CROOKED HEARTS

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Author’s note

All characters mentioned in this story are fictitious and any resemblance with any real person is completely coincidental.

                       Chapter 1

Love is the most irrational feeling in this world. Sitting in an old worn out bench of Bangalore railway station Jaba’s mind was rushing back into college days. Those were the best days of her life and also the worst. She had seen the faces of many people. She had known to live her life with the few whom she wanted to keep close to her heart.

           

The phone showed up the message, “ Hey.. “

 

It was when Jaba was in final year when all this had started since she first met Chirag. Jaba was doing her Bachelor of Dental Surgery from a college near Bangalore. Names are not necessary here. Let the readers assume any name of their choice.

We need a little introduction about Jaba Ghosh before we proceed further with this story. She was an extremely introvert, shy and not at all interactive or well known person in college. She was only known for her best friend Malini with whom she would somehow interact with some people.

Malini was quite famous everywhere but inspite of telling many times Jaba would not much pay heed to her advice. She had tried that Jaba should have more friends but all in vain. However, Jaba would mostly have her own way of doing things. She preferred to stay alone or with Malini and there were others friends, very few.

Apart from the friend problem, Jaba had other issues too. Well, basically like all other college girls she too had her own way of looking at life. She was searching for a perfect partner, the one who would complete her. She would often hang out with Malini and her boyfriend Kunal. Many times, Jaba would feel alone since they had their own life and she felt like a chicken bone!!

 

Well, Malini tried a lot to fix her up with many but Jaba was adamant to find her match herself. She liked a senior in college who was doing his post graduation at that time but he was like a friend and Jaba found him more inclined towards Malini. That day, she had just finished her work when she caught someone staring at her. Jaba looked back and her bag fell from her hand. He was looking at her and smiling from the corner of the room. There was no one else around and when Jaba looked back at him she found it quite nasty! She was having trouble with her bag and he was smiling away.

 

Jaba did not say anything but before leaving the department looked back at him once more. Anyway, since that day Jaba did not much think of the incident anymore until she saw him again when she was hanging around with Malini.

 

“ Look!! He is a new postgraduate student! Chirag Awasthi!”

“Hmm.. so?”

“So.. he is the new sensation in the college news.. girls find him quite charming!!”

“Hmm.. Malini lets have lunch”

Again.. Chirag was surrounded by people but as usual his eyes were fixed on Jaba.. again!

 

Jaba really did not appreciate that stare and especially did not much like Malini praising him so much. She felt very utterly disgusted!! What a cheap thing this feeling was!

Anyway.. one day when Malini was posted in Chirag’s department( Readers can assume that as per their choice) they were having a fight. Jaba had a habit of getting ready on time and leaving for college but Malini had to go with her that day since her boyfriend was not in town. So, Jaba got late because of her and had already shouted at her in the morning. Again, when she saw Malini sitting in the department beside Chirag she realized something for the first time. A very faint pain in her heart like she did not feel right. She hated Malini at that moment! How could she sit beside him like that. She should not have done that. Jaba looked at Malini enraged!

“ Here.. take your copy!”, she literally threw it on her face.

Chirag was probably enjoying the moment of fight between friends but Jaba and Malini had already fallen apart. Friendship goals, a term which we often come across in our daily lives. Well, it is said that your best friend is you best adviser, philosopher and guide. Sometimes this is not true. Two people with similar choices can be friends or enemies but not best friends. However, Malini and Jaba were quite an exception to the rule. They wished to sacrifice for each other.

 

Anyway, so the next day when they were sorting out the fight Jaba told her that she felt bad when she saw Malini sitting next to him.

 

“So, you like him?”, asked Malini

 

“I don’t know but I .. I just dint like that when I came to give you the book you dint pay heed. You were busy talking!!

“ I know but you could have waited. Behaving rudely does not help”.

 

“Ok.. am sorry”.

As usual friends sorted things out . It was last day of one of their seniors in college so they had attended a party thrown by him for the last time.

 

They were discussing about the future and the senior was supposed to get married within another few months. Malini was speaking regarding her and Kunal's relationship and did not find much reasons to get married soon. The senior advised them to take time and decide. In the same party they were also discussing regarding the new batch of first year post graduates in college. He told, “ Chirag is a bright boy and he will do good in his life.” The conversation regarding Chirag was a kick for Jaba and she hated it. Jaba had a really bad habit of hating discussions about people she actually liked. She was more jealous of Malini talking of him.

 

“ Well, Jaba is too fond of Chirag, sir”

 

She stamped her feet very hard for revealing this secret. They again had a fight regarding Chirag.

That night Jaba came back home and felt very depressed. She dint know why she would react so much to any conversations regarding Chirag.

 

Now, it all started with Jaba’s second posting in final year in Chirag’s department. Jaba was attentive in class. She was a good student too and very hard working. The department had a front gate followed by a room in which post graduates and interns would sit and do OPD and allot final year students cases. Jaba would be standing near outdoor patients department(OPD) and observe Chirag. No! that is the difference in this love story. Jaba never dared or was too shy to speak to Chirag.

 

She would stand near the door and wait for the patient to be given to her. Chirag would observe her, instruct the intern to give the patient to her. Even though he would himself never assist her for work he would keep an eye on her. Jaba would always feel his presence around her.

 

Here are a few points to be noted. What is love? Is it sextual fulfilment or is it a connection between hearts. Many times it often happens with probably every one of us that we see someone and feel some chords striking within us. Oh yes! May be we are crushing on someone. However, to fall in love distant eye contacts are probably not enough. Our hearts are not made of glass but still why is it so easy to break them? Does love happen when only two people just care for each other silently without letting each other know that they care.

 

Well, experts say that love takes time to develop. Initially, when two people mutually feel something for each other they feel afraid to come up with the truth. Slowly with time when they keep seeing each other the urge to come close develops. They become so strong that they want to see each other again and again. However, sometimes, when one person is crushing and the other assumes that its love, problem starts.

To be continued..