SHADES OF LOVE

                         

Note: This story is based on Author’s fiction. It does not apply to any historical references or real-life incidents. This is my third collaboration work with Magnus after Escape from Trap and Miracle. I co-wrote the story with him.

Story by: Adhithya Sakthivel and Magnus.

1995, ERODE

BHARATHI VIDYA BHAVAN

Yaall was 17 years old girl studying in Bharathi Vidya Bhavan school of Erode. She was in her Twelfth standard back then and was good at academics. But was an introvert. Whenever there were any kind of interactive sessions she would run to the library. But, she had friends not many but few close friends. Deepak was really popular at school and captain for school’s basketball team. He is really brave (a little rude just a little). He was in the same class in sixth as well but had never once talked with her.

It was a warm afternoon and just as the bell rang all of them were heading back home. That day Yaall had to keep her lunch basket in the last rack. So Deepak went to fetch it. So as she completely bent down to take it he was grabbing his ball in the same shelf. Yaall suddenly got up and bumped into his arms.

That was the first time she looked into his eyes. She said: “Sorry” and left running. Yaall never felt that way before. She had butterflies in her stomach all evening. But pulled herself together cause having a crush on “high school god” costs a lot. There not less than five girls who had a crush on him then.

Days passed just like that. Frequent examinations, projects, competitions, etc. Then it was her birthday. It was just like any other normal day to her. She went to school that day only because she had an exam that day. When the exam was done, she came back to class and started talking to her friends. Then suddenly Deepak came to her desk and called her name out for the first time and wished her.

Yaall stood like stone in front of him. Then, she said “thanks” and blushed like hell. Then he asked his friends to give her back some chocolates to ensure she wasn’t short of them. She got her hopes up but was damn scared to talk to him.

She would always watch him far away and felt happy when he won tournaments. Yaall would always go early and sit in that damn hot school bus just to watch him practicing. She would feel bad when a few of his friends called him rude. She missed him when Deepak went on the tournaments. But, she never told any of her friends about her crush.

She would just feel happy watching him from far away. He was not what others thought he was. He was really different. Yaall saw him cry like a baby in sixth class for his mom. She remember the day when his friend told crying that he helped him pay his school fee cause his friend couldn’t. In 8^th grade, he tried singing “Drag me down” which turned out to be a disaster. When Yaall was laughing sitting in the crowd back she never thought that Deepak will mean this much just after an year. He was pure at heart. Little did she knew he liked her back.

It was almost the end of the year. Deepak was making it evident that he also likes Yaall back. She was happy that he feels that way. Once she heard him speaking for her. His friend from an other class asked him rudely, “Bro. Why her? There are so many other girls. Just look at her.”

Deepak was really angry at him and started yelling like crazy. She was so touched. Yaall was not known to anyone of them until he came into her life. She felt really bad for what his friend said but Deepak was there for her. Yaall considered, “That’s enough for her.”

YEARS LATER

15 JUNE 2018

TIDAL PARK, COIMBATORE

Deepak and Yaall sat on the bench in each other’s abode watching the darkness win the battle with the light in the sky. A cool breeze added the sweetness to the evening.

“Such a pleasant evening isn’t it? Why don’t you say something romantic now?” Yaall asked him.

“Why do you always mock me? You know I am bad with words.” Deepak exclaimed.

“I thought you would try this time. Do you know? My best friend Darshini’s boyfriend Sai Adhithya daily writes a poem to her. Can’t you write at least one for me?” Yaall sighed.

“Is he jobless or what?” Deepak joked. She glared at him.

“Ok, sorry. But this isn’t fair. Everyone’s has their own way of conveying love. I may be bad at words, but my actions will definitely speak.” She gave up and said, “Try to be romantic during your 2 year stay in Hyderabad after getting placed in Deloitte.”

“So are you asking me to date another girl there to learn to be romantic?” Deepak asked as he laughed.

“I will kill you if you ever thought of another girl. Anyway no one dares to date you after knowing about you. I must be given the best girlfriend award for being with you all these years.” Yaall mocked him back. She added: “Before we parted ways (in school days), I wanted to tell you somehow about how I felt so I woke up early in the morning and wished you on your birthday in whatsapp.”

