THE ENDLESS LOVE
-
Rita Garg (India)
PART-1
The other day, Manish a leading industrialist of the city, was
deliriously happy to the core.
After one and a half years of marriage with Sapna, an extraordinarily
talented, stunningly pure beauty, they were blessed with a baby girl.
Nevertheless, as usual, like previous years, he was going through the
balance sheet of the old man's home set up by his family.
Manish, being the treasurer of the trust formed by his father, would
annually check the balance sheets of all the family industries, the orphanage
and this old man's home.
Going through the balance sheet in hand, he was stunned to see a
donation in much peculiar a figure –Rs. fifty lac fifty one thousand five
hundred and thirty.
The strangeness of the amount forced him to notice carefully. He checked
the name of the donor and started recollecting much from a relevant chapter of
his past.
Oh! So this was Krush. Only three years ago he had logically forced him
to demand and accept some fund of preference. No doubt that moment Krush had
received the amount but to refund decently.
Much shocked, nostalgically, Manish recollected the entire incident
between the two. Then also he was baffled by the queerness of the sum but now
the entire idea of Krush was crystal clear.
That means, spontaneously, Krush had decided to return the uncalled for
money and the figure of amount was kept unusual to make that noticeable.
Manish reminisced more. How he and Krush were fixed in a challenging
situation and to normalize that he was bent upon paying to Krush.
Pushing back into the office chair, Manish harked back as to how one day
he had called his employee, Krush to office.
Offering a cup of coffee, Manish the employer started with the purpose
of meeting, "Please don't presume we are rivals."
“When first I locked my eyes with Sapna, I was not in the know of your
relationship with her.”
“Then during our second meeting I realized how delicate, charming and
budding a creeper she is. So tender that a support is the sustenance.”
"So frail that a fast wind might suffice to carry away. Her mesmerizing
eyes have oceanic depth. The attraction not only inspires but also evokes
aesthetics and joy. Then and there only I could have written a novella on Sapna
but no. None other than I should look at her from my outlook."
This least expected subject matter from the employer found Krush
astounded.
The sharp rich industrialist sensed the dilemma and said," Hey!
Don't be wonderstruck. After the very first look of Sapna, I had appointed some
gentle persons to find out about her and also to create situations that we
happened to meet."
Peeping out of the window of his expensively furnished room, he
continued, "They told me of her belonging to a nice family, her talent as
a dancer and you as a close friend – a no match you are."
Krush bent his head further. Manish victoriously took the last sip of
coffee. Then discussing more he said, "Yes, a 'no match'. I could make out
after getting to know of your resources. For the lack of funds, you haven't
proposed her so far."
"Remember she is of nubile age and for the shortage of funds the
marital knot cannot be delayed indefinitely. Your career graph has no guarantee
of future growth or time factor."
The triumphant tone of Manish was becoming louder and a smile lingered
on his face.
Jubilant he supplemented the logic, "If not me then someone
wealthier or not so well to do might be in her life but not many men are so
compassionate as I. The quality of congeniality shall be the first and foremost
requirement of her surroundings."
After a pause, with slight compassion he expressed, "I also know of
the purity of you both. No one in the neighbourhood has seen you moving around
together. Either you visit her place or she yours. You really wish her well but
meagre resources are a hurdle."
"Comparatively my resources and protection might secure her a
comfortable life and career graph upto the level of an international dancing
artist."
Krush always understood these constraints. Although they were childhood
friends but this eye opening conversation drew a line between the two love birds.
He must forget the past alluring memories, dreams and her totally.
Manish noticed a flicker of change on the face of defeated Krush. At
this opportune moment, he talked of the next logic, "You may have her
memories faded but she wouldn't."
Already Krush was sincerely clipping self and now this question of her
feelings came as a heavy blow.
Sensing his mental struggle, Manish more or less confirmed, "You
better leave the city. I'll get you a better job in the factory of a
compassionate and composed friend of mine."
Talking thus Manish observed moroseness on the face of beguiled Krush. A
fear crept his line of thought. Lest he should commit suicide and name the
employer. Besides the job, he must be offered a sum of money for convenient
life.
After all, Krush would undergo financial and emotional losses – a real
downpour of repeated setbacks.
Since ever and ever, the dominance is of the powerful wealthy persons.
Henceforth, for the helpless loving admirer, only the undesirable is waiting.
In all, the well-being of the three was implied. With this idea, Manish
forced him to charge a desirable sum of money.
Although none is buyer or seller but circumstantial dilemma has its own
demands.
Forcibly under the pressure of a senior, also personal shortcomings and
emotional turbulence, he feebly uttered, "Fifty lac fifty one thousand
five hundred and thirty."
Not a seller but only a protector of childhood lady love. It would be in the fitness of things to leave
the city quietly.
Being in service for quite some time, the emotionally beaten lover knew
that this meeting in the office room was bound to be recorded for some future
use or other object.
May be to produce hateful feelings in Sapna.
As a company employee, he also preferred to please the boss necessarily
– better accept the nasty settlement.
