C3 Chapter 3

Back to April, 2020

Well, now if you are not as dim as the hundred watt bulb

that struggles to light up my room for want of sufficient voltage,

you must have gathered the reason behind my voyage.

My decision was spontaneous. I had to go there as she was

not coming here, because we had to meet. It was that simple.

Those who have never been smitten by the love bug may find it a

little difficult to comprehend the obviousness, but if they only lie

coolly on a sofa and think about all the movies they have seen,

and all the crazy things in them that lovers often do, the fog

would begin to clear up.

After all, I am not building a palace in my lover’s name, and

cutting the hands of the artists thereafter or, for that matter, not

even writing letters in blood, my own of course. I am merely

undertaking an expedition, harmless but risky all the same. When

you have not met for about six months the one who, as the

sayings go, makes your heart beat faster and steals your sleep

and peace, it becomes impossible to go on and you think you’d

rather die than suffer this agony. It is wise, therefore, to try and

do anything that makes the union possible. Hence this journey.

The intellectuals will be quick tosspot that though it is all

very merry to say “I’ll go”, the real thing lies in the doing.

Although fare from being an intellectual. I am glad to tell you that

this fact struck me too, and like a hammer. When circumstances

are as they were with me, you do say a lot of things to yourself in

an enhanced state of mind and become aware of this boring world

of really only a bit later. Suddenly, you battle with such concepts

as feasibility and practically and –– zoom –– you come crashing to

the ground!

And so I was hit, indeed.

But then I must tell you that, although bereft of intellect, give my

mind a task which cannot be done the straight way, and it starts

to do better.

After talking to her, I finally got my act together and decided

firmly that I had to go to Chennai. I thought about all possible

ways to go to Chennai in my winter vacations and short-listed

some. I decided to call her. Poor thing, she must have been

crying. I wanted to tell her that I would come and we’d meet.

“Hullo!”

”Hi!” I said, trying to gather as much happiness I could.

“What happened?” she said with her innate sweetness.

“Nothing, just wanted to apologize for hanging up like that. I am

sorry. Nut I couldn’t talk then.”

“It is okay. I understand.”

“Now, at least tell me what happened, why are you not coming?”

“I told you I’ll call you around eleven-thirty, Tejas.”

“Tell me something at least. Your dad said something about us?”

“Yes!”

“What?”

“Do I have to tell now?”

“A little.”

“Okay, Raju bhaiya is getting married…”

“Raju bhaiya…”I tried to place him among her numerous cousins,

“The one who used to carry you piggyback all day long?” I asked

and she chuckled.

“Yes, the same…”

“Where is he these days?”

“Pune.”

”Where is the marriage? Pune?”

“No, here in Chennai. The dates and all are being decided. When

mummy came to know about it, she asked papa if was could visit

Delhi in November as we’ll be struck her in December.” She

paused.

“Then? Go on and please don’t cry!”

”Papa told her that she could go if she wanted to but that he

won’t allow me. He said he was sure I’d lie again and meet you!”

she managed to say that.

“Don’t worry, I’ll come.”

“You? How can you come? She asked, stunned.

“I’ll explain all that when we talk at night. Bye, love you and don’t

you cry.”

She called at eleven-forty. Late as usual. But I don’t mind

that. In fact, I sort of like these habits that accompany a typical

cute girl. Coming late. Taking hours to dress up, irritating you and

getting irritated at small-small things. Yes, sometimes when

mood is not receptive, these things do get on to you, but mostly

you smile inwardly and marvel at the uniqueness and beauty of a

girl. Charms unlimited!

It is so lovely to talk into the night with her. We lose all

sense of time and surroundings, and become completely lost in

each other when, suddenly one of us glances at the watch – it’s

been rather long, it’s been two hour’s! A trifle if you take into

account the other long twenty two hours of the day, but absurdly

long when you realize it is an STD call. It is so difficult to hang up.

We have so much to talk about and it seems we have just begun,

when the demand watch proves us wrong. How lovely things pass

so quickly and boring things seem eternal, will always remain a

puzzle.

So she told me as promised, in detail, about why she was not

coming. There was her cousin’s marriage and that, too, in

Chennai. These coincidences kill you. You wonder if it is a game

going on. How, of all the zillion places, can her brother choose a

girl in Chennai? And just as we were discussing our eventful life,

getting sentimental, I told her again, that it is fine, if that’s the

game, then we have to play it. I’d come to Chennai. She replied

lovingly and crying, “But how will you come?”

“Don’t worry, I have many options. I told you about my Industrial

tour in December. I can fake it at home and come to Chennai.

Then we also have our Inter-IIT meet scheduled at IIT Madras

this year. I can try my luck there. Or I can apply for training in

some company in Chennai. Or maybe, I can come with my friends.

You see, ma’am, for your genius lover there are options unlimited.

No worries.”

“Please don’t lie at your home. If you are caught, there’ll be more

problems. Right now, only my parents know. What if your parents

come to know as well?”

“See, that’s a risk that we’ll have to take. And, God willing, it’ll all

be fine.”

“But, better if you don’t have to lie. I don’t see how you can

come!” She said, worried.

The more thought of going to Chennai and meeting her had

dispelled every bit of droopiness in me. I was already looking

forward to my adventure. My tone was now brimming with

exuberance and filmi spirit. I told her as Mr. Shah Rukh Khan,

himself, would tell his heroine: “Shreya, you want to meet me or

not?”

“Of course, I do. But how will you come? If is so risky. What if

something happens?”

I repeated, “You want to meet me or not? Say yes or no and

nothing else.”