Deepak was happy and asked her, “Why didn’t you tell me anything then?”

“We had board exams and we went in totally different ways.” Yaall said and while speaking with her, he surfed into the Instagram app. Since, he would randomly select the profile of cute girls by seeing their DP and text them a Hi message.

Now, both of them exchanged their social media passwords. One day, Deepak found out something in Yaall’s instagram. It was her ex-boyfriend Bhuvanesh who had sent her messages and she too was replying in him in such a manner to patch up with her and she was deleting the message. Deepak found out when he received notifications from her Instagram account in his phone.

When Deepak asked about this, Yaall said: “I promise you that I did not speak to him. How could you even doubt me?”

Deepak replied: “Then, who is Bhuvanesh?” and sent the screenshot to whom she had been flirting with. Her reply to this shocked Deepak. Since, she said: “He is my backup. I love my ex-boyfriend and you also.”

“Aren’t you ashamed to say this?” Deepak asked her.

To this, Yaall said: “If you want to speak to me, speak. Or else, block me. I don’t care. There are people waiting. I’ll select another person.” It was at this point Deepak realized who he thought to be his over and dreamt of marrying her and having kids with her finally knew cheated on him. He shouted with her in frustration and hung up with her.

Depressed, Deepak and his close friend Sanjay went to a bar, where he burst up his situation to which his friend asked: “What mistake did you do da?”

Deepak replied: “I loved a girl truthfully and sincerely.” He asked him how it is a mistake to which he said: “Nowadays most of the people don’t love truly. They just use these words as filling, backup, living together, time-pass, etc. True love is rare to find these days.”

“I can’t believe it man. I am wondering what it will be in the years to come.” However, at that point of time, Deepak and Yaall’s another best friend Sai Adhithya came to meet him. He gave a tight slap to Deepak.

“Why did you slap me da?” asked Deepak to which, Sai Adhithya replied: “Don’t know why I slapped you.” He looked deep into his eyes and said: “Tell me a truth. Are you a good guy? How da? You all blame women for everything. Are you a good guy? Tell me!”

Showing the screenshots of Whatsapp messages and Instagram messages, Sai Adhithya said: “See. These all are your messages with more than 30 girls during our college days. Many of my friends would threaten to beat you up and even informed me the same.” Showcasing the messages of Deepak’s highlighting the phone number to be given, Sai Adhithya said: “So, you are perfect in everything. Am I right? That’s why you lusted behind so many girls. You’re not fit to talk about Yaall da.”

Deepak felt guilty and emotionally broke down. Now, Sai Adhithya asked him: “Do you remember Darshini?”

“Oh, Yes. Your college girlfriend ah?” Sanjay asked to which, he said: “Yes.”

Sai Adhithya recalled his school days and college days.

YEARS BACK

1998

CS ACADEMY, COIMBATORE

After the school prayer, all the students were going into the class. Sai Adhithya was sitting on the bench. While, his friends were having fun in class and writing randomly on green board.

“Sai Adhithya loves Darshini.” One of his friend Shyam wrote this and started showing to him.

“Are you stupid?” Adhithya shouted and said, “Please remove it.”

Adhithya quickly stand up from the bench and came to the green board to remove it, as he was about to erase, his class teacher Devakumar came with an angry look and followed by him, Darshini also came.

“Adhithya loves Darshini.” He read loudly.

“Oh kid, looks like you have grown up before age and very desperate for love? Hmm?”

“Mam. I didn’t write this!” Manish said.

“Shut up” His class teacher said.

“Is Adhithya your friend Darshini?”

“No sir, I don’t talk to him but he always try. Maybe that’s why he wrote this” said Darshini.

“Okay. Now just go and complete the 10 round of school.” His teacher said to Sai Adhithya. Manish had lost in his thoughts, “Now how she will forgive me, one side. I was trying to talk to her and other side this happened, she will never talk to me.”

“Are you listening me?” His teacher shouted.

“Yes sir! Yes sir!” Adhithya said in scare.

“Then, go” He said. After the class, Sai Adhithya met Darshini and said, “Darshini. I’m so sorry but I didn’t write this. Shyam wrote this.”

