A LOVE STORY - Episode 6

A LOVE STORY​

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A Serial By Varalotti Rengasamy​

Episode 6​

Ambuja was the only daughter of a Zameendar of a nearby village. Her family virtually owned the entire village.

She was of medium height and was particularly dark. But her face shone with sharp features and clear, bright eyes. Being brought up in a village where dieting had never been a fad, Ambuja had a very healthy figure, which invariably drew envious sighs from her city-bred companions.

In the pre-Vidya days Arun was part of the gang which religiously teased the girls – be they fair or dark, beautiful or ugly. But even in those days Ambuja nursed a secret desire for Arun.

Whenever Arun teased her on her way out of the college she would deliberately slow down her pace of walking and hear every word which Arun had to say about her form, her dress or her manners.

Poor girl, in the night, when left to the privacy of her bedroom, she would repeat Arun’s words and try to mimic Arun’s mode of delivery.

Vidya’s hurricane-like entry redefined the boy-girl relationships in the college. Boys and girls started chatting with each other, studying in groups and some even went to the extent of falling in love.

It took Ambuja more than a year to gather enough courage to talk about her love to Arun.

Ambuja normally came to the college pretty early, at least an hour before the first period started.

On that day Arun had his usual tiff with his father, had sacrificed his breakfast and had come almost at the same time.

Seeing her prey all alone near the library Ambuja abandoned her bag and ran to him.

Arun was startled to see Ambuja. She was not in his class. She was in Economics Major.

Arun also knew that someone in his class had given a love letter to her and that in response she had silently removed her footwear which made the boy run for his life.

“Arun Kumar”

Her voice was almost a whisper. Arun could see her hands trembling and her eyes fluttering.

“I…. I… . I… love… you… Arun…. Please…. pl….ease .. accept my love……”

 

Part 2!​

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“The human mind is the greatest miracle, Doctor. Sorry for carrying coal to <st1:City><st1lace>Newcastle</st1lace></st1:City>. I mean talking about human mind to the city’s best psychiatrist.

“I cannot help saying this. So long as you are not in love your mind is large enough to hold the whole world and all the people in it.

“But the moment you fall in love the mind shrinks so small that it cannot hold even a bacterium apart from the person you love.

“When Ambuja proposed to me all of a sudden I felt very bad. Love is not like buying vegetables in the market, where when you don’t get what you want, you are happy with whatever is available.

“I wanted to hold her hands and tell her that I was in love with Vidya and that I could not even think of any girl other than her.

“But that would mean proclaiming my love for Vidya and as I knew very well Sundar and Vidya were in love, my proclamation might be an embarrassment to them.

“If my reply was evasive and non-committal then the poor girl might go on thinking about me, ruining her studies and her life as well.

“Any day a negative reply is far better than a life-long uncertainty. Whatever pain Vidya was inflicting on me I did not want to pass over to that innocent girl.

“I could have borrowed the soft words Vidya used to reject Bhaskar’s love. But I wanted to destroy all the soft feelings that Ambuja had for me. And soft-pedaling like what Vidya did would not accomplish it.

“I hardened my heart before I responded to Ambuja.”

 

Part 3!​

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Arun’s face glowed in anger as his mouth emitted fire.

“Are you in your senses, Ambuja? We have hardly talked to each other and you propose to me from out of the blue.

“Your father is a rich landlord and my father is a bank clerk. We belong to different castes. Our love could cause a communal riot in the town. Your father won’t think twice to annihilate all those who belong to my caste.

“You have come here to study and not to fall in love. Please study well and get your degree. Your father would hunt for a rich land lord bride-groom for you when it’s time. Now get the hell out of here.”

Ambuja stood like a statue for a whole minute. It looked as if her tears of humiliation would never stop. Then with an audible sob, she fled the scene.

Arun wanted to be very soft and had to harden himself so that the silly girl did not have any further hopes in the matter.

Ambuja was the only living being in the whole world who had openly expressed her love for that motherless boy who had been living a life devoid of love since his mother’s death.

