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Sorry, I'm Taken

Page 9

by Achuth Mohandas


  ‘Not really.’ – I said, loudly.

  It was my first class for MBA and I was the only one to say “No” in a class of almost 35 students. I believe that there were other students too who wanted to say that, but only I showed the courage to say that. The finance management teacher was a tall, lean, fair lady in her late thirties.

  ‘What did you mean?’ – She asked me.

  ‘I studied Physics for my graduation and I have no clue about the statement that you just mentioned.’ – I answered.

  ‘Then this is not the course for you. Better you join a Master of Science programme.’

  ‘My girlfriend wants me to study Master of Business Administration, not Master of Science.’ – I said and sat down.

  The whole class burst into laughter as I said this and the teacher’s face turned red.

  ‘I will make sure that I will not see your face in my classes.’ – She said, angrily.

  ‘It sounds like you are resigning today.’ – I said.

  ‘Get out.’ – She shouted.

  ‘I’m here to learn business management. If you are a teacher, teach me. Don’t run over the syllabus saying, you have learned about this in the last year.’ – I responded in a tougher voice.

  According to me, “You have learned about this in the last year” is the most dangerous and deadly statement with which teachers used to spoil the students’ future. Most of the students are learning things just to pass the examination. They don’t keep things in their mind for the next year. When teachers say this, the students will be having no clue of what they had studied in the last year and fail to understand how the new portions are related to it.

  ‘Okay, cool down.’ – The teacher said.

  ‘For a business entity, debit is the money that they receive in their account and credit is the money that they pay to others. In short, money coming to our account is debit and money that goes out from our account is credit.’ – She continued and I nodded.

  ‘Did you understand? Say it loudly.’ – She said, loudly.

  ‘Yes Ma’am.’ – I said, loudly.

  I was pretty sure that just the definitions of credit and debit are not going to give me a certificate of MBA, but I wanted to learn; in fact, learn more to get my post-graduation done with higher grades. Probably that could be the only way by which I can convince Namratha’s parents.

  Many say, marriage is a mutual contract signed by couples. But here, the developments in my life made me feel like my marriage is going to be more similar to signing a “business contract” which requires an MBA to analyse all the aspects of it before signing.

  How About a Ride?

  A FEW WEEKS LATER

  In Trivandrum, we had two airport terminals; a domestic terminal and an international one. The estimated time of arrival of Namratha’s flight was 7:40PM and she wasn’t sure on which terminal her flight was supposed to land. So, I was confused with the question “where to go?”. Last time, I met her at the domestic terminal and I decided to check there first. I went there and checked the flight information displayed on the large LED screen and it showed no results of a flight coming from Chennai. I understood that my first option was wrong and I rushed to the international terminal. The entrances of the terminals were situated almost four kilometres away from each other. I had to take a complete circle around the runway walls and I reached the international terminal at 7:50PM. There I could find the flight information on a flight arriving from Chennai. Fortunately, her flight was 20 minutes late and the estimated time of arrival was shown as 8PM. I looked around and I couldn’t see her family around.

  I waited at the arrival gate for her. After twenty long minutes, she showed up after finishing all the clearances and other checks. I waved my hands at her, but she delivered only a pale smile as she wasn’t sure if her family was around or not. As she was coming out, I went and sat on a vacant chair, which was set up at the airport for the public. She looked around for her parents and not on finding them around, she came and took a seat near me; we exchanged looks, but not even a word.

  ‘Dad, where are you? I reached here... I’m waiting outside... Okay.’ – She said on the phone and hung up.

  I was pretty sure that both of us wanted to talk to each other, but we couldn’t because her family could be there anytime. In a minute or two, her parents came to pick her up, but this time on a BMW 5 Series car. Last time I saw them with a Mercedes Benz and this time with a BMW, which was enough to make me realize how rich they were. They came out of the car, hugged each other, loaded her luggage into the boot of their car and drove off. She had some paper rolls in her hand, which she did not keep in the car’s boot and I could assume that they were her assignment papers that she brought home to draw some designs. As the car moved, I waved my hand again at her and she smiled in return.

