STORY TIME…
“ it’s a father- son thing! You better go and sleep…”, Joseph tried convincing. Usually in all the families a major secret will exist between a father and son clearly protecting it from mom. This family is also an example of it.
“I wanna’ know! What is happening? Am noticing you nowadays. You both are discussing something every night. I wanna’ know it now! And you… how is he studying well all of a sudden. Tell me now”, she smashed at Joseph.
Joseph could see his Mithra of college times. Through all these years, he had never raised her voice and now he did not want to ignore her.
“I’ll tell, you! Come here my love”, Joseph agreed. He continued, “ you might think that, I am not fit to be his father but I had no other go. He agreed whatever happened and he said, “ I promised him that if he gets through his exams, I would help him in his love!”, he mumbled.
“what? Love? Very well! What’s your age? You have not even crossed your school and you have this shit. And you an example of fatherhood”, she kept on scolding.
“you too had love, mom!”, Satheesh countered.
“calm down, it’s not your business”, Joseph replied.
“look me darling! It’s just an infatuation. You have a lot to see. It’ll be nice by now but you’ll suffer. Concentrate on your studies. We’ll see to it after that”, she concluded.
“appa!”, he dragged.
“ wait… I’ll try”, Joseph convinced him.
“Mithra! We made love at your age of ‘19’. Our son not so younger than you at that time. You had choice of love in your life and we are here now. Am with him, he’ll never be misled. He is our son Mithra! he’ll never do anything out of our control”, he explained.
“ do something! You are ruining him”, she left saying. She was not convinced.
“why is she so adamant dad! You are explaining her through this time but she isn’t understanding”, he scolded her.
“ stop it, man. Never curse her anymore. Today we are a respectable family, it’s all only because of her. You know something she knows what love is and what it’ll will yield. Have you seen your grandparents”, he stopped.
“I’ve seen them dad! They are Brahmins right?”, Satheesh asked.
“they are no more! It’s all because of me! That’s why she’s very much worried that you would end up leaving us!”, Joseph wiped his tears.
“sorry, dad…”, he stammered again.
“ I know. Idea Right? I’ll tell you. You have to…”, he continued. Satheesh was really curious to know what had happened. He wanted to get to their love story. He intervened in the middle.
“dad! Enough of all the ideas! I wanna’ know what had happened. Was it full of enjoyments. Where did you see her first?”, he kept on asking.
Initially he refused and finally he accepted to narrate. Satheesh was ready for his bedtime story. Narrating our love story to our loved ones is a bowl of happiness for people and Joseph was one of it. Making ourselves heroic in our story and our love with lots of beauty. Most of the time it’s all about a love failure but it is also an unforgettable memory to be shared. Everytime we say it we get back to those happiest times of life where we wish to be forever with them atleast in their memories. Joseph did the same and he started…
“1995 batch; Madras Christian College, Physics department, final year, Senior JOE! Yeah! That’s me. Am from a well versed Roman Catholic family. We were quite rich. My father was a lawyer making money out of sins and I spent it without any hesitations. My mother was a house wife, she would sing well! It’s been years I have seen them. Am missing them so much coming over here. I had double times my father’s attitude. I did whatever I felt, I had my lawyer ready! Inspite of all this I had my own control. I did everything only for fun and nothing else. I had no bad habits as of my gang. We had a separate gang and of course, nobody feared anything. We rag our juniors and it was real fun but we’ll never force them. Girls of our college would love to be ragged by us. We were such a sweet boys of all times.
Obviously, talking about girls, they loved another thing I had, that’s nothing but my bike! Yep! I had a Black Vincent Shadow bike, the royal ones of all times. You people would have not even seen it running behind Enfields and Dukes…girls would love me riding in it and they actually fell for me. Everything was so great and my life of fun completely turned into a piece of love when she entered. She is none other than your mom….my Mithra! my love!”, he was smiling. By the time Satheesh had slept.
“you tasteless coward!’, Joseph hit him and made him comfortable in his bed. He left the room looking at his face and now he had a lot of memories to remember. He entered his room. He saw Mithra lying in his bed so calm and composed. He looked at her with lots of love and remembered whatever happened!
“am something useful now! And that’s only because of you! You found me. You made me and here we are!’, he kissed her on her forehead with a smile and switched off the light...

