EIGHTEEN
Kartik Agarwal's sharp features promised he would be a good looking man in some years. He belonged to a middle-class family with its own set of rules. His father worked in a hotel and had migrated to Western Delhi, during the partition. He worked day and night and managed to give the best education possible to his sons. His wife was a teacher in a small private school and taught pre-schoolers. They had been living in their two storey house in Rajouri Garden for almost 30 long years.
Both his sons appreciated the trouble he took to educate them. Kartik's elder brother worked as a finance head in one of the top American companies. He passed out from the IIT, the topmost technical college of India. Though they had seen hard times during childhood they resolved to get the best out of their education.
Kartik was somewhat confused as he could not do away with tradition.
“Hey dude!” Harpreet Singh, Kartik's best friend, walked in. He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and looking absolutely funny with his spindly legs, thin build and protruding large ears. They had been together at the IIT.
“What's wrong with you? You aren't watching the match?”
Harpreet asked.
“I broke up with Maya!” Kartik said sulkingly.
“Oh, what happened?”
“I don't understand. I like her, but she is insisting upon marriage. Now I don't want to get married, it's so early.”
“Obviously dude, how can you marry now? We are just beginning our careers. I'm sure we will meet hot babes. Imagine that we would get a fat pay cheque and a wonderful car. Explain it to her, na”, he said. “We have to plan investments, vacations and much more. Life has just begun,” his voice naughty. “Hot sex, rave parties,” he winked. His expression turning wicked with lust dancing in his eyes.
Kartik's eyes partnered him in his excitement. They were not exposed to luxuries in life and the near future offered them big promises. They dreamt of compensating for every missed moment.
“Still, when it comes to marriage, though it gives me shivers, she isn't a bad girl, either!” Kartik said, “She is witty and smart and I like her.” He didn't mention that he loved her in bed too. “I feel guilty for being the reason for her heartbreak.”
“Relax, yaar. Now you can't make everyone happy, right?
Especially women.” Harpreet spoke as if he was an expert on women.
“Still, do you think she loves me?”
“See dude. I don't believe in love and all that crap. It's up to you to decide! I would never screw my chances for this bull shit.
“Sometimes I think she will eventually turn out to be the right girl for our family. You know how mom is.”
“See dude all I know is you can't marry for your family.
Besides, why do you always want to make everything perfect? It does not work like that.”
“I know, Harry, but I don't dislike her.”
“Does that even count as a reason?”Harry shrugged
For Kartik she was an opportunity. What he did not understand was that a relationship had to be nurtured. Kartik could not see that Maya was not the only Maya he interacted with. There were two of them. One who was in love with him and another one who was more vulnerable? Maya's alter ego. She was dangerous. She lived deep inside her and at a mere chance dominated her emotions.
Maya was unaware of this. The other Maya could force her to take decisions on impulse. The other Maya who would not let her be ordinary, she was in constant search of the meaning and purpose of life. He failed to see the Maya who was a wanderer at heart, yearning for her soul mate; for passionate love that enters the soul of one person and pierces another, thus forming a bond that brings both extreme pleasure and pain.
Kartik had no idea what he was getting into. After a few hours of contemplation he decided that he would call her next morning and talk. He could only see the Maya who was ready to go to any extent for him, not the selfish Maya who was after all only bothered about herself. Next morning it was he who got a call from Maya.
“Kartik, are you sure we aren't going to talk to each other?”
she asked with sadness in her tone.
“Maya,” Kartik paused. He did not know what to say.
“Kartik, I love you very much. I would do anything to be with you. Please don't say no to this. I would never bother you with anything.”
She felt bad about begging, but the other Maya would just not let her stop. She was not ready to face rejection. She would go to any extent to win over this man. Maya was convinced that marrying him was the only right thing she could do. She was bored of her stepmom telling her what to do all the time. She wanted to live her life. The other Maya was pushing her for a free life, not realising that she was further getting into a bigger mess. Her heart was unsure. Her mind was unsure.. Yet the other Maya would not let them dominate. She would get what she wanted.
“I'm sure our love will find a way.”
“Hmmm…Okay,” he said.
“Okay means?” Though she felt humiliated to beg him for love it made her extremely happy that she seemed to have achieved her goal.
“Well, I thought that since I've to marry anyway, why not you?” he replied casually.
“Oh, I'm so happy.” Maya had not realised that his agreeing was a kind of consolation prize for her. She felt sure love would find a way.
“What made you change your decision though?” she asked him out of sheer curiosity.
“Well, I thought it really does not make any difference who I marry! After all, a woman is a woman.”
“You mean you could have married anyone?”
“Yes,anyone who would have loved me so much.” He giggled.
“Can you come and meet my parents this weekend then?”