Knotty Affairs Page 5

  The interns seemed to be in a never-ending race, running around for completion signatures and submission approvals. Some, who had landed up with lighter postings, spent most of their time preparing collages and scrapbooks in an attempt to capture their memories of the last five years. Every intern had just one thought at the back of his or her mind: these days would never come back. Once they stepped out of college with a degree, they would be looked upon as doctors and not college kids anymore. While excitement was palpable at the prospect of a new life, an inexplicable hesitation and fear of losing the inevitable carefree life also loomed large. Like many other students, Aakash, too, had made up his mind to try his luck at the PG entrance exams. As the competition was fierce and seats scarce, most of them had started their preparations quite early. While many were busy solving MCQs and revising various dental texts, Aakash was restless because his submissions were still incomplete. The leg-pulling business involving Aakash and Kashish had finally gone cold. Occasionally, Aakash’s friends asked him about Kashish’s whereabouts and insisted on calling her for their get-togethers. But most of them knew that these kinds of relationships were usually casual and didn’t last forever.

  Most of them were not aware that Aakash and Kashish’s friendship had never really waned. Their occasional ‘trying to cheer each other up’ messages and calls had brought them closer like never before. Those two extra passes to Arijit Singh’s concert did the trick of setting their feelings in symphony.

  Over the next couple of months, Aakash and Kashish ditched their group of friends to spend time in each other’s company. They’d often meet at coffee shops, malls, restaurants, bowling alleys, beaches, and ice cream parlours. Kashish, as usual, still abided by her ‘reach home by eight’ principle.

  Aakash was eager to express his feelings to Kashish on the day of his college farewell. Dressed smartly in blue jeans, white shirt and black blazer, he felt that there could be no better occasion than this. Aakash had excitedly planned to land up at Kashish’s college and take her by surprise. Unfortunately, Kashish, who had no clue of Aakash’s plan, had rushed home early that day because of her father’s sudden illness.

  Although dismayed, Aakash realized, for the first time, how inseparable a part of his life Kashish had become.

  Aakash drove his bowling ball straight into the gutter alley and, doing a victory dance, exclaimed ‘This calls for a treat!’

  Neel, Uttam, Apeksha, and Kashish looked at him in surprise.

  Since Neel and Aakash were playing as a team, Neel stared at Aakash and asked, ‘Treat for what, huh? Losing the game?’

  Aakash laughed, ‘Oh! I didn’t mean the game. Professor Kamat finally gave me his autograph on the submission journal. Doesn’t that call for a treat? C’mon guys, I was just relieved off my dreaded posting today!’ he raised his arms in surrender and heaved, ‘THE WRATH OF THE KAMAT!’

  Seeing that no one found it funny, he stopped laughing. Apeksha wearily asked, ‘So…where are you taking us for a treat, doc?’

  Aakash looked straight at Kashish and said firmly, ‘You are the one who truly deserves a treat! Without your help and guidance, I would still be rotting inside the lab.’

  Aakash had already planned this moment a thousand times in his mind.

  When the others got busy with the game again, Aakash caught Kashish’s attention and told her his plan. ‘Have you heard of this new amusement park that has opened on the outskirts of Mumbai: Adlabs Imagica? Just check it out on Wikipedia. It promises to be full of adventure and thrills!’

  Pleadingly looking at Kashish, he said, ‘Let’s go na, please!’

  Kashish quickly dismissed the idea, ‘No way, Aakash! I can’t go out of Mumbai for a whole day! Are you nuts? We have entrance exams coming up. And do you think Dad is going to allow me to go?’ Though she knew she wanted to go, she couldn’t say yes.

  Aakash promised her that he’d drop her home before 8 p.m., but she chose to remain silent.

  Aakash was woken up in the middle of the night by a message beep. He flung aside his blanket and read the message blinking on his phone: ‘I am not going to sit for the ride “Scream”. Wikipedia has a lot of scary things to say about it!’

  Chapter 4

  ‘AAKASH! HAVE YOU reached the platform? I have already caught the Khopoli train from Sion and will reach Kurla in three minutes!’ Kashish shouted over her phone, her words drowning in the noise and commotion caused by commuters boarding the train.