It was not in Arun’s nature to shun people, especially someone like Ambuja who went out of the way to speak out her love. Hence Arun’s play-acting took an enormous emotional toll on him.

 

Part 4!​

Sundar and Vidya were just entering the college. Sundar was driving a brand new black Skoda Lara and Vidya was sitting by his side.

They got down from the car and started walking towards their classroom. They were animatedly discussing about something when Vidya noticed Arun standing there all alone.

She came running for him. Sundar followed suit.

“Arun, are you all right? I have never seen you like this. Sundar, come have a look at him. I think he has some serious health problem. Come Sundar, let’s take him to a Doctor.”

Arun looked at them. They were standing close to each other.

Sundar had always been his best friend. Strangely Arun felt very happy for Sundar. Sundar and Vidya would make a great couple.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just had a fight with my father. Skipped my breakfast. That’s all. Thanks.”

Before Arun could finish Vidya opened her lunch box and held it before him.

“Arun take this. Please. You can’t come to the class like this.”

“Thanks, Vidya. I still have time to run to Rama Vilas. Thanks for the concern guys.”

‘I am happy for you both.’

For the first time Arun’s heart spoke something his mouth cannot do, to somebody else other than his father.

Arun ran towards Ramavilas. As soon as Vidya and Sundar were out of sight, he started walking slowly towards the college.

He did not have money to eat in Ramavilas that day.

 

Part 5!​

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The next day when Arun, Sundar and Vidya were walking out of the college, Ambuja came running towards them.

“Arun Kumar, can I see you for a minute, please?”

Arun went to her.

“I am sorry for what happened yesterday. It was an impulsive decision. I saw you and just blurted out what came to my mind at that time. Though I felt bad when you shouted at me, later when I thought over what you said, I could see sense.

“I am sorry, Arun. Please forget what happened yesterday. And one more request, I want you to be friends with me. You see, I also lost my mother when I was young.”

“Oh, my God, I am relieved Ambuja. You know I didn’t want to insult you. You might not have gotten the message, if I had told you softly. I didn’t sleep yesterday. I sincerely apologize for my rude behaviour.”

Ambuja smiled and took leave of him.

In his childlike innocence Arun could not have understood the subtle fury of a woman scorned.

Even hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. But Shakespeare was not part of the prescribed syllabus for B.Com. So Arun had no opportunity to know about those immortal lines of the Bard except by direct experience.

 

Part 6!​

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“Can we end it here, Arun? I am already feeling heavy.”

Kamla switched off the IC recorder.

“Oh, Doctor. Just one more scene is left. The climax scene in my love life. With that I would have unburdened by entire past to you. Another ten minutes, please, Doctor.”

“Ok.”

She switched on the recording device again. Arun started the narration.

 

Part 7!

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The last time Arun saw Vidya was on their Farewell Day. The college had a candlelight ceremony on the last day of the academic term. All the two thousand plus students assembled in the college auditorium with a candle in their hands.

For every two rows of about fifty students there was a Professor sitting at the head of the first row.

The Correspondent and the Principal were on the stage.

As the college bell struck a solemn note the lights were switched off . The Principal stepped down from the podium and lighted his candle from a nearby lamp.

The auditorium was completely dark but for the solitary candle in the Principal’s hand. Absolute silence prevailed. The silence was punctuated by the sobs escaping from the mouths of a few students who were unable to contain their parting sorrow.

Thereafter the professors went in a single file to light their candles from the Principal’s.

When the lecturers returned to their seats, it was a beautiful sight to see the single candle light having multiplied into some fifty candle lights glowing at the head of every alternate row.

Then the professors lighted the candles of the students in their charge.

In a matter of minutes the whole auditorium was brightly lit. The Correspondent then solemnly read the motto of the college.

“Thamaso maa jyothir gamaya”

“From darkness to light”

The candlelight ceremony was a living demonstration of the wonderful truth contained in the motto of the institution.

