Bright Future

There was a sudden, loud and ear-splitting knock at the door. I was rudely shaken out of my deep sleep. I was unwilling to get up to see

who was at the door. The noise was loud and sounded urgent. I could not ignore it. I reluctantly got up. I did not recognize the person standing before me. My eyes were still heavy with sleep. I focused my eyes on the person standing at the door with difficulty. It was the security guard. Before I could speak, he said, ‘Warden’s room in five minutes.’ He then turned around and left.

I stood rooted to the ground, trying to understand the message the security guard had just delivered. Then I understood what the guard had said. The guard had delivered to me the urgent summons from the hostel warden.

Warden Sir was strict and punctual. I needed to rush if I was to make it to his room within the time given. I splashed water on my face and woke up Vineet too.

‘Wake up, Vineet.’ He was fast asleep. I poured a mug of water over him and he immediately sat up on his bed.

‘Are you mad, bro? What’s this?’ Vineet asked in annoyance.

‘Get up quickly. We are called in the warden’s room. Put on your clothes fast. We need to hurry,’ I said.

I was certain that the security guard had reported about our late entry into the hostel last night. We had to brace ourselves for a severe reprimand and punishment for breaking the hostel rules.

I was right. Warden listened to our story and then gave his decision. He fined us one thousand rupees each for our indiscretion and indiscipline. I had just saved some money to purchase a new headphone. That money would now go to pay this fine. It was our mistake and we deserved the punishment. It was quite fair. I did not know about Vineet, but I accepted warden’s decision gracefully; not that we had any choice. The warden then dismissed us from his presence saying sternly to us, ‘I warn you that this should be the first and the last time for both of you for such behaviour. If you repeat this, you will have to vacate the hostel.’ It was the last warning to us from the administration. I swore to myself that I would never repeat such a mistake again.

We returned to our room. It was now morning and time to get ready and attend the lecture. We were running late. As I entered the classroom, Ruchi shouted from the last bench, ‘There is no class today, Yohan and Vineet.’

It was a surprise. Ruchi looked cheerful and her voice was strong and not weak as it had been in the last few days. She appeared her normal self, composed and recovered. The change in her surprised and pleased me.

‘Thanks, Ruchi. Now, what do we do with this free time?’ Vineet asked politely.

‘I don’t know. First, let us sit and gossip,’ Ruchi suggested.

I could feel the positive change in her. She looked cheerful and happy. There was no trace of gloominess and stress of the previous night on her face. She was smiling and looked charmingly beautiful. I was happy for the change I saw in her and so was Vineet.

We all sat in the canteen, ordered four cups of tea and grilled sandwiches. I was the first one to break the ice. ‘How’s your dad now, Aditi?’

‘He is fine now. He suffered from migraine. Last night it had become worse. That was why mom called me up. But now he is in good health,’ Aditi said with relief in her voice.

Vineet was looking at Ruchi. He said, ‘Hey! Ruchi. You look different from yesterday.’

‘Yup, I am enormously happy, Vineet. I am sorry I was such a spoil sport. But now I am good. Yesterday you told me to smile. I am following your advice. Look, I am smiling,’ Ruchi replied with genuine cheer in her voice.

‘Thank you, Ruchi. You look awful when you are not in your elements. Today, you look great. Ruchi, wear that smile always. God bless you,’ Vineet said to her.

‘Okay, okay. It’s good but tell us a little more how this change has occurred,’ I asked Ruchi.

‘Okay! I’ll tell you.’

And Ruchi narrates her story.

Last night, I made a mistake and got drunk. I must have made a fool of myself. It was so nice of Vineet to help me and take me home. ‘Thank you so much, Vineet,’ Ruchi said looking at him.

I slept the whole night and woke up in the morning at six. Mom asked me to come downstairs. When I came down, I saw my father sitting in the living room. I was seeing him after three years. I ran towards him and cuddled him tightly. I was crying uncontrollably. I was so glad to see him after such a long time.

‘Dad, I missed you so much.’ I said to him. I can’t tell you all, how I felt at that moment. It seemed all my prayers has been answered. All my wishes have come true. I was on cloud nine, happy and blessed.

After the divorce with my mother, my father had moved to London. I did not see him thereafter. But today, I felt he had come only for me. I have always loved my dad.

When parents get divorced, it doesn’t mean their responsibilities end with their separation. The termination of marriage does not end their responsibility towards their children.

I sat next to my dad and talked to him. ‘Ruchi, how are you?’ he enquired.

‘I am good, dad. What about you? Is everything good in London?’ I asked.

