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The Love of a Man

The Love of a Man

Santhi was a typical girl from the province when Adhavan met her.  He had to go to her town to do a little background check for a possible expansion for his company.  At 25, he was already showing great promise as a Civil Engineer, and this project is his first big break.

Although he comes from a rich family, he never let this stop him from pursuing his own dreams.  His family wanted him to take over the business once he graduates from college, but he had other plans.

Much to his family’s disappointment, Adhavan decided to carve his own path.  Thankfully, after years of being in conflict with his parents, they are finally slowly accepting his decision, and now, they are starting to see that he made the right choice.

Santhi was walking home from the market when she saw a sleek black car stop just inches away from her.  She had a good day today, selling all her vegetables in the market.  She stopped in her tracks when she saw a handsome young man get off the car and walk towards her.

“Good day to you.  Is the town plaza still far from here?”  Adhavan inquired.  This girl is possibly the most beautiful girl he has ever laid eyes on.

“No, you’re just a few meters away now.  Just make a right turn at the corner store and go straight.  You won’t miss it.”

“Thank you.  I am Adhavan, by the way.”  He said, extending his hand.

“My name is Santhi.”  She shyly answered, taking his hand to shake it.

She hurriedly said her excuses and walked away from this man who is starting to send goosebumps all over her.  She felt something when he took her hand.  It was as if an electric current ran down her spine all the way to her legs and she felt weak.

Adhavan went on to work on his project for at least a year in her home town, and everyday, he would pay her a visit and give her gifts.  He never failed to show her how much he loves her.

Finally, after a year of courtship, Santhi accepted his proposal.  She had never had a relationship before.  She didn’t know that the love of a man could consume her whole being and render her helpless and yet happy at the same time.  So this is what they call love.  She’ll never forget the day she met him.  It was the day she fell in love with him.

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The Call

The Call

The time on the wall clock read 2:45 a.m., but Nanthan couldn’t sleep.  In fact, he dared not, at least not while he was still in the office.

He suppressed a yawn.  The graveyard shift was always difficult, despite the fact that he had been at his job for over six months already.  It was just one of those things that he learned how to cope with, but never fully got used to.

The red light and beeping sound on his comm indicated an incoming call.  Nanthan pressed the receive button and spoke into the microphone of his headset with a crisp American English accent.

“Hello, this is Hyper Solutions.  How may I help you?”

“Hyper Solutions?“ an old woman’s voice replied.  “Oh, I’m sorry. I think I dialed the wrong number.”

“That’s quite all right, Ma’am,” he responded.  “Which number or company are you trying to reach?  Perhaps I may be of assistance.”

The woman paused.  “Actually, I’m not looking for a company.  I thought this was my son’s number.”

“I see.”

“You know, you sound a bit like he does.”

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

“I know you’re probably busy, but would you mind very much if we chatted for a minute?”

Nanthan blinked.  He knew that if he attended to the needs of this lady, it would mean putting other customers with business-related concerns on hold.  His head said no, but something in his heart urged him on.

“I don’t mind at all, Ma’am,” he said.

The woman heaved a sigh of relief.  “Thank you.  It can get very lonely here, you know.”

“You’re very welcome, Ma’am.  I understand where you’re coming from.  We’re here to serve our customers, after all.”

“That’s very kind of you, young man,” the old woman told him. “I wish more people were as kind as you are.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Ma’am.”

“Can you tell me a little more about your company?”

Nanthan happily obliged. After several minutes, the old woman politely interrupted him.

“I have a confession to make,” she said. “I was just testing you, actually.  My son’s name is Santhan Kumar.  I wanted to find out what his people were like.  Sorry for deceiving you somewhat.”

Nanthan did a double take.  Santhan was the owner of the company.

“No problem, Mrs. Santhan,” he managed.

“Keep up the great work.  Thank you so much again.  Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, Mrs. Santhan.”

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Friends and Adversaries

Friends and Adversaries

For as long as she can remember Abirami and Karthika have never gotten along.  They were neighbors and schoolmates, but they completely ignored one another whenever they would bump into each other in the streets or in school.

