Love Beyond Words

It was the campus of a well noted coeducation degree college in the cosmopolitan city of Hyderabad. Groups of young men and women were spread all over the grounds happily smiling or laughing and engaged in usual banter while waiting for the bell to ring and the day’s classes to begin. College grounds like these are the fertile grounds where seeds of friendships, collaborations, novel ideas and ideologies, which sometimes flourish for life time, are sown and nurtured. Bonds of love between young men and women develop; some culminate into lifetime bond of marriage and some disintegrate within the campus walls. The walls, trees and majestic college building are silent witness for many interesting and poignant stories of human relationships.

Just as the class bell rang, there entered Soumya, a student of 1st year B.Sc. Everybody, men and women including, involuntarily looked at her and as usual in their hearts marveled at and appreciated her persona. She may not be considered as a classical beauty but was overall very attractive and very dignified looking with an aura eliciting respect and awe in the eyes of who ever saw her. Everyone liked her and she was of friendly nature but reserved and had the ability to keep people at their place just by her look. The classes started as usual and all the students concentrated on studies.

It was Soumya’s dream to become a doctor and in spite of her intelligence and hard work, narrowly missed to secure herself a seat on merit basis. Her father Krishna Shastry, reluctantly allowed her to join this college to pursue degree course while preparing for her medical entrance, as this college had high standards of teaching and very reputed faculty. Only meritorious students could get admissions here and generally they were busy focusing on their goals in their career development and everyone in general had a no-nonsense attitude. At the outset itself Soumya’s father warned her that she better be focused on her studies and strictly keep away from other distraction, if not she may have to forgo the opportunity to continue here education. By distraction, what Mr. Shastry meant was, love affair, which was unimaginable let alone acceptable by his traditional background and his family. Soumya understood his concern and fears and assured him that she would not give him a chance to regret his decision. She was amused by her father’s fears as she had hardly any such inclinations and her dreams were around becoming a Doctor.

Days moved into months and the final exams were fast approaching. Soumya and Rama, her friend and classmate from school days, were sitting under a big tree having their lunch. They had a busy morning with classes and will be rushing for the Zoology practical classes after lunch.” If you will not get angry or upset, I want to say something,” Rama hesitantly said, “have you noticed Mohan, B.Com final year student, seems to be interested in you and his glances always follow you with praise and affection.” “He is very handsome, intelligent, topper in studies and an all-rounder. There would be hardly any girl on this campus who would not like to garner his attention and here you are hardly even acknowledging his presence,” she ruefully added. Rama did know the condition on which her friend’s father sent her to this college. “ We are getting late for the practicals,”Soumya said with composed looks and steady voice. The feelings in her eyes were unfathomable. That was the first and last time Mohan’s name ever came into their conversation. Mohan topped the class in B. Com and went out to do Chartered Accountancy . They did not see him again.

Ten years had passed by. Soumya is Dr.Soumya now running her own clinic which was managed by Rama. It was a busy day and Rama was totally engrossed in supervising the staff activities when she was interrupted.” excuse me, this boy needs immediate attention, ‘desperately said someone. The 6 year boy had a head injury and was profusely bleeding. Rama made sure the boy was rushed into a small first aid room to do the dressing.” Thank God it does not seem to be serious injury, ” she said addressing the man who brought the child, and raised her head from the paperwork she was doing . She was pleasantly surprised to see that it was Mohan and he also recognized her and slowly a smile broke on his face. Both were catching up on each other when the nurse called Mohan to see the Doctor for further consultation. Mohan was taken aback to see Soumya was the Doctor and even before he could come out of his shock, Dr. Soumya explained the treatment given to the boy, gave an appointment for the next day and left to treat the next patient.

Mohan spent some more time with Rama and over their conversation came to know that Soumya was married away to another Doctor from the same community. The marriage did not last long as Soumya’s husband was of suspecting nature and ill treated her and now she was a divorcee.

Next day Mohan brought the boy for review and as soon as he entered the Doctor’s consultation room he started the conversation by saying,” Look Soumya I don’t know if you have recognized me as one of your college mates. I never forgot you in the first place, to have to recollect and remember about you. Before I lose this opportunity let me tell that I loved you during the college days but refrained from expressing my feelings, lest your studies be discontinued. I had come to know the condition on which your father let you go to the college and also knew how passionate you were to become a Doctor. After your completion of medicine when I tried to meet you, you were already married. I came to Know that you are out of that painful marriage now.”” I continue to love you and I am asking for your hand. Will you marry me?”

Soumya was taken aback and said” what? How can you think of asking me to marry you? You have a son and what about your wife” There was anger in her eyes. Mohan laughed aloud heartily and told that he never married and the boy was his nephew.

Soumya agreed for the marriage. She confessed to Mohan that she indeed liked him from college days but the promise made to her father and her love to become a doctor made her forego everything else.

Rama was thrilled by the decision taken by her friends.” What an unusual love story !Wait wait ; what unusual lovers they are! “ she chuckled.