‘Yes, Ruchi. Things are well. Ruchi, your mother told me you are in low spirits these days. Is there something bothering you?’ dad asked.

‘Dad, I was just….’ I was looking down and could not complete the sentence I had started. I could not look into his eyes. I did not know how to tell him what was weighing my mind.

‘Go on, Ruchi and tell me what is worrying you,’ dad said.

‘Actually dad, I broke up with my boyfriend. Moreover, your separation disturbed me mentally. I miss you a lot. I really do,’ I said with hesitation.

Dad remained quiet for a while and then said, ‘Ruchi, please do not let the past spoil your present and your future. It’s better to forget the past and make a new beginning. I am sorry for your breakup. It is good that you had a breakup now than realizing it later that you both are not made for each other. There are many good reasons to make a fresh beginning. We cannot live in the past. Please trust yourself. Have faith in yourself and take up a new start. Let him go his own way.’ I found his words made sense. I felt a sense of relief within me knowing that my own father was sitting next to me and giving me advice on how to face life. I was beginning to feel better.

‘Thank you so much. What you say makes me feel better. I love you, dad,’ I said. He smiled. He held me in his arms, and I felt as if all my unhappiness has drained away and a sense of joy took its place.

‘There is also a piece of good news for you,’ dad said pulling my mother by her hand. He took me and my mother under his arms and said, ‘Your mother and I are getting married again.’

I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ and embraced him more tightly. I could not have asked for more from God.

‘That’s it…’

...

‘Wow! That is a great piece of news,’ Vineet was the first one to respond. ‘And guess what?’ Ruchi said.

‘What?’ we all echoed together.

Ruchi opened her purse and took out the movie tickets of Tanu Weds Manu. Vineet and I were delighted to see them, but Aditi looked as if she had something to say.

‘It is a superb plan. What do you say, Aditi?’ Vineet said.

‘Yes, it is good. I was thinking that we would go to some place for an outing. We can have fun, some camping, at a place near some lake, a decent place to chill. We see it happening in the movies all the time. Then, why we cannot do it in real life too?’

‘That sounds like a good idea,’ I said, endorsing Aditi.

‘There is a weekend approaching. Can we use it to visit such place? What you guys prefer?’ Aditi asked.

‘Aditi, I would love to but the coming weekend I’m going to Mumbai to meet my parents. I have been out of Mumbai for some time and I am booked to travel over the coming weekend. Sorry, but we can plan it for the following week,’ I replied.

‘I am busy the next weekend. Let us drop it for the time being. We would plan it some other time,’ Ruchi said. I could see that Aditi was a little disappointed.

‘Sorry, Aditi.’

There were no classes today. It was not a good approach by the college authority to cancel classes. Yes, we do get excited when there is no lecture. But I am concerned about those students who come from far off places to study and learn. A day’s off without prior notice, wastes their time and money in travelling back and forth. The college must work on the planned academic program.

This college was not my first choice, but I couldn’t find another better than this. Since there were no classes, the students roamed around in the campus aimlessly, that’s all what we did to kill time.

We sat on the stairs which led to the old canteen. There were hardly any students in the canteen too, so we went in the there, making casual conversation and repeating old and tired jokes.

Vineet said something humorous and everyone giggled. Suddenly we heard someone sobbing. We turned our heads and saw a girl sitting alone on a chair. She has covered her face with her palms and was crying.

Ruchi recognised her. She was Sheffali, one of our seniors. Aditi got up and went to her. She sat on a chair next to her and handed her a handkerchief and asked, ‘Is everything alright, Sheffali? Why are you crying?’

Sheffali wiped off her tears and said, ‘I am okay. Everything is fine. I am just missing my parents. I thought of them and I did not know when I began sobbing.’ ‘Oh! I am so sorry. Why don’t you talk to them over phone?’ Vineet asked.

‘I have done that. I am just a bit emotional,’ she replied. But she soon composed herself and sounded better. She was not crying anymore. It feels bad when you have never been away from your parents and suddenly you had to stay all by yourself, away from them. At that moment you feel awful and you want to just go back home. Some find the situation difficult to handle.

‘If you are feeling home sick, you must go back home this weekend,’ I suggested.

‘Yes, you are right. I am just going to do that. I am going home tomorrow,’ she replied.

‘Oh! That is wonderful,’ said Aditi.

‘Thanks, guys. I feel better now.’ Sheffali said and then she got up to leave. ‘Bye, Sheffali,’ Vineet bid her as she was leaving.

Words count, but feelings don’t. Feelings are sensations of mind, and words replica of one’s will.

A ghost apprehends your self-belief and body reacts with shape. I guess everything goes well with Sheffali.