A LOVE STORY - Episode 12

A LOVE STORY​

​

A Serial By Varalotti Rengasamy​

Episode 12​

Kamla and Vidya were closeted in the third bedroom of Vidya’s apartment. The room had nothing but two chairs in the middle. The walls on the three sides of the room were covered by screens.

“You want to know about Arun Kumar?”

“Yes.”

Vidya’s eyes glowed as if a fluorescent lamp inside had been switched on.

“Tell me what you want to know about him.”

”How is.. how is… Ar… Arun.. doing, Ma? How’s his.. his… fa… family?”

“Family?”

“Yes, Ma. Is not Arun married to Ambuja? Do they have kids?”

In a flash Kamla understood everything. Her mind was filled with inexpressible happiness.

“You, silly girl! What made you think that Arun would have married Ambuja? His mind is so full of you that even if Aishwarya Rai were to propose to him he would have brutally refused.

“When Ambuja tried to seduce Arun into loving her, Arun shouted at her and drove her away. Arun is mad after you, my dearest. His mind is so full of you.”

Vidya started laughing like a mad girl. She was also crying at the same time. Kamla was afraid. ‘What happened to this girl?’

 

Part 2!​

Kamla did not want to get distracted. She had a holy mission now. She wanted to do what Arun had failed to do all these years.

To express his love for Vidya. Suddenly she was at a loss for words. She had so much to tell and she did not know what to tell first and what to tell next.

“You know Arun dedicated his book, Unrequited Love to me. But he has dedicated his entire writing career to you, dear. Do you know what his pen name is – Vidyabharathi. He told me that the first part of the name, Vidya, denotes you, his first and only love in life.”

Vidya now understood. Her face now glowed with anger.

“My God! That bitch Ambuja cheated me. That crook spoilt my life. If only I see her now, I will kill her with my own hands!”

Kamla was excited but still wanted a plain confirmation.

“Count me in for that noble task. We’ll do it together, Vidya. I am now dying to know whether you loved Arun at all. Do you love him?”

Vidya’s laughter grew louder. She was sobbing at the same time. Amidst her laughter and sobs she spoke in an unusually loud voice. She talked as if she were possessed.

“Are you asking me whether I love Arun? You could have asked the sun, “are you hot, by any chance”? Just look at this.”

Vidya walked to the tiny alcove at the far end of the room and switched on something.

Suddenly the room was bathed in 1000 watts of powerful fluorescent lighting. At the same time the screens in the walls started moving away.

Kamla had the shock of her life. For on the three walls of the room were pictures of Arun blown up to gigantic sizes.

It was Arun ten years ago. Arun was not as handsome as he was now. But there was something in his face, some vulnerability, the sign of a heart longing for love, the lovelorn look of a child who had lost its mother and was searching for her in a crowd of women.

No wonder Ambuja and Vidya fell for him. Kamla did not know how many girls fell for Arun.

‘That idiot was suffering from a terrible complex and was not aware of what he was doing to the girls.’

Vidya should have picked up those pictures from their college magazine.

“I spend all my free time in this room with Arun. Many days I have eaten my food here and have slept in this room. I am talking to Arun for at least two hours a day.

“Whatever happens in the office or elsewhere, I always tell Arun first. If I want to do anything important, I come here to talk to Arun about the work.

“Before we started to work on your assignment, I came to this room and told Arun, “My dearest, I am now going to work for someone dear to you. Please fill my mind with the wisdom and the strength necessary for the job.

“My father wanted me to marry. I brought him to this room and showed Arun. He understood. Till his death he never talked about my marriage.

“You know, Ma, I am living with Arun all the time. And you are asking, whether I am in love with him.”

Vidya started laughing again. And crying again.

 

Part 3!​

​

Both the ladies wanted to talk about so many things. Both of them were in a kind of emotional trance which lasted a full five minutes.

Kamla was the one who first broke the pregnant silence.

“My dear silly girl, why didn’t you tell your love to him? There were a million chances. You missed all of them. Here you are living with his image. And there in <st1:country-region><st1lace>India</st1lace></st1:country-region> that lovable idiot is depressed thinking about you.

“He thinks that he has had a love failure and has lost you to Sundar. You could have just told him the three magic words, “I love you.”

Vidya was exhausted. She sunk into the chair. She let out a long sigh.

