I still remember the day when I passed my VII exam. I went shopping with my mother for my school uniform. From the VIII standard, we were supposed to wear full pants. To this day, I am comfortable wearing shorts, even outdoors. So I wasn't really excited about the change.
On the first day in the school, the big boys were looking pleased with the change. The girls continued to have the same uniform and, therefore, were in their Skirts. The change of the uniform and our age had an impact on the overall environment of the class. The girls started distancing themselves from the boys. Hushed discussions became the order of the day. Mrs.D'Souza suddenly started looking attractive, the secret trade in Debonair and other magazines thrived.
Some outliers emerged from the group. Vikas and Manasi were two of these. They were always found together. They ate their lunch boxes together, only chatted with each other. We all were envious of Vikas. He told us stories about their demeanor. It seemed daring, electrifying, and outright fake. But we never countered lest we would miss out on the update. V❤️M started appearing on the walls of the boy's toilet.
Then one day, Mrs.Ravetkar found Vikas' name written many times in Manasi's notebook. She was asked to come to the Teacher's room and reprimanded. She came crying out of that room after half an hour. Apparently, those pages had been torn by mam.
Now, Vikas and Manasi were never found together. They came to the school separately, did not eat together, did not even look at each other. Manasi's personality underwent a complete change. She became an introvert and did not mingle with other girls. We passed out of the school and moved over to various colleges. Days turned into years, and we all lost touch with each other.
Yesterday I met Manasi in Pune. In fact, she recognized me. I couldn't. She was pale, thin, and wore thick glasses. But, her smile was still the same. It was unusual for her character, but she invited me for a cup of coffee. We found a nearby restaurant and sat there. I knew from the grapevine that Vikas and Manasi continued to be in touch with each other outside the school. In the X std, they were caught by their parents and severely punished. So as soon as SSc results were out, Vikas was bundled and sent to his uncle in Delhi. He became an engineer and went to the US for his Masters. In the meantime, Manasi became a Chartered Accountant. I was just rewinding this flashback when Manasi broke the silence. She asked me about my family and profession. I answered. A few awkward moments of silence passed. I asked, "How about you?" She just moved her head sideways, "I never married" I was shell-shocked. The coffee arrived, and I just gulped all the surging questions in my mind with the sip of hot coffee. Despite her outward appearance, she seemed relaxed. She broke the silence, "You want to ask me why I did not marry? Right. And you want to know whether I am still in touch with Vikas? Don't you". I nodded.
She had not even looked at me for my answer. She continued, "Vikas went to the US. In those days emails were non-existent, and so he called me whenever he was in India. We met sparingly whenever we got a chance. He was doing well in the US. He got a good job and was planning to settle there. His parents decided to get him married. He refused. He wanted to marry me. His parents threatened to break all the ties with him. He still persisted. He told them that he would only marry me. He was confident that he would be able to convince his parents. He came to India in 2003 for that. He somehow managed to convince his parents. I had relocated to Pune for my job. He decided to visit Pune and surprise me.
However, destiny did not want it to be so simple. On the way to Pune, his car met with an accident on the expressway. He lost both his legs. He took a lot of time to recover from the trauma. He insisted that I marry someone else. He was no longer suitable for me with his disability, he believed. But I persisted. We started living together. We are now living here happily" I had an awed look on my face. She noticed it. "Subodh, you looked confused since I told you that I did not marry. Please don't think that I have done any sacrifice in my life. I have always loved Vikas. People many times confuse what they mean by love. They think love is an abstract noun that expresses emotions and feelings. Love is a verb in English as in any other language. So there is an action associated when you say I love you. We miss this important point. I love Vikas even today. I love caring for him. By helping him rebuild his life, confidence, and self-esteem. He loves me too by reciprocating. So we are still in love by our choice not by the bond of marriage".
She asked me to come down to their home. I assured her that I would do that next time. I paid the bill, and we departed. While driving back to Mumbai, I reflected on the strange philosophy regarding love that Manasi placed before me. It came from a girl who wrote Vikas name 100 times in her book in the VIII Std.
When was the last time I loved my wife like that? I wondered.
Subodh
Quite an emotional one