  ‘I am right over the bridge, Kashish,’ Aakash shouted back, ‘it’s too crowded here.’ He pressed his left ear with his index finger, and shouted on the phone so that Kashish would be able to hear him.

  ‘Aakash, you know na, if you miss this train, the next train to Khopoli is after two hours. We will also miss the connecting Imagica bus if you don’t make it!’ Kashish nervously moved around, trying to somehow find a place to stand in the overcrowded ladies compartment, and hoping that most people would get down at Thane.

  ‘Kashish, I’m almost there! Will text you once I get into the train, okay?’ The call got disconnected before Kashish could reply.

  What was surprising was that it was only Aakash and Kashish who had finally agreed to meet. They had asked all their friends, but everyone had turned down their offer, citing some reason or the other. Uttam wanted to study, Neel was available only on Sunday, which was not feasible for others, Apeksha had already seen the Ferrari World during her Dubai trip, and had heard that the rides at Imagica were quite similar, Harleen had to go for her coaching classes, and Sunny was keen to meet his long-distance girlfriend. Even Kashish’s friends had similar date issues. Aakash somehow managed to catch the 8.05 a.m. local to Khopoli just in the nick of time. Wriggling and tussling to make his way inside, he cursed the overcrowded footover bridge at Kurla for almost making him miss the train. Though he had wanted to spend the two-hour journey with Kashish, looking at the throng of passengers around him, he was glad she had boarded the ladies compartment. The same thought occurred to him as Kashish; maybe the compartment would eventually get less crowded by the time they reached Thane. Sprawled over an area of three hundred acres and located off the Mumbai-Pune expressway near Khopoli, Adlabs Imagica constituted a small island in itself. Claiming to be the largest theme-based amusement park in India of an international standard, it boasted of being the perfect place for adventure lovers.

  As Aakash and Kashish got off the special bus that had brought them here from Khopoli station, they stood spellbound at seeing the grand entrance and rides in the distance, covering most of the skyline. The crowd around them seemed excited and chatty and consisted mostly of college-going students and teenagers.

  Aakash paid for the tickets at the counter, turned around to looked at Kashish, and said, ‘Wow!’ He had managed to avail a twenty-five per cent student discount on the tickets.

  They made their way through the checking counters, excited about the thrilling day they’d spend together.

  Aakash swallowed nervously as he looked at the skyrocketing ride. He could hear people screaming as they experienced a free fall from a height of 132 feet. The signboard below read, ‘Dare2Drop’. ‘Aim for the sky and touch the ground!’ Aakash had read the description online. The crazy ride shot up vertically at high speed and then dropped down within a matter of seconds, making people scream with fear and excitement.

  A group of students, who had just got off the ride, passed by them as they stood contemplating whether or not to give it a shot. Aakash heard snippets of their conversation. One of the boys said, ‘It’s freaking insane! For a moment I thought I was going to die!’

  ‘I felt as if someone had pushed me down the fourth floor of a building. I just could not open my eyes!’ said a girl.

  Hearing their reactions, Aakash had an idea. He thought to himself: at a point when a person is so thrilled and scared to even think about himself, wouldn’t it mean something special if, at such a moment, that person thinks of someone else and expresses her feelin
gs for her. Wouldn’t it mean that that person has become more important than his own life?

  He looked up with beads of perspiration trickling down his forehead and declared pointedly, ‘Yes, that’s the moment!’

  Kashish seemed puzzled by Aakash’s announcement. As they waited for their turn, she was amused to see Aakash look even more scared than her!

  As the ride shot up slowly, Aakash tightly clenched his hands around his lock bar. The ride stayed at a height for few seconds before Aakash suddenly felt panic. He felt his seat suddenly give way below him! He closed his eyes in fear.

  As the ride went up again, he felt he had missed his chance. He looked at Kashish and exhaled deeply. On their free fall this time, Kashish heard a few, almost indiscernible, words from Aakash. Failing to interpret what he was trying to say, she asked, ‘What? I can’t hear you.’

