Love at first sight

Love is the best thing, we do...

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

She was born astonishingly beautiful. Her father, Pankaj immediately fell in love with her. She was aptly named Roopsee. Her father’s first choice was Sujata (on his grandmother) but as soon as he had looked at his offspring, he knew she was a Roopsee. She brought love and happiness at once. Even at those times, when people yearned for a boy, Roopsee made everyone adore her.

In her days of earlier life, she was extremely mellow. She never threw tantrums. Whatever was given to her, she readily accepted it. In fact, she enjoyed it. It was as though she was sent to this planet to have fun and cherish everything life offered.

 It was true until the last.

Pankaj Shastri was a bank employee with a reasonable income. His wife, Bindu was a housewife. She was a down-to-earth woman. She was beautiful in her own way. She was a good Kathak dancer. Although, after marriage she had curbed her urges to dance, more than once. In our country, women generally stop the extracurricular activities once they get married.

Roopsee changed everything. Her father started to come home earlier than usual. Her mother too gave in to her dance urges at times. Her father was promoted to the rank of manager just before her second birthday.

When the time for her admission to a new school came, her father chose Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan. The school, apart from being excellent in routine education, taught Indianness. Pankaj wanted her girl to grow up into a modern Indian woman who believed in her country’s rich culture.

He and Bindu were nervous as they were sitting in the waiting area, among other parents. It was the most important moment in the life of Roopsee. She seemed to be enjoying it. It was their turn next.

Pankaj told his angel, “Be good sweety, whatever the teacher asks- just answer. Don’t keep quiet. You’ll do fine, don’t worry.” The last sentence he probably told himself.

Roopsee, on the other hand was oblivious to her surroundings. She had her papa’s pen to deal with. She was sitting on his lap and making lines on his shirt.

“Look what you have done,” said Bindu, grasping the pen from her hand. Roopsee started giggling. Bindu looked anxiously at Pankaj. His plain white shirt had a striped pocket now. He angrily looked at Roopsee. But as soon as his eyes met with her laughing blue eyes and a sweet face, he too joined the laughter. Seeing her father on her side, she turned her magical laughter towards her mother. Her laughter generated such melodious chords that even other worried faces turned otherwise. The contagious entertainment was continuing when a bell went off “Trrrrriiiinnnng”. Not only the laughter, but some hearts too seemed to have stopped. Not a single sound could emerge from anywhere. Except, of course, that melodious jingle that started it all. A teacher came out of the Principal’s office.

“Who is laughing?” she asked. The melody continued. She turned towards Roopsee. She kept her stare firmly for a few minutes. It was as though she had forgotten the reason for which she was there. As the frown from her face was changing into a smile, the bell again screamed “Trrrriiiinnng”. She came back to life and said, “Mr. and Mrs. Shastri?”

“Yes madam,” both the Shastris stood up with the third one standing in the middle. The teacher escorted them to the Principal’s room.

It was a big office. A painting of Mahatma Gandhi hung proudly at the back of the sitting Principal, Mr. M.P.Chhaya’s chair. He quite amazingly resembled the picture despite nothing common in appearance. The eyes perhaps reflected the same truth and pride. Here was a man who had a no nonsense demeanour about him. He looked to be accustomed to giving orders and saw that they were implemented. Pankaj felt relieved and apprehensive. Relieved- that his daughter would be in good hands. Apprehensive- that his daughter might not be so fortunate.  

“Please, sit down,” the Principal said. His tone suggested that he didn’t care much if they kept on standing but he was lacking time.

“Thank you, sir,” said Pankaj.

“Good morning, sir,” a sweet voice of Roopsee surprised the great man.

“A very good morning to you. What is your name, little girl?” asked the Principal. This time he too was spellbound.

“My name is Roopsee Shastri, hi-hi-hi,” said the little girl.

“Very good, very good,” the Principal looked impressed.

“What do you do, Mr. Shastri?” asked the Principal, turning to Pankaj.

“Well, I am…” he was interrupted by the little girl’s voice, “my papa keeps money of people in his big piggy bank.”

“Heh-heh, sir, actually I am a bank manager,” Pankaj cleared his daughter’s views. The interview went excellently. The parents didn’t have to wait for the final list as after the interview, the Principal stood up with them. He shook Pankaj’s hand and said, “It is not normal for me to say this but I would be looking forward to seeing more of your daughter.”

The parents were proudly speechless. The little girl was again nonchalant. She was busy unwrapping the toffee, which the great man had given her.

‘Thank’ and ‘you’ were the two grateful words that came out musically and automatically when she accepted the toffee.

            Since the first day of her school, Roopsee Shastri was the cynosure of all eyes. She was extra-ordinarily gifted. Her nursery teacher on the first PTA meeting told her parents that they were extremely fortunate to have a daughter like her. She was eager to learn, meticulous, cherished new challenges and mastered everything that was taught to her. She remained the monitor of every class she was in.

She was not a regular in any sports team. However, once in sixth standard, the school Badminton captain asked her to practice. The final score was 15-12 and 15-13 for the captain. The champion had found her more than a match for him.

Whatever she tried, she succeeded with the colours that flew. She was an enigma as well as a diamond. She never stood second in any class but for once. Her prowess was not limited to academia. Her success never invited envy for she was everyone’s best friend. Though, she liked Shalini Kapoor the most. They always sat together in the class. Shalini always remained her faithful acquaintance. She was always the second best, but only in academics. She was no match for Roopsee as far as dramatics, arts, sports and all other subjects school was offering were concerned.

