It was half past eight in the morning. Kumar and his friend Ashok were waiting at the bus stop for the 8.40 AM 27 L, looking at the traffic on the road and generally chatting to kill time. They had become friends on the first day of college, 5 years back and continued to be close even after they’d graduated. Let’s take a look at Kumar. He was your average boy next door – no great looks, but pleasant looking. He worked as a sales executive in a small scale company earning merely enough to feed himself and his old mother. He had a few policies in life which he stuck to no matter what. For example, he would never wear jeans. He hated denims and wouldn’t be caught dead in one of those. Similarly he would never so much as glance at a girl at the bus stop. Oh no, it wasn’t because he didn’t like them or he thought ogling was wrong – he was only interested in girls who drove a two wheeler or a car.
On this particular day, as they were talking, Ashok suddenly lowered his voice and said softly “Hey, .. there’s a chick there .. she seems to be giving you frequent looks..”
“A chick – where..?? on the road??”
“No da, here at the bus stop to our left, wearing a purple T-Shirt .. see”
Kumar refused to turn .. “You know me Ashok.. I am not interested.. I don’t look at girls at the bus stop”
‘look, I am not asking you to talk to her.. just take a look.. big deal”
Kumar turned a little..”You’re right da, she does seem to be looking at me..”
Ashok chided him.. “she looks very nice, what’s this stupid rule you have.. not to look at girls at the bus stop”
Kumar replied “ Ashok, you know my background. My dad passed away when I was very young; My mom struggled to raise me. And despite getting a college degree , there’s just enough money to eat and nothing else... Let all this be with me. I don’t want my children to lead such a wretched life”
Ashok looked incredulous : “So?? What has that got to do with this??”
“ If I fall for a girl at the bus stop, most likely she’s gonna have a similar background. And then the whole grind starts again. I am being extremely careful. I will fall for and marry a girl who has some money. Life will be heaven after that.”
Ashok was shaking his head in disbelief as the bus they’d been waiting for rolled by to a halt..
“Who knows..” Kumar continued as he was boarding the bus .. “wonder if the girl of my dreams would come in a TVS Scooty or a Maruti Alto.?”.
The next day as well, both Ashok & Kumar noticed the same girl eyeing Kumar longingly. Finally on the third day the girl walked over to both of them and said “uh, excuse me, could I speak to you in private”.. she said looking at Kumar.
As Ashok was trying to slip away, Kumar stopped him and said “he will stay here… you can tell me whatever you want in front of him”
The girl hesitated a little and as if embarrassed, looked down and said “I am engaged to be married to my athai paiyyan. I was ok with the arrangement until I saw you. I have been coming to this bus stop the last few days, and ever since I saw you I feel I might have made a mistake in accepting the proposal. There’s something in you which makes me want to be with you forever…Its not too late. I wanted to try my luck with you. Do you think this’ll work.. will you accept my proposal??” she looked up hopefully.. “ its ok.. please tell me whatever you think… I would at least be happy I asked;
Kumar looked shocked ..” Ma’am.. what is all this? Do you even know who I am? What background I come from? How can you fall for someone by just looking at the person??”
The girl replied.. “That’s ok.. isn’t that how it works in arranged marriages? We’ll think of it that way”
“Ma’am.. I am sorry if I did something to make you want to marry me.. I am already in love with someone else. Please marry your athai paiyyan.. ”
The girl was a tad disappointed but smiled anyway.. “ I thought as much. Anyway, good luck with your love. Whoever the girl is, she’s extremely lucky. Now my mind is clear. I’ll come tomorrow with my wedding invite. Please do come”
“For sure” Kumar replied and the girl got onto the next bus..
Ashok was shaking his head .. :”What the hell was that??? So weird!! By the way, why did you lie about being in love?
“So that she won’t trouble me anymore… hey, there comes our bus”
Sure enough the girl was back the next day with the invites. She had on a blue kurta and jeans and wore simple jewellery. She looked lovely. Fishing out a bundle of maroon & gold cards and a gold felt tipped pen from her bag, she looked up at them and smiled ..”sorry , I don’t know your names”.. After giving them the invites, she smiled and told them not to forget to come for the wedding and whizzed off.
The next week, both Kumar and Ashok didn’t find any signs of the pretty girl. Not that they even noticed. One evening , as Kumar was walking by a busy lane, he heard a loud honk from behind. He stepped away on the pavement but the honking continued. He turned back irritated and saw a huge black Honda Civic. Behind the wheels was the pretty girl…”hey.. fancy seeing you here”.. she waved from the car..
Kumar just froze..”uh .. yes.. how come? In this car today??”