“Yes.”

“Then, stop crying and stop worrying. I will come, darling. And

besides, what is life if it is normal and boring? It must have some

adventure, otherwise all thrill and enjoyment will be lost,” I said

philosophically, “And you know how much I love movies and

things that happen in them, so it’ll be fun. And, if we pull this

through, won’t we have nice things to tell our grandchildren?”

“Yes...” she said in a low voice.

“So, when God is giving us such a good chance to lice a movie,

why should we despair?”

”But, how much more filmi can it get?”

“Don’t know that, I hope it is normal sometimes too, but yes,

right now it is a perfect script for a masala movie.”

“You’ll come this far, Tejas, just for me?”

Anything for you, ma’am, anything!”

And we went on talking into the night. About cute things,

silly things, telling each other the love that we had for each other

and how much we missed each other, over a million times. And

never once did it sounds stale; each time we felt the same joy

hearing it, our souls so lost in each other’s. tough times, however

unwelcome they might be, how much we may curse them, do one

god for sure; they bring us closer. They remind us all how much

we need each other and that we are incomplete without each

other. They test our love and it is so beautiful to sail together,

hand in hand, enduring storms, and in this effort if we may perish

too, our love will live on forever.

Said Rishabh: “It is best that you apply for a month long

training in some Chennai firm. They excuse you for the Industrial

Tour, then. No suspicious.”

The green lawns of IIT stretched out I delight. The trees

smiled, the birds sang, the tall MS building shone and, our

lectures over, we chirruped at the Holistic Food Centre, a cosy

mess in IIT.

The month of October is ideal for plotting and planning. The

weather invigorates you thoroughly. The mind is fresh and a smile

adorns your face all day. In the heart joys abound, and in the

mind idea. You don’t have to worry about wiping the sweat off

your brow, nor about crossing your arms to counter the winter

chill. You don’t have to bother about anything, just lie dormant in

the mellow sun, while the mind ponders and does the necessary

planning. The cool breeze brings with itself fresh ideas and the

feeble sun is warm enough to ripen them. The breeze this year

was sure an intelligent one.

All I had done for you the past two days was stretch out in the

sun and let the mind wander and ponder. And now, I discussed

the possibilities with two of my friends. “No way, yaar,” I said in

response to Rishabh, “My dad knows what a sloth I am. I wouldn’t

train for a day, he knows. One month and that too in Chennai! It

will tell him all, ‘Who’s the gal, son?’ he’ll straightaway ask me.

Pritish, a sports freak like me, who was listening to it all

quietly, suddenly erupted, “What about the Inter-IIT sports meet

at Chennai in December? Perfect, man, perfect. No more

discussion,” he said rubbing his hands excitedly, as is his habit.

“You mean I should tell at home that I have been selected?” I

asked disapprovingly.

“Why not?”

“I can’t.”

It pricked my conscience. I bet 8some of you will laugh at

this sudden discovery. “Are you not betraying your parent’s trust

already?” you’d, no doubt, jibe and rub it in. but let me tell you

that even the biggest knaves have some scruples. They all draw a

line somewhere innocent women and children. And Tejas Narula

would never hurt his father’s pride in him and his achievements.

If I’d tell him that I was playing for the college, he’d hug me and

say, “Well done, son.” And those very words would kill me.

He has always been so supportive and encouraging. A

perfect dad. And to lie to him, who has blind faith in me, pains me

no end. But you do understand, I hope, that meeting my love is

not possible without keeping him in the dark. So I have no choice.

But I better lie in a proper manner. Lie morally, you can say. It is

not that bad to lie about what you did on a one-paisa tour; but to

lie about winning gold in a marathon is too much. No, sir!

Rishabh reiterated, “I still maintain, get a training there.”

“I told you, I can’t” I said peevishly.

“Fine, you wish,” he gave in, irritated.

“See, you don’t need to get into all that hassle. You don’t want to

lie about Inter-IIT, you can’t train, then just fake the Industrial

Tour,” summed up Pritish.

“Yes, I’ll bunk the Industrial Tour and instead go to Chennai.

That’s the best chance I have. Only the risks involved are high. If,

by any chance, my parents come to know, I’ll be dead,” I said.

“But how, man? How? They won’t doubt you. And if they don’t see

anything fishy, they’ll be normal,” Pritish spoke, excited.

He had a point. And I knew it well, too. Over a life of lying and

frauds one comes to know the importance of staying confident

and calm. You can sell a ton of brass as gold if you have the right

look on your face.

“The main problem is that if my phone is not reachable and they

cal any one of you, I can be in trouble.”

“That we’ll manage, yaar. We’ll tell him that you are not with us

but busy in some factory where your cell is not reachable, and

that we’ll ask you to call them…”

I felt I was closer to my Shreya already. As Pritish and

Rishabh fought over my plans, as if it was they who were going, I

sat back, withdrawing from the conference and was transported

two thousand kilometers across the country – blue sky, blue sea,

cool breeze. And there I could see Shreya, with her hair blowing

in the breeze, twenty paces from me in a white dress, angel like,

adorned with the slightest of smiles, waiting for me to wrap her in

my arms.

“Shhh,” said Pritish suddenly, breaking my dream. “There comes

Pappi…”

“So?” I asked.

“He is the tour in-charge.”

“Who is in charge, brothers?” came a booming voice from behind.

It was Tanker – ‘The Lord of IIT’. Take note, you all, two critical

characters have just made you acquaintance.

For now though, let us keep aside these men of importance. The

air is magical, the mood romantic, and all that comes to the mind

is Shreya.