Karthika was a beautiful girl with long black and silky hair.  She was the most popular girl in school.  Girls in school envied her good looks and the way the boys admired her.  She was also popular among teachers because she always got good grades.  She joined decathlons and always won.

Abirami, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of Karthika when it came to her popularity status.  Although Abirami was also a pretty girl, she wasn’t as stunning as Karthika.  She also got good grades, but Karthika’s were always higher.  This is why she resented Karthika.

It didn’t help that their families were friends, being neighbors and all.  Their parents knew that their girls weren’t as close as they had hoped, but they didn’t know that there is animosity between the two girls.

However, this would change one afternoon in school.  It was already late and most everyone had gone home already.  Abirami forgot about the time and didn’t realize that it was already starting to get dark.  She had spent hours in the library researching for a project.

As she was walking down the hall, she heard a noise from one of the rooms.  She silently went to the window to see what the commotion was, and to her horror, she saw Karthika struggling in the arms of one boy.  She was begging him to stop kissing her and to please let her go.

Without hesitation, Abirami barged into the room and hit the boy with her books.  She kept hitting him and hitting him while shouting for help.  This scared the boy and he ran off.

“Are you okay?”  Abirami asked Karthika as she took the shaken girl’s hand in hers.

“Thank you.”  She said, sobbing.

“We were just talking.  I really liked him but then he started kissing me and I got scared.”

“We must tell our teacher about him tomorrow.”  Abirami angrily said.

“No, please.  It will ruin my reputation.”

Understanding what she meant, Abirami agreed to keep quiet about the whole incident but insisted that, from now on, they will go to school and walk home together just to be on the safe side.

That afternoon, tragedy brought two adversaries together and forged a beautiful friendship between them.

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Parents Know Best

Parents Know Best

It had been raining incessantly since this morning.  Abi absentmindedly watched as the raindrops slowly trickled down her bedroom window.  She hasn’t been sleeping well at night ever since her parents told her that they have already planned her betrothal to the son of their long-time friends.

Suthan had been away for a long time.  He went to America to study when he was just a young boy.  Twenty years later, he decides to come back home.  It would have been all right if only her parents hadn’t insisted that she marry him!  Now, all she could think of was how much she hated him.

“We are living in the 21st century!  You would think that people would be free to choose whomever they want to marry!”  Abi frustrated whispered to no one in particular.

She had always been a good daughter.  She obeyed her parents, did everything they asked her to.  She even went to the university they picked for her!  But to marry her off to a complete stranger?  This is the rest of her life they’re talking about!

It’s not that she had a boyfriend, and she was happily in love with him.  But she does want to know how it feels to be in love.  She wants to experience the butterflies in the stomach and the sweaty palms whenever he’s around.  She wants the whole fairy tale – the happily ever after ending.  She realizes now that she may never have the anymore, thanks to her parents and a guy named Suthan.

Abi sighed and continued watching the rain from her window.  Tonight, Suthan and his parents are coming over to formally ask for her hand in marriage.  Tonight, they will hand her over to a man who will be more like a prison guard than a good, loving husband.  Tonight will mark the beginning of the end of her life.

Evening finally came and Abi had no choice but to go down to meet the man she was to marry next month.  As she was going down the stairs, she caught a glimpse of a handsome young man with eyes as bright as the stars.

As he rose to greet her, she saw that he was tall and well-built.  She felt the butterflies in her stomach and her palms started to sweat.

“Hi, Abi.  I am Suthan.  I’m very happy to meet you.”  He said as he softly kissed the back of her hand.

Abi realized that, truly, parents know best.

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For Better or For Worse

For Better or For Worse

Mathu has always been a carefree young girl.  She loved hanging out with her friends after all her chores are done.  They loved to just sit at a local café nearby and look at all the people passing by.  They would make up stories about the people they see, and they always had a good laugh about their silliness.

