Introduction
Loud music is jangling and echoing from the walls of the Daffodil college. Lighting and colourful decoration embellishes the level of party night. IT'S THE REUNION NIGHT of all the alumni of the college. The Caterers are none other than the present students of the college, the DJ, the party host, every one are student of present day, no single person from outside the walls. The arrangements are all perfectly managed by them. The crowd of the students are less until the grand welcoming of seniors grew the heartbeat of the night.
Manya: So, how's the feeling!
Karen: Ah, petrified.
Manya: There will be lots of juniors and strange faces.
Karen: Are you afraid? (laughs)
Manya: You think so?
Karen: About you, I've many thoughts.
Manya: (giggles)
An unwanted silence muted their talks till they reach the college gate.
Karen: Here comes the old days. (he stared at the college building and suddenly past images showed him up, he quickly blinked his eyes and faces to Manya) There will be lots of your old friends and familiar faces.
Manya: (After the car has stopped, she has been stupefying her eyes with the beautiful lighted environment which was broken when she heard Karen) You are afraid!
Karen: (he thought something and) Never mind. (his face goes down)
Manya: Let's go then (her enlighted face was straightly accepting to enjoy the night)
The two of them then entered the entrance of the building. It seems they are quite an hour late while their friends and other seniors are already there. They greeted the crowd with a smile and then parted in two separate direction so to find their old circles. Manya felt solitude and searched for Karen, she looked back and he was moving away from her towards his circle. He was happy with his friends. She realised that she is thirsty and left Karen with his state, to get herself a glass of water.
The time is running as the night at Daffodil college is getting more sharper and moony. Manya has found her friend circle and Karen with his circle went to talk with juniors about the arrangements. Manya's friends took her to the drawing room at one of the blocks of college. All her girls sat together closely to start their kitty party.
Rash: 5 ratings to our management team..so wonderfully they have organised this night.
Ravina: Unbelievable.....mouth zipped.
Trisha: Have you girls seen that small bridge in the pool with rabbits surrounded and jasmines around, white lotus in the water... and and those.... two lovely swans...i was like in some world of photoshoot.
Manya: (interfering in Trisha's talk) I was in astonishment finding that things here have changed so much, not gradually, but yeah at one stroke of a finger. My mother used to tell me about the success our college was achieving when we were pursuing our graduation. And now i am watching with my own eyes. Amazing.
Ritz: Students are creative as well... can't avoid their effort.
Pari: Yeah true... so much energetic.
Piya: I enjoyed the food. My McDonalds also can't beat them. (laughs)
Ravina: Tonight is going great..after this night each one of us will be in their own place doing other works. The moment is as special as we are for each other.
Manya: (in a thoughtful way) Yes.(starring at Ravina)
Chapter 1
(Patels Institue of Engineering)
Manya: Girls do not go for this. It will repay us.
Suji: Manya, whoever will be at the threshold of the class, obviously will be our new comer, and that person won't know about us and we can have our fun.
Manya: Okay do whatever... but do not involve me.
Suji: Yes ...i will... you know that.
Manya: Yeah and so telling you before but you won't change Suji ....
Suji: Heyy... stop stop ... someone is coming..get ready.
Manvi: (stalking her in open mouth)
Suji: Class be quiet ...our new friend is coming..get ready. (loud voice)
Suji attentively waiting for the new one by inhaling and exhaling long breath. And when she saw at the door's threshold, she saw it is a boy in a loose blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a greyish bag hanging at his back, his golden hair is matching with his complexion making his looks more sparkling and handsome. However, his age and face mis-matched completely, a cute 19 years old buddy feels like a 12 years old kid. A simple wrist watch only to run with time and a pair of black brandy shoes.
Suji is starring at him with total absent mind and got failed to act like a senior. Manya realised this and she whispered 'now doomed'. The whole class was silent. The other girls started to whisper about his handsome looks. And the boys noted that these girls will be now into him. On the other hand, standing quietly for 2-3 minutes at the door, the boy observed the class and Suji, and waited for her next action but he then understood that he should only break the silence.
Boy: (boldly to whole class) I am not your Professor! You can go out if you are about to...(straight to Suji).
The silence continues. The boy sighed, turned his head outside the class, narrowed his eyebrows looking towards the length of corridor and then again looked back to the class. This time he took a close observation to each and every student in the class and suddenly he was amused to see...
Boy: (confused but smiling) Manya! You are Manya. Right? (grinning) ....excuse me Miss (entering to class, avoiding Suji) Manya! How are you here?...(walking towards Manya and stood near the sit of Manya)
The class is still petrified and Suji is like what has just happened. She, at first awed at the boy and when she was excused by him, her dreamland broke into pieces. She turned around towards them and gave a gesture to Manya to indicate what is happening around. Manya, on the other hand, had no clue about the identity of the boy. Besides, her emotions got mixed up. She is in total state of numbness. But she can feel that the boy is waiting for her response and no one is minding their own business, so she has to speak out by shielding her anxieties.
Manya: (gazing him) Yes, I'm Manya. And I'm here for my graduation ofcourse.
Boy: (grinning) Ah! ofcourse. I thought you will get degree on Management (keeping his left hand on her desk and leaning to her).
Manya: (disturbed) What!
The boy gave a crooked smile and she moved her head away in vexation.
Boy: Never mind (gently).
The boy took a sit in the first column of the second last row and kept watching Manya intimately.
The class's temperature descended to normal and once again returned to its earlier state. Suji ran to her sit beside Manya, and in curiosity to know how do this new comer knows her, and to which disturbed Manya simply said that she does not know anything about him.
Chapter 2
As Manya was into deep thoughts of her graduation days, she was persuaded to come back to the real time by her friend Piya. She was trying to stable herself with her consciousness with the running scenario when all at once Ravina put her hand on above Manya's hand, saying.....