“Oh, Ma, that’s a tragic story. I fell in love with Arun’s soft face and softer manners on the very first day I met him. I was waiting for Arun to profess his love first. I waited, waited and waited. More than a dozen other boys had proposed to me by then.

“I rejected them all and was waiting for my prince to accept this Cinderella. That never happened. I decided to take the matter in my own hands.

“I worked out a plan. I invited him to my house on the pretext of teaching him Statistics. When we were in the intimate privacy of my study, I had planned to hold his hands and declare my love.

“Just on the day before Ambuja threw a bombshell at me. She told me that Arun had accepted her love. Her father was sure to kill Arun if he came know about their love. She begged me to help her elope with Arun.

“I could never bring myself to believe that Arun would have fallen for that village belle whose sole merit was her ample proportions. But I did not want to take chances. I was too shocked to speak.

“Arun was the only one in the class who had failed in two subjects in that semester. That meant Arun was distracted. I presumed that his love for Ambuja should have been the distraction.

“When Arun and I were left alone I asked him with a heavy heart whether he was in love. I was hoping upon hope that he was going to deny that. But he did not speak. His face went pale. Which meant only one thing. Whatever Ambuja said was true. “

Kamla held Vidya’s hand.

“My dear idiot, Arun was love with you even at that time. He wanted to tell that to you. When you asked him on his face whether he was in love, he was sure that you were in love with somebody else. His heart was shouting that he was in love with you. But no words would come out of his mouth.

“Take it from me, Ma. One day or other I am going to murder that vile bitch, Ambuja. I will search for her throughout the world and wring her neck.”

“Leave her Vidya. A very happy life awaits you.”

 

Part 4!​

​

Kamla wanted to ask Vidya about so many incidents that Arun had told her.

“One day you shared Arun’s lunch at the small joint opposite to the college.”

Vidya’s face brightened.

“How can I ever forget that golden day, Ma? I had brought lunch as usual. I saw Arun walking out of the college all alone. I started running towards him.

“On the way I saw Sundar and enquired about Arun. He told me that Arun was going to Rama Vilas for lunch.

“I did not want to miss the chance of eating with my Arun in that small hotel. I did not have the guts to tell him that I wanted to eat with him. I lied to him that my curd rice had gone sour and that I did not have money.

“He bought a plate of lemon rice and curd rice and we shared. Even now those are my most favourite food items, because those were the only items I ate with Arun sitting close by.
But I was also very sad on that day.

“I had forgotten all about Ambuja and thought that Arun would be holding my hands and talking about something romantically. But he was very sad and his face was gloomy. He was talking to me as if I were a very respectable, elderly relative.

“I thought that he was concerned about his career. Only then I found out his interest in literature and writing. I came to know about the conflict he had with his father.
I suggested a simple way out. To work for a bank and write on the side.”

“That was not a simple suggestion, my dearest. Even a dozen career-counsellors thinking together could not have given that brilliant solution.

“You created Vidyabharathi on that day. Only two persons in the world could have exerted that kind of influence on him – one, his mother, if she were alive at that time. And two, you. By the way, have you read his work?”

“I fell in love with Vidyabharathi’s writings even without knowing that it was Arun. I should have read “Unrequited Love” at least a dozen times. Till I saw the pictures of the airport press meet on the net, I did not know that Vidyabharathi was none other than my own, dear Arun.”

They were silent for a while. Kamla was staring at the larger than life pictures of Arun staring at her from the three sides.

“My God! I admit my defeat, Vidya. I thought that Arun would be the greatest lover in the world. But now…

Kamla glanced at the blown-up pictures and then looked pointedly at Vidya’s most beautiful face..

“But now I am sure, that you are the greater lover of the two.”

“No Ma, even in that I want my Arun to be greater. I don’t want to be better than him in anything. I just want to be his slave, his servant. You know something, Ma? When I called you I never thought Arun will be available and will be in love with me.

“I thought that Arun would have married Ambuja and would have happily settled down in life. I wanted to drag you to <st1:country-region><st1lace>Singapore</st1lace></st1:country-region> and through you beg for an opportunity to work as Arun’s assistant, his scribe, why even his maid.

“Life without Arun was becoming unbearable for me. I thought I would use your influence with Arun to get me a job with him, so that I can just sit at his feet and do his bidding for the rest of my life.”

