SIP-13

“Hi Angel! I’m gonna do a magic” saying so he was swirling his hand in air. His manliness reflected in each of his moves. “Yes my highness. Go ahead!” she was so obsessed with his attitude. It was a real magic of bring flowers from nowhere. “Wow! How did you do that? Really beautiful.”

“Is that so? Anything for you my angel” she blushed.

She liked his companionship. She felt like, she don’t need anyone in this world except him. We know it for sure that it was love. But that innocent girl was not matured enough to know the truth.

“Anyway why didn’t to come for jogging today?” she asked with a ray of disappointment.

“Ha ha that was a big story. But leave that. Come on, what’s the story today?”

“So you are here to listen to my story?”

She bent her head down, hanging that darkness in her face. As a spontaneous response he lifted her head and said, “That’s just a reason my dear Angel!” She wanted to slap him in face and say that she wanted him to stay by her every second. But she couldn’t. Still she couldn’t find a force that blocked her from getting rights on him. With a smile both turned towards the door. It was a daughter and dad. “Yep. Here are your artists. Start Camera – Rolling – Action” the next moment he stood near her. They were looking at them with complete interest. The father seemed not more than 50 and the daughter might crossed her teen, maybe her college. She ordered for a devils own and asked her dad in a humble voice. From that it was obvious that she brought him here to convince him on something.

She was struggling to get words to start the conversation. And finally, “Daddy I know our family background and everything you mentioned. But only after calculating everything I made this decision and I’m firm in it.”

So something related to her marriage or her studies. As, in India this dialogue from a girl relates only to either of these. They waited for few more conversation before getting into the dream.

Her father was silent and stern look. “Consider my wishes too. Please don’t be selfish”. This time she was harsh. “If I sit in an IT company I may fill my pocket but not my heart. Please understand daddy”

She got it. It’s all about her career. Fine.

Angel closed her eyes and…

If she was Ashu, I would be, it should be…..

***************************************************

“Can’t you understand what I’m saying dad? I don’t just want to be a graduate. I want to do more than that.” I said with my tears at the brim of my eyes.

“I agree. But see, you have got such an opportunity to work in Google. Do you want to overlook it? Have your friends got this chance?”

“I too agree dad. None of my friends got this chance. But please understand I don’t belong here. This is not my place.”

“Then why did you choose this field?”

“I know it’s my fault. I will never deny it. But only after getting into it I understood it. I can’t sit in front of this bloody monitor and do some crap coding. I want to meet people. I want to change life those who are overlooked. I want my country to grow.”

“It’s enough Ashu. Stop this conversation here. I don’t want to drag it anymore.”

He left without looking back. I locked my lips. I wrapped myself with my hands. I know my mom was looking at me with empathy. Poor mom, she hasn’t raised her voice in front of my dad.

I went straight into my room, looked into the mirror. I didn’t see a corporate woman with neatly dressed hair, wearing specs, professionally dressed, ballerina at her feet and focusing on the java codes. I saw a girl with her hair tied just to avoid its disturbance, passion in her eyes, dirt stains in her sweatshirt and Capri, sneakers to sustain in heat and rough space and focusing on cleaning the village to make space for the children to sit and learn. I wiped away my tears and repeated swami Vivekananda’s words “Try try try until you succeed.”

It was almost a week dad didn’t speak with me. How does he know how much it is important for me to make my life happy. That’s true it’s not his fault. I must make him understand.

We used to go for a walk in the evening, though we won’t speak a word. We came across a lady, it was mom of one of the little girls I met in a school where I was once a volunteer.

“It’s been a long time since I met you mam. How are you? Keerthi really missed you a lot. When are you planning to coming back?” she poured out like the girl who is missing her lover.

I introduced her to my dad and she greeted him. The little kid talked to me for some time and we left the place. I still wanted to show him how much I needed my dream come true. I showed him all my certificates for my service as volunteer and intern. He never considered them.

I was fed up. I was confused how to make him know the value of my passion. I didn’t want to lose my family for passion and the vice versa.

For the next two weeks I was not there in my home. It was a project that we undertook to educate the children of villages near Madurai. When I returned, “Where have you been Ashu? Will you take these many days to come back?” It was obvious from my mom’s voice that she was worried about me. Suddenly a miracle happened. It was my dad’s voice, “Leave it. Don’t ask her anything. Let her take some rest and then serve food for her as per her wish.”

I was taken back. Is it my dad really? Does this mean he is allowing me to spread my wings?

I wanted to get clarified this doubt right then. But I could sense that was not the right time. So I waited for the right time and right way to ask him.

“So she had decided to bring her father here and draw a conclusion for her doubts, isn’t it?” Angel slowly opened her eyes. It was her angel who completed her dream. She smiled at him “Yes it is”. Her father’s voice brought both of their sense back to the café.

“As a normal parent I was thinking about my daughter’s marriage. That was the one which bothered me a lot. Other than that I’m a practically thinking daddy dear. I understood your wish, desire, passion, interest whatever you all it on the first talk we had about this.”

“OH MY GOD!!! Daddy I love you.” She ran to him and hugged him tightly and kissed him. It was a heart touching moment. Angel could feel how it would be if the tied wings are set loose to spread open, wide open to reach the sky, to go in whatever direction it wish, to travel places to fulfill it’s heart. Maybe only girls can get that freedom or happiness whatever you mention.

Ashu came back to her place and was trying to calm herself and compose herself. But she couldn’t. She was tapping her leg in a non-rhythmic way. Finally she settled down and asked her dad,”Ok daddy. You said you were actually thinking about my marriage and said NO to me. So what happened now, am the same and I’m not married now. Then why did you say YES to me now?”

Daddy gave a wicked smile. “Now, I have someone who is ready to accept my daughter as the same. My son-in-law is ready to accept you as you are”

Ashu spilled the coffee from her mouth. “What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Son-in-law???? “

“Yah dear. I have seen an alliance for you. You know him. Kumar uncle’s son Karan.”

“Daddy but I need atleast two years for my service and later I will set up a new school for poor students”

Again the same wicked smile from daddy feared her. “Yes dear. He is ready to wait for two years for you. He likes you”

For few moments she was silent and then the same wicked smile was seen on her face. Doctor was so eager to know the reason for Ashu’s wicked smile. “Why is that so? What’s her smile signify?”

“How much is it?” Ashu asked the angel. “300 mam” said angel and she examined her face for a moment.

“Here you go. Thank you!!!” saying so Ashu left the place.

“Comon angel say na. What’s that?”

Saying “Time and tide waits for none” Angel gave the same wicked smile.                    

If you really want something that much, you must try harder for it. And finally she achieved what she wanted.

Writing so she closed her diary…