New way

       "You don't need to go before the guests. My impression will be down if they see your ugly face and poor health, " Jagdeesh rebuked his son Anil. Jagdeesh was a teacher in a school in Nagpur city. The guests were his far relatives of him. 

Anil was a sixteen years old boy studying in high school. He was well-disciplined and always got a high rank in the examination but was an ugly boy having poor health. His father was not happy with him. His mother did not like to say anything against his father. She remained silent. 

"I, too, don't like to go before your guests, " he said in anger to his brother Ranjeet who was two years older than him. His brother, too, doesn't like his ugly face. He remained silent. His being ugly was a plus point for Ranjeet. 

Guests came home and spent time with the family and took dinner with them. Anil remained out of the home until the guest took leave. That day he watch a movie in a theatre with his friend David.

David was his only friend who came in handy in such a situation. David said to him, "you are not so ugly that you will be refrained from going before the guests."

He remained silent. David said, "something else is the matter. Face and health is not a matter." 

Anil said, "I don't much care about them." 

Anil was sad over the matter. He could not change the mind of his family. He was facing the same problem since his childhood and the problem affected him deeply. With the age, the sense of detachment came into his mind and heart.

   After school education, he took admission to a college. His parent's behavior toward him still did not change. He began feeling alone. Gradually his behavior got rude toward his family. 

He liked neither to talk much to anybody nor care about anybody. David used to say, "my friend, the world is big enough. Open yourself. Look to those who like you. Believe me, all will be well with time."

And Anil always replied, "I don't care about other and others should not care about me. If they have trouble with me, I, too, have trouble with them." 

"He is living in his world, " his other classmates used to say about him. He did not like to talk to the other students of the class.

One day, he all of a sudden, said to David, "do you know Kavita?'

David replied, " yes I do. Everybody knows her. What happen?"

Anil smiled and said, "I like her. I love her."

Hearing this David got surprised, "what!" And he looked at Anil from toe to head and said, "are you joking?" 

Anil continued smiling. There was a shine in his eye. He said, "I never joke. I love her."

David smiled and said, "if so, this will bring a great change to you. Her love will bring happiness to your life." 

Kavita was his classmate. She is an average girl both in studies and looking. Her father was a clerk in the municipality. It might be youth or the effect of the hormones, or the natural attraction towards the opposite gender in the Anil that made him a bit more vocal about his feelings towards her. He did not take much time to express his love before her. 

"How dare you. Have you ever seen your face in a mirror! Dirty, and ugly pig." Kavita shouted when she heard his proposal.

Her response was not as he expected. He was shocked and sad over her response.

That evening he said to David, "she, too, sees the only outer appearance of people like my father." 

David looked at him and said, "society does not act or react as per once's thinking. One has to act as per the society and culture."

Anil said, "it is alright but I think nothing would be wrong if she had accepted my proposal.

He paused for a little while and said, "but one thing is certain that I will never propose to any girl in any condition in the future."

But Kavita was his first love. It is hard for one to forget his first love.

And he became a more introverted and aggressive man. 

Kavita's father complained to Jagdeesh. Jagdeesh got angered and rebuked and slapped Anil. He said to Anil, "your character is also like your face, dirty and ugly."

Anil kept these words of his father in his mind. We each in the world has a weakness of some type or the other. So had Jagdeesh. 

Anil was fond of books. He used to go to the library after college and return home after spending one or two hours there. That day, he found the library closed and he returned home early. Mother was out of the city. The door was opened. He did not find Ranjeet in the home. He did not like to interfere in the matters of Ranjeet. Both had their ways and lives. Anil was a liberal person. As per his opinion, each one has a right to choose his way of life and enjoy life. He proceeded to his room. The sound of bangles coming from his father's room attracted his attention. He stopped. He heard the mild laughing of the housemaid. He was mature enough to understand the matter. He thought for a few moments and then turned to the father's room. 

Jagdeesh was caught red-handed. It was as if Jagdeesh were struck by a thunderbolt. The housemaid ran out of the room. Anil looked at his father, smiled, and said, "dad, your character, too, is like my face." 

Anil was neither angry with nor astound at his father. 

      Sweta was a talented girl always scoring high ranks. She had the sweetest voice in the college. But she was lame in a right leg. Boys didn't take interest in her because of her being lame. Some girls, too, used to keep away from her. But she didn't take this isolation into the heart. She had no problem with anybody. She kept herself busy in her studies. For some reason, she had sympathy with Anil. She never missed a chance to talk to Anil but it was Anil who ignored her. When she heard about what happened between Anil and Kavita, she felt relief.

       Time was going by in this way and the family of Anil never changed its thinking towards Anil. After graduation, Anil managed a job for him. He didn't want to depend on his father anymore. But his father was such prejudiced that he began to take objection to his doing job. He rebuked Anil saying, "you once again brought shame to the family by doing such a low job with a low salary." 

Anil replied with all in coolness, "I don't want to depend on you anymore."

His father shouted in anger, "I have a lot of money to fulfill all your requirements. Leave this job and try for another good job."

"But I need to leave you first. As for the job, I will soon get promoted, " Anil replied calmly.

"What is your problem?" His mother asked him. 

"All of you are my problem, " he replied. His mother looked at him with questions in her eyes.

