Acrimonious Friendship
'Gud morn. Just passing thro' a station named Korattur. Am in d 8th coach from d engine.'
The SMS disturbed not just his morning sleep but also its beautiful dream. Sleep engulfed him before he could finish thinking, Another half hour for the train to reach Chennai Central station; will easily reach there on time.'
'Bharath, crossing Perambur. Y no reply for prev msg? Did u leave d house?' His eyes closed again as his hand dropped the cellphone.
'Buffalo!!! Am stnding in Central plt4m. R U cuming r not? If U don't reply 4 dis, I wl go to my frnds place. Donkey!!!!'
Bharathram sprang up from the bed after the last message. Was it because he was scared that her language would become worse if he didn't respond even now or was it because he was angry with himself to let his sleep win over love? It could have also been to fight with her to question her logic sense in equating him to buffalo and donkey simultaneously. Whatever be the reason, he hurriedly pushed the numbers and pressed the gadget to his ear.
"Good morning, sweetie. Sorry I came home very late after the night shift. Just couldn't open my eyes", Bharath pleaded.
"mm ... "
"Was the journey comfortable?"
"mm ... "
"How are amma and appa?"
"mm..."
"Aarthi. Don't get mad at me, please."
"mm..."
"Hey! Buffalo's sister!"
Aarthi laughed unable to hold on to her anger anymore.
"How are you, anna?"
"Fine. What about you?"
"Sweaty. Why is your city so humid early in the morning?"
"I warned you. Did you have coffee or tea in the train?"
"I decided against spoiling my taste buds drinking that brown water."
"Good. There is a good eatery inside the station. Have something there. I will see you in fifteen minutes time."
She tuned a musical 'Okay'.
Having spotted her brother, Aarthi waved at him as her face bloomed like a morning sunflower. There were two more girls with her, who smiled coyly. Bharath then remembered that Aarthi had mentioned about two of her friends accompanying her. Looking at their village attire, he wondered what sort of business they would have in an MNC.
"Will you have something to eat, Bharath?"
"Yeah. I will get a token."
As Bharath stood at the self service counter, he heard a familiar voice calling out, 'Aarthi! What a pleasant surprise!'
Bharath turned around to catch a glimpse of his sister urgently pointing him to the new comer.
'Deepak? Why has he come here?' Bharath's face hardened. When he walked with his plate to the table, Deepak gave a friendly smile.
"Hello Bharath! How are you?"
Bharath ignored him and sat down to eat. As her friends looked at them curiously, Aarthi signaled Deepak to leave.
Deepak left the place with a soft 'bye'.
Aarthi maintained a dignified silence until her friends left for the wash area.
"Anna, I think you are not showing proper manners. I frankly do not understand what Deepak has done for you to show so much indifference."
'You are the reason, dear sister', he cursed her silently.
"Why have you come to Chennai now? To attend job interview or pick up fights with me?"
"No.. but..."
"You just concentrate on what you have come for and stop meddling with my affairs."
The return of Kanaka and Lalitha to their table temporarily silenced the sibilings.
Bharath took the three girls to his modest apartment in Triplicane. He asked them to get ready quickly and left to buy some essential grocery items.
When Aarthi stood before him in an elegant salwar, her charming smile calmed him. With a bag over a shoulder and a file in hand, she was all set for her interview. Bharath noticed Kanaka and Lalitha were not accompanying them.
"They have interviews at a different place and that will be tomorrow", Aarthi informed him. She borrowed the duplicate key from Bharath and handed it over to her friends.
Late in the evening, even before Bharath could remove his shoes, Aarthi happily forced a jalebi into his mouth, "I got the offer. I should join in two weeks time."
He placed his hand on her head and congratulated her.
The smell from the kitchen was too tempting and after a very long time Bharath devoured a delicious home made dinner. Aarthi looked at him affectionately.
"Anna.."
"mm ... ?"
"Will you leave anything for us or do we have to cook again?" She teased him. Bharath was embarrassed.
"Oh! Sorry. Please join." The rest of the evening passed in cheerful chatter.
The second day, Aarthi learnt the route and transport details from Bharath and she accompanied her friends to the venue where they had their job interview. That evening, Bharath was promptly informed by a beaming Aarthi that her friends had also secured their employment.
"Where are they now?"
"They took a bus back to Gudiyatham, anna. They will be back by next week. They would then perhaps look for a small flat near their workplace."
"What is your plan, Aarthi?"
"I am going to wander around Chennai during the course of next 2 or 3 days, go to Gudiyatham, get pampered by amma and appa for about a week's time, pack and come back here to nag you", she laughed.
"When you started applying for job in Chennai, I had definite knowledge about this nagging part."