“Liar. I had seen you near the green board. Don’t talk to me.” Darshini said angrily.

“Darshini, please listen to me.” Sai Adhithya pleaded.

“I don’t want to talk to you Adhithya.” Darshini said.

“Okay, I made the mistake. Then punish me. But after that please forgive me.” Adhithya requested.

“You just go away Adhithya.” Darshini said.

“Okay, until you forgive me, I’ll daily touch your feet in front of teacher and will ask for forgiveness.” Adhithya said.

“Do whatever you want, I’ll not forgive you.” Darshini said and for the continuous three days, Adhithya touched her feet and then Darshini told, “Ha! Stop Adhithya. I’m not angry with you. Shyam told me that he wrote all that. Not you.”

“If you got to know then why didn’t you tell me?” Adhithya asked her.

“Because no one ever touched my feet. So, I was feeling so great that how could I ask to stop you.” Darshini said and smiled. Adhithya angrily said, “I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Hey Adhithya! I am sorry.” Darshini said and innocently hold her hand.

“Will you be my friend?” She asked and Adhithya smiled.

PRESENT

At present, Adhithya said: “I smiled so hard that until our marriage, we kept smiling da Deepak. That’s true love. To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides.” He added: “A true relationship is two un-perfect people refusing to give up on each other.”

Sanjay holds the hands of Deepak and said: “Buddy. Being in love in this generation is scary. Loyalty is so rare and people are so quick to choose a good time over a good thing.”

“Our generation has lost the value of romance, the value of trust, the value of conversation. Sadly, small talk is the new deep.” Deepak said and recalled his days with Yaall and how both of them have spent time together during the school and college days. He realized her importance in his life and decided to reconcile with her. But fate had other plans.

OCTOBER 15, 2022

KMCH HOSPITALS

One day, when Yaall was driving from her college back to the home, she met with an accident around 4:30 PM in Peelamedu. The next time she woke up, she was on the KMCH hospital bed with her parents and best friend Sai Adhithya and his wife Darshini on the side. She tried to speak, but to no avail. Still not giving up, she mustered all her energy to cry out. But silence was the only answer. Later she learned that the accident had damaged a part of her brain rendering her mute and deaf.

FEW DAYS LATER

After a few days when she was discharged, she checked her Instagram to see the inbox flooded with messages from Deepak asking her what happened. With a heavy heart, she blocked him on all platforms, changed her number despite being suggested by her family to think a twice before blocking him. She made her best friend Darshini and Sai Adhithya promise not to respond to him. It’s been months since she shifted to her hometown along with her parents. She learned the sign language and started teaching in the school for the special. One day, she was visited by her best friend Sai Adhithya and Darshini. After their usual pleasantries, she asked Adhithya about the purpose of visit.

In reply, her friend pulled out a card and gave it to her. Confused, she looked at it to realize it was a wedding invitation card. She opened it to see his photo in the groom’s page. Her heart ached as she slowly caressed his photo with her fingers. Controlling herself, she tried to return the card to her friend, not having the strength to check about the bride.

But a cool breeze helped her as it flipped the pages to reveal the bridge page. It was blank silver page. Puzzled, she looked closely at the page as she saw her reflection on it. She quickly understood the reference and looked up to see Deepak standing at the door step.

He slowly walked towards her, looking intently at her shocked face. Her eyes welled up with tears as he knelt before her. He pulled out a ring from his pocket and conveyed this to her in a sign language.

“With your permission, I would like to become your voice and sound.” Her legs couldn’t hold her any longer as she collapsed on her knees. This reminded her of that day when he said that: “His actions will convey his love better than his words. She hugged him tightly as she cried her heart out for keeping him away. At this point of time, Deepak also felt the shades of love deeply, when he hugged Yaall. Accepting his proposal, they lived happily ever after.

EPILOGUE

“Life has taught me that you can’t control someone’s loyalty. No matter how good you are to them. Doesn’t mean they’ll treat you the same. No matter how much they mean to you doesn’t mean they’ll value you the same. Sometimes the people you love the most, turn out to be the people you can trust the least.”

-         Trent Shelton.