SHORT STORIES

What Women Actually Want? – By Anupama Chimalgi

(A sweet love story based on true life incidences!)

What women actually want is to get married as early as possible and get settled in some foreign country. What do you think most of the women would actually do after their marriage? Just be a typical housewife and try out some new recipes which they share with each other and watch some TV and wait for their husbands to come back home to tell them what they did whole day. But I had a different opinion. I had no interest in getting married early to some guy who is staying in US or UK. But as usual right after my engineering, my parents started seeing suitable guy for me so that they can get me married and feel relaxed. I was showed to 2 guys and was rejected as I didn’t match their expectations and both were settled in US. Good for me. I didn’t want that anyways. Few months passed by and my parents didn’t show any interest in seeing guys for me. I was happy. Meanwhile I was working in some software company. I used to dream that I would get married to some guy whom I like and who would love me. So I waited for the right guy and right time. After couple of months, I found one guy who was sitting close by to my cubicle used to stare at me all the time, may be expecting for a smile. I used to get annoyed and turn away my face. I could sense that that guy used to constantly watch whatever I am doing. I didn’t get the slightest clue. Finally I started a conversation with a guy who used to take the same office bus who was also that weird guy’s friend. I started talking to my new friend daily whenever he came in the bus. I used to ping him in messenger whenever I got free. In the background his friend tried to get information from him about me. They had kept a nickname for me as “Shorty”. But my sweet friend never let any information about me. Few days passed by and I had to go to Mumbai for a month from my project. I think I told this to my friend as well. I used to ping him when I was in Mumbai. After few days I just asked him about his weird friend. (One secret, that guy was really cute to look though he used to stare at me). My friend thought it was some good news so he had already called him to his desk to read my message. Within few minutes that guy pinged me a “Hi”. I was taken aback to see his message. I just replied back with a decent “Hello”. He thought it was a positive sign from me. We just introduced ourselves to each other and I didn’t know what else to chat. The first question that came on my mind was to ask him what he speaks and what caste he is. He replied saying he is a Lingayat. Even he asked me my caste. I replied “I am a Madhava Brahmin”. Then he asked me “Do you have anything in mind?” For that I gave him a tacky reply as “Until now I didn’t have but may be I might have in future”. He thought it was a green sign from me now. Whole day we pinged each other and enquired about our family background (like as if something would actually happen between us). He took down my mobile number and said he would call me in the night. I was ok for that. After work I came to the hotel where I was staying and was having my dinner. Then my phone rang and I saw an unidentified number and guessed it must be his as I had not given my Mumbai phone number to lot of people. I answered the phone with a “Hello”. I heard a “Hello” from the other end of the phone as well. I felt it must be him. He thought I was smart to guess it was him. We didn’t know what to speak as we had chatted with each other whole day in messenger. I kept the phone quickly and started watching TV again. After an hour I sent him an SMS “Are you serious about me?” As soon as he read my SMS, he called me and he said “Yes, I’m serious about you.” I was shocked to hear it. I couldn’t believe this was happening so quickly. In one day, we had started liking each other. We spoke to each other until 3 in the night. We told everything about each other, our past lives and our friend circle. Without my knowledge, my parents had given my photos and horoscope to some people to search for a guy for me. Before they went further, I told my parents very next morning about this guy. They said they’ll meet him after I return to Bangalore. Almost every night we used to call each other and speak for hours until he got a bombing mobile bill. His mom knew he used to talk someone every night but he used to just tell I’m just his friend. Finally when I returned from Mumbai, my parents decided to meet him in my grand mother’s house. I am very close to my grand mother and involved her in every major decision of my life. They liked him and discussed about his family if they’ll agree or not for me. He assured us that he will convince his family. After few days, he left the company and joined some other organization where they gave more pay. Obviously everyone will skip as soon as they see a good hike. We used to meet each casually after work and go out for movies and lunch regularly. One fine day he took me to his place and introduced me to his mom. By then she knew we were serious about each other. She constantly kept asking me if I can adjust to his family. I said yes for everything she asked me. She gave me something to eat and I left quietly. After 6 months there was no response from his side. We waited for them patiently. And then I finally decided that I would give him time for 3 months for him to convince his parents and come up with some decision. There was no progress for a month. Then his parents came to Bangalore and he convinced them to meet me on a Saturday afternoon. (His parents stay in Patiala after his dad got transferred). I went to his place and saw his entire family, his sister, brother in law, niece and his parents and I was sitting in a corner. His dad looked pretty strict. His sister was nice as I had already met her once before. Everybody looked silent. So I thought I’ll just play quietly with his niece. She was shy though and ran away from me. Then his mom got me something to eat. I started quietly and finally his dad asked me “What if I say no for your marriage?” I just looked at my boyfriend and was about to cry when I said, “Please talk to my parents about this, I don’t know what to tell”. I just left from his house after that. I thought it was a strict No from his side. Whole day I kept thinking about this and next morning I got an SMS from him saying that his parents want to meet my parents that day. I was thrilled to see that SMS. I told my parents and they got ready to see them on a Sunday evening. There were not much talks but I felt they were happy about our relation. After 3 months, his parents called us to decide on our engagement dates and they came to Bangalore to talk more about us. After lot of thinking, they had finally agreed for our marriage. After 4 months we got engaged and started preparing for our wedding which was 2 months later. All of us got busy in preparations and finally the big day arrived. That was the best event of my life. I was finally getting married to the guy whom I loved. Within no time, all the rituals were over and all my friends and relatives wished us for a successful future ahead. Finally I was married like any other woman and it was like a dream come true for me. What happens until marriage is one story. What happens after marriage is another story, which every girl should experience. You never know with whom our life is destined to. Some things happen in a flash and few things take their own time to get in place. But ultimately if you believe and dream about something you want and work for it you would be able to achieve that. Be it marriage or profession or education. Marriages are made in heaven but people down here can make it happen through love alone.