"Anna...", she whined.
Time flew for Aarthi and Bharath. It had been eight months since she first came to Chennai for her interview. Having completed six months training period, her employment was confirmed. Since the siblings shared the house work and outside work, life settled into a comfortable rhythm. But this never deterred them from having their regular war of words.
"Bharath, I am joining a part time diploma course. I will be attending classes three evenings in a week."
He simply shrugged his shoulders. Aarthi was hurt by his indifference.
It was about three weeks before Diwali, Bharath had a sudden wish to take her for surprise shopping. As he waited outside her office building watching the flow of the employees leaving the office premises, it became his surprise to see her leave on a motor bike with a helmeted guy. In spite of a conservative upbringing, this did not unduly worry Bharath. They had entered into an agreement during her school days that each sibling would choose the other's life partner. He knew Aarthi would never break that deal. Even the repeat of the incident a few more times did not bother Bharath for his trust in Aarthi was very strong, never wavered even once until he found out who the man was.
It was Deepak... one who studied with Bharath from class one to college final... one who remained a close friend throughout his growing years... one who had shattered Bharath's dreams and turned an enemy overnight. Thinking backwards, Bharath cursed himself to have believed that it was a chance meeting at the railway station. It was becoming clear to him that Aarthi and Deepak were playing behind his back. All the bitter thoughts he had learnt to forcefully suppress all these years came gushing out.
Bharath and Aarthi's father ran a small lathe workshop in their home town. It had been Bharath's dream to expand his father's small business into a full scale Foundry Unit. With that intention he had completed his mechanical engineering and proceeded to Ahmedabad for his management degree. The same year Aarthi had entered her class 12. The siblings shared a great companionship and had no secrets between them. As a bonus, Aarthi was also equally brilliant; he nurtured a deep wish for her to join him in his entrepreneurship venture. This would ensure the expanded business to remain within the family. With this in mind, he had persuaded her to take up science and maths group in her pre college years, so that she could follow his footsteps into the technical line. He would use the intermediate years before her graduation to earn and save for their dreams.
Two months into class 12, Aarthi's grades started dipping. As he was far away and his parents also could not help much, he had called Deepak. Deepak had secured admission in a foreign university for his doctorate programme.
"Deepak, can you help Aarthi with her studies?"
"Sure Bharath, but only till mid December. I plan to leave India during the last week of December."
"Thank you so much. I knew I could totally rely on you."
"Don't worry man; I will take care of her."
True to his words, Deepak helped her secure grades that could easily get her into any one of the prestigious technical institutions. Instead she joined Bachelor of Arts course as per 'Deepak's advice' in her exact words, which Bharath understood as 'brainwash'.
When Bharath confronted his parents, they justified, "What could we do, Bharath? Even though it made sense when Deepak told us it was a waste to dump our hard earned money into technical education for a girl who is anyway going to leave the house after marriage, we still wanted Aarthi to decide. But as she did not object, we agreed."
A friend indeed! For all the trust Bharath had treasured, Deepak had back stabbed him. Betrayer! Where is the fairness if it is right for Deepak to study abroad and earn loads and loads of money, but not tolerate a resident man for a local start up and brainwash his family against him? He severed his friendship at that instance. He had maintained that status all these years. But what a fool he had been for failing to see his sister continuing her relationship with the enemy behind his back. He waited for her, anger filling every cell in his body.
"Where are you coming from?" he thundered.
Looking at his blood shot eyes, she stuttered, "cl.. class..."
"Oh... really? How long do you plan to cheat me in the name of studies?"
"I swear anna. I am really coming back from my class, believe me."
"What class? Romance lessons?"
"What nonsense is this? What has gotten into you today? Why are you asking such stupid questions?" Aarthi was beginning to lose her patience.
"Stop it Aarthi! Why are you and Deepak always back stabbing me?"
Aarthi looked at him shocked. Bharath's eyes were spitting fire. Unable to bear his hatred, her eyes lowered automatically. She stood motionless for some minutes before she could take control of her senses. When she looked up there was courage and determination in her eyes.
"I will tell you... everything... from scratch. But first things first... I am hungry. You can join me if you wish", she walked inside. They ate in silence.
Bharath glared at her as they sat opposite each other in the living room sofa. She fingered her dhupatta in thoughtful silence. Suddenly she looked up and began.
"Anna! For as long as I can remember, you were my hero. I followed each and every step you took, every word you uttered. For me..my brother knew everything and there was nothing impossible for him.. he can never be wrong. Your thoughts became my thoughts... I believed your dreams were mine too.. I could not look at myself as even little different from you. I was you in all sense."
