Prithvi stands beside a telephone booth, which is exactly opposite to Vivekananda High school. There is this glow in his eyes. Though calm in standing posture, his mind is racing and rehearsing the different ways to initiate the conversation. Bell rings. His train of thought is interrupted.
Now he is steadily looking at the school gate. More and more children with loud foot steps rush out of the gate followed by students in teens. On the other side of the gate are the eagerly awaiting parents, and auto rickshaws with a mission to drive them home safely. All of a sudden, the engines of scooters and auto rickshaws start roaring.
Little later couple of women dressed in sarees walk out the gate. One of the women is in light grey cotton saree. She has a hand-bag and is carrying a medium sized book. The Titan Raga watch with white dial is worn up-side down (back of her wrist) and her right hand fingers still has little traces of white chalk. She is an English teacher taking classes for eighth and ninth graders in the school. She is in her twenties.
Seeing her, Prithvi's gaze now turns into a sharp focus.His phone screen with already searched name "Gayathri" now shows dialing and then connecting...
Realizing her phone being ringing, the women in light grey saree makes hand gestures to the other women, asking her to leave. The former halts herself outside the gate. (connecting...) From her black hand-bag, she pulls out the pouch and then the phone from it. (connecting...) She checks out the caller ID, blushing with smile, picks up the call. (connected.)
"Hello sir"
The voice - "Hi Gayathri"
She turns her head to and fro as if searching for someone and spots Prithvi standing right in front of the school on the other side of the road near the telephone booth. Hanging up the call, she walks towards him carefully amids the little traffic. Prithvi stares, and ponders how she found him. Finally she nears him.
"So the noise of auto rickshaws and scooters revealed that I was here... you are smart." (Gayathri nods her head up and down twice fastly, conveying a yes)
Both start walking and take the first right lane which leads them into a calm road with tall and thick trees.The dusk ensures a beautiful and magical evening for them. Immersed in their conversation they continue to walk, after a while they suddenly realize that they have reached Gayathri's aunt house. The small black gate has a post box hung to it. There are flower pots with red roses and yellow daisies. The path leads to the wooden door with a peacock bird engraved on it. (Gayathri stays with her aunt, and her uncle works as a contractor in Muscat.)
Gayathri presses the calling bell. Her aunt, a middle aged lady opens the door, welcoming both of them inside.
"Aunty do you recognize him…..oh.oh he is Prithvi." (Prithvi and her aunt greet each other with a smile) "would you please give us something to drink." (Aunt goes inside to prepare some hot beverage and mean while both of them sit in a cushion-less sofa.)
Gayathri turning to Prithvi continues "What are your plans engineer?"
"My CAT coaching is scheduled to start from next week in TIME institute, Secunderabad branch. I guess my classes would be held at a school called Sacred Heart High School."
"So engineer wants to become an entrepreneur now"
Prithi remembering something,"Yeah, speaking of entrepreneur, I completely forgot that I have to meet someone today." Prithvi gets up and moving towards the door, "Very sorry Gayathri, I got to move, it is important, but we will meet again soon. Say bye to Aunty. Bye."
"Okay Okay, don't be in such a hurry, go slow, sure we will catch up some other time, Bye"
Prithvi leaves. A moment later, Aunt comes out of the kitchen pushing away the thick yellow screen with a tray of two tea cups. Gayathri looking at her aunty sighs that she didn't remember the tea thing. "I forgot, otherwise I would have asked him to stay back for the tea". Now Gayathri and aunt both sit down to drink the tea served hot in two identical cups with some flowery art on it.
Finally, the shy aunt opens her mouth and says, "Prithvi is handsome and good looking." Gayathri just smiles.Both have a sip of the hot beverage.
Just then, Prithvi entering the room: “Sorry I forgot to have the tea” (He sees that there is no other cup in the tray and understands that his tea is now consumed by Gayathri’s aunt.) "oh!….."
Aunt gulping the hot beverage in her mouth, abruptly says, "Give me couple of minutes beta, I will prepare another cup of hot tea for you."