Mathan, on the other hand, has always been the serious kind.  He hardly ever smiled, and when he did, it looked more like a grimace than a smile.  He liked staying home during his free time, and he is not interested in anything except work.  Mathan has never even been to the movies!

However, when these two opposites met, it’s as if all the stars aligned and everything fell into place.  On one rare occasion, he went to the same café that Mathu and her friends always hung out in, and just like from the movies; he accidentally spilled his cold coffee on her.  He was so embarrassed and apologetic that Mathu could only laugh at his discomfort.

She assured him that it was perfectly all right and that she could easily change because her house is just nearby.  Still apologizing, he offered to walk her home.  She couldn’t refuse his offer because she felt so sorry for him.

After she emerged from her bedroom, looking fresh and all cleaned up, he invited her back to the café.  “I apologize once again for spoiling your dress.”  Mathan told her.

“Mathan, if you apologize one more time, I swear I will spill coffee on you!”  She laughingly said.

“May I invite you for coffee then?”

“Sure.”

As they walked back to the café, he couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked.  Mathu, too, was carefully examining this adorable man walking beside her.  Before long, their coffee dates turned into dinner dates, and they began spending more and more time together.

She showed him the fun side of life, and he, in turn, showed her how to be organized and serious about certain things.  They were exact opposites that blended perfectly well.  Years later, he asked her to marry him and she accepted.

They have grown to love each other’s eccentricities, flaws and traits.  They complement each other so perfectly that they have created the right balance in their lives.  For better or for worse, they promised to love one another for the rest of their lives.

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Hope, Love and Life

Hope, Love and Life

KalaiMoli was an orphan girl who grew up with her aunt and uncle.  Her aunt was her mother’s sister, and she took her in only because no one else wanted her.  Her cousins were about the same age as her, but they never got along.  They always picked on her and made her feel unwelcome.

She didn’t go to the same private school.  Instead, she went to a nearby public school.  Sometimes, her aunt would make her do household chores all afternoon that she only had time to do her schools work late into the night.  Sometimes, too, she would go without dinner as a punishment for something she didn’t do.

Through it all, one thing kept her going - the thought that someday she would earn enough money to support herself, and she can leave the house that has brought her so many heartaches and tears.

She never blamed anyone for her fate.  She just accepted the fact that this was the life handed her and she had to make the best of it.

Her only friend was a schoolmate named Kanmani.  Kanmani comes from a rich family, but she was very simple and good-hearted.  KalaMoli’s plight made her feel sorry for her, but her friend’s determination to succeed and positive outlook on life are what Kanmani admired about her.  Her friend’s strong character is something she respected.

“Someday, Kanmani, I can leave everything behind and start life on my own.”  She would often tell her best friend.  “Someday, I can be truly happy away from all the people that hurt me.”

Although she accepts the fact that she owed a lot to her aunt and uncle, and that she would always be grateful to them for taking her in, she also understands that they have no place in their family for her.

KalaiMoli recalls how hard her life had been back in her home town, but now that she has become a successful doctor, mostly helping the poor and going on medical missions to other impoverished countries, she acknowledges that, without those hardships, she wouldn’t be where she is now.

With the love of her best friend and the hope that kept burning in her heart for a better life, she has finally reached her dreams.

“Indeed, hardships and trials in life come to make us stronger and better persons,” she admits to herself.

She silently whispers a prayer of thanks as she tends to an orphaned little girl.  At last, she has come full circle.

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Doll - Part One

Doll - Part One

Isha pounded on the heavy oak doors relentlessly, her knuckles red and swollen from too much knocking and her voice hoarse from excessive shouting.  She was bent on ignoring the pain, however, and was quite determined to continue pounding on the door, even if it meant hours more of waiting, shouting, and knocking.  She was going to make herself heard no matter what.  She was going to make him see the error of his ways.  Damn it all, she was going to make him pay.

He went too far this time.

“Javed, I know you’re in there!  Open up!  Open the door right this - ”

“What?!”