When invited to this meeting, without any implication of such a hurdle,
he had smilingly entered the room of the boss but with controlled tears the
departure was.
The film of tears caused hazy vision and he almost fumbled as if
practising for future life envisaged with jolts and jerks.
Shrieks filled Krush's soul much humbled forever. The pain of separation
waved through his spine.
Thus recalling his own words and the judgement of Krush's feelings,
during their meeting in the office, Manish felt more miserable than Krush might
ever have had.
The donation made by Krush was a measurement of the depth of his endless
love.
Now the humiliated employer had to question self, "Who is the
winner? The unbeatable defeated lover or the wealthy married man."
To fight the struggle within, the wealthy person decided to meet the
suffering unjustified sacrificial goat and accept the defeat of self.
Somehow to tell Sapna, the mother of his daughter, would cause her
lifelong pain.
Part – 2
Circumstantial Dilemma
After departure from the native place, Krush
had joined a company of a friend of Manish, the previous employer.
Sitting in a big dark auditorium of his
current employer, Krush now the Assistant Director of films, was minutely
watching an almost finished film in pipeline.
His being in films was a coincidence.
Since childhood, he was theatre loving but
financial constraints forced him to the company job. As luck would have it,
much more than expected could come his way.
Suddenly, in the auditorium, he received a
call. During major tasks, as a habit, he would keep the mobile on silent mode
but by chance that was not done and the ringtone disturbed. Much dismayed, he
noticed the call from Manish. To his surprise, he was asking for the address of
Krush because of the urgency to meet.
Their first and last meeting was much
unpleasant so Krush asked for the agendum. Manish replied, "Casual
type."
The address given by Krush referred to a posh
colony of Chennai. Manish was stunned because wealthy persons lived there.
Anyway they fixed up date, time, venue etc.
Manish booked the first possible ticket.
Although not as vengeance but as convenience only, Krush called him to
auditorium office.
With this intervention, Krush recollected his
joining this line.
His current employer had a keenness to
indulge in the talents, hobbies etc. of the employees. When he realized the
theatrical interests of Krush, he shifted him to the studio of film production.
There, within no time he was next to the film director. Then he had availed of
good stature and lavish lifestyle.
Reaching the office of Krush, Manish started
abruptly, "After all, a clear picture of the circumstantial dilemma that
we were fixed into, be provided to Sapna. The entire matter concerns as much to
her as to the two of us."
"Out of the two none is the villain so
the dark colours be eradicated off our faces. No buying, no selling be
reflected in a film directed by an aesthetically skilled sound creator."
"Your creation must reflect our future
sanctity and birds, butterflies, stars, moon, sun be the witnesses to the
purity flowing throughout the film."
Expressing feelings further, Manish said,
"Today I am here for the sake of her mental, emotional and psychological
security."
"Why at all you refunded the money I had
given to help you settle comfortably in life. No one would ever understand my
displeasure with myself. Somehow, I couldn't think of any other way out then.
Had I assured you to start a business – no guarantee again."
"Your pain was no worse than my agony.
Please eradicate any dark spot from the lifelines of ours."
"Today my daughter is ignorant but
tomorrow she will have tasted the fruit given by Satan. With my implicit faith in your perfect
aesthetic sense with detachment, I am allured to this talk."
"That day we met in my office to
organize her sustenance and today also in an office – her mental strength is in
question."
Krush nodded. He didn't tell that the film he
was finalizing then in the auditorium was on the incident of Manish the
Saviour, Sapna the Mesmerizer and Krush the Aesthetic Force.
The efforts of Krush bore fruits and a
national award was awarded to him.
Getting the news, Manish congratulated Krush.
Then read the news to Sapna so that she would be interested in the film.
Afterwards, they watched the film that had thoughtfully, without bias presented
and twisting episode of their lives.
The truthfulness of the film production was
such that she could feel that the characters were they themselves.
Somehow balancing self, Sapna replied to
Manish, "Your marriage proposal was fine for us. Generally dowry and
thousand other formalities are there but all went off well with you."
"Our destinies were writ large on the
waves of fate."
"No juggling between Manish the Saviour
and Krush the truthful friend but why he left the city. After all, we were
childhood friends. I could always talk to him amicably."
After few minutes, hiding her moist eyes,
Sapna left with the pretension to look after their two year old daughter. To
save the situation, a curtain of artificiality covered the life-long secrets.
Sapna must not humiliate self. Let her talent
overshadow the masquerade created by the circumstantial dilemma. She would
present a national show of ballad consisting of many known and unknown facts of
life.
Definitely the last show of her life. The
crushing of disgust for Krush started. Howsoever the diminishing of self too.
An expenditure of two crores was provided by
Manish the Provider. Nonetheless, he was pleased with the expression of
sincerity by the talented wife on the expensive stage.
Towards the end of ballad, clutching the hand
tight of the daughter, lost Sapna sat down on the rock.
Her gaze fixed into the void, saw an angel of
peace flying in her direction. That was showering compassion, affection,
congeniality and white fragrant flowers.
Let the talents speak.
****