  ●

  A FEW DAYS LATER

  ‘How long will you be here?’ – I asked Namratha while walking with her along the walkway of our regular meeting place; the zoo.

  ‘I’m leaving tomorrow in the evening.’ – She answered.

  It had been three days since she came to our home city and that was the first and last time I could meet her.

  ‘What time is the flight? Probably I could come to see you off.’ – I said.

  ‘No. Please don’t.’

  ‘Why?’ – I exclaimed.

  ‘My mom saw you at the airport that day and asked me about you. She knows that there is no way for you to get the flight details through any other medium than me.’

  ‘So what?’ – I asked, in doubt.

  ‘She didn’t know that we are still together, but now she knows it very well.’

  ‘What am I supposed to do then?’

  ‘Stay away from them. They are watching you.’

  ‘Watching me? What does that mean?’ – I wondered.

  ‘You know my mom’s brother, right?

  ‘You mean, that bald man? Mr. Clinton?’ – I asked, laughing.

  ‘Yes. He is stalking all your social media profiles including Facebook and Twitter.’

  ‘What? I mean, why would he do that?’ – I asked and my voice level was higher than normal.

  ‘I don’t know. He is checking all your status updates, your photos and location data on the profiles.’

  ‘What could be the probable reason behind it? Does he want to send people to beat me up or kill me like her mom said? Now I must expect them any time to show up.’ – I said to myself.

  ●

  ‘This is too tall.’ – Namratha said, sitting on the pillion seat of my motorcycle.

  ‘Like me.’ – I said, riding it.

  ‘Not really. You are just two inches taller than me.’ – She said, laughing.

  ‘Whatever. I’m taller. That’s it.’

  ‘By the way, where are we going?’ – She asked, with enthusiasm.

  ‘To my mom’s office.’

  ‘What?’ – She said, louder.

  ‘Yes, darling. We are going to my mom’s office to meet her.’

  ‘I am wearing a Jeans and T-Shirt. I can’t meet your mom like this.’

  ‘Whatever. She is looking for a quality daughter-in-law, not for a moral dress code.’ – I said and kept on riding without answering her next row of questions.

  ●

  ‘I’m not coming inside. I’ll wait here.’ – Namratha Said.

  We were outside my mom’s office. It was not a very big office, but still a peaceful one.

  ‘Why are you standing there? Come inside.’ – Mom said, coming out of her office.

  I went inside and Namratha followed me. Namratha and I sat on two adjacent chairs in my mom’s cabin, facing my mom.

  ‘Are you really sure that you want to get married to each other?’ – Mom asked and Namratha looked at me, as she didn’t know how to answer that question.

  ‘Yes, mom. I have already told you about that.’ – I answered.

  ‘What about you?’ – Mom asked Namratha.

&
nbsp; ‘Yes, aunty. We want to get married.’ – She said, smiling.

  ‘Don’t call me aunty, call me mom instead.’ – Mom said with a bright smile.

  ‘Okay, mom.’ – Namratha said, making me wonder how fast girls can adapt to the circumstances.

  ‘Wait, I’ll bring some coffee.’ – Mom said and got up from her chair.

  ‘No, mom. It’s okay. I need to go home as soon as possible. It may invite problems if I don’t leave now.’ – Said Namratha getting up from her chair.

  ‘Okay then. Do visit me next time you are home. Keep my phone number.’ – Said my mom and they exchanged their phone numbers.

  ●

  ‘I liked your mom very much.’ – Namratha made a compliment sitting on the pillion seat of my motorcycle on our way back from my mom’s office.

  ‘I like her too.’ – I said, riding my motorcycle.

  ‘Are you coming to Chennai next month like you promised?’ – She asked.

  ‘Did I promise that?’

