Part And The Whole

The simmering sunshine was catching up with the foggy pathway, trying to illumine the crest fallen vast stretch, yet was finding it difficult to connect. Sruti had lessened her pace owing to poor visibility. She was just halfway through her quota of morning walk and wanted to complete it, but changed her mind and prepared to comeback. She was unhappy and started muttering to herself.

A faint voice from behind said “Hello!” and she looked back.

A young man in his early thirties was wishing her. It felt strange, but she waved back.

“Ma’am, are you not going to complete your routine today?” quipped the gentleman dressed in a deep blue track suit.

She tried to hold her astonishment and replied “But, how do you…”

He interrupted by saying “Ma’am, I am Anil. I watch you everyday jogging in the park and then rushing back home. Believe me, I am not a stalker, rather a fan of yours. The way you take care of yourself is really laudable. I respect people who take care of themselves.”

She breathed a sigh of relief and smilingly signed off.

She met this acquaintance more often in the jogging track. He was moderately built and a fitness freak. His job in the bank entailed long hours of sitting, so morning exercise was ingrained in his style of living. He had his share of woes and ordeals after coming to a big place like Mumbai, but now has completely adjusted to its lifestyle. They would often sit for a few minutes after exercising and would recount incidents of gone by days over a cup of tea. He preferred coffee but now has started having tea, as per Sruti’s choice. Their bond grew stronger with ties of friendship. Many a times, Anil used to bring in issues like - there can be absolute freedom in an intimate relationship, two people under one roof should learn to respect each other. Sruti cleverly avoided those, yet felt, Anil talked sense and was logical in his arguments. She closely guarded her feelings, but somehow got drawn to him slowly and silently.

She was very tired next evening. She had fever. Deciding against going for a walk in the morning, she slept till late. She was woken up by the sound of door bell. Anil was standing outside with two cups and a flask. He had prepared tea and brought it to her place as he missed her during the course of exercise. She did not know what to say, how to thank for the gesture.

It was destiny and not cupid this time, she felt. Her eyes did the honours.

She whispered to herself, “I didn’t think I would ever fall in love again. I know that everyone says that after a heart break, but the difference is that I’m not heartbroken. I’m not cynical, or pessimistic, or sad. I’m just someone who once felt something bigger than anything else I’d ever felt and when I lost it, I honestly believed I would never have that again. But, I was 22 then and life is long. And I’m feeling things right now that I haven’t in a long, long time.”

Sruti got transferred to Bombay from Chennai upon elevation to the next higher cadre. She could have continued there but did not like to, for obvious reasons. The city had offered more of pain than pleasure during her three year tenure there. She sulked more often and had been through all time low of her personal life. She was young then, just out of college. Got through campus selection and had made her parents proud. For the first time she stepped out of her home and landed in Chennai. None of her batch mates qualified for the company here that offered the highest package. With stars twinkling in her eyes, she joined. Sheer hard work and diligence paved her way to rise the rung on merit. She was amongst the chosen few, who the boss trusted the most. She was the most sought after girl, who many wanted to befriend. Sruti had no inclination as such to enter into friendship with her colleagues as she was completely a private person.

The first big get together of her professional career was Holi. The entire office was on celebration mode. Resplendent in colours, everyone played sans inhibition. From modest apply of colours to cutting of cake and consumption of sweets of various types and size, the mood of festivity was done to the best. Sruti, having joined the company a couple months ago, was not very conversant with people around. So, she preferred a remote corner to sit, munch on the delicacies and watch her colleagues sprinkling colours and hugging each other. A few were in real mood, grooving to the tunes of peppy numbers. She enjoyed and felt the fun quotient had slowly seeped in, for unknowingly she had started giggling and clapping in sync with the tune that was playing. Life is so different here, she observed. It must be a thrilling experience, she thought, but did not dare to go along the flow. The crowd was joined by two more members.

One tall, fair and handsome, the other one of moderate height and built, suave in his appearance.

“Hey you! The shy girl”, the tall boy called. Sruti looked back thinking, he is calling someone else. But she was wrong. He was meaning her and had started waving his hands.”You will be pulled to mingle with the crowd, if you do not come of your own… young lady”.

Now Sruti got up slowly and walked toward the middle of the hall, fearing someone would really pull her up. “There you are cutie! Do not hold yourself back, when you get an occasion like this, just eat, drink and dance to your heart’s content, for who knows what will happen tomorrow.”

She was delighted to hear such soothing words verging on philosophy, her pet subject.

“Wow”, she mumbled. In this profession too… people think deep and different. She smiled and slowly tried to catch up with the tempo. The parting notes from the stranger that evening was too sweet to push the memory asunder.

The first thing she did in the office next morning was to sheepishly enquire about the gentleman who outsmarted everyone by his effervescence and dressing sense. Anjali, her colleague tried to suppress her smile as she gave full introduction of Abhay, their boss’s son and the marketing head of the company. Sruti’s inquisitive mind wanted to learn more, yet she did not know ways and means to do so. In her heart of hearts she pined to be part of a function where she can meet Abhay, yet feared incurring wrath of the boss. Her lonely evenings and forlorn nights vied to have more rendezvous. For every flicker of sound she looked back and fervently wished him to be there. He came, but then the visits were official and had no personal space in between. She was completely smitten by his charm and could sense, he too had same feelings. Cupid perhaps had struck it hard.

