Friends, deviating somewhat from the earlier posts I am posting two short stories in a series. These stories may not have the best english in the world and I will be very happy if you point out any mistakes grammatical or otherwise. Any comment good or bad are welcome as Oscar Wilde said, "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about."
Roshan's Love Life
Like any other story this story is about a few people, relationships, love and life.
The auto rickshaw came to a screeching halt. An irate old lady of around 50 got off the rickshaw.
“Can’t see where you are driving!” said Mrs. Shanti in a tone that suggested that she was one of those old ladies who was in the habit of complaining about just about anything that came into their view.
“Here!” She said giving the driver 50rs
“But memsahib it’s 60 Rs!” exclaimed the driver.
“Keep it. It is too much as it is.” Mrs. Shanti replied already walking away.
The building in front was a multi-storey building. She walked through the glass doors into the air conditioned reception hall.
“I have to meet Roshan.” She said to the receptionist.
“Just a minute, ma’am.” The receptionist replied dialing Roshan’s extension.
“Roshan, your mothers here to see you.” She spoke into the phone.
“O- one minute. Have her seated. I am coming.” The reply came.
“Is he here or not?” asked Mrs. Shanti in an irritated voice.
“Yes, he is in his office he will be……” before the receptionist could complete Mrs. Shanti had headed towards the elevator.
Roshan on the other hand worried about his mother making a fuss in his office had taken the stairs to reach ground floor quickly.
“Yes, Lata…” Roshan enquired the receptionist.
“She took the elevator.” receptionist replied.
Roshan hurried upstairs. But Mrs. Shanti had already reached his cubicle.
“I don’t know why this kid never listens to me.” Roshan heard his mother complaining to one of his coworker with whom he shared the cubicle.
With his temper rising already and feeling uneasy he approached his cubicle.
“Maa, what are you doing here?” Roshan asked in a low voice
“Arrey Beta Mrs. Gowarekar has brought a very nice ‘rishta’ for you.”
Roshan quickly took her arm and gentle tried to guide her outside away from his coworkers.
“The girl is from a very wealthy family.” continued Mrs. Shanti “She is very cultural too.”
“Maa, how many times have I told you… I don’t want to marry yet.”
Mrs. Shanti stooped in her tracks. Taking her arm away she scolded,
“Yes, of course. You are a big boy now.” Her high pitch voice had got everyone’s attention but they pretending to not listen, trying to let Roshan savor some dignity.
“You can do whatever you want. Who am I to say anything?”
“Maa I will come home in the evening. Why don’t we talk then?”
“You are always postponing talking about settling down.” Mrs. Shanti said now near the elevator.
“I will see you in the evening.” Roshan said.
“Ok beta, and don’t forget to get the groceries.” Mrs. Shanti said before the elevator doors closed.
Roshan returned to his cubicle with an expression that said “Mothers! Right!”
Just outside his cubicle he was confronted by Dhruv.
“Aur bhai, Getting married?” teased Dhruv.
“Shut up.” snapped Roshan.
“By the way I think you should listen to your mother, you know.” Continued Dhruv unfurled, “After all it’s not like you are going to find a girl on your own.”
Dhruv was referring to Roshans almost paranormal ability of not getting into a relationship. It was not that Roshan was not good looking, or that he was not interested in girls. He was handsome, smart, and intellectual, went to discos, partied and went gym so had become quite ripped. Yet by divine intervention he always managed to lose the girl even before anything happened.
“Look at me I have five girlfriends.” Dhruv said “I will introduce you to one of them.”
But Roshan did not really want to go out with his friends ex. He had lost some girls due to his ideals.
Roshan walked out of his office building into the April afternoon. It felt quite pleasant as the April warmth came over him after having sat the whole morning in the air conditioned building. He knew though, that soon it would be very uncomfortable as he would perspire under the sun. Dhruv still had some work in the office and probably would not be able to join him for lunch today. Dhruv’s office did not have many women. He was an engineer and there were few women in his line of work. And he was not on speaking terms with most of the Lady colleagues. That is why when he saw an attractive girl who could have been around 22 looking at him he stopped and tried to hold her gaze but she turned away quickly. Roshan wondered if he should go talk to her after all he had missed the few chances he had with opposite sex perhaps because he had not seized the opportunity. But he had already walked passed her in ambivalence debating whether to talk to her or not. Nearly near the compound gate he gathered his courage and walked towards her. But he felt awkward talking to a girl he did not know without any prior acquaintance. But another voice inside him said “What the heck! She does not know me so what does it matter if I blow it?”
So with new found recklessness he went and sat beside the girl. She was busy writing something in her diary. The name “Akansha” was written on the side of the diary.
With a beating heart he said,
“Excuse me!”
The girl looked up. She was wearing mascara as most girls in Delhi do.
“Yes?” she enquired looking up.
