Chapter 14

There was a look of apprehension and look of conviction in his face.

“I am trying to learn 100 words a day. Still when I try the vocabulary section in Barrens’ GMAT guide I feel that I am nowhere” Arjun was venting his frustration.

“Like you said you started with a disadvantage; but you have the grit and the patience. You will manage” Joshi repeated. He knew, Arjun was looking for re-assurance.

Arjun got up and moved towards the other end of the terrace. He lit a cigarette and stood there staring for into the sky. He was deep in thoughts and had a serious look in his face.

The others remained back where they were. There was a deep silence. Everybody was looking ahead wondering what future holds for them. Chandy got up and walked towards the flower pots that were stacked near the ledge. There were many rose flowers blooming. He bent down to smell one of them.

 “My God guys we have been having too much discussion on studies and career. Now let us share some stories. Arjun, come here. Don’t be moody. You, as I have predicted, will crack it. Don’t let your confidence to drop. Tell us what is happening between you and Rohini. In the last two weekends both of you have been coming early for the Jaycee meetings.” Joshi tried to change the subject.

“Arrey Arjun, you have not shared the stories with us” Chandy poured one more drink to Arjun’s glass

“Chandy you have been making all of us drunk by pouring peg after peg. Fill your glass” Joshi shouted and he took Chandy’s glass and poured a stiff drink

“There is nothing much between Rohini and I. Ashok Kumar Rohini’s cousin told me that she is keen to get to know me. So I decided to meet her.”

“Yet another adventure for Arjun” Chandy said laughingly

“Which is the other adventure Arjun? Joshi asked

“Oh when we just finished engineering and was waiting for results, I met Anu at a party. She was so beautiful and with her short hair, she looked like Princess Diana. All guys were after her and were trying to get an ifntro. I also got introduced. There was something like a spark when we talked. “ Arjun was narrating the story

“Look what this bastard Chandy is doing” Joshi laughed

“He can’t stand his drink and he is quietly spilling it down. Now the cat is drinking it. Soon  the cat will  drunk” Joshi was freaking out.

Chandy was red in his face.

“Come on guys let us here Arjun’s story” Chandy tried to change subject

“Any way we met again when I went for the Malhar festival. I did not expect that she will be keen on me. But surprise, she came to where I was standing and started talking to me. Man I was in the seventh heaven.  After that we used to talk to each other on phone on and off. Oh it was a pain to get her on the line. She used to stay with her aunty as her mother was working abroad and father had passed away. But I used to call up and talk in girl’s voice and get her on line. But she could talk only if there was nobody in the phone room.”

“Then what happened? Macha story is exciting” Joshi was all entrenched in the story

“We met couple of times out for date, Once we even went out on a date on my bike"

“Did anything else happen” Joshi asked with a snigger

“You only have one thing in your mind.” Arjun said laughingly “Nothing else happened”

“After we took up this job with Tridevput Automobiles and moved over, we never got much chance to meet up. I tried calling her couple of times. She did not take the call. Then I sent her a Christmas card with an innocuous message. Even if the card fell in the hands of her family, they would not have suspected anything. It was just a Christmas wish from one of her old class mates. But it had the message that she could have figured out No reply. I met her again at the rock show. She just looked through me. Then I did not bother. If she things she is too hot let her go to hell. Then I heard that she got married to a fellow settled in UK. It hurt me a bit. Then that is life”

“Oh how sad. Now you have started seeing this Rohini. Where is it going?”

“Who knows where it is going. Let it go forward. At the least I have a friend.”

“Maybe  the Doon School girl has hots for you” Joshi was again being naughty

“Don’t pre-judge anything. As of now we find each other interesting”

“Joshi now it is your turn to tell us stories” Chandy was egging Joshi

“I met Rani Joseph when I had just finished junior college and joined for my engineering degree. She is niece of my cousin’s husband. Her parents were in US and she came to Tridevpur to do her junior college. She and my cousin Vinita were class mates and hostel mates. On and off she used to come home for weekends as we were the local guardians. Rani appeared a very snooty girl. Especially with her convent school background she used to have an attitude.  One day we were at home and we were sharing our stories. She was commenting about the affair that one of her friends was having. She referred to that girl as a fool”

“Then I told her that it is natural that at this age to feel fancy for the opposite sex. She said that it won’t happen to her. I challenged her and told her that if the right fellow comes, she will also fall. Initially I thought I will introduce her to one of our friends. Then I decided to flirt with her.”

“That was too much.” Chandy commented

“I wooed her for quite some time. Then I realised that she started to have feeling for me. Then one day we had a frank talk. To be honest, I also started to like her more But I did not want to get fixed up at 18. So we decided to let it pass”

“Oh what a tragedy” Arjun commented

“Just after we joined Tridevpur Auto, her brother came and met me. She had sent a letter through him. It said ‘ now that we are old enough are you ready’. Oh man I was shocked. I liked the girl. But I was not ready to marry and settle down. I wanted to study further. I send a letter through her brother explaining my plans. Next time when I went to her town, I met her and we went out for a coffee. I liked her and she knew it. But my passion to study further and see the world was more overpowering. I knew that if  I get married then, I will end up being bitter in future and end up having a screwed up family life. She understood where I came from. We know that though we liked each other so much our priorities in life were completely out of synch. So we made the sensible decision. We decided to part ways”