Stepping backwards to the entrance, Prithvi says, "Please don't bother Aunty, I will have it next time. Okay bye..bye Gayathri."
Prithvi exits.
(Gayathri after a while, laughs at her aunt. Her aunt is with a "tongue-between-teeth" smile, and shies away. Both have a nice laugh together.)
Yummy Get Together
(Gayathri's aunt house)
In the terrace, a square table and six yellow nilkamal plastic chairs are arranged. The chairs are soon occupied by Prithvi, Pawan, Mary and Raghu. All are busy chit chatting.
Gayathri and her aunt bring the food in hot-boxes and other utensils to the table.
The hot-boxes contain chilly chicken, biryani, naan’s and alu masala. These dishes are accompanied with onions,lemons, Maaza and Sprite big bottles.
Pawan seeing the delicious and hot food, leans forward crying out loud, "Wow… wow…wow"
Prithvi pulling and restoring Pawan to his seat responds, "Pawan, hold your horses, have you not seen food before?"
Mary ignoring Pawan's Hungry Games' act: "What’s special Gayathri?"
Everyone are now looking at Gayathri for a bon appetit explanation.
Gayathri reveals, "Today is my aunt's marriage day. So we thought of having a small party."
Greeting aunty best wishes, all jump start to eat. Dishes and hot-boxes get emptied and are so clean that a culinary expert would not recommend the kitchen utensils for a wash. Gayathri and her aunty clean up the place.
Soon all leave and the chairs also get emptied.
Gayathri and her aunt while washing the dishes, discuss:
"Why did you lie? It was not my marriage day."
"Sorry aunty, today was my birthday, I was eagerly awaiting for Prithvi to wish me. Every year, he never forgets to wish me and I thought he would remember it. I shouldn't blame him, he is very busy with his career and studies, entrance tests and getting into IIMs"
Her aunt in a complaining tone,"You could have reminded him, there is nothing wrong in it. I don't understand neither you and nor the current generation."
Gayathri and her aunt retire to their beds. Preparing and cooking so many dishes have made them very tired and the moment they lay on their beds, they were fast asleep.
Clock ticks 10 to 12 o clock.
Suddenly the alarm clock rings.
Both Gayathri and her aunt wake up from sleep shocked, and look at each other.
Gayathri reaching and turning off the alarm, "Aunty did you set the alarm?"
Her aunt gets up from her bed and walking towards the washbasin: "Do you think I am crazy to set a alarm at this time?"
Gayathri,murmuring to herself. "Do I have habit of walking in the sleep. Oh God! Is that true? If so aunt would have noticed it by now and told to me about it. No, no.."
Her aunt walking slowly towards the bed in the dark says, "Some times, I get a feeling that I sleep walk"
Gayathri lying back on her bed: “Aunty, something has happened to me.”
Her aunt now stands besides her bed: “No dear, nothing has happened to you. Here take a look at this.”
Gayathri getting up from her bed, "What is it aunty?", has a look at what her aunt was holding in her hands. They are still in darkness. Her aunt pulls out a box from a plastic cover, it is a box rapped up with a colourful green wrapper with radium designs on it. The gift slowly starts to spread its green light all over the walls of the room and shines.
Gayathri takes the box in her hand and stares at it. Her aunt turns on the light in the bed room.
"Prithvi has given it to me, a month ago. And asked me to give it to you only few minutes before 12 am. That is before your birthday ends."
Gayathri opens up the gift box to find a beautiful maroon cotton saree with gold linings in the border and a greeting card inside the box. She also finds a note. A hand written note and it goes like this...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Many Many Happy Returns of the Day My Dear Gayathri.
This is a special day for you, because you were born on this day.
What I am going to say now may sound little crazy. For me this entire month is special, because it has the day which you were born.
I wanted this present to be given at the end hour of your birthday, just to convey that when you give up your hopes and retire, I will be there for you always to re-initiate your birthday celebrations.
Happy birthday once again.
(Signed Prithvi, Date written under it, which was exactly a month ago)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tears rolls in the eyes of Gayathri.
