Note: This is a fictional story, no picture is completely relevant nor representative of anything. Part of this story happens in past (2012), it ends in 2022. In a way, one can read this in dystopian perspective.
Everybody has a story, and each story has its own beauty in every particular way. No matter what happens, life goes on and it does for our own good. But, all that matters is how we stay when the right wave hits. Human beings are meant to love and every love story deserves one good bloody flight. Be it physical or worse than that, an emotional one. Be it good or bad, beautiful or ugly, things happen for a reason. One cannot move on to the conclusion with no backdrops left, nor the moments in which the ugly cowardliness inside us unleashes. A similar thing happened with Chetan, a 34-year-old married techie who works for a renowned software company. Not the present, but, it was something he did 10 years back which now echoed aloud in a fierce shape.
Back then when the smartphones were still the intriguing inventions, Chetan was a foot over in love with Jahnavi and things were all good back then. Now, what’s left of him is a vessel full of emptiness that strives for peace within, but, all this started when he had a glance at Jahnavi, now a Maths teacher who teaches in the same school in which his son studies.
Starting from 2012, Chetan struggled for 3 summers and four winters to move on from his teenage love. That summer evening, post the office, Chetan hurried to Jahnavi’s house to talk with her parents about the marriage and to fulfill all those dreams they’ve been building together since their early college days. Glad that her parents were quite understanding, the evening ended with Chetan having dinner with Jahnavi’s parents, they were all in air over the cheerful approval of Jahnavi’s parents, but least that they could expect a war from Chetan parents as they were the other half who should give a firm nod to the marriage.
Chetan’s father stormed after knowing Jahnavi’s religion. While the country was progressing in every aspect, poor Chetan’s parents were still lost in the black hole of regressions, with time, they were only growing favorable with the caste and religion norms. This cut-throat rejection from his parents left Chetan-Jahnavi’s dreams in turmoil. Not able to go against his parents, Chetan had to give up leaving himself and Jahnavi in grief and the utter pain that lasted for a couple of years, which they were earlier unaware of.
The story reprised inside his head when Chetan, now a married man with a 7-year-old son who is really good in school. As he showed up in front of the school gate, he was perplexed seeing the mysterious woman in blue saree waving good-byes at her students in which his son is included.
While his son was giggling and running towards him with the school bag in his right hand, all Chetan could see in this world is Jahnavi, the one whom he left 10 years back, just for the sake of religious superstitions. Tears rolled in his eyes, well, and that very second Jahnavi noticed him, little did he change after they parted their ways. Jahnavi started approaching him. He stood stud like a pillar and just as she is about 3 feet away from him, he tried to say something, but lips just failed to utter a word.
Having no expression on her face, Jahnavi smiled at him, said, “You shouldn’t have given up”. There, right there, that pierced his heart. After saying this, she walked away like she did when they parted their ways in 2012. However, Chetan understood that Jahnavi is now married, he declared this after looking at the wedding ring and the badge that carried her name ‘Ms. Jahnavi Samuel’.
Disclaimer: Images are for representative purposes only.