“Do you work here?” Roshan asked. He could think of no better thing to say.
“Um… No, actually I came here for an interview.” She replied.
“What kind of interview?” replied Roshan, surprised that he was not nervous at all. In fact he was speaking so naturally that even the girl seemed to be at quite ease.
“I have come here to apply for a job to making short documentaries. They are short movies.” She said these pointing at a form in her hand.
He knew perfectly well what a documentary was, and was a bit annoyed that she thought that he did not know what a documentary was. But he cast the annoyance aside and quickly thought what he knew about documentaries. His interests were so varied they always coincided with hobbies of women and then he would have something to talk about. But he did not know much about documentaries, except the ones that had won the Oscars recently and he could not fit that into the conversation.
“Can I have a look at that?” Roshan asked, referring to the forms in her hand.
“Yeah, sure.” It seemed to Roshan almost like she wanted him to.
The form read Akansha Ratan. His brain was working too furiously to register anything beyond that. Besides he did not want to break the flow of the conversation.
“So what are you doing right now?” he asked.
“I have interview in a hour.” she replied “I was thinking of grabbing a bite before that.”
“Well it’s my lunch break too. And I really hate eating alone.” Roshan said his heart beating a little faster.
“You wanna go grab a bite?” he asked.
This was the moment of truth, the time seemed to be passing very slowly. He could almost feel her brain working. What would it be? Please say yes? For once let the curse on him be lifted.
“Yeah, ok” was the reply.
“Let’s go then.” He replied getting up to go. Hardly believing what was going on. He was never this lucky.
Akansha too got ready to get up. Akansha placed the diary in her bag.
“Roshan”, called a hoarse voice from behind.
Roshan turned to around to see Mr. Arora his boss’s boss, who almost owned the entire place walking up to him with two managers, high up in the management, at his side. He had struck the right chord with Mr. Arora with his unclouded ideas and logic. He had taken a liking to Roshan, so had a few other managers. Roshan was always a bit awed in his presence and therefore a bit nervous.
“Roshan, come have lunch with us.” Mr. Arora said benevolently.
Roshan could not say no to him but he tried.
“Sir actually I…”
“Just come, I want to discuss something with you.”
Roshan could not refuse anymore it was not every day that the owner of his office wanted to talk to an engineer just at the beginning of his career. This was huge.
“Sorry,” Roshan apologized “I have to go.”
Akansha said only too hurriedly,
“It’s ok.”
So Roshan walked with a very apologetic expression on his face. Wonder if he should do a ‘Yagna’ or something to lift the curse on him.
The auto rickshaw came to a screeching halt. An irate old lady of around 50 got off the rickshaw.
“Can’t see where you are driving!” said Mrs. Shanti in a tone that suggested that she was one of those old ladies who was in the habit of complaining about just about anything that came into their view.
“Here!” She said giving the driver 50rs
“But memsahib it’s 60 Rs!” exclaimed the driver.
“Keep it. It is too much as it is.” Mrs. Shanti replied already walking away.
The building in front was a multi-storey building. She walked through the glass doors into the air conditioned reception hall.
“I have to meet Roshan.” She said to the receptionist.
“Just a minute, ma’am.” The receptionist replied dialing Roshan’s extension.
“Roshan, your mothers here to see you.” She spoke into the phone.
“O- one minute. Have her seated. I am coming.” The reply came.
“Is he here or not?” asked Mrs. Shanti in an irritated voice.
“Yes, he is in his office he will be……” before the receptionist could complete Mrs. Shanti had headed towards the elevator.
Roshan on the other hand worried about his mother making a fuss in his office had taken the stairs to reach ground floor quickly.
“Yes, Lata…” Roshan enquired the receptionist.
“She took the elevator.” receptionist replied.
Roshan hurried upstairs. But Mrs. Shanti had already reached his cubicle.
“I don’t know why this kid never listens to me.” Roshan heard his mother complaining to one of his coworker with whom he shared the cubicle.
With his temper rising already and feeling uneasy he approached his cubicle.
“Maa, what are you doing here?” Roshan asked in a low voice
“Arrey Beta Mrs. Gowarekar has brought a very nice ‘rishta’ for you.”
Roshan quickly took her arm and gentle tried to guide her outside away from his coworkers.
“The girl is from a very wealthy family.” continued Mrs. Shanti “She is very cultural too.”
“Maa, how many times have I told you… I don’t want to marry yet.”
Mrs. Shanti stooped in her tracks. Taking her arm away she scolded,
“Yes, of course. You are a big boy now.” Her high pitch voice had got everyone’s attention but they pretending to not listen, trying to let Roshan savor some dignity.
“You can do whatever you want. Who am I to say anything?”
“Maa I will come home in the evening. Why don’t we talk then?”
“You are always postponing talking about settling down.” Mrs. Shanti said now near the elevator.