Kamla wiped her eyes.

“You know Ma I have put in my papers at PWC. I am serving my notice period now. I have another two weeks to go. I have earned enough, Ma. I actually wanted to live near Arun, to work in a job that will give me a chance to see Arun at least once every day.”

“When it comes to love, you have beaten all of us, my dearest. You are going to live with Arun as his queen for a hundred autumns, as they say in the marriage mantra – sanjeeva sharadaam shatham”

“If someone as good as you bless me, it’s sure to happen, Ma. Thanks for the blessing.”

“Have you ever heard of a foolish girl who thanks her mother for blessing her?”

“Come on, Ma, this is not the time to tease me.”

 

Part 5!​

​

After a few minutes of silence packed with emotions Kamla wanted to reconfirm the details of their college farewell scene.

“Arun told me that on your college farewell day, the day you had your candle-light ceremony, he wanted to meet you and for one final time profess his love for you.

“By that time he was sure that you were in love with Sundar. Before bowing out of your life he wanted to have one final word with you. He could not meet you, as you were holding Sundar’s hands and were talking to him for a long time.”

Now Vidya had a hearty laugh.

“Arun is a fool, Ma. He is greater than me even in foolishness. If he saw us talking, should he not barge in? Who are we, after all? Sundar was his best friend. And I his beloved.”

“But Vidya at that time, you know..”

“Yes, Ma, I know.”

“Did Sundar propose to you, Vidya?”

“Yes, Ma, he did. Only on the last day of our college. It was all because of my foolishness, Ma. Whosoever was Arun’s best friend naturally became my best friend too. Or at least that was what I thought. But that gave a wrong signal to Sundar.”

“And it gave a wrong signal to Arun too.”

“You are right, Ma. Sundar is a very decent guy. He professed his love for me only on the farewell day. He told me that he had taken so long to convince his parents and now they were ready to welcome me as the future queen of their vast business empire.

“I could not hold back the truth any longer. I told him that I was madly in love with Arun and that I shudder to think of a life without him.

“Sundar is the only person in the world to whom I openly talked about my love. Of course some girls in our class knew. I think Ambuja knew too and that was why that devil came between us.”

“But Vidya, what was Sundar’s response?”

”Didn’t I tell you Sundar is a gem? He told me with tears in his eyes, “I am disappointed Vidya. I went on a hunger strike to convince my parents. I didn’t eat for four days and my parents finally relented.

“It never struck me that I should have asked you first. I can’t hide my sorrow now. But I am happy that you have selected a better person than I am.

“You have selected my best friend, Vidya. I am not going to repeat that hackneyed cliché of our formula love-triangle movies that Arun is a lucky guy.

"I will rather say that you are a lucky girl. Otherwise you would not have fallen in love with that priceless gem. I wish you and Arun a very happy married life.”

I was so moved by his words, Ma that I held his hands and thanked him with tears in my eyes.

“To Arun who might have seen us in the semi-darkness of the corridor and beyond the hearing range, it might have looked as if we were lovers. I can’t blame him, Ma.”

 

Part 6!​

Kamla and Vidya were holding each other’s hands and were talking about a thousand things. All about Arun. About love. About Vidya’s and Arun’s college days. About life.

They came back to the present only when there was a gentle knock at the door. Vidya saw the time. It was two in the afternoon. She ran to the door.

Kumar was standing there with his signature smile.

“Sorry, <st1:state><st1lace>Pa.</st1lace></st1:state> When did you come?”

“At <st1:time hour="13" minute="15">1: 15</st1:time>”

“Very sorry, Kumar. We lost all sense of time. Kumar, I am very happy today. You know what? Vidya was, is and will ever be madly in love with our hero, Arun.”

“Didn’t I tell you dear, that Arun’s love can never fail? It was only a question of time. And my child, your parents sitting above are continuously blessing you. To be loved by someone like Arun is the greatest blessing in life, my child.”

Vidya bent down and touched Kumar’s feet.

“Can we have our lunch now?”

“Vidya give me your cell phone and a few minutes’ time. I need to make an urgent call.”

“Why can’t you do it after lunch, Ma?”

“Certain things can’t wait.”

 

Part 7!​

Kamla moved aside. She took her own cell phone to find out Naren’s number and placed a call for him from Vidya’s phone.