  ‘Yes, you did.’

  ‘If I promised, I’ll do that for sure.’ – I said and she hugged me tight, biting on my left shoulder.

  The Chennai Saga- 3

  NOVEMBER 2012

  I placed my bag on the floor and looked around. This time too, I booked my room at the same hotel, which I had preferred on my last visit to Chennai. It was 9:30 in the morning and I was already late. Being late was not a problem for that day because Namratha had got out-passes from her hostel for two whole days and we had so many plans to execute. My phone rang while I was thinking about the plans.

  ‘Where are you? Did you start? I am waiting outside your hotel.’ – Namratha said, over the phone.

  ‘I just reached. I need to take a shower and brush my teeth at least.’ – I answered, in a hurry.

  ‘Am I supposed to wait outside?’

  ‘No. You can wait in the lounge if you want.’

  ‘No need. Tell me your room number. I’m coming inside.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Yes. What’s your room number?’

  ‘203. The main lift isn’t working, I guess. Take the service lift.’ – I said.

  A couple of minutes passed. I heard my room’s doorbell ring and I could see Namratha in front of my room when I opened the door. She was wearing a Pink T-shirt and Grey Jeans. She looked so gorgeous and I kept looking at her as if I haven’t seen her before. She came forward and wrapped her arms around my neck. She started crying. Probably her usual “tears of joy” rolled over her cheeks and made my shoulders wet. I pulled her inside and closed the door.

  ‘Wait. I’ll take a quick shower and come.’ – I said, kissing on her forehead and she nodded.

  I ran into the bathroom and finished my morning routine in less than thirty minutes. I came back to the room with a towel around my waist and saw her sitting on my bed with a doomed face.

  ‘I didn’t take too much of time. Did I?’ – I asked, lifting her face.

  She didn’t tell anything and shifted her eyes towards the wall. I understood that there was something wrong. I sat near her and asked – ‘What happened suddenly?’

  ‘What’s this?’ – She asked, showing me a packet of cigarettes.

  ‘Did you search my bag?’ – I asked.

  ‘I did. Now answer me. When did you start smoking?’

  ‘A couple of weeks ago.’

  ‘Why didn’t you tell me about that?’

  ‘I knew what your reaction would be and I didn’t want to fight. I was going through a lot of mental stress over the past two weeks. That’s why I tried this.’ – I explained.

  ‘Even I have mental stress. Assignments, exams, you, my family, everything applies pressure on me. Should I start smoking for that reason?’ – She asked.

  I snatched the packet from her hand and took one cigarette out. Extending that cigarette to her, I said – ‘Try one if you find peace in this.’

  I didn’t expect her to accept that offer, but she did. She took the cigarette and searched my bag again. She found a cigarette lamp and lighted the cigarette with it. She choked on the first smoke itself and her cigarette fell down from her hand. I took that cigarette from the floor and had a puff of smoke.

  ‘That’s the last cigarette that you’re smoking in your lifetime. Enjoy it to the fullest.’ – She said, snatching that packet from me and within no time, she threw it out of the window.

  ‘If this is the last one, I don’t need a last one.’ – I said and threw that last cigarette out of the same window, making her lost smile appear on her face again.

  ‘You look so beautiful in pink.’ – I said.

  ‘You look so handsome in a bath towel.’ – She said and laughed.

  ‘Really?’

  She didn’t say anything and kept looking at my eyes.

  ‘Do you want to kiss me in a private ambience?’ – I whispered in her ear, pulling her towards me.

  ‘I’d love to, but…’ – Her words broke.

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘Nothing.’ – She said, shaking her head.

  I didn’t wait for another word. Yes, we kissed. The kiss was strong and passionate indeed to make the feelings overflow.

  ●

  THE SAME DAY: EVENING

  ‘Go, wear this shirt and show me.’ – Namratha told me.

  We were inside a branded clothing shop and I understood that she was trying to buy a shirt for me.

