why asking me I will be married within a month”

“Oh dear Rekha.. your fiancée is handsome too.. ;-) but Nikil… he makes my heart flutter.. If only he approached me…”

“If u drool like this.. he may never approach you even for a chit chat..”

Well that was a slap in my face to come back to reality, I casually turned around and started looking for the menu.. “Don’t strain yourself some one has already ordered for both of us..” sighed Rekha. I stared at George in front of me.. Mr. I-know-the-best-dishes-and-I-ordered-for-everyone… He smiled and nodded like I was grateful for his service…
“So George what did you order for me…”

“Oh..! I ordered Mushroom balls starter and chicken candy sizzler for you.. they are great here…”

“Oh thank you… That indeed is not a bad selection…” how nice of me to have said that to him...

Once again my concentration turns to Nikil in the other table but this time I make sure that it looks casual and he doesn't notice, I saw him chat with his friends and eat, looking my direction every 5 minutes and wondered why he never tried to talk to me yet. We are not school kids any more…I remember the first time I saw him, it was during my induction, he gave a brief about his team and I thought he looked good.. no strings attached.. just looks good. But then I don’t exactly remember when he started noticing me and when I started responding. Why cant he speak to me?

“Devi.. Devi your dish is here.. look at the mushroom balls don’t they look delicious” Georges comment brought me back to the world. I looked at my plate. Cute looking 3 round mushroom balls roasted to golden brown with a delicious aroma.. I thanked him heartily… and we started to chat and that is when it happened..

I took my fork and spoon in both the hands, held the mushroom using my spoon and touched it with my fork to pierce it.. when it suddenly leaped up from my plate landed with a ‘thud’ in the table.. looked at me for a second and rolled over to the end of the table and jumped down, like it would rather suicide than be eaten by me.. It did not stop with that.. it rolled and rolled until it reached his legs, and sat there happily mocking at me from there… For a moment every one were silent.. Then George burst out laughing.. every one followed except Rekha. As if that was not enough he shouted.. “You should have told me that you don’t know how to eat it.. I would have ordered some thing else..”

I was sad and depressed not because of that freak George, but Nikil… he sure did not miss that.. in fact on one in that restaurant missed that event, Nikil seeing it bothered me more than any thing else loosing a guy for table manners? Oh my God!! can I ever get over that?, I did not even dare to look at his direction.. the dream is shattered how will I face him.. may be he is smiling too..

“Oh God..please make me disappear... please..” Rekha was able to roll her eyes and calm down all the others except George who kept smiling.. I looked at him, so.. so he wants me to cry out of embarrassment? Huh? I will do the opposite of it.. I laughed at myself with him like a lightheaded fool.. The commotion was soon forgotten when the main course arrived but for me it didn’t.

I was unusually calm for the remaining meal and kept staring down I don’t know how long... that is when I noticed some thing fall down near my legs… a piece of cherry I looked up to see Nikil walking across to our table bend down take the cherry and apologies to me. He said “Oh.. Really sorry Devi.. the spoons here seem to be very slippery.. is is not?” He asked turning to George with a smile and went back to his place…


How I felt then is beyond words.. the mushroom didn’t ruin my day altogether… :-) it made my day the best…!

I turned proudly and smiled broadly at him, he chuckled and winked at me.. “It is definitely a beginning with my man... My Hero..!”