Friday, July 17, 2015

Conversations of Life Part - I

Janata Bar,Pali Hill,Bandra,Mumbai 2010.

A quaint little bar in the busy street of Pali Hill in Mumbai.At first the place doesn’t strike you as different until you see the queues of hip urban youth lining up for a table.We all want to go to popular places and yeah its cheap on the pockets too.

I was meeting her after 5 years.She had recently been married and was visiting the city.

“Hey,Its so good to see you” she said hugging me tight.A warmth of friendly vibe rushed through me and I was beaming till my ears.”Havent you been missed!!” I retorted.
 “Lets go inside,the manager has been impatiently looking for me to order something.Got a table for us sometime back”
We went inside and got seated at a corner table.Ordered a quarter of old monk and masala peanuts and resumed our conversation.

“Hows marriage treating you and hows Vishal?”

“Great its been great and he is amazing….you know how it is in the intial days of marriage.You cant keep your hands off each other” she said shyly

“Yeah its evident” I said nudging her and teasing her

“So when are you tying the knot” she asked

“You know what, I never might.Love is too complicated and Marriage is even more so”

She looked aghast but then making an effort to understand she said “Tell me more,I want to understand”

“You see,all these stories of eternal love and commitment are great.But I see no real example of the same.I either see couples fighting or not talking.With both career minded individuals and having no time for each other how much are we ready to compromise? “

“It doesn’t have to be like that.See me and Vishal for example…We both try to understand each other and try to work out our differences and…….” She fell short of words unable to continue the conversation.

“What is it?” I asked holding her hand.She squealed in pain.

Her hand was swollen and had blue marks on her wrists.She withdrew trying to hide her hands in the sleeves of her sweat shirt.

“You have to tell me whats going on? Do you need help?”

“I cant,its nothing” she got engulfed in her silence.

I didn’t know what it was.Had she done that to herself or was she getting abused at home.How could she allow this.She is an independent woman.My mind tried to find a logical reason and framed stories on its own.

She finally looked up, did a bottom’s up of her drink and said something which I will always remember.

“I am a modern woman in India.I have choices within social boundaries.But my bedroom has some other story to tell.Lets leave it at that.”

Then she was back to her normal self “Lets meet more often.I have sorely missed you” she said.

I smiled.Confused and Angry.



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