  On the third free fall, Aakash screamed at the top of his lungs, and this time Kashish heard him clearly.

  ‘I LOVE YOU, KASHISH…!’

  When the ride finally ended, Aakash heaved a sigh of relief, but Kashish felt as though her head was spinning madly!

  As they walked out, Aakash looked at Kashish and muttered under his breath, ‘I’m sure now you know why I was more scared than you!’

  Kashish didn’t reveal her feelings nor did she mention Aakash’s earnest proposal. They went around the park, enjoying a few other rides. Kashish enjoyed The Rajasaurus Adventure, which took them around a river with dinosaur dummies moving all around. She wasn’t shocked that Aakash had declared his feeling for her, as they both knew it was coming.

  She was rather impressed, in fact, but it was not easy for her to reciprocate spontaneously. They were both just out of college and were yet to make something of their lives. She knew her dad quite well and had absolutely no doubt how this would go down with him.

  And yet, she could not deny that Aakash had become a very important part of her life. Yes, she knew she liked him immensely. The only problem was that she was absolutely clueless about any long-term commitment between them and was, thus, unable to respond.

  Aakash saw Kashish lost deep in her thoughts and thought it better not to distract her. They both remained silent as they entered the tents of the Wrath of the Gods.

  The theme-based attraction, Wrath of the Gods, was more of a livetheatre show, filled with special effects, in which the gods unleashed their powers through the elements of fire, water, and air.

  As a commentator explained the concept to the audience, a sudden crack of lightning and thunder startled Kashish. She involuntarily inched closer to Aakash as a sudden gust of wind blew past them. She looked at him and said, almost to herself, ‘That’s the moment!’

  Aakash felt sparks flying all around him when someone sparked a fire in the background. A jet of water shot past him, wetting his face. He looked at Kashish as she struggled to tuck in her loose hair strands behind her ears. Soaked in this mesmerizing blend of special effects involving fire, water, and wind, he no longer felt the wrath of the gods. Closer to Kashish, he felt he had inched closer to the gods themselves!

  Another flame leapt from a corner and Aakash stepped back. Kashish caught him involuntarily in the nick of time. Every now and then, as jets of water hit them, the two huddled closer. Aakash held Kashish’s hand tightly and was surprised to see her eyes well up. Tears flowed down her cheeks, merging with the water splashed over her face. She wiped her tears and quietly uttered, ‘Sorry, Aakash, this won’t work! I am so sorry…’

  Aakash could not believe his ears; the fantastical world he had created for himself came crashing down in a single moment. The show ended as Aakash was hit by another spurt of water and everyone around him put their hands together and applauded.

  ‘I do like you a lot, Aakash!’ Kashish said as they made themselves comfortable on the upper deck of the Armada Tapas Bar. Located just besides the lagoon, and carved in the shape of an anchored shipwreck, the stylish Spanish bar gave a full view of Imagica from its upper deck.

  Kashish gazed at the lagoon where artificial lotus lamps floated in the water. Aakash looked away in the distance, avoiding eye contact. He stared at Nitro, the roller coaster, as the cable cars turned around in loops. He said to himself, ‘Crazy!’

  After a long pause, Kashish explained her feelings, and Aakash listened to her sullenly. Kashish seemed quite composed now and spoke with quiet clarity.

  ‘And, maybe, yes, it’s veering towards love. I am experiencing something deep that I have never felt for anyone until now. But you know what, Aakash, when you are bonded to someone for life, you tend to accept them the way they are. We all say that we, as kids, should have the freedom to express and the freedom to select, but I can’t expand the very definition of this freedom against the people who have taught me to be free in my life. I won’t say that my parents are orthodox or narrow-minded, but when it comes to handing over their daughter to an unknown person for life, which parent wouldn’t make a big deal out of it, haan? All parents would want that their daughter to begin a new phase of life with as little trouble as possible. We both know that inter-caste marriages take a lot more effort to sail smoothly than those within the same caste and community.’