“Naren?”

“Morning, Doctor. I have never seen you so happy. There is a dance in your voice. Tell me what happened.”

“I am spending some of the finest movements of my life. I want Arun here.”

“When do you want him?”

“Yesterday.”

“Come on, Doctor. Today’s Monday. His flight from <st1:City><st1lace>Delhi</st1lace></st1:City> is touching Chennai by Wednesday evening around <st1:time hour="18" minute="0">6 PM</st1:time>.”

“Is there any flight to <st1:country-region><st1lace>Singapore</st1lace></st1:country-region> on the same day?”

“Yes there is. <st1:country-region><st1lace>Singapore</st1lace></st1:country-region> Airlines. Will leave Chennai by 10 30 in the night and reach <st1:country-region><st1lace>Singapore</st1lace></st1:country-region> by early morning on Thursday.”

“Then book Arun on that flight. Don’t let him travel back to the city. Just shift him from the domestic terminal to the international terminal. You have a lot to do, Naren. And you will have to do it for me, please. I can’t think of anyone else doing this job.”

“There is no need for such a prelude, Doctor. I am at your service. Order me, Doctor.”

“Thanks. Buy a large Samsonite box for Arun. And get him five or six sets of finest dresses. Let two of them be Sherwani sets.

“Buy a few T-shirts as well. Go to Pothy’s at T. Nagar. Get hold of the Floor Manager by name Sankaran. Please tell him my name and ask him to give you the two grand silk sarees I had kept on suspense last week– one in dark blue colour and the other in beige colour – and pay for them.

“Then go to Nalli. Get a pair of white silk dhoties. And then to Kumarans for a pair of white silk full hand shirts.

“Then go to GRT jewellery shop. The Manager there knows me too. Ask him to give you the jewellery set which I had chosen last week. Pay for that too. Get some good sweets from your favourite Sri Krishna Sweets as well. Put all these items in that box and give that to Arun. Remember all these expenses are to be charged to my account.”

“Doctor, wait. Is Arun getting engaged?”

“Sort of.”

“To whom, Doctor?”

“To one of the most beautiful girls in the world and one of the finest human beings I have ever met in my life - Miss Vidya Balasubramanian, Head-Forensic Accounting, Asia-Pacific, PWC Singapore. But you’ll have to promise me that you won’t tell this to Arun. I want to see the love in Arun’s beautiful face when he meets his college sweetheart after ten years.”

“Don’t worry, Doctor. I promise I won’t tell Arun. And Doctor, this is the happiest day in my life. And there is a small change in the programme, Doc.”

“Shoot.”

“Arun will be carrying two Samsonite boxes. The other will contain my gifts for him. Wish that lucky gal on my behalf.”

“Will certainly do that Naren. You are cho chweet.”

“Thanks, Doctor.”

 

Part 8!​

Kumar, Kamla and Vidya adjourned for a simple lunch of rotis, dhal, lemon rice and curd rice.

When Vidya was eating the rice items her eyes glistened with tears. With a mouth filled with lemon rice she attempted to smile at Kamla. Kamla understood.

“What will you like do now, Pa? Want to have a nap? Want to go out again?”

They were sitting in the spacious drawing room of that luxury apartment.

“Vidya, Kamla was telling me how brilliantly you handled our problem and got back our wealth. She also told me that you have recorded the events of the day. I want to see it with you and Kamla sitting by my side.”

“That’s very sweet of you, <st1:State><st1lace>Pa.</st1lace></st1:State> We hired one of the best editors to organize the CD. It now looks like a thriller movie.

“The editor has merged even the audio recording of my conversation with Ritu Khanna. Just a minute, I’ll set up the system.”

 

Part 9!​

The CD started to play. In the opening scene Kamla was addressing the creditors.

‘Gentlemen, I have earned name and fame in my chosen field. But when it comes to money, finance and accounts, I am as ignorant as a ten year old. .. … .. ..

“You are terrific, dear.” Kumar commented

“Excellent, Ritu. I have fallen in love with this lady. She has passion in whatever she does. Now let’s see their reaction.

“Remember Ritu, this is almost their last chance to escape. If they refuse the good lady’s offer and try to hurt her, they had it. I will go out of the way to destroy them all.”

“Vidya, my child, you sound like the Great God on the eve of total annihilation of the universe.”