Bharath continued his stare. She sighed deeply and continued, "When I was in class XI, I had a classmate by the name Vani. She was physically challenged, you know... non functional limbs, speech impairment... other girls would shun her. I... didn't know the reasons why... I would help her in small ways and she would show her gratitude and happiness with a funny twist to her lips. That was her smile. You can call it stupidity or foolishness, but I started believing that if I saw that funny expression on her face, then the rest of my day would go smoothly. I have never told you all this, because I was very sure you would call me 'mental'.
"When I came to 12th, you had left for Ahmedabad. On one side, the teachers were pressurizing us for high grades and on the other I was beginning to doubt whether I had the aptitude for engineering. I could not discuss with you... what would happen to our dreams.. your dreams.. are they still mine... wouldn't I be shaking your foundation... will I be able to bear your anger and frustration? Anna, I was confused ... angry ... terrified. And then I started having health issues -hormonal problems, which I learned later, all at the age of 17. Medicines were not having any effect. I didn't realize my mental and physical illnesses were mutually affecting each other."
"That is when Deepak, thanks to you, came in. It was like, you know.. God sent him to me. He was so understanding and considerate. I opened up and then there was no stopping...I poured out all my inner turmoil to him. Amma and appa never know even today, but Deepak took me for counseling and at her recommendation, he made amma to take me to a gynecologist. I recovered."
She paused and sighed. Bharath's anger had gradually subsided. He had only known that she was a little ill, but had had no idea of what she had gone through. He waited for her to continue.
"Deepak helped me discover myself and brought me out of my guilt. I began to see glimpses of the kind of future I wished for. But even after I all this I was not sure of one thing.. you, anna. I was not ready for your reaction. Deepak took all the blame on himself."
"Deepak's friend is running a school for special needs children in Korattur. That is where I am doing my diploma course now. He takes me to the school and drops me back safely. All these years has he ever crossed his limit... given a different look in my direction.. uttered a single word out of context.. no never. How could you think so lowly of such a pure soul?" Aarthi seemed drained.
Bharath felt her every word slash him like a whip. He was ashamed of what he had become. What a selfish fool he had been? Where Bharath had failed miserably as a brother, Deepak had accomplished as brother's 'true friend'. He had been so blind to Deepak's worth all these years.
The next evening when he visited the school mentioned by Aarthi, he was surprised to be greeted by Kanaka and Lalitha.
"Are the two of you working here?"
"Yes anna", they chorused.
Kanaka -"Have you come for Aarthi?"
He knew she did not have class that day, but nevertheless nodded his head in affirmative.
Lalitha -"But she has no class today."
Bharath enquired about Deepak.
"Deepak Sir comes only on those days when Aarthi comes for her classes."
He took leave of them and walked out wondering what he was supposed to do next.
"Is that you, Bharathram? It has been so many years. How are you, son?" Bharath was surprised to see Deepak's father.
"How are you, uncle? When did you come to Chennai from Gudiyatham?"
"Hasn't Deepak told you?"
"No uncle, I haven't met him for a long time now", Bharath felt guilty.
"We are living here for the past one year. Deepak is running this school, but no one knows about its owner."
"What are you saying, uncle?" Bharath's surprise kept on growing as Deepak's father continued talking.
"Where did you go, Bharath? I had blabbered so much yesterday night... you were not picking up your cell phone also..." her face and voice carried all her worry.
"Come with me", he told her softly. He took her hand and led her to the couch.
"Sit", she looked at him anxiously.
"Aarthi, remember our agreement about marriage? Tell me, do you still value our deal?"
"Why do you doubt me, anna?I will never break that promise."
"I feared my past actions would have broken your faith in me."
She looked at him wondering where all this was leading. He paused as his mind replayed the conversation with Deepak's father.
"Bharath, don't you remember how passionate Deepak was about his PhD? After going abroad, he quit his studies immediately and took up a job. He came back to India with his three years' earnings and established this school. The school is running fine. Funding is also not a problem. But he seems to be restless. Research was his dream and I have a feeling, it still is. Even now he can pursue his studies.. but look at him. He puts on a calm exterior for our sake, but the boy is struggling inside. Can you find out what is troubling him?"
After hearing his sister's version the previous evening, armed with another version from Deepak's father and then aided by his own knowledge, Bharath clearly understood his friend's dilemma. Deepak was being hit from three directions - Love, Ambition and Friendship.
The calling bell rang. Aarthi was taken aback to see Deepak standing outside.
"Aarthi! My father told me about Bharath's visit. I just came to see if you are okay."
"What is happening?" Aarthi looked at the two men in confusion.
"Come in Deepak", Bharath invited him warmly. Deepak walked in slowly with a guarded expression.
"Aarthi