March’
2004,
GCP, Nassau County, NY.
“Hello! Do you love me?” She asked, “Tell me my beau, do you love me anymore?”
“Kalki, is this a time to ask me a question of this sort,” Aryan tried to shift the gears, “I am not gonna answer any question that pulls me out from my ease”
“Okay handsome, I am not gonna make any more enquiries about our love. Oops! My love. I guess you have signed a resignation few months ago, didn’t you?” She questioned, “Oops! I am sorry. You know what, never mind. You don’t have to answer it, “she said and counted, “30 secs more… stay with me”
“I know, we have been doing every year,” Aryan said, “20 secs, I am excited for no reasons, why do I feel it this way, every single time”
“Psychological honey,” She replied in short, “10 more secs” she began counting down aloud.
“9…8….7….” now they both uttered in cadence, “3…2…1…”
“Happy Birthday Love, many happy returns of the day,” She kissed him, “I might not be your woman but I love you and I always will. My only wish is to see you back where you belonged as a child. You are a man with intelligence, you are man with innate potential. Promise me you will show it to the world” He could not paint any words. He stood in absolute silence. His heart moved and asked him to kiss her back, he was lost in his thoughts. He couldn’t decide if he had to make the revelation on his feelings. He thought… for a few seconds… and for a few more minutes… he ceased on his notions to come up with a way out but only the tears rolled down his eyes. He exerted himself to be in reticence, and he remained absolutely unspeaking.
“Are you there?” She checked on him but she knew that he was hanging on the call and listening to her, “you don’t have to think too much on telling me how you feel about this. I don’t expect you to kiss me back either but I can just hope, that way it doesn’t hurt, does it? Fingers crossed. I feel you are lost in your thoughts; you don’t have to. You did it all the time Idiot. You did all… the… time…, don’t you know that I would sense your state of mind without you telling it to me? Reciprocate love. I am dying to hear your voice”
He composed himself and cleared his bunged throat, “We swapped the courtesy with a kiss because you never liked the words thank you being exchanged between us but… “
“Aryan, as I said. I could just hope. I understand you don’t want to do it, you made it plain already,” she scoffed, “if you were intended at first, you would have done it by now”
“You do understand me very well,” Aryan said but this time he chuckled, “sometimes you could still be wise by giving me that opportunity to complete my expressions because you never know what you might miss”
“What do …,” before she completed her ask, she heard the peck. Aryan smacked and continued, “… but if the perceptions and feelings between us are still the same then I wouldn’t let them die until the end of time. They will live, no matter what” he said and kissed her again.
Silence prevailed between them. Abruptly there was a knock on the door, “Just a sec” he said on the phone and swirled back.
“Happy birthday Son” Rekha arrived in his room, “Oh cutie pie, many happy returns of the day,” Shalini greeted. Aryan wetted eyes conveyed both the woman that he was engaged in a call with Kalki “will come back later, take your time,” Rekha said and started walking towards the entryway.
“Aryan, we can talk later,” Kalki said momentarily, “you owe your time to your mother as much as you owe it to yourself or any other. She is the one who brought you into this world. I am gonna hang up on you, will catch up a while later. Love you” she said.
“I will see that she gets the best of her son’s time, and I promise for the very first thing you’ve asked me on the call today” He said.
“You are an Idiot,” she chuckled, “You never wanted to leave a trace unanswered, don’t you? Now you may have to go, see you” She said and hung up the call.
Aryan mildly hit his pate with the phone, Crazy girl he thought and left to Rekha’s place.
“Mama,” He called out loud, “Mama, are you there? Where are you?”. “Aryan, we were expecting that you would be hanging in the call for a little longer. Sit down she is gone to use the loo” Shalini said.
“It’s Kalki, she insisted me to spend time with you guys,” He said. “How sweet of her,” Shalu adored her courteousness and then Rekha arrived into the hall. “Look at you! Boy, you look like a man, not a teen anymore, happy for you” Rekha expressed her feelings.
It didn’t matter to them for how long had they been awake. They continued to talk till the late dawn. As soon as Aryan took the charge over the start-up, a week later he bought a house for his family. Malcolm and Justin could have well supported him financially but he chose to live by the advice of his mother, live by your stance. He made an effort with the racing car at the university and that drastically paid him off.
“Are you friends going to pay a visit today,” Rekha asked, “we got to prepare ourselves well for a nice welcome to our guests”
“Oh yeah. They were supposed to come but Justin is not going to make it today,” Aryan conveyed, “He’s got an important meeting whole day at the JAPMI”
“Who’s Justin,” Shalini asked Rekha. “He has been the head of R&D dept. at JAPMI since a long time now, it never occurred to me that you had no idea of this person” Rekha cleared her, “He is from the ivy league. An absolute savvy bloke” Aryan added.
“May be I should meet with him, I admire intelligent people,” Shalini said.
“Smart people do get along with each other very well, isn’t it?” Aryan tried mocking Shalini by talking it out with Rekha. “Uh-huh, you mean both of us,” Shalini winked playing her card.
Aryan abruptly got struck by a thought. Although he tried to talk it out with them but he decided to hold it back. He was not sure of the possible outcomes of his intuitions. They finally went to bed in the early mornings.
Same day at 21:00 hrs…
“Hey buddy, I read your message just before,” Justin said, “couldn’t attend it in the day time, was busy with the meets”
“Yeah Justin, I am aware,”
“So what is it, anything new has come up?” he asked. “Yes but it is sort of more on personal grounds,” Aryan hesitated for the very first time ever since his meet with Justin. “Interesting, shoot it,” Justin responded.
Aryan and Justin spoke for half hour. Well Justin will leave to the city center and I will head my way back to the Mid-town Manhattan Aryan thought and went for a good night sleep.
Power and Pelf 