“It won’t make much difference to you. But to us, Gentlemen, two people in the evening of our lives, it would mean a life of penury. I request you to please spare us from the misery and dishonour.”

“My God, dear, you have a way with the words.” Kumar looked lovingly at his wife.

“There’s no need to be so courteous to those crooks. But I love the way she put it across.

“Fire.”

“Those of you, who want to be guests of the Indian Government, please raise your hand.”

“Tell that idiot, that in this case Dr.Rao and the creditors are the offenders. Dr.Rao is dead.”

“Sir, by equity, by the principles of justice, this lady and her husband do not owe you any money. You lent your black money to a gambler well aware of the risks involved.

“Then how can you take the advantage of the law to harass these good people? Now I am taking recourse to the same law to counter your harassment. You asked for it and you got it.”

“Ritu, tell that good lady that those crooks will never come back. We’ll take care of the paper work and the legal formalities later. Convey my congratulations to her.

“Superlative, my child. What courage! What words! What intelligence! What love!”

Kumar forgot himself. He stood up from his seat and saluted Vidya as if she were his superior officer in the army.

“What’s this Pa?”

“When I see quality I pay my respects immediately. For God resides in quality.”

“But Ritu I owe this to Mrs. Rao as a human being. God has answered my prayers for her. Please let me do this.”

“The price is up from 7 million to 7 billion. And counting” –Vidya could not understand Kumar’s comment.

“You and your boss can take whatever you want. Even if you take all of these, we’ll be happy. More than the wealth you have given our honour back to us. ”

“This lady has the knack of making me cry every now and then. It’s aeons since I met someone as good as her. May she live long.

“The price is going still higher” – Kumar

You should come to <st1:country-region><st1lace>Singapore</st1lace></st1:country-region>. For a week. On an all-expense paid holiday.

“Done. But tell me this at least, Ritu. Who’s your boss?”

“Miss Vidya Balasubramanian, Head of Forensic Accounting, Asia-Pacific Region, PWC, <st1:country-region><st1lace>Singapore</st1lace></st1:country-region>.”


“What was that Pa? Seven million, seven billion,”

“Vidya, thirty years ago, I brought something very precious home giving just seven cows in exchange.

“I was consumed in pride and thought that I have paid the right price. Only a few months back I found out what I brought home was worth seven million cows. Now I am sure that the thing is worth 7 billion and more. My God! I stole! I am a thief!”

“I don’t understand a word of what you say.”

“Ask your Ma.”

Vidya turned to Kamla who was silently shedding tears.

“Tell your Pa that what he originally brought home was not even worth a single calf, let alone seven cows. And the love with which he nurtured it gave it what it is worth today. That kind of love would have changed even the basest metal into 24-carat mint gold and would have changed the ugliest woman in the world into Aishwarya Rai.”

“How long did you two plan to confuse me like this? Come on Ma tell me all about the cows.”

Kamla started telling the story of seven cows.

 

Part 10!​

Engulfed in that simple story of love all the three had forgotten about the TV. The CD had ended and the system automatically switched over to TV mode. Kamla had reached the end of the narration.

Vidya flipped the remote control in her hand and switched off the TV. Kumar had seen what flashed on the screen during that short interval. He was excited.

“Please switch on the TV. VIDYA PLEASE SWITCH THAT THING ON.”

Kumar was shouting. Vidya complied.

“What happened, dear?”

“Kamla, see that man? Do you remember him?”

Kamla saw the man walking towards the stage. She froze. It was Karthik in a literary gathering.

“Who’s that, Ma?” Vidya was curious.

“It was this guy who insulted Arun at the airport.”

“That guy was some small time reporter, right? But this man seems to be a writer. Looks like the function is held in his honour.”

Kamla explained about Arun’s magnanimity in screening off Karthik’s identity from the press to protect him.

Vidya now increased the volume. The sound coming from the 32” Sony Bravia LCD HDD TV filled the room. The images were crystal clear and razor-sharp.

The MC was announcing as Karthik was climbing the steps of the stage.

“We now invite the renowned writer Karthik who has won the Sahithya Academy Award for Translation this year to give his acceptance speech.”

“One wrong word about Arun, I will kill him.” Kamla roared.

All the three were anxiously waiting for Karthik’s acceptance speech.