Her aunt says, "Gayathri, now you will get an SMS."
SMS beep sounds aloud. Gayathri checks her phone.
It reads :)
Gayathri types and replies :*
(Beep sound) Reply from Prithvi, :O
(Beep sound) Little later she again receives :)Good night, Take care :)
The Next Day
Prithvi is about to enter the Time institute for "Data Interpretation" class. Raghu comes and meets him.
"Hey Raghu, what are you doing here?"
Raghu hands over a folded-paper sheet to him. Prithvi unfolds it and reads. (Data Interpretation, unknowingly we do it on a day-to-day basis)
Note:- “Today evening, there is re-party. And you are invited, and please make yourself available before 8 pm. I have intimated the same to Pawan and Mary as well. Don't be late. Eagerly awaiting yours Gayathri.”
Prithvi folding it,"This she could have SMSed me...". Immediately Raghu gives Prithvi another folded-paper sheet.
Prithvi is thrilled, opens it and reads “If you don’t turn up before 8 pm, I will celebrate my birthday at your home with your Dad and Mom. Its up to you to decide”.
Again a party is arranged. Same place, the terrace, table and chairs are assembled, friends arrive. Chit chatting, and eating.
Pawan: "Yesterday was aunty's Marriage Day. What is special today?"
Gayathri: "It is for my birthday, which was actually yesterday."
Mary: "Then you could have celebrated it yesterday along with your aunt’s marriage day celebrations, right?"
Gayathri: "Even I thought of it. But someone said, that not only the day which you are born is important, even the month is."
Every one in a chorus: "Wowwwwww…"
Pawan: (whispering to himself) "Why do this thoughts only come to damn “somebody”. Why not me?"
Pawan turning up to Mary: "Mary, Wish you a very happy birthday."
Mary: "Today is not my birthday, it was in last month?"
Pawan (clearing his throat as to say something very important): "I say”not only the day which you are born is special, not only the month, but the whole year is”
All burst out laughing.
Amidst the laughter, there are these cupid eyes of Prithvi and Gayathri blinking in silent conversations.
In Conversation :) .. Continues...
Now he is steadily looking at the school gate. More and more children with loud foot steps rush out of the gate followed by students in teens. On the other side of the gate are the eagerly awaiting parents, and auto rickshaws with a mission to drive them home safely. All of a sudden, the engines of scooters and auto rickshaws start roaring.
Little later couple of women dressed in sarees walk out the gate. One of the women is in light grey cotton saree. She has a hand-bag and is carrying a medium sized book. The Titan Raga watch with white dial is worn up-side down (back of her wrist) and her right hand fingers still has little traces of white chalk. She is an English teacher taking classes for eighth and ninth graders in the school. She is in her twenties.
Seeing her, Prithvi's gaze now turns into a sharp focus.His phone screen with already searched name "Gayathri" now shows dialing and then connecting...
Realizing her phone being ringing, the women in light grey saree makes hand gestures to the other women, asking her to leave. The former halts herself outside the gate. (connecting...) From her black hand-bag, she pulls out the pouch and then the phone from it. (connecting...) She checks out the caller ID, blushing with smile, picks up the call. (connected.)
"Hello sir"
The voice - "Hi Gayathri"
She turns her head to and fro as if searching for someone and spots Prithvi standing right in front of the school on the other side of the road near the telephone booth. Hanging up the call, she walks towards him carefully amids the little traffic. Prithvi stares, and ponders how she found him. Finally she nears him.
"So the noise of auto rickshaws and scooters revealed that I was here... you are smart." (Gayathri nods her head up and down twice fastly, conveying a yes)
Both start walking and take the first right lane which leads them into a calm road with tall and thick trees.The dusk ensures a beautiful and magical evening for them. Immersed in their conversation they continue to walk, after a while they suddenly realize that they have reached Gayathri's aunt house. The small black gate has a post box hung to it. There are flower pots with red roses and yellow daisies. The path leads to the wooden door with a peacock bird engraved on it. (Gayathri stays with her aunt, and her uncle works as a contractor in Muscat.)
