The Unconditional Love

NOTE: This story is inspired from one of my close friend's love story. After a string of poems under various kinds of genre and subjects, I had picked up an idea for this story. The events are explained in a chronological style of narration. 

28 JANUARY 2022: 

SINGANALLUR-IRUGUR ROAD: 

16:15 PM: 

Love is a truck and an open road, Somewhere to start and a place to go. They say love is a two-way street. But I don't believe it, because the one I've been on for the last two years was a dirt road. Right now, I am standing at Singanallur bridge, connecting to Irugur road.

Our journey is never ending. There's always gonna be growth, improvement, adversity. You just gotta take it all in and do what's right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. I have a job in my hand, working for a short film and KTM Duke 360 bike earned from my own money. What else I expect in my life. This is not enough. What I need now is unconditional love, through a girl.

Doesn't you all understand what I try to say. I myself don't know what am I telling now. You know? Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders. 

THREE YEARS BACK 

28 JANUARY 2017: 

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. Perhaps the year was 2017 and co-incidentally the date was 28 January. I was a second year college student studying for Humanities Course.

To be frank, I am a guy with hot temper problems, arrogant attitude and I never laughed, except to my father. "A father is a man who expects his children to be as good as he meant to be." When I was five years old, my mother and father used to quarell and argue for silly reasons and illogical issues. For a many, "A mother's love endures through all." 

But for me, "The joy in a little boy's eyes shines in his father's heart. A son is the clearest reflection of his father in the world. A father may only be a dad for a little while, but he is a son's hero forever." 

The power of a dad in a child's life is unmatched. When everyone in my family ill-treated and humiliated me, it was my father who stood with me and gave his support everywhere. When my mother showcased her partiality to me, it was my father who motivated me to become successful. His love is always unconditional. One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters. 

My mother's atrocities and her cruel attitude forced me to develop hatred against girls and I was even more determined to grow up big by studying well. When I felt demotivated, my father used to say, "No pain, no gain."

During the phase of 10th standard and 12th standard, I deviated from my studies and instead spent time with my school friends, that made me to lose 11th marks and resurged myself in academics. My mother divorced my father when I was in 8th. I willingly opted to go with my father, ending the relationship with my mother and her family.

Having scored good marks in 12th, I got a seat for humanities. Besides studying humanities, I wrote articles and stories regarding variety of social issues and conflicts, revolving in and around our country.

For me, my father is the hero. While in Vijey Krish's life, his mother is the real heroine in his life. A mother's love endures through all. Motherhood is the greatest thing and the hardest thing. Vijey's life was a hell bound, when compared to my life. Since, my father was there to support me. While, his is a complete opposite. I myself wondered, how a father could be this cruel.

Yes. Vijey's father was an alcoholic. For an alcoholic, there is no Brahmin background, dalit background, etc. Anyone can drink. He is abusive towards Vijey's mother. How long can a women tolerate her husband's torture. So, she got angered and the 4 months pregnant lady divorced her husband and raised up her son all by herself. For three years, her life was a hardship. She strived for food, struggled and finally resurged with a good job.

Though not interested in second marriage, Vijey's mother married a renowned lawyer Advocate Ganeshan, who too is a brahmin. Since, his son is widowed and this boy needs a mother to be taken care. The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. Vijey's mother is not selfish and was loving to her step-son Tejas Ranganathan. Their sister's name is Tryambha, who is now in her schools.

Vijey applied for B.Com(Professional accounting). Singing good songs are his hobbies! His voice is always mesmerizing. As dreamt by him, he recorded song in a radio station and his dream was successful. He sang songs in the Prozone Mall of Coimbatore and was a popular voice in college too, other than my schools.

My dream was to become a filmmaker. I wanted to direct films. But, that's not easier. As I told earlier, "If there is no pain, there is no gain." I have to allot schedules for writing scenes and finish off screenplay for short film, which I am going to direct.

Filmmaking is a chance to live many lifetimes. So, I didn't wish to miss it in my life. My friends and father were supportive of my dreams. Since, I gave a promise to my father that, "I will equally give importance to studies and hobby." He knew, I am determined to grow rich and money-minded. My father used to say, "Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one." 

My father's words were right. However, the humiliations that he went through because of my mother and her family, made me to grow even more higher. After lots of hardships and pains, I was first given an antagonistic character that was similar to Heath Ledger's Joker Character in Sir Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. I lost 10 to 15 kilograms for the role. Further, put up my arms tighter in Gym.