It was festival time again. This time different in the sense, she was to go home to be with her family after serving the company for four odd months. Her mother was eager to see her. Being the eldest of the siblings, she was pampered a lot and all affection and attention was bestowed on her. The four days of leave passed off like blinking of an eye. She got ready to fly back and continue with her uninteresting life. Ruhi, her friend from hometown came to meet. She kept on asking whether any interesting episode has knocked the door of her life.

Sruti simply dismissed it by saying “It is too early dear, let me work hard, earn name and bring colours to my parents’ dreams.”

Ruhi said “Do not hide from me, I am your best friend, possess every right to be privy to it first.”

“Oh Yes, but I do not think, this will happen to me …I am such boring as a person, nobody would ever enter into my life ..be assured.” As she made the statement, her core seemed to belie her.

When she reached office after holidays, her colleagues wished and told they missed her. She had brought with her cookies, cakes and sweetmeats…all prepared by her mom and distributed them. Just as she was winding up, she heard Abhay’s voice from behind saying” Hello lovely lady, we all missed you. You look so fresh after the holidays. Where is my share of goodies? Am I not included in the list? Actually, I love everything that is packaged with love of mom. I have been deprived of since long.

Sruti thought Abhay was joking and told “Do not try to fool me sir, you are meaning something and saying something, I can make out.”

Abhay became quiet and left the place in no time. Later when she discussed with Anjali, she got to know that, Abhay lost his mother to cancer three years ago. She was filled with remorse and thought of atonement for all that happened. She rang up Abhay to say sorry, and he agreed to grant forgiveness only if sruti agreed to accompany for a cup of frothy coffee. Abhay got his share of homemade cookies and sweetmeats, Sruti had her first experience of sharing coffee with a handsome dude. Her hands shivered, legs became numb and she blushed continuously without any reason. She had no inkling as to how it felt to be in love, yet her prodding sense could decipher, the feeling is something akin to love. Abhay offered to drop her home and she agreed at once. By now she had learnt to open up. The moon was right atop when they bade good bye. Both admired the pristine beauty and smiled at each other. Sruti could feel the magical charm of love. That night and many those followed could not elicit even a wink of sleep.

She decided to call her friend of yore – Ruhi, to tell ”Yes, I am in love.”

Abhay too seemed to have grown fondness for her. He would visit office more often now, speak to her, admire her dressing sense, the way she carried herself and told her one evening “Sruti, do you feel the same way as I feel, I mean, when and how I started liking and loving you, I do not know. But, one thing is for sure …you are perfect for me…our choices, ideologies match on many counts. I swear by God’s name…I could perhaps have not asked for any better. Just allow me to hold your hands forever.”

She was overwhelmed with joy to hear such out-pour of love. She had never dreamt to have such a turn in life akin to a fairy tale. They went together to parties and were spotted at different functions. By now, everyone knew about the roaring love affair and awaited logical ending to it. Her colleagues had started chiding her and she enjoyed the amount of attention and thought more than often, perhaps it was the best period of her life. She thanked God for having brought Abhay to her life and contemplated of happy and sweet days ahead.

And, finally the day came, when her boss called her to his cabin. She went inside, hoping he would ask what her parents do, where she is from and what are her plans of life, whether she likes Abhay or not.

All her smile faded when her boss started telling something really rude in a rough voice.

”I do not know where you are from; I simply do not want to know. I am given to understand that, you have grown fondness for my son. You know him since one year, is it not? Have you analysed his character thoroughly? Or, you have only gone by his polished talks and handsome exterior? He is a Casanova, a flirt, a spoilt brat, who has played with the lives of many young girls. You are his recent prey. He will play with your emotion and drain you thoroughly…mind you!”

He was almost on the verge of tears as he uttered the last sentence.

Sruti sat there almost like a log of wood, with eyes wide open. As she got up to leave, her boss spoke almost in choking voice “You can do better in life dear, for now just concentrate on your career, forget him for God’s sake, his mother could not tolerate his nasty ways and left heartbroken. This fact is not known to many”.

She almost ran to the wash room and cried bitterly, for how long she did not know, continuous knocks made her open the door. Anjali was standing outside. She quickly shut the door after coming inside.

Holding her hands and wiping her tears Anjali said, “I am to be blamed, dear Sruti, I should have warned you beforehand. I thought Abhay must have mended his ways by now and would change for better if he befriends you. You are just pure and pristine, adorable and can leave a mark wherever you go. I am so sorry. Please forgive me if you can.”

Sruti worked till late in the evening. There were matters to be attended on priority basis and the boss had asked her to complete it.

“Hello dear! It is quite late. What are you doing?” Abhay spoke. Sruti did not even respond.

“Darling we are going out for dinner today, can’t you hear? Ok, I shall have another companion if you are not coming.”

Sruti blasted out “Please do what suits you. You are in the habit of changing companions, and just leave now. Leave me alone.”

Then and now, Abhay and Anil, two distinct individuals, very different in their approach to life and living – both have left marks in her life. One played with her emotion, the other helped her grow, remain free flowing and have the effects of whole.