Hello??

It was 7.30 p.m, tiring, with no energy Joseph came to his apartment, infracted, discomfited; he threw his brief case and headed towards his kitchen to brew some coffee. He was not in best of his senses; life for him had become a deserted road, Joseph, has lost faith n everything and more importantly he had lost his self-respect, he wanted to commit suicide but the cruel world would title him as “coward”, joseph’s life was like a sailing boat which was sinking in his own tears, phew!! As he sat on the couching sipping the coffee, he opened the dairy which he had treasured for a long time, “I love her…” he sighed, “I still love her…” he cried, his tears rolling from his tired eyes “ I bewrayed her..” he screamed…

Joseph was the most adorable guy, she could have ever found, both fell in love in no time and avowed to live for each other, Cynthia was a marketing executive and Joseph was the junior visualizer, it never appeared as if there was any distinction of work between them, even though Cynthia was his boss she always had that extra edge for him, she wasn’t too indulgent when it came to work and he never used his love when it came to official matters, “cynthy can we have dinner together today?” he asked her in the most polite manner, “no joseph, I have a client meeting, you carry on..” she replied with lot of hard feelings “I understand.. Catch you later…” they were so understanding, “hello Joseph, I got my promotion, I am the new marketing head now..” exclaimed Cynthia and joseph stood there with his other colleagues trying to get a sneak peak at his lady love, who had achieved something remarkable, joseph was lost in her love and so was Cynthia, the sun wouldn’t set without seeing them drive together to the nearest “mackson’s café” life for them was a unanswered emotion, a untold feeling, the entire “Jermy’s Solutions Inc” knew their romance and no one defied to disturb them.

“Cinthy!! Cinthy!! I got 2 tickets for a movie at 3!” Joseph was so commoved that he dint notice the meeting that” was going on in Cynthia’s office, embarrassed with his excitement Cynthia shouted “Mr. joseph, can’t you see that we are in a meeting and its very important to knock ones door before entering..” Joseph returned to his house broken and scourged.. and the phone rings….

“Hello?? Joseph here” in a meek sorrow tone, “I joseph, Cynthia here I am so sorry I was silly and ridiculous, I hurt you.. “

“cynthy are you drunk?? ya! Huh! Yes! You are drunk..” but why?

“I want to come there and spend time with you, can I joseph? Can I come to your apartment?”

“But cynthy you are drunk. How will you? Should I pick you up? From some where”

“ha ha ha ha, you are always sweet sweet heart, just open your door and you can see your cynthy..”

Joseph runs towards the main door and opens to his astonishment, finding cynthy lying there on the floor….

Cynthy finds him and hugs him tightly.. her senses totally bygone, cynthy falls at josephs feet crying…

“Cynthy, for god sake, Come in!! and please control your senses.. Why did u drink so much? If you cannot withstand it??”

As he carries her inside his apartment, “sit her, I will get you some fresh coffee, so that you can come out of your 9^th world..”

“Joseph, can I have a drink please?”

“NOooo, have you gone mad, you are drinking coffee and nothing else that that, understand ?”

“but……..”, “no cynthy, sorry…”

Joseph gets a mug of hot coffee and hands over to her.

“Here it is…”

“Now what happened tell me..?”

“I did not do the brightest thing on earth by yelling at you at the office in front of so many people…”

“Neither I cynthy.. it was so stupid of me. To barge in at your office and take out 2 tickets..” laughs joseph..

“joseph you are not mad at me right??? I thought you will ditch me..are you fine?”

“Have you gone mad? No darling! Life for me with you is more than my carrier and I would take many of such with light heart only to be with you…”

“but still joseph..”

“Oh! Cynthy will you cut your crap? Please, don’t you remember the dreams that we have to fulfil? The house that we though of buying, our hope, our desire”,

Joseph holds cythia, sees straight in her eyes and then there is silence, lips throbbing, hands trembling, tears rolling out, his heart filled with love for Cynthia, joseph whispers “Cynthia calm down!! I love you my sweet heart!!!”

Cynthia breaks down..in despair, touched by his feeling towards her

Looking at his eyes hugging him tightly, kisses him and utters

“Joseph, I want to spend my last leg of journey with you…”

“ha ha ha, you are as silly as it can get cynthy right??” he laughs as he looks at his watch

“cynthy it is 2 o clock in the night, you have to be at your home darling! Wont your parents get worried?” you need to get home baby!!!

“no, please I want to spend time with you, I want to be there whole night, please this can be our last night..”

“cynthy you are drunk and not in your senses completely, please will you go home now its late and it might get more dangerous…”

Joseph drags her to the parking lot and pushes her in the car..”

Cynthya cries all her way down and forces him not to send her soon…

Joseph pushes her into the car and runs up to his apartment…

As he enters, the phone rings..

“hello??”

A weak voice from the other side, “hello son, this is albert, cynthia’s father…”

Joseph talks in excitement.. “hello, uncle nothing to worry, Cynthia just left she will be reaching home safely….”

“Well, I wish son!!!, but Cynthia MET WITH AN ACCIDENT AT 8 o CLOCK IN THE EVENING AND PASSED AWAY ON THE WAY TO HOSPITAL AT 9 o clock…”

Joseph keeps the phone in shock and then there is that long silence…………………

Abhishek Iyengar