The students then walked in a single file towards the exit of the hall.

It was simple ceremony with a profound meaning. And it left virtually no student with dry eyes.

The students who entered the portals of the college in the darkness of ignorance were now going out with the lights of knowledge in their hand, ready to illuminate the rest of the ignorant world.

 

Part 8!​

Their study holidays started from the next day. The students would be busy with their exams thereafter. For all practical purposed that day marked the end of their campus life.

After the candle light ceremony the students would exchange autographs and get the addresses of all their friends in college.

Arun also had an autograph note with him. He wanted to get the signature and contact details of every one in his class. But that did not happen at all.

Seeing Vidya standing in a dark corner of the auditorium he wanted to go to her and talk about his love.

He was not going to exactly propose to her. He was going to tell her on her face that he loved her; but seeing that she loved Sundar he was bowing out of her life. He was there only to wish them a happy life ahead.

He was slowly walking towards Vidya. When he was just about ten feet away from her Sundar came from nowhere to talk to Vidya.

Arun hid himself behind the large door of a French Window.

In the semi-darkness of the auditorium Vidya was holding Sundar’s hand and they were engrossed in their conversation.

Arun waited for nearly fifteen minutes. It seemed that the love-birds were oblivious of the outside world. The auditorium was now practically empty.

Arun tossed his autograph book through the window and walked out of the college, out of Vidya’s life, and out of his first love.

 

Part 9!​

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“One last question, Arun. Did you ever try to find out Vidya?”

“I never had the mind to, Doctor.”

“And did you get her marriage invitation?”

“No. When I came to the college to write the exams I deliberately avoided seeing Vidya or Sundar. I used to come a few minutes late when everybody had taken their seat and used to walk out during the last few minutes of the exam time.”

On the day of my last exams I took a bus to Chennai to attend some classes for the written examination for the post of bank clerks.

I don’t know what happened to Vidya or Sundar.”

“We have to stop here, Arun. I can’t go any further.”

“Neither can I, Doctor. What is there to tell? It’s all over. My very first love evaporated just like that leaving a heavy legacy of a painful depression.”

“Arun, never, ever lose heart. Your love has been very sincere, and very intense. It will never fail.” Kamla was mimicking Kumar’s words.

“Thanks Doctor. I know that. Because my love was sincere, the God you worship has been kind enough to send you to me.

“I could not even imagine where I would be but for you, Doctor. I meant every word of what I wrote in the book’s dedication.”

Kamla could not respond to that. She just packed her things, waved her hands to Arun and was soon out of the house.

 

Part 10!​

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It was the first working day of the month. Pensioners swarmed to Arun’s branch as usual.

Arun was looking for <st1lace>Chari</st1lace> in the crowd of pensioners. <st1lace>Chari</st1lace> had not turned in for collecting his last month’s pension. It was a few months before that <st1lace>Chari</st1lace> had complained to Arun of his son’s indifference.

Arun was worried.

Later in the morning the Manager called him in.

“Arun Kumar, SB 85710 account holder is dead. Enter the fact in the customer records. And don’t honour any cheques signed by him. ”

Arun was startled. That number belonged to <st1lace>Chari</st1lace>. Arun felt a vague pain in his heart.

Life was so short. And that idiot – <st1lace>Chari</st1lace>’s only son – never realised that. Had he talked to him every now and then <st1lace>Chari</st1lace> would have lived for at least five more years.

For the Manager, and the rest of the banking system <st1lace>Chari</st1lace>’s death was nothing more than the cessation of an account number and a couple of administrative instructions.

<st1lace>Chari</st1lace>’s account, which was nothing but an electronic impulse amongst the millions of such impulses, would never flicker again. But for Arun it was the death of a doting father and a disillusioned old man.

Arun paid his tribute to the departed soul in his own way. He skipped his lunch.

Arun continued to be in that depressive state till he logged off from his workstation around <st1:time hour="17" minute="30">five thirty</st1:time> in the evening.