-Dr.(Major)Nalini Janardhanan
dr [major]nalini janardanan
The car is running on high speed. The strong wind is caressing her hairs. She smiled and closed her eyes. “Nandu, do you also like this long drive? I enjoy long drives very much. How thrilling, isn’t it? My mind is wandering in the sky like that kite. You know? I’m so happy! Why are you keeping silent? There is no fun in this ride. Only I am talking nonstop like a fool. Why don’t you talk to me?”
Nanda Kumar smiled at her. Poornima and Nanda Kumar are colleagues and friends.
According to Poornima, Nandu is her best friend and guide. She believes that he is a reliable person in whom she can confide everything including her secrets. She felt a stronger attachment to him than any of her girl friends. For Nandakumar, Poornima is a very special friend with whom he can share his joys and sorrows. They were colleagues but gradually became very close friends. Both of them believed in the saying “A friend is someone who knows every thing about you and still likes you”.
They know each other very well like their own mirror images.
Days, months and years passed by. One fine day, Poornima’s parents found a suitable match for her. Suhas is a handsome, intelligent, well mannered boy who is working as a computer engineer in a multinational company.
Poornima’s parents felt proud of themselves to select such a good boy like Suhas for their only daughter. They convinced her that Suhas would be the ideal life partner for her.
When the engagement ceremony was over Poornima felt an unknown sadness. It was as if a thorn causing a mild pricking type of pain in her mind. She could not explain the cause of her pain. She got depressed and tried to drag herself into a shell of loneliness. An extrovert and social by nature, she gradually became an introvert. She isolated herself from parents and relatives.
She tried to avoid the phone calls from Suhas. She found solace in her room and stopped going out. Parents were worried and shocked. They tried to find out the reason of the sudden change in her behavior. They tried to probe her mind but she avoided them. They sent her sisters to her to find out the cause of her sadness. But they all failed miserably. Poornima became more and more depressed as she herself could not realize what is happening to her. One day she sent a small note to Nandakumar.
“Nandu, I want to see you today itself . Evening at 5 O’clock. I don’t want ‘No’ for an answer!”
‘What happened to this girl?’ Nandakumar wondered. Poornima is like a teenage girl enjoying life with lots of fun and enthusiasm. Now why this seriousness in her words? He could not understand.
Now they were silently enjoying the long drive in the car. Nandakumar felt that Poornima would speak to him about her problems. But Poornima was perplexed and confused about how to talk to him.
The silence became so painful for both of them. At last Nandakumar stopped the car.
“Poornima, what happened to you? Please tell me. Your silence is disturbing me.
Please do talk to me”.
“You know Nandu? My marriage is fixed. Suhas is the name of the boy…..”
“So what? Don’t you want to get married? Or do you want to join the Ashram?”- Nandakumar made fun of her.
When he looked into her tearful eyes Nandakumar’s heart felt a moment of pain. Why am I acting like a fool? Why can’t I tell her about my feelings for her? How can I forget her? My poor, mad, foolish mind! Why can’t I tell her that I love her and want to marry her?
On the contrary why am I telling her to marry that stupid fellow Suhas? I can’t understand myself – Nandakumar silently blamed himself.
‘Nandu, haven’t you understood my feelings? Please look into my eyes. Can’t you see my heart full of love for you in my eyes? Please Nandu, tell me that you love me.’ Poornima looked at him silently with her tearful eyes.
Both of them didn’t utter a single word. They gazed into each other’s eyes for some long moments. Nandakumar wiped her tears. Influenced by some unknown feeling, he suddenly held her tightly in a loving embrace. Poornima wept on his shoulders. “I know darling, Please don’t tell anything.I know everything darling, I love you!” – Nandakumar whispered when his lips caressed her forehead and cheeks. Poornima looked at him with a pleasant surprise in her eyes.
The next moment they became close to each other in a tight embrace – so close that nobody could separate them.
They realized that their relationship is not mere friendship. It was nothing but love. Boys and girls of the new generation blindly imitate the western culture and make friendship with the opposite sex. It later turns into love. Whom are they trying to make fools – the world or themselves? Indian society is strongly based on culture and traditions. We have our own values and concepts about relationships. We are proud of our values and culture. A boy and girl of marriageable age making friendship and later getting deeply involved with each other should know the nature of their relationship.
Some day or the other they will realize that what they thought to be friendship was nothing but love.
Poornima and her Nandu were in a different world now – A world of love and happiness. There is no place for disappointments or sadness in their world. They are so contented with each other that they could not think of anything else.
There were two kites in the sky with their strings entangled with each other - just like the hearts of Poornima and Nandakumar. They smiled and realized that nobody can separate them. They are inseparably close to each other now.