“I will see you in the evening.” Roshan said.
“Ok beta, and don’t forget to get the groceries.” Mrs. Shanti said before the elevator doors closed.
Roshan returned to his cubicle with an expression that said “Mothers! Right!”
Just outside his cubicle he was confronted by Dhruv.
“Aur bhai, Getting married?” teased Dhruv.
“Shut up.” snapped Roshan.
“By the way I think you should listen to your mother, you know.” Continued Dhruv unfurled, “After all it’s not like you are going to find a girl on your own.”
Dhruv was referring to Roshans almost paranormal ability of not getting into a relationship. It was not that Roshan was not good looking, or that he was not interested in girls. He was handsome, smart, and intellectual, went to discos, partied and went gym so had become quite ripped. Yet by divine intervention he always managed to lose the girl even before anything happened.
“Look at me I have five girlfriends.” Dhruv said “I will introduce you to one of them.”
But Roshan did not really want to go out with his friends ex. He had lost some girls due to his ideals.
Roshan walked out of his office building into the April afternoon. It felt quite pleasant as the April warmth came over him after having sat the whole morning in the air conditioned building. He knew though, that soon it would be very uncomfortable as he would perspire under the sun. Dhruv still had some work in the office and probably would not be able to join him for lunch today. Dhruv’s office did not have many women. He was an engineer and there were few women in his line of work. And he was not on speaking terms with most of the Lady colleagues. That is why when he saw an attractive girl who could have been around 22 looking at him he stopped and tried to hold her gaze but she turned away quickly. Roshan wondered if he should go talk to her after all he had missed the few chances he had with opposite sex perhaps because he had not seized the opportunity. But he had already walked passed her in ambivalence debating whether to talk to her or not. Nearly near the compound gate he gathered his courage and walked towards her. But he felt awkward talking to a girl he did not know without any prior acquaintance. But another voice inside him said “What the heck! She does not know me so what does it matter if I blow it?”
So with new found recklessness he went and sat beside the girl. She was busy writing something in her diary. The name “Akansha” was written on the side of the diary.
With a beating heart he said,
“Excuse me!”
The girl looked up. She was wearing mascara as most girls in Delhi do.
“Yes?” she enquired looking up.
“Do you work here?” Roshan asked. He could think of no better thing to say.
“Um… No, actually I came here for an interview.” She replied.
“What kind of interview?” replied Roshan, surprised that he was not nervous at all. In fact he was speaking so naturally that even the girl seemed to be at quite ease.
“I have come here to apply for a job to making short documentaries. They are short movies.” She said these pointing at a form in her hand.
He knew perfectly well what a documentary was, and was a bit annoyed that she thought that he did not know what a documentary was. But he cast the annoyance aside and quickly thought what he knew about documentaries. His interests were so varied they always coincided with hobbies of women and then he would have something to talk about. But he did not know much about documentaries, except the ones that had won the Oscars recently and he could not fit that into the conversation.
“Can I have a look at that?” Roshan asked, referring to the forms in her hand.
“Yeah, sure.” It seemed to Roshan almost like she wanted him to.
The form read Akansha Ratan. His brain was working too furiously to register anything beyond that. Besides he did not want to break the flow of the conversation.
“So what are you doing right now?” he asked.
“I have interview in a hour.” she replied “I was thinking of grabbing a bite before that.”
“Well it’s my lunch break too. And I really hate eating alone.” Roshan said his heart beating a little faster.
“You wanna go grab a bite?” he asked.
This was the moment of truth, the time seemed to be passing very slowly. He could almost feel her brain working. What would it be? Please say yes? For once let the curse on him be lifted.
“Yeah, ok” was the reply.
“Let’s go then.” He replied getting up to go. Hardly believing what was going on. He was never this lucky.
Akansha too got ready to get up. Akansha placed the diary in her bag.
“Roshan”, called a hoarse voice from behind.
Roshan turned to around to see Mr. Arora his boss’s boss, who almost owned the entire place walking up to him with two managers, high up in the management, at his side. He had struck the right chord with Mr. Arora with his unclouded ideas and logic. He had taken a liking to Roshan, so had a few other managers. Roshan was always a bit awed in his presence and therefore a bit nervous.
“Roshan, come have lunch with us.” Mr. Arora said benevolently.
Roshan could not say no to him but he tried.
“Sir actually I…”
“Just come, I want to discuss something with you.”
Roshan could not refuse anymore it was not every day that the owner of his office wanted to talk to an engineer just at the beginning of his career. This was huge.
“Sorry,” Roshan apologized “I have to go.”
Akansha said only too hurriedly,
“It’s ok.”
So Roshan walked with a very apologetic expression on his face. Wonder if he should do a ‘Yagna’ or something to lift the curse on him.
2 comments:
unlucky in love mate. lol. nyc. a good new post after so long. lets see what happens next.
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