The role was pretty-challenging and intense. Without taking any dupe, I drove the car and bike sequences. The action sequences were pretty-good in this short-film.

Following this role, I played a supporting role in another short-film as the protagonist's close friend, since it was a strong character and backbone. After directing my short-film in third year, I played the protagonist character in my close friend's short-film. It's about a character, who suffers from Retrograde Amnesia and his revenge against a mysterious man, who were responsible for the death of his parents and elder brother. The character was praised and appreciated by my friends. A Tamil director approached me to act in his film in a supporting role, which I rejected due to my father's reluctance.

Since according to him, "It's difficult to survive in Tamil film industry, where Nepotism is common." Whenever I degraded my relatives as beggar, my father used to ask me, "Family is in our hearts, bonded together for life, no matter where you rest your head."

I was dumbstruck and had no words to say. After my college, I did a supporting role in a Telugu film and slowly rised to prominence as a good script writer and played a lead role in one of the highest paid Telugu directors. In my college, I didn't trust in girls and even I joked saying to my friends: "I will sight girls, but will not fall in love with them. Since, I don't trust in love."

Since my school days, I never talk with girls and have a limited relationship with them. Whenever I remember my mother's abusive nature, I felt feared to talk with girls. Even in college, I retained the same attitude.

Co-incidentally, I met a girl named Roshini. She was my collegemate. Very sensitive and emotional girl. Although I am emotional and sensitive initially, my ruthless character spurned them both, that even motivated me to forbid meeting my grandmother, that ultimately lead to her death.

From then, my relatives accused and repeated the incident calling my father as "ruthless heart." Although he didn't say anything about that incident, I know he was extremely heartbroken. I hold the guilt for not even fulfilling my grandma's wish. Fulfilling the last wish of human is very important. If it's not done, we have to regret about that, in our lifetime.

This incident happened when I was in third year's last semester. Tears filled my eyes. I went to washroom, where I say my face in the mirror. I remembered an incident in 10th, where my father said: "Look your face in the mirror. You won't like your own face."

I shouted and broke the glass in anger. Blood oozed out from my hands and I shouted out louder, unable to control my depression and regret. It was Roshini who consoled me. I remembered my father looking through her eyes. She said to me, "When you look into your mother's eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this earth. Maybe due to co-incidence, you didn't get that unconditional love." 

She was lying in my arms, after putting bandage in my hands. I was coming to the class sad. She noticed the injury and she was the first to react. Hence, I developed humility, love and devotion for the first time in my life, that too for a girl. I got to know that, "She had lost her mother, when she was just 13 years old." Her mother died due to heart attack and since then, her father was raising her up showering with lots and lots of love and affection.

Realizing that, I am falling in love with her, I decided to distance myself from her due fearing for my obsessive and possessive nature. However, she loves me one sided which I realized off-late during her birthday, where I had been invited.

I came to know this from her diary and gifts. Further her father said to me: "My daughter had said a lots about you pa. You are doting, loving and affectionate to everyone itseems. I heard you don't believe much in love and life. Keep smiling pa, because life is a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about." 

His words had mesmerized my heart and for the first time, I was in a deep sorrow and confusion. The fear in my heartbeat made me to rethink, "How beautiful our human life is. In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: it goes on." 

When Roshini proposed her love by saying: "The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. I love you da." 

I was confused and have no words to say. Instead, I said to her: "Roshini. Trust is built with consistency. You know? Love is a uniquely portable magic."

Except this words, I have nothing much to tell her. So, I met Vijey in his home around 9:50 PM. He asked me, "What happened in her birthday party da? Was everything fine?"

I revealed everything that happened in her party and hearing all these things, Vijay said: "Huh! Past is past da. For how many days? Remember! Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people's thinking. After your father dies, think how you gonna to live rest of your life." 

Still more, I looked his eyes and had no words to tell. So, he said: "Buddy. Unconditional love really exists in each of us. It is part of our deep inner being. It is not so much an active emotion as a state of being." 

I was really puzzled. So, I met my father and revealed everything. I thought he won't ask me to marry a girl. However my father said: "Almost all of you misunderstand what unconditional love is. It is holding vibrational alignment with who you are no matter what is going on around you. You will understand the importance of love at right point of time." 

I decided to focus on my goal and ambitions, until the point of time which comes in my life, as told by my father.

Having goals that we are passionate about gives us something to look forward to each and every morning when we wake up. Not having goals is an excellent recipe for average living. Over the years that followed up, I became one of the most sought film actor and director, known for handling versatile subjects and characters. Vijey became a good music director, equally competent to prominent musicians A.R.Rahman sir and Illayaraja sir.