  ‘I don’t need anything.’ – I said.

  ‘But I need to see you in this. Just wear and show me. That’s all. We are not buying it.’

  ‘Okay.’ – I said and went to the changing room with that shirt.

  After a couple of minutes, I came back and said – ‘Look. Now don’t tell me to wear another one and demonstrate. I am not participating in any fashion show.’

  ‘Okay. Go, change and come.’ – She said.

  I went back to the changing room, changed the shirt and came back to her with that shirt in my hand. She took that shirt from my hand and gave it to a sales executive.

  ‘Bill this one.’ – She said to him.

  ‘Rs.4999/-, ma’am.’ – He said, looking at the price tag.

  She took five notes of thousand rupees from her purse each and gave it to him.

  ‘I told you that I don’t want anything. Why are you doing this?’ – I asked, in anger.

  ‘When you come tomorrow, wear that shirt and come.’ – She said and walked out of the shop.

  As she walked out, she picked up a package from the billing desk, which contained that shirt.

  ‘A shirt that worth Rs.4999/-. I would rather keep it in the package itself than wearing it.’ – I thought and followed her.

  ●

  AN HOUR LATER

  ‘She loves you a lot. Don’t ever leave her alone.’ – Namratha’s hostel warden said to me.

  As Namratha’s hostel warden had instructed the security guards to let me in, I could get access to the college campus. For students who attend college for sports practices, the cafeteria was open even on Saturdays and Sundays. Hostel warden, Namratha and I were sitting around a table in the cafeteria having coffee.

  ‘I won’t ever leave her alone. It’s a promise that I had given to her long back.’ – I said.

  ‘As you know, her mother is not happy with this relationship. It’s your duty to convince her parents.’

  ‘Arjun is trying hard, ma’am.’’ – Namratha interfered in the conversation.

  ‘You keep quiet. I’m talking to him.’ – Warden scolded Namratha and turned towards me.

  ‘You know what I mean. Take care of everything. Otherwise, it’s going to be very hard for you to handle this.’ – She continued making me insecure with the warning.

  We finished our conversation and the coffee. I left her college immediately after that, giving no more time for another plethora of advice.

  ●

  NEXT DAY

  ‘You look so smart.’ – Namratha said,
seeing me in that new shirt, which she brought for me the last day.

  ‘Thanks; for the shirt and the compliment.’ – I said.

  ‘Keep them with you for future. We need to get into the theatre now. We are running late.’

  That Sunday was so smooth for us. We saw a movie, went to shopping malls, travelled to many unknown places and even had dinner from a restaurant. When we were heading back to her hostel, her hostel warden called me on my mobile.

  ‘Thambi, where are you? It’s already late. Why didn’t you drop her here?’ – She asked.

  ‘Akka, sorry. We are on the way. We will be there in thirty minutes.’ – I said.

  ‘Do one thing. Tell Namratha that I will scold her very badly for coming late. Don’t take it seriously because if I spare her, other students will also start coming late. Ask her not to laugh when I scold her.’ – She said.

  I conveyed her message to Namratha and dropped her back at the hostel. I left Chennai and started to Trivandrum the same night.

  The Great Indian Pizza Circus

  DECEMBER 2012

  My phone rang at 11 in the morning with a call from Namratha.

  ‘Good morning darling. My new schedule started today and I will have to host the morning show for some days. That’s why I didn’t call you in the morning.’ – I said, thinking that she would be angry with me for not calling her.

  ‘You told me about that a couple of days ago. Where are you now?’ – She asked.

  ‘At office. How are you? How’s your headache?’

  ‘I am fine, but I want to see you.’ – She said, in a low voice.

  ‘I am in not a situation to get a flight and come to Chennai right now.’ – I said, laughing.

  ‘Then come to that Pizza Centre in front of your office in thirty minutes. I’ll be there.’ – She said.

  ‘What? Are you here? Why didn’t you tell me?’ – I exclaimed.

 

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