HOLA SENIOR!
“ma! How do you make these dishes ma. They are so tasty…”, Satheesh dragged.
“ what do you want now? Why are do you come around me?”
“mom! Tell me! Where did you see him first? Were you in love with him at the first sight? What did you senior Joe said….”, he was asking with lots of interest.
“your dad had confessed this too! Fine, I’ll tell you..”, she started.
“am a very small girl really interested in physics. I had no hostel experience and all and I was bit nervous. I had a seat in MCC out of interest opposing my parents. Of course, am a Brahmin and I had lots of restrictions. I had to do something to get out of that circle. Yup! Mithra, first yr, Physics department. I had a very warm welcome and it was very easy for me to make friends over there. I had to do something out of curricular activities. I really enjoyed the change over in my life.
One fine day, I heard it from a random guy about Mr. handsome….Senior Joe. All my friends were crazy about your dad and I didn’t know him. I was not so interested and I knew that they’ll kill me in my family for all these stuff. Everything was fine and suddenly a day there was a breakdown. I use to go to my hostel in government buses. On that day, all my friends had other plans and I was alone at that time. People started walking towards the bus stop and I too had no other go. I was walking with lots of hatred. Suddenly I heard some random sound of a bike and I really guessed that it would be bachelor riding his bike alone ( of course, the bike sound is enough for girls to judge the rider. They would know everything but they hardly express).
I had no other go and of course, I had to spend some more for another bus. To make so simple with a thank you, I extended my hand for a lift. Actually I liked his bike more than anything and I had no excuses. He was a young man, wearing broad disco glasses, bellbottom pants and he had a small beard and a small mustache. All my friends would like guys with lot of beard but that guy was really cute! I had no love an’ all! He had the luck of picking me up! And I had no doubt in it…
I extended my hand asking for a lift and he stopped. That is where all of it started.
“lift! Lift!...”, I pleased.
“yeah! Come on!”,he said. He was very silent and a bit reserved. Of course, am talkative. I started!
“thank you, for the lift”
No reply
“nice bike man!”, I patted his shoulders.
No reply
“ do you study here?”, I continued.
“yes!”, he nodded”, It was a long distance and he did not even ask me where he should drop me! Such a dumb, he was.
“well, you are a day scholar. Am a hosteller. I wanna’ know something. Who’s this Joseph? Do you know him? Girls are crazy about him! Does he match me at any point? Lots of rumours, man! Oh Senior! Good morning Senior!”, I started laughing out of shit.
No reply again…
“if husband stay as you are now, there’ll be no problem at all!”, I teased him too. I was talking throughout the travel but he hardly replied. He hardly said yes or no and smiled at certain places. I saw it in the mirror. I knew that he was listening to me and I like his silence too! However we reached the hostel.
He finally opened his mouth, “ he is no match to you and you know something, you are awesome Ms…..”, he dragged.
“Mithra”, I replied instantly.
“Mithra!”, he repeated.
“I really like you, man! What’s your name?”, I started blushing. He did not wait and he left before I finished.
“bye!”, I waved alone…I really liked him.
The next day, I entered the class and there was a scream. Girls were hugging me and they were very happy for me.
“congrats! You’ve made it but you are a liar!”, they were shouting around. I could not understand what was happening. I had to clear them,
“easy…easy! There’s nothing like that. He’s just a random guy studying in our college. He just gave a lift and that’s it.
“do you know, who he is?”, your Prema mam asked me. Yeah! She was my classmate.
“I know him! He may be our senior but he was so sweet. He never showed up all his seniority…”, I was continuing.
“idiot! He’s Joseph! Senior Joseph! The dreamboy ; all our girls are eloping around him. He’s that!”, she finished. I was motionless for a moment.
“what? Is it Joe?”, I started screaming with the other girls. I rushed to the restroom.
“what have you done? Idiot! He haven’t even showed up who he is. You have tortured him throughout the time. He was silent. Oh! He was cute! I like him…no, no, I love him! No, not at all, he would never accept me, what should you do now?”, I started blabbering.
“ok, fine! Go apologize him”, I came to a conclusion. I came out and attended my classes. After all the classes, I decided to see him. I was going to the stairs where he would always be there with his friends. You physics sir! That dumb head! He was driving a bike in air and I stood at the queue voluntarily.

“hey! Come here”, one of his friends called. Am finished by then. I went straight to your dad.
“good morning Senior!”, I was stammering.
“morning?”, he smiled. Then…”
“oh! I’ve forgotten the cooker”, she went into the kitchen stopping the story out of nothing.
“mom! This is not fair!”, Satheesh was pleasing.
“I’ll continue it later. Go study for some time”, she finished and started cooking. He was not convinced. He hardly entered into his room thinking of what could have happened! Good morning senior…