Gayathri presses the calling bell. Her aunt, a middle aged lady opens the door, welcoming both of them inside.
"Aunty do you recognize him…..oh.oh he is Prithvi." (Prithvi and her aunt greet each other with a smile) "would you please give us something to drink." (Aunt goes inside to prepare some hot beverage and mean while both of them sit in a cushion-less sofa.)
Gayathri turning to Prithvi continues "What are your plans engineer?"
"My CAT coaching is scheduled to start from next week in TIME institute, Secunderabad branch. I guess my classes would be held at a school called Sacred Heart High School."
"So engineer wants to become an entrepreneur now"
Prithi remembering something,"Yeah, speaking of entrepreneur, I completely forgot that I have to meet someone today." Prithvi gets up and moving towards the door, "Very sorry Gayathri, I got to move, it is important, but we will meet again soon. Say bye to Aunty. Bye."
"Okay Okay, don't be in such a hurry, go slow, sure we will catch up some other time, Bye"
Prithvi leaves. A moment later, Aunt comes out of the kitchen pushing away the thick yellow screen with a tray of two tea cups. Gayathri looking at her aunty sighs that she didn't remember the tea thing. "I forgot, otherwise I would have asked him to stay back for the tea". Now Gayathri and aunt both sit down to drink the tea served hot in two identical cups with some flowery art on it.
Finally, the shy aunt opens her mouth and says, "Prithvi is handsome and good looking." Gayathri just smiles.Both have a sip of the hot beverage.
Just then, Prithvi entering the room: “Sorry I forgot to have the tea” (He sees that there is no other cup in the tray and understands that his tea is now consumed by Gayathri’s aunt.) "oh!….."
Aunt gulping the hot beverage in her mouth, abruptly says, "Give me couple of minutes beta, I will prepare another cup of hot tea for you."
Stepping backwards to the entrance, Prithvi says, "Please don't bother Aunty, I will have it next time. Okay bye..bye Gayathri."
Prithvi exits.
(Gayathri after a while, laughs at her aunt. Her aunt is with a "tongue-between-teeth" smile, and shies away. Both have a nice laugh together.)
Yummy Get Together
(Gayathri's aunt house)
In the terrace, a square table and six yellow nilkamal plastic chairs are arranged. The chairs are soon occupied by Prithvi, Pawan, Mary and Raghu. All are busy chit chatting.
Gayathri and her aunt bring the food in hot-boxes and other utensils to the table.
The hot-boxes contain chilly chicken, biryani, naan’s and alu masala. These dishes are accompanied with onions,lemons, Maaza and Sprite big bottles.
Pawan seeing the delicious and hot food, leans forward crying out loud, "Wow… wow…wow"
Prithvi pulling and restoring Pawan to his seat responds, "Pawan, hold your horses, have you not seen food before?"
Mary ignoring Pawan's Hungry Games' act: "What’s special Gayathri?"
Everyone are now looking at Gayathri for a bon appetit explanation.
Gayathri reveals, "Today is my aunt's marriage day. So we thought of having a small party."
Greeting aunty best wishes, all jump start to eat. Dishes and hot-boxes get emptied and are so clean that a culinary expert would not recommend the kitchen utensils for a wash. Gayathri and her aunty clean up the place.
Soon all leave and the chairs also get emptied.
Gayathri and her aunt while washing the dishes, discuss:
"Why did you lie? It was not my marriage day."
"Sorry aunty, today was my birthday, I was eagerly awaiting for Prithvi to wish me. Every year, he never forgets to wish me and I thought he would remember it. I shouldn't blame him, he is very busy with his career and studies, entrance tests and getting into IIMs"
Her aunt in a complaining tone,"You could have reminded him, there is nothing wrong in it. I don't understand neither you and nor the current generation."
Gayathri and her aunt retire to their beds. Preparing and cooking so many dishes have made them very tired and the moment they lay on their beds, they were fast asleep.
Clock ticks 10 to 12 o clock.