  Aakash who had been silent till now, said irritatedly, ‘Kashish, you are talking as if inter-caste marriages don’t work at all. I can give you a dozen real-life examples where people are sailing smoothly in such situations. We both have sailed smoothly till this moment, haven’t we? We belong to a generation which considers their parents their friends. Don’t our friends wish well for us when we make important choices?’

  ‘Aakash, it’s not that simple. Every parent thinks differently. Their ideologies are different; and, yes, my parents do not welcome the idea of inter-caste relationships. We have had this discussion before. They are of the firm opinion that when a girl changes her home after marriage, even seemingly insignificant similarities in lifestyle help her in acclimatizing to the new surroundings.’

  Aakash stared at her and said, ‘And what do you think, Kashish?’

  She took time to reply on this. Finally, she said, ‘Aakash, I am in love with you, but I also love my parents deeply. What if you and my parents don’t get along? Given a choice between the two, you know which side I will choose.’

  Aakash said with a heavy heart, ‘I completely understand, Kashish, but we are just out of college. We could hold on to each other and, over the years, with set careers and more clarity, we could inform our parents at the right time. Since we are in love, it’s fair enough to invest this time together.’

  Kashish carefully analysed Aakash’s words before replying, ‘Aakash, my feelings for you are quite strong to hold up in uncertainty. But, what if, even after waiting, your parents or mine don’t accept our relationship? What could be worse than that?’

  Aakash, although feeling cornered, said with a tone of finality, ‘Kashish, I firmly believe that when two people are in love, it is but natural that the desire to spend their life together propels them to find solutions to their problems. We love our parents way too much to play hide-and-seek with them. I suggest you give it a thought and then decide whether you want to take things ahead or not.’

  ‘All right, I will talk to my mom. She is more of a friend and I am sure she will understand. I will also send an email to bhaiyya, since I know he’s the only one who can convince dad.’

  ‘Although you’re trying hard to hold yourself back, you have reciprocated my feelings. Thank you,’ Aakash said – words he hoped would buy them peace for the moment.

  Chapter 5

  ‘WHY IS IT so difficult for these guys to take this decision on their own? They are grown up adults. Why are they so dependent on their parents? Hey, Neel, don’t you feel it’s childish?’

  Uttam, Barkha, and Apeksha had got together at Neel’s place after their exams to discuss their papers. Aakash had some errands to run so he told them he’d join them later in the evening. Even though Aakash wasn’t there, nobody miss
ed him because he, or ‘the boy in love’, was the topic of discussion.

  ‘It’s not that simple, Barkha. We all know how close Aakash is to his parents. You tell me, be it your career choice or other opportunities in life, or, heck, even your mobile phone, haven’t your parents always played a pivotal role in every decision you’ve made up until now?’ Neel said, trying to explain Aakash and Kashish’s point of view.

  Barkha continued with her argument, ‘Well, yes, they definitely are a part of such decisions, Neel. But, ultimately, the final decision and choice is ours.’

  ‘Barkha, that’s true, but don’t you feel happier when their choices coincide with yours? Have you never felt that your inner voice matches theirs? And in cases when your choices are not in sync with theirs, don’t you try your best to convince them?’

  ‘Mamma, I know we are poles apart if you view our ‘match’ in terms of caste and religion, yet I feel I could go a long way with him…’ Kashish tried explaining her feelings to her mom as they took a brisk walk around the society park.

  Catching up with her daughter, she said with a slight heaviness in her voice, ‘For how long have you known Aakash, Kashish? A few weeks? Maybe a few months? Is that time enough to take a decision of a lifetime?’

  ‘I don’t feel Aakash and Kashish are doing the right thing!’ Barkha was determined to continue her argument with Neel over this. ‘Why are they rushing over this decision by informing their parents so early? They could have easily held on to each other for a couple of years before dropping the bomb. In fact, this would have also given them enough time to be sure about where they are headed.’

  Neel smiled and said, ‘Well…this is what we fail to understand. Aakash and I had a long discussion about this last week. Both Aakash and Kashish know very well that this relationship needs to work with their parents’ support and blessings, or else it is doomed.’