By the time she reached tenth, her parents were searching for a bigger home. The trophies and cups had taken over most of their three-bedroom apartment.

In tenth standard, the class-teacher introduced two new incumbents to their class. Puneet Deshmukh and Rajeev Choudhary. Their parents had migrated from Bombay. The moment she laid her eyes on Puneet Deshmukh, the turn to be spellbound was hers. Cupid had struck. She was so overawed that it took three ‘elbows’ from Shalini to get her attention.

And when the results of tenth board examinations were announced, Roopsee had slipped to second position in the school- for the first and the last time.

Puneet Deshmukh was a fair boy with an athletic body. He quickly took the school cricket team by storm. In twelfth class, he became the captain of the cricket team. Besides cricket, Puneet was excellent in commerce. Puneet and Roopsee jelled with each other as time went. Within two years, Roopsee having been accustomed to love, regained her position. She topped arts in the boards. Puneet too was among the top three in commerce.

After their farewell from the school, both of them joined the same university. Roopsee was inclined towards Fashion Designing while Puneet went for the MBA.

By the time their education was nearing its end, they had started behaving like spouses.

Pankaj and Bindu were two proud parents. They had a wonderful life. They adored their daughter. They had never once considered another child since Roopsee was born. In her, they found them. They too had started believing Puneet as their son-in-law.

Roopsee and Puneet had decided to work together once they finished their studies. Hence, when Pankaj suggested them to start a Fashion magazine, both of them readily agreed.

“Trendeour” was launched and it thrived. Puneet’s business insight and Roopsee’s creativity blended magnificently to boost the magazine’s readership to a hundred thousand copies within a few months.

The destined couple completed the ritual of marriage in the sixth month of Trendeour’s launch.

Roopsee was eager to become a mother. Puneet rarely disagreed. Vajra was born in the first year of the marriage. However, it was Sneha, their daughter who brought the fullness into their life.

Roopsee had enjoyed a perfectly happy life one could ask for. No hiccups, no nightmares. She was happily married. Her children were all grown up and settled in the USA. She was God’s special child.

The first shock of her life came when she was forty-nine years old.

“Roop, beta, your father…” her mother’s weeping voice alarmed her. She was talking from the hospital.

“What?…mamma…what happened?”

“He had a heart attack.”

“Noooo…where are you?” a shriek came from her mouth before she heard her mother say, “Trauma hospital.”

            She ran to her car and rushed to the hospital. She ran from one door to another. She finally met her father, lying on the bed, dead. She was too late. She immediately fell on his motionless body and cried like a baby. Nobody except her mother knew when she last cried. Bindu was present on that occasion too. However it was fortunate at that time.

Bindu followed her husband in death too. Those twenty-six days were the most Bindu and Pankaj were apart after their marriage.

Though Roopsee was mature enough for such disasters, she took the deaths of her parents very hard. She had never had to face sorrow in her life. She was alien to it. Suddenly, she lost interest in everything. Puneet tried his best to console her, to no avail. She would sit alone. She would not eat normally. Her health too showed a decline.

One day Vajra called her from New York. He asked her to visit as she was blessed with twin grand children. A boy and a girl. She couldn’t remember after how many days a smile managed itself on her face. Two lives to balance two deaths. Again happiness bloomed. She was rejuvenated. Puneet was extremely happy for her.

Both of them went to New York. Sneha had also joined the reunion with her family. Life was again perfect. She remained in the USA until their granddaughter said ‘amma’. After eight months, their flight reached Delhi airport.

As they were standing in the queue for immigration clearance, Roopsee said, “Look Punoo, that guy looks familiar.”

She was pointing towards a man of around fifty standing in the middle of immigration counters.

“Yes, he sure does look familiar,” replied Puneet.

“Yes, of course, I remember him. He is Rajeev Choudhary…remember the one who came to our school with you,” said Roopsee.

“Oh, yes, of course, how can I forget him?”

“He used to stammer a lot. You know we used to call him hakla,” said Roopsee.

“Yeah,yeah,” said Puneet absent-mindedly as he was busy waving to Rajeev.

“Rajeeeeev,” he yelled.

Suddenly, Rajeev saw them. He recognized them at once. He waved back and gestured them to wait as he approached.

“How a…are y…you guys?” were his first words.

“Can’t be better and you?” asked Puneet.

“Well…I…I am f…fine,” he said. He took both of them to a special handing counter.

“I…I am the…the In-charge here,” stammered Rajeev.

“Good for you,” complimented Roopsee.

He helped them with the clearance and escorted them towards the luggage belt.

“So how is everything at home?” asked Puneet.

“It’s the s…same, y…you know,” replied Rajeev.

“Your kids would now be all grown up…like ours,” said Puneet turning his head towards Roopsee.

“I…I never married,” said Rajeev.

“Why?” asked Roopsee, surprised!

“Just l…like that, never f…found anyone,” replied Rajeev.

“Oh come on now, Rajeev,” said Puneet.

“No…r…really. Earlier i…it was me, then, l…later no one was i…interested.”

All of them laughed at that comment.

“Well, thank you, Rajeev. It was so nice to meet you after these years. Here…here is my card we should get together sometime,” said Puneet politely.

“S…Sure.”

They dispersed after Rajeev’s last words.

In the cab, Puneet was somewhat queasy.

“What happened?” asked Roopsee.

“Nothing…it’s just that…I was thinking about Rajeev.”

“Yeah, it’s sad, isn’t it?”

“No, not that…it’s just that I’ve known him since childhood. He never stammered.”

“What?” exclaimed Roopsee.

Cupid did strike that day at school- not once but twice.