Suddenly the alarm clock rings.
Both Gayathri and her aunt wake up from sleep shocked, and look at each other.
Gayathri reaching and turning off the alarm, "Aunty did you set the alarm?"
Her aunt gets up from her bed and walking towards the washbasin: "Do you think I am crazy to set a alarm at this time?"
Gayathri,murmuring to herself. "Do I have habit of walking in the sleep. Oh God! Is that true? If so aunt would have noticed it by now and told to me about it. No, no.."
Her aunt walking slowly towards the bed in the dark says, "Some times, I get a feeling that I sleep walk"
Gayathri lying back on her bed: “Aunty, something has happened to me.”
Her aunt now stands besides her bed: “No dear, nothing has happened to you. Here take a look at this.”
Gayathri getting up from her bed, "What is it aunty?", has a look at what her aunt was holding in her hands. They are still in darkness. Her aunt pulls out a box from a plastic cover, it is a box rapped up with a colourful green wrapper with radium designs on it. The gift slowly starts to spread its green light all over the walls of the room and shines.
Gayathri takes the box in her hand and stares at it. Her aunt turns on the light in the bed room.
"Prithvi has given it to me, a month ago. And asked me to give it to you only few minutes before 12 am. That is before your birthday ends."
Gayathri opens up the gift box to find a beautiful maroon cotton saree with gold linings in the border and a greeting card inside the box. She also finds a note. A hand written note and it goes like this...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Many Many Happy Returns of the Day My Dear Gayathri.
This is a special day for you, because you were born on this day.
What I am going to say now may sound little crazy. For me this entire month is special, because it has the day which you were born.
I wanted this present to be given at the end hour of your birthday, just to convey that when you give up your hopes and retire, I will be there for you always to re-initiate your birthday celebrations.
Happy birthday once again.
(Signed Prithvi, Date written under it, which was exactly a month ago)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tears rolls in the eyes of Gayathri.
Her aunt says, "Gayathri, now you will get an SMS."
SMS beep sounds aloud. Gayathri checks her phone.
It reads :)
Gayathri types and replies :*
(Beep sound) Reply from Prithvi, :O
(Beep sound) Little later she again receives :)Good night, Take care :)
The Next Day
Prithvi is about to enter the Time institute for "Data Interpretation" class. Raghu comes and meets him.
"Hey Raghu, what are you doing here?"
Raghu hands over a folded-paper sheet to him. Prithvi unfolds it and reads. (Data Interpretation, unknowingly we do it on a day-to-day basis)
Note:- “Today evening, there is re-party. And you are invited, and please make yourself available before 8 pm. I have intimated the same to Pawan and Mary as well. Don't be late. Eagerly awaiting yours Gayathri.”
Prithvi folding it,"This she could have SMSed me...". Immediately Raghu gives Prithvi another folded-paper sheet.
Prithvi is thrilled, opens it and reads “If you don’t turn up before 8 pm, I will celebrate my birthday at your home with your Dad and Mom. Its up to you to decide”.
Again a party is arranged. Same place, the terrace, table and chairs are assembled, friends arrive. Chit chatting, and eating.
Pawan: "Yesterday was aunty's Marriage Day. What is special today?"
Gayathri: "It is for my birthday, which was actually yesterday."
Mary: "Then you could have celebrated it yesterday along with your aunt’s marriage day celebrations, right?"
Gayathri: "Even I thought of it. But someone said, that not only the day which you are born is important, even the month is."
Every one in a chorus: "Wowwwwww…"
Pawan: (whispering to himself) "Why do this thoughts only come to damn “somebody”. Why not me?"
Pawan turning up to Mary: "Mary, Wish you a very happy birthday."
Mary: "Today is not my birthday, it was in last month?"
Pawan (clearing his throat as to say something very important): "I say”not only the day which you are born is special, not only the month, but the whole year is”
All burst out laughing.
Amidst the laughter, there are these cupid eyes of Prithvi and Gayathri blinking in silent conversations.
In Conversation :) .. Continues...