Startled by the abrupt slam the door made as it was swung open, Isha backed away slightly.  She stared at the man in front of her, his dark hair disheveled, his eyes red and smoldering in barely-controlled rage, his mouth twisted in a hideous snarl.  For a second, she thought he was a monster and had to take a further step back.  But then she realized he was wearing his pajamas, odd bunny-patterned ones, and realized that the man wasn’t a monster – he was just someone who was rudely roused from slumber.  Emboldened, she took some steps forward.

“Oh, you know perfectly well why I’m here, Javed!”

The snarl had twisted into a smile – mocking and patronizing.

“Come to play savior for little Harshita again, Isha?  Well, how nice of you.”

Isha ignored the slur to her character and tried instead to focus on the reason she went there in the first place.

“I came back to get her things.  She asked me to.  Now if you don’t mind, please move aside.”

She pressed forward, intent on entering the house and getting what she came there for, but before she could enter, a hand shot out, barring her way in.

“You lie.”

The words were whispered, venomous and scathing.  And when she looked up at the speaker, she saw that he was smiling – sinister and cold – but she didn’t miss it.  No, she didn’t miss the doubt that flitted through his eyes.  It disappeared quickly, but she saw it, she was sure.

She had to commend him for his perceptiveness though.  He was right, of course, she was lying.  He treated Harshita like trash, but Isha had to hand it to him, he sure knew his girl inside out.

But this time, he wasn’t completely sure, and now she had the upper hand.

“You know you can’t blame her, Javed.  You’re much too fond of breaking your toys.”

She reached out, grabbing the long sinewy arm that blocked her way, moved it to the side, and went inside.  Aisha wouldn’t like it, but she had to keep up this farce.  It was for her friend’s own good.  Javed wasn’t good for her.  He wasn’t good for anyone.

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Doll - Part Two

Doll - Part Two

Isha had her eyes shut tight in irritation.  Her friend was possibly the densest person on earth.  Couldn’t Harshita see that she was only doing what was best for her?  Couldn’t she see that he was bad for her?  Couldn’t she see?!

“Did he say anything - ”

Isha cut her off, not wanting to tolerate her friend’s dithering resolve.

“Oh dear, dear, Harshita.  It doesn’t matter anymore.  You’re finally free of that man!  We already talked about this, remember?”

She watched as the girl, clad in a white knee-length dress and a purple camisole, bit her lower lip and clenched her suitcase tighter.  She had her head bowed, but after a while, she looked up, her thin brows knit together in determination and said, “Yes, yes we did talk about it.  And I’m leaving my bab - Javed.  He can cook his own meals, for all I care.”

She could really be cute sometimes, daffy and a bit dense, but still cute.  Isha thought as she smiled fondly at her friend.  She had a good feeling that things were going to be okay from now on.  Oh, she was pretty sure that Javed wouldn’t be taking this lying down.  But then again, the sooner she could send Harshita off to another city, the harder it would be for Javed to make a move.  Oh yes, there was hope.

“Great.  Now, run off now, Harshita, I’ll visit you next week.  You’ll be bunking in with Aisha for a while, okay?  You got her address?”

“Yeah”, Harshita said sheepishly before giving her friend a small hug, “you’re a great friend, Isha, the greatest.”

“Yeah, yeah.  Now go on.  Bye Harshita.  Take care!”

“Bye, Isha.  Thanks again!”  Harshita waved before turning away and bounding off to the train.  Isha was about to breathe a sigh of relief when suddenly, someone very rude bumped into her, zooming past her and towards the train.

She was just about to grumble about rude passengers who should learn to come to the station on time when -

“Harshita!”

The said girl whirled around, a flurry of white and purple, trying to locate where the voice had come from.  Before she could find the one who called her, however, she was enveloped in crushing hug.

Isha could hear murmured statements of ‘don’t leave me’ and ‘I love you’ and ‘I’m sorry’ from Javed and some muffled sobbing from Harshita.  They were back together again, and she couldn’t help but curse Javed’s vileness and Harshita’s stupidity.

