Crossing the Mirage: Passing through youth, BS Murthy [free reads .TXT] 📗

the gold ring to look like, Chandra realized that it was meant for a valentine. Besides, he felt the detail conveyed a commitment to the cause and his articulation indicated a loving care. Impressed with the man’s passion for his project, Chandra agreed to undertake the intricate work.

    “How soon can I have it?” asked the man.

“We haven’t yet given our quote,” said Chandra amused by his hurry.

“I’ve heard you won’t overcharge,” said the man. “I want it by day after tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks for your trust in us,” said Chandra pleased with the goodwill, “but it takes time.”

“I need it badly, and in time,” the man said, and Chandra could see a peculiar desperation on his face.

“It would cost 2k,” said Chandra having made an estimate of it, “and you can pick it up as we open at ten the day after tomorrow.”

“Would you please put your best man on the job?” said the man paying an advance of one thousand rupees. “If you don’t mind, I would like to see the work in progress.”

“Why, it’s interesting,” said Chandra reaching for the Bill Book. “Will you mind leaving your name and address?”

“Sathya,” he said filling the form, “what about my being with your workman?”

“Come along then,” Chandra led him out, leaving the rigmarole of closing the shop to Yadagiri.

On their way to the master goldsmith in his Fiat, Chandra began to feel an inexplicable empathy for Sathya.

“You don’t even want to know my name,” said Chandra.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Sathya apologetically, “I’m beside myself.”

“That’s clear anyway,” said Chandra. “If I’m not wrong you’re in love, aren’t you?”

“It’s more like I’m in a trance now.”

“Why, your face betrays that.”

“Well, she says I’ve a transparent face.”

“I admire men in love.”

“That means you’re in love yourself,” smiled Sathya wryly. “But are you lucky?”

“Not before I lost all hope.”

“I’m happy for you.”

“You’ve come up with an expressive design.”

“Nice you appreciate,” said Sathya feeling oneness with Chandra. “Surely you’ve a feeling heart!”

“Is it the engagement ring?” asked Chandra as a way of enquiring though he knew from Sathya’s demeanor it was not the case.

“It’s something of a safety ring,” said Sathya mysteriously. “Hopefully I’ll come back to you for mangalasutrams.”

“I wish you would,” said Chandra extending his hand to Sathya.

“Thank you,” said Sathya as he shook Chandra’s hand. “Right now I’ve got jammed at the cross-roads of confusion.”

“Sometimes it helps to talk it over,” said Chandra by way of inviting Sathya’s friendship. “If you wish, you can make me your confidant.”

“You’re inviting trouble I suppose,” said Sathya heartily. “Don’t you know men in love make a boring company?”

“You seem to be an interesting character,” said Chandra, laughing heartily.

“She says there can’t be another like me.”

“I suppose she's right,” said Chandra “You’ve a romantic face like I’ve never seen before.”

“But she never said so,” said Sathya with a sense of disappointment.

“May I know her name?”

“Kala.”

“Honestly,” said Chandra, “I’m getting more and more curious.”

“Not now, but surely some other time,” said Sathya disarmingly. “I’m glad you’re helping me out.”

“I have a feeling we might click well,” said Chandra as he extended his hand.

“It would be my privilege being your friend,” said Sathya warmly shaking Chandra’s hand. “I would love to hear your love story some day.”

“Why not,” said Chandra equally warmly, “come out lucky and we shall exchange notes.”

“I suppose, I need all the luck in the world now.”

“I wish tons of it anyway.”

“Thanks a lot for that!”

After introducing Sathya to the veteran and entrusting his work to him, Chandra excused himself.

 Reaching home, when Chandra told Nithya about his strange encounter with Sathya, she was so much impressed to express her desire to see the lover who was in a quandary.

“Love seems to be your creed,” she said in the end affectionately. “And I love it.”

Though it was a week since Sathya collected the ring, Chandra was still thinking about him. Somehow, he was eager for Sathya’s return and as he appeared shortly thereafter, Chandra welcomed him heartily.

“Any good news?” said Chandra in welcome.

“It’s patchy at the most.”

“How did she like the ring?”

“Thanks for the trouble you’ve taken,” said Sathya gratefully, “she felt it’s out of the world.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” said Chandra in reciprocation. “I’m all for taking more of such troubles.”

“Now I’m going to trouble you in another way,” said Sathya in invitation. “as I’ve reached the stage of compulsive outpour.”

“If you allow me to lend my ears,” said Chandra in jest, “you would get my heart free.”

“Over a couple of drinks, if you please,” said Sathya, “at my place, that is.”

“With pleasure,” he said enthusiastically, “tell me the landmarks.”

As he left the Princely Pearls, Sathya scribbled his Kacheguda address, and mapped the route as well to enable Chandra reach his place without hassles.

 

 

Chapter 16

Love in the Bind

 

“Welcome to smoke and dust,” said Sathya as he led Chandra into his first floor apartment.

“You smoke a lot it seems,” said Chandra, surveying the heaps of Four Square butts lying all over the place.

“Ten packs a day,” said Sathya lighting another cigarette with the butt in hand, “and that should give you an idea about my life and love right now.”

“Well, I touched four when I was in the rough,” said Chandra as he lit a Berkeley, “but now I've cut down to two.”