WHATEVER IT TAKES; TIME DOESN’T WAIT!
Days passed and they were the students of twelfth standard now. These twelfth standard students had to protect their school’s reputation and all our parents believe it. People here judge a school by its public results and the schools do the same. In this race for marks, we don’t find time for our life education. It’s been all through these years and nothing changed. People part their children far from them thinking that they are gonna’ give their children a very great future. Dumping into those jails makes children weird. They misunderstand the real beauty of hostels. They really hate it.
Handling students with lots of stress is a big deal and all of us don’t even care that. We irritate them asking them shit and threatening them by cursing their future. They are mere kids, man. Think of those days where you would have cared them so much; you would have held them in your hands; you would have carried them on your shoulders. Never dump them with your hatred and we are civilized enough to make them deserve their future following their passion.
Coming over here, Satheesh had made so close with her and they were like besties. They shared everything even their feelings. They were together at all their free times and often they had get together with all their friends. Of course, they had their Whatsapp chats over time. On the other side our Guru’s crush have become his love! Yup, it’s Nisha!
“ honey! I’ve to say something”, he started. This time it was Guru.
“honey? Stop making all these mess! Let’s move”, Nisha tried leaving.
“Nisha! Please. Let him speak atleast, now”, Satheesh supported him.
Guru continued, “ all these days, we’ve been together. Everytime I curse myself for imagining such a relationship with you but this time I have to open up! Nisha! Let’s get married. I have nothing to say because you know me better than I do. Of course, am an orphan but whenever you are beside me I feel to be more comfortable and I see myself in you. Of course, my parents take atmost care of me but I need someone for me and myself alone. I have all of you now but I need you throughout my life”, by the time he had tears in his eyes.
“I love you, Guru!”, Nila felt so bad about him.
“I know, but you have taken these many months to propose me”, Nisha laughed. Both had their hands held.
“really happy for you, man!”, by the time Satheesh finished Nisha kissed Guru and there was a shock all around. Satheesh looked at Nila immediately and as usual she turned and she never concerned.
“all the best, man! You have what you wanted. Take care of her and never leave her at any cause”, he advised.
“ok, senior!”, Guru mocked. All the four left the canteen happily except Satheesh. he expected Nila to understand him but she never had. Mostly all these girls will people but they’ll never express messing up with their feelings everytime. They’ll never move away knowing our intentions and they’ll stay as they are. Boys are really expressive. Of course, they express and expect. Most of the cases are shits of irritations. They’ll never leave them hurting themselves thinking that they are not hurting their loved ones.
As it was a public category, they had to study everytime. With lots of love, Guru and Nisha were really a good pair. They were happy together at school and all the five never gave up their studies. All of them now had something to do in their future and they had enough confidence to take up their exams.
As everything was very smooth, Joseph and Mithra were really happy about their son. One day he was really tired in his room. Joseph thought of refreshing him. He entered his room.
“dad! What happened that day?”, Satheesh wished to continue the story.
“ok! Let’s make you cool!”, Joseph started.
“that day, your talkative mom was really silent. She was like “Goodmorning Senior”, I knew she would be know me soon but I did not expect this. My friends started teasing her…
“lift! Lift! Come on lift her man!”, they laughed.
“sorry senior! I didn’t know it was you”, she confessed.
“what would have you done if you had known?”, I raised my voice.
“I would have respected you!”, she murmured. I looked at your Physics master. He was the director for our love! He was like “action!” and there was my entry in my bike and there we recreated it. I thought that your mom would be scared but something else happened.
“lift! Lift…Senior!”, she was into it.
“come on sweetheart”, I said looking into her eyes. I was just planning to tease her and leave her after sometime. But something else happened. She jumped up onto my bike like she was announcing that only she has the right for that seat. I could clearly feel that she is obviously interested in me. I accelerated my bike and we had that day to be more memorable. We were really close and I was expecting her to propose me. She never did that. I think she would have expected that from me.
College days were like heaven. We roamed all around and there were no one to question us. Everything went well. We had lots of hours in our food court. Hours were like minutes. I reached my college everyday atleast to see her and spend time with her as you do nowadays!
One day her parents came there. It was just a formal visit. She was not up for the whole day. I knew that she did not do it wontedly but I missed her terribly. I could not resist me. However I followed her although she was with her parents. They were really orthodox and strict, man. They had a pride for their activities in their town. I knew that she would have really missed me.
I wanted to use that. Of course, it’s a part of tricks but I had no other go to make her feel what I feel. I would have proposed her and I had my own attitude. The next day I did not go to college and I did it wantedly”, Joseph was narrating…
“you guys have started again! See what’s the time. It’s already 12. Please let him sleep, Joe”, she pulled him out of the room.
“dad! Why did you do that? Tell me dad!”, Satheesh was shouting, but his mother switched off the light. Usually all the moms use to do this. They’ll interrupt us suddenly at the peak moments and only god knows where do they come from. My mom use to interrupt me when am watching web series. She would drag me out of the room for the food( LA CASA DE PAPEL things…). He had nothing else to do but just to sleep…

TO BE CONTINUED...


© arvind