He said, "all of you hate me for my being ugly and my being of poor health. But mother, there is a lot in life besides these things. Now no more health."

His mother shouted in anger, "we want your good wish." He interrupted, "keep good wish to yourself. All these are means of depressing me."

"Then leave the home and go to hell, " his mother shouted. 

He left the home saying, "from now on you do not need to be being ashamed because of me."

He felt relief after leaving home. He rented a cheap house on the outskirts of the city. David was still with him as his close friend.

     Anil worked diligently and within a year he got promoted and increment in salary. He was not one of those who works for others. He believes in working for himself. After two years he resigned from the job and began his own business. He had to struggle at first but he did not give up and his perseverance bring him success. Soon he became a rich man. But the success and money could not heal his wounds. He was still sad and alone. He was still far from his parents. There was a wall of hollow ego and traditions between him and his parents. He was not worried about life. But despite all these odds he sometimes remembered Kavita. He could ner forget his first love.

      

David and a few other well-wishers of Anil were worried about him. David wanted him to get married and live a suitable life. He sometimes tried to make him understand the importance of marriage. 

"I came across with Kavita yesterday, " one evening David said to him. Anil looked at him and said in low voice, "Kavita....." He wanted to say something more but he remained silent. David continued, "she is still unmarried. Her parents passed away and she is alone and in search of a life partner."

Anil said, "so she could not get a handsome man with a good face till now." 

Anil wanted to hear more about Kavita from David but he didn't want to show his weakness to him. He remained silent. Bit David had something else in his mind. He said to him, "I would like to ask you a question if you don't mind." 

Anil looked at him and said, 'you are my only, friend, you may ask any question without any formality." 

"Would you like to marry her?" Was his question.

Anil remained silent. There started a great conflict in his mind. He lit a cigarette and began puffing. After a while, Anil said, "look, David, as far I know, relations are not to be imposed. Relations should be accepted with one's wish. Kavita didn't like me and I don't want to impose my love on her."

David said, "you should think about your old age. You need an heir for your property. You need someone to take care of you in old age. Be practical. After all, she is your first love." 

 

Anil remained silent. David knew Anil very well. 

It was raining dogs and cats that night. Anil was speeding home by his car after taking part in a business meeting. All of a sudden, a stray cow came before his car and he applied the brake to avoid the cow and his car slipped and got capsized. He got unconscious after a few moments due to sharp pain and bleeding. 

Somebody called the ambulance and police. He was in a coma. Nobody was with him except a police constable who got him admitted to the hospital. A lady doctor who was on duty, got surprised when she saw Anil in this condition. She immediately took the case in her hand. 

When David heard about the accident he rushed to the hospital. In the hospital, he found Anil was still in a coma. He was worried about Anil and proceeded to the doctor. When he reached the doctor, he found her to be familiar to him. The doctor assured him by saying that she was doing her best to get Anil well soon. She talked to him about Anil for a long time. David being his friend and well-wisher told a lot about Anil in detail. That night she could not sleep, her past was before her.

She did all that she can do to bring Anil into consciousness. Anil remained in a coma for four days. When he came round he found himself in a hospital. After some minutes, the lady doctor came to his ward. He looked at her. The face of the doctor seemed familiar to him. The doctor said with a smile on her face, "how are you feeling?" 

He replied, "pain in legs."

He was trying to recognize the face before him. All of a sudden, he recalled who she was. He said, "I think you are Sweta, once my classmate." 

She said, "yes, I am."

He said, "I am happy to meet you. How are you?"

"Fine and before.you." 

Sweta was so happy. They walked down memory lane. They talked about their college life for a long time. Anil felt relief after this meeting with her despite the pain. He never in his life till now talked openly to anybody as to her. He was surprised. 

    Sweta was happy to find her first love before her. Whether he would accept or reject her was a question that was in her mind. She never told anybody about her love. Years passed by and she never came across him after graduation but she never forgot him. She never thought of meeting him again in life in this way. 

That evening Anil talked to David about Sweta and praised her. David began to think something.

Sweta knew David well. She knew David is his only friend and well wishes since school life. The next evening David reached her home to give her thanks for curing Anil. 

During talking, he came to know that she was still unmarried. David could not help but speak, "if you don't mind may I ask you a question?" 

She nodded. He asked, "would you like to marry Anil?"

Hearing this she lowered her head. She felt shy for a little while and tried to control herself but she could not do so for a long. And she looked at him and said, "actually he is my first love."

David got surprised hearing this. He asked, "from when?"

"Since college life, " she replied with shyness.

David said, "but he didn't know about your love. He ran after that proudly Kavita. But you never told him or express your feeling towards him."

She replied, "I was afraid of being rejected by him. I am lame and was a neglected person those days." 

David said, "the same happened to Anil. He is an ugly and thin person and was neglected those days." 

David paused for a while and then said, "will you marry him?" 

She nodded. He said, "give me word that you will not turn back."

She said, "I give my word." David said, "I will talk to him." 

David told Anil all about Sweta and her feeling towards him and said, "it was you who ignored her and ran after Kavita."

When Anil heard about Sweta from David, he said, "if she had told me before, my life would not be so alone."

David said, " God is great. God has something or the other for everyone." 

Anil was happy. He accepted the marriage proposal. David was happy for his friend Anil was going to begin his life with Sweta. Now they were on a new way of the life.