During this time of my peek success in Kannada, Telugu and Tamil, my life got a turning point. Now, I have made my father a king, by making him live in a big bungalow with all kinds of facilities. But, his health is detriorated. He suffers from high blood pressure, severe hip pain and eye problems. Since, my father is around 76 years.

I asked him, "Dad. How you are now? Big bungalow, housemaid and a chill atmosphere to admire the nature."

However, my father laughed and said, "I have seen it in 35 years of my age da. Now, I am in wheelchair. Nothing much to admire. Since, our death is unpredictable. You know? Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. While money can't buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery. Don't forget about it." 

I smiled for his words and said, "I never forget your words dad. It's close to my heart."

Hearing this, he felt emotional and holded my hands.

"My son. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Sometimes it's the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination. Your journey never ends. Life has a way of changing things in incredible ways." I listened my father's words. He continued to say further, "Everybody has their own story; everybody has their own journey. In your story, you hate your mother. But, there are lots to explore in this world. I think it's my adventure, my trip, my journey, and I guess my attitude is, let the chips fall where they may." 

That was the last words I heard from him. He actually requested me to marry Roshini. The next day, he died in his sleeps. I decided to fulfill the last desire of my father, although being dejected and torned emotionally, at first.

Since, Vijey said: "Buddy. Life is a journey and it's about growing and changing and coming to terms with who and what you are and loving who and what you are. We know we are on the right path. Our journey is not finished, but we have come a long way."

He was right. Our journey is not finished, but we have come a long way. My home was here in Chennai. With motivating comments from Vijey, I went to Coimbatore in my KTM Duke 360, that's still more fresh.

Now, I am ready to race for Coimbatore. My mind is calm and the anatomy of freedom reflects in every KTM machine. To meet Roshini, I have crossed 740 miles. When I was riding faster around 110 km/hr, one of the traffic police stopped me.

He asked for license, insurance papers and Arsi book, which I gave and all was good. However, he charged me with 2500 Rs. fine and I payed it, respecting the rules. Seeing my face, one of the people near me said, "Sir. He is one of the prominent actor-director in our film industry."

Looking closer, the traffic police apologized me and I said, "No sir. You did your duty. I respect our law. It was my mistake. So, I am sorry."

The traffic police realized my good nature and respecting attitude, which was due to my father. Since, he said me to live a life like such. Eventhough he died, I still respect his words. Still now, I was explaining about my life to this traffic police, who wished to know about my life.

The traffic police now said, "Sir. A father's love is eternal and without end. I too miss my father a lot. He died before three months." 

Hearing this, I consoled him and proceeded to start my bike. Since, formalities were completed. As I started my bike, the traffic police called me and asked, "Sir. What's your name? May I know please?"

I turned back and said, "My name." With a sort of laughter, I said, "My name is Aravinth."

Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home. Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations. It has been great journey from where I have started to where I am today. I am really blessed with God's grace. 

Roshini. Love isn't intellectual - it's visceral. I am eager to meet you in your house sooner. Sometimes it's the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination. Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations. 

FEW HOURS LATER: 

SULUR AERO: 

9:50 PM: 

So, I have finally reached the part of my destination. It's Roshini's home. Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are travelling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, make haste to be kind.

Roshini's father saw me more closer, wearing his spectacles. After speaking a while, he said: "Roshini is in her upstairs. Go and see her pa." I went to her room.

Roshini is cute-looking and beautiful still more. She looked gorgeous in her red sari. Seeing me, she was really surprised. Although emotional, she didn't showcased it and asked, "Why have you came here Aravinth? You have so many work to do in film industry right?"

I was initially having no words. Tears filled my eyes however. I said her: "I love you Roshini. Love you eternal. That's why I came here."

Roshini asked me: "You never trust girls right? Even if they shover you love and affection, you boys suspect right. Because trust is important to you all."

However, I said: "Roshini. Please Roshini. Take my hand, take my whole life too. For I can't help falling in love with you."

I kneeled down and pleaded her. She is emotional and said, "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you. I Iove you da Aravinth." 

She embraced him and they both share a hug. As she smiled, I said her: "Roshini. Love is so unconditional; love liberates; love is the reason why I do what I do, and so I think it is the greatest gift we have." 

She tapped my head and said, "Hug me da." When embracing, I looked at the reflection of my father, smiling at me. In human being's life, "Father's are men who dared to place the world's hopes and dreams in their children. The value of a loving father has no price. When a father speaks, may his children hear the love in his voice above all else."