“And your high was my regular quota,” said Sathya, mixing Black Knight for them.

“I’ve a feeling that your life is rather unusual,” said Chandra in anticipation, “that is, considering that my own life is no run of the mill.”

“It looks like that,” said Sathya looking vacantly, “going by my past, not to speak of the present.”

“I’m eager for your story of indiscretion,” said Chandra filling soda to the brim. “And that’s what love is all about.”

“If no woman ever induced indiscretion in your head,” said Sathya raising his glass, “then your heart may not be in the right place.”

“Well said,” said Chandra as he raised his as well.

“Cheers,” said Sathya.

“Cheers,” said Chandra clinking them.

“The saga begins in Calcutta,” began Sathya. “Have you ever been there?”

“No, but what I’ve heard about it is enough to make me not wanting to be there,” said Chandra in jest.

“Then let me begin with Cal before I end up with Kala,” said Sathya, sipping from his glass. “In a way the incongruities of my love are in sync with that city of contradictions. It’s as if there is that identity crisis with the woman I love and the city in which she grew up. While the visitors perceive it as a hole, the residents won’t like to swap it even with heaven itself. Well, it has that coarse exterior but it has a sublime inner, unique to itself. The casual visitors fail to grasp this, and that’s why the calumny that’s Calcutta. One understands that if only one lives there for some length of time. With people and places alike, don’t we form opinions from appearances? Oh, how people fail to see the soul of Cal! To start with, that’s how I erred in Kala’s case too. But, once I thought I saw her inner self, I felt she is an angelic soul.”

“For the same reason I was bitter for long,” said Chandra nostalgically, “that was, till Nithya came into my life.”

“Tell me how?” said Sathya turning eager.

“We will talk about that later,” said Chandra concernedly. “But now your tale takes precedence for it seems unresolved.”

“Oh, how nicely you’ve put it!” began Sathya as Chandra got ready not to drop a word. “It was on 15th March that I reached Cal to join Goddard & Griffith. That was two years ago and as a Purchase Officer for your detail. And it didn’t occur to me then that Caesar was done in on the ides of March. Anyway, I was surprised at seeing a peon doubling up as the receptionist at the office in 13, Camac Street. As I learned later, it was a different story altogether. It seems the boss of the day fancied the then Miss. Receptionist and took her under his romantic wings. And to further her professional cause as well, he made her a Miss Purchase Assistant, what was worse, he installed a peon in her place. Though she was found wanting at the purchase desk, yet he was making out to the higher-ups, that she was reducing the lead periods. Why, that made the detractors sneer that the reference could be to her own periods.”

Chandra had a hearty laugh followed by a strong puff of the Berkeley.

“As he was a man of substance, even otherwise, he moved up the ladder to the London Office. The man who replaced him thought it fit to shift the favored Miss to where she belonged. But the workers’ union would have none of that. You know how shortsighted these unions turn into when it comes to the company interests. And that left the office reception in the rough hands of that semi-literate. One day, however, the bubble burst as the younger brother of the company director came on a visit. In a case of classic mess up, the peon informed the new head that someone from the Younger Brother & Co. came to call on him. Aghast at what he saw, the irritated visitor reported the matter to his director brother. It was that comedy of errors which triggered the move to recruit a proper receptionist. It was thus that my fate had placed Kala at the reception before it led me into the portals of the office. If you are a believer in numerology, number 13 is a symbol of ‘power’ which if wrongly used will wreck destruction upon itself.’

“Oh, the ides of March and 13, Camac Street!” said Chandra a little perplexed. “Were you struck by lightning then?”

“On the contrary,” said Sathya reminiscently, “I wasn’t impressed by her at all. I found her odd for she was a little plump with a fluffy face and nigger hair. Not the sort I would fall for any day. Why, I told my colleague Gopal that she would be the last person to interest me in the world.”

“Strange are the ways of love!” said Chandra, thinking about the turn of events with Nithya. “What made you fall in love later?”

“As my job demanded a lot of telephonic talk, she was always on the line with me,” said Sathya. “Well, she has a marvelous voice and a cultured accent but I was not amused as she began transferring all and sundry calls to me. Once I lost my cool but apologized readily, and from then on, I was courteous to her and she started giving priority to my calls. Soon enough, we were on friendly terms and I began to see the positives of her persona.”

“As we established rapport, she exhibited a unique sense of humor that's intellectually stimulating,” said Sathya as he drank the dregs and stuffed the Four Square butt. “When I realized she has a bewitching smile and a seductive look besides, I was drawn to her. And also seeing her competent and skilful she was at work, I was really amazed. So, I began to seek her company at every turn and she too started flirting with me. What sense of humour she has and what a conversationalist she is! I don’t expect seeing someone bettering her at both. By allowing me to indulge, she had incited my passion for her. As I was groping in the dark for an opening, she invited me to come home for tea.”

“Don’t I know what passion for possession does to man!” interjected Chandra, recapping those tortuous times of his love. “I had gone through it myself.”

“Well, it was the rendezvous that changed my life, and brought me to where I’m now,” continued Sathya reaching for the Black Knight. “Dressed in a dark blue Cali-cloth sari, she was waiting for me in the first-floor balcony. Oh, how gorgeous she looked and how obligingly I lost myself to her. But directed by her, as I went