The girl shrugged.. “oh this.. I had given it for service, that stupid service centre didn’t return it for a week.. I thought, why not take the bus until I get it back.. OK.. I gotta rush… listen, don’t forget to attend the wedding OK?? You promised….and bring your girl friend as well… Byeeeeeeeee”….. and she zoomed past..
Kumar fainted on the road.
On this particular day, as they were talking, Ashok suddenly lowered his voice and said softly “Hey, .. there’s a chick there .. she seems to be giving you frequent looks..”
“A chick – where..?? on the road??”
“No da, here at the bus stop to our left, wearing a purple T-Shirt .. see”
Kumar refused to turn .. “You know me Ashok.. I am not interested.. I don’t look at girls at the bus stop”
‘look, I am not asking you to talk to her.. just take a look.. big deal”
Kumar turned a little..”You’re right da, she does seem to be looking at me..”
Ashok chided him.. “she looks very nice, what’s this stupid rule you have.. not to look at girls at the bus stop”
Kumar replied “ Ashok, you know my background. My dad passed away when I was very young; My mom struggled to raise me. And despite getting a college degree , there’s just enough money to eat and nothing else... Let all this be with me. I don’t want my children to lead such a wretched life”
Ashok looked incredulous : “So?? What has that got to do with this??”
“ If I fall for a girl at the bus stop, most likely she’s gonna have a similar background. And then the whole grind starts again. I am being extremely careful. I will fall for and marry a girl who has some money. Life will be heaven after that.”
Ashok was shaking his head in disbelief as the bus they’d been waiting for rolled by to a halt..
“Who knows..” Kumar continued as he was boarding the bus .. “wonder if the girl of my dreams would come in a TVS Scooty or a Maruti Alto.?”.
The next day as well, both Ashok & Kumar noticed the same girl eyeing Kumar longingly. Finally on the third day the girl walked over to both of them and said “uh, excuse me, could I speak to you in private”.. she said looking at Kumar.
As Ashok was trying to slip away, Kumar stopped him and said “he will stay here… you can tell me whatever you want in front of him”
The girl hesitated a little and as if embarrassed, looked down and said “I am engaged to be married to my athai paiyyan. I was ok with the arrangement until I saw you. I have been coming to this bus stop the last few days, and ever since I saw you I feel I might have made a mistake in accepting the proposal. There’s something in you which makes me want to be with you forever…Its not too late. I wanted to try my luck with you. Do you think this’ll work.. will you accept my proposal??” she looked up hopefully.. “ its ok.. please tell me whatever you think… I would at least be happy I asked;
Kumar looked shocked ..” Ma’am.. what is all this? Do you even know who I am? What background I come from? How can you fall for someone by just looking at the person??”
The girl replied.. “That’s ok.. isn’t that how it works in arranged marriages? We’ll think of it that way”
“Ma’am.. I am sorry if I did something to make you want to marry me.. I am already in love with someone else. Please marry your athai paiyyan.. ”
The girl was a tad disappointed but smiled anyway.. “ I thought as much. Anyway, good luck with your love. Whoever the girl is, she’s extremely lucky. Now my mind is clear. I’ll come tomorrow with my wedding invite. Please do come”
“For sure” Kumar replied and the girl got onto the next bus..
Ashok was shaking his head .. :”What the hell was that??? So weird!! By the way, why did you lie about being in love?
“So that she won’t trouble me anymore… hey, there comes our bus”
Sure enough the girl was back the next day with the invites. She had on a blue kurta and jeans and wore simple jewellery. She looked lovely. Fishing out a bundle of maroon & gold cards and a gold felt tipped pen from her bag, she looked up at them and smiled ..”sorry , I don’t know your names”.. After giving them the invites, she smiled and told them not to forget to come for the wedding and whizzed off.
The next week, both Kumar and Ashok didn’t find any signs of the pretty girl. Not that they even noticed. One evening , as Kumar was walking by a busy lane, he heard a loud honk from behind. He stepped away on the pavement but the honking continued. He turned back irritated and saw a huge black Honda Civic. Behind the wheels was the pretty girl…”hey.. fancy seeing you here”.. she waved from the car..
Kumar just froze..”uh .. yes.. how come? In this car today??”
The girl shrugged.. “oh this.. I had given it for service, that stupid service centre didn’t return it for a week.. I thought, why not take the bus until I get it back.. OK.. I gotta rush… listen, don’t forget to attend the wedding OK?? You promised….and bring your girl friend as well… Byeeeeeeeee”….. and she zoomed past..
Kumar fainted on the road.
1 comment:
hahah... kinda predicted the end...
As they say a bird in hand is worth 9 in the bush :D
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