Ravina: Hey, you and Karen were doing graduation together? Is it true?
Manya kept her disturbed mind at one side and could perceived that it was Piya's laugh which let her out from past and the girl is still laughing at some unknown joke cracked by her other friend, which she had no idea as her all senses were in past, few minutes ago.
Manya: (looking at Ravina) Yeah, we were in the same course flow. At first, I failed to recognise him...you know he was not in our section also.....(silence)....later I discovered that he was from this Daffodil College only.
Trisha: Oh, he might have gotten admitted by compelling the Principal. (laughs sarcastically)
Manya: No... why would he try to compel?
Trisha: The boy is just like his mother. Leaving one in pit, they loved the most. (with hatred)
Manya: (tensed) How do you know that?
Trisha: It has all happened in this college only. His mother is an Indian and his father, a British Doctor....when Karen was born at London, his mother took him and without conversing with his father, she fled from England. She continues to love his father but left a question mark after their sacred wedding. .....So likewise Karen might have inherited his mother's character.
Manya: This is not pointing in anyway that he or his mother is guilty.
Trisha: No one is guilty here, Manya. The thing is that whoever knows their story, does not want to trust them...look we don't know their secret, their problems and also we don't want to trust people like Karen. What if he too does the same thing with his wife?
Manya: (shocking) No.....no this won't happen.
Rash: What Trisha, not every person is same. Karen is different. a very kind and rational person. Manya, don't listen to her.
Manya, for a time being thought all to be true, but Rash's words gave her some peace. She felt like her dimming faith has started to twinkle and she mollified herself as good things are coming in her way soon. Meanwhile....
Karen: (jolly mood) Manya! you are here and i have been searching for you all outside. You could have texted me....(his eyes went to the entire girl's group)...oh! so you all are here (smiles), the Principal is waiting for you all. Come along.
And by saying this two three lines he vanishes.
Manya's friends are now smiling at her.
Ritz: So he is your secret boyfriend?
Pari: No. He is our British Brother-in-law.
Trisha: I think they have the most beautiful love story or a fairy tale? You say Manya.
Ravina: Girls we have gotten a new spicy story. Let's finish Principal's work. And fall into Manya's.
Manya: (comforting) Okay, stop now.
Piya: Aww, my lucky girl...We will now stop but not after finishing Principal's meeting.(winked)
Rash: oh! wait, wait, wait... there's your beautiful time (picking an eyelash lying on Manya's cheek) ...knocking. Take it.
Season comes one after another and with every season new hope generates, brings new energy. When trees shed leaves in autumn, trees patiently wait for the spring as well. Each leaves that falls convey a promise. A promise to reborn. When an eyelash falls from her eyelid's edge, friends of her sitting surrounding her started making chaos in exuberance, "Now make a wish, Girl". The kind smile that only she can show in person and the burning fire ball in heart which can only show its glimpse from her eyes, she excused the crowd and went to balcony, glared above the sky in hope to see the moon but the cloud covered the moon and left her went in vain. "I wished to be with you forever", she then whispered keeping her palm on belly with gratified.
Chapter 3
(Patel's Institute of Engineering)
Manya: Suji... where are you taking me?... say Suji..will you speak now? What....
Suji: This person. He wants to talk with you.
Boy: Hii Manya.
Manya: How do you know me? .. and how much?
Boy: Manya, you don't know me....my name is Karen and I was at the same school where you studied but in separate section.
Manya: (angrily gazing) And!
Karen: Well..Manya, I have been honestly stalking you for 4 years and have come to know that you are too bossy (giggles) CEO of your own life. (smiles)..ofcourse without doing Management.
Suji: (giggles)
Manya: (looks at Suji and back to Karen) Done?...now may I go?
Karen: (grins) Anytime....
Manya: Good. (going)
Manya: (comes back) So you called me to tell about you!
Karen: Do you want to know more about me?
Manya: No ....I mean you could have told me in morrow's class also...why here??
Karen: I want to make every little, unimportant things between us to be memorable.
Manya and Karen....the two names become the most respected, bright and beloved student of the Institute who left infinite ways to share ideas, love and fun. These two love souls after completing graduation, started doing job at same place, and got married in the same year. Suji flew to Japan for Master's. What is missing here is that Karen wants his wife to keep working even after their marriage but Manya was clear with her decision to be a homemaker. Things then started to get worsen daily.
Karen wants to talk but if he does, he will again began to regret (of her absence in the office) infront of her. He knows that one cannot please another's heart by obliging emotionally. He is struggling with his mind to accept his wife's decision but always failing as he has started comparing her with other women who have not left their job after getting married. He is refusing to accept that someone's decision cannot be compared and his wife is happy with the decision.
The End
After the Principle's meeting has been done, Manya has decided to talk with Karen anyhow because the night is the only chance to solve karen's problem. She texted him to meet her in the pool.
Manya is waiting for him in the pool. She is full confident to handle the situation which will be created within a minute. She is also scared for, if she worsen the relationship more. In the meantime of her thoughts, Karen came.
Karen: Manya?
Manya: Karen!
Karen: (seeing her closely he felt that her health is unwell but avoiding this) Ready to go?
Manya: Karen, I am here for our future. You don't have to mask yourself when you know that from morning I am not feeling good. If you stop showing your care for me, it won't either change my decision. I understand you don't want to scold me or argue with me, however at the same time you are also not loving or talking with me.
Karen: (breaking down) You know that I love you...(tears slowly wetting his cheek and rolling straight down to his neck)...and...(stopped)...(wiping his face).. Is our little version on board?
Manya: (tears of happiness comes down rolling and smiling) Yes....
Karen: (elatedly embraced her) I am really sorry for my unkind behaviour. Let's just go home Manya.