But really, there was nothing she could do but seethe and lament the world’s shortage of sanity.

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Falling for a Work Mate

Falling for a Work Mate

They have been working together for nearly three years now and yet, Kaveri has never looked at Aathi as anything more than a work mate.  Although they worked in the same department, Kaveri hardly ever talked to Aathi except when necessary.  It was always about work when it came to their relationship.

Actually, Kaveri was the quiet type.  She never joins them whenever their work mates would go clubbing or go on trips to the countryside.  She’d rather stay home with a good book instead of cavorting with the men at work or chatting with the girls from the office.

These traits are what attracted Aathi to Kaveri.  He liked the way she handled herself – always poised, well-mannered and well-dressed.  She is someone any guy would be proud to bring home to meet the family.  She is the ideal woman any man would want to marry.

He’s been pining for her for far too long.  It’s about time that he let to her know how he truly feels about her.  After almost three years of silently loving her, Aathi determined that, once and for all, he will find out if Kaveri could love him the same way that he loves her.

“Tonight, I will ask her out for dinner and profess my love for her.”  Aathi promised himself.  “Tonight, I will find out if she loves me, too!”

Finally, mustering enough courage to go up to Kaveri, he asked if she was free for dinner that night.  He couldn’t believe his ears when she said that she’d be glad to have dinner with him. 

“At last!” Kaveri said to herself.  “Aathi finally noticed me.”

Little did they know that they have been hiding their true feelings for each other all the years that they’ve been working together.  As the day turned into night, both Aathi and Kaveri were secretly anticipating their first date – a first of many others, for the rest of their lives if the heavens permit.

As it turned out, the more that they talked well into the night, the more they found out how much they have in common.  Before the night ended, they talked about going out again the following night.  Who knows?  Tomorrow night could lead into the next night and the next and the next for the rest of their lives.

And as he walked her to her door, he gently leaned forward to plant a kiss on her lips.  Aathi and Kaveri found out that falling for a work mate isn’t so bad after all.

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Differences

Differences

“Isn’t it grand?” he asked her, voice bubbling over with obvious excitement.  Aisha looked at the painting, trying to make some sense out of it but failing miserably.

‘It’s just a bunch of dots and lines.  how could it mean anything?!’ she thought miserably.

“Yes, honey.  It’s very beautiful!,” she exclaimed, feigning understanding and amazement.  She hoped he would just get on with his monologue about the work of art’s meaning like he always did.  It was going to be boring, but the sooner he was done describing the picture, the sooner she could get to those checkbooks.  They needed to be balanced after all, balanced and rechecked.

When all she got was her husband’s silence, however, she began to grow worried.  She glanced at her husband, only to see him looking at her with an expression that was akin to disappointment.

“You don’t have to pretend, Aisha,” Kumar looked away, not really liking the fact that his wife didn’t understand much about art.  She was a no-nonsense girl, excelling in mathematics and all the other things he thought were a waste of time.

He, however, liked – loved – art.  It was an integral part of his life; one that she, sadly, didn’t think was worth her time.

It was all rather frustrating.

Silence – thick and heavy – stretched on between them, neither of them willing to break it.

Their relationship was falling apart.  He knew, she knew, they both knew.

It was hard to imagine that, just last year, they were the hottest couple in town – Jack and Sally, Tristan and Isolde, Romeo and Juliet!  They were inseparable!  Well, until they realized they had nothing in common.

Unfortunately, by the time they realized this, they had already tied the knot.

“I - uh - I’m going to go to the study, Kumar.  I have some work to do.”

“Ri-right…,” he stammered, not really knowing what to say to her.  Instead, he just watched her walk away, feeling a twinge in his heart that he couldn’t quite describe.  Sighing, he went to his own study, the one he had converted into a studio, and started painting.

They stayed like that for the rest of the day, apart.  Each doing his one thing, each caught up in their own world – worlds that excluded each other.  They both had to wonder, though, why he was painting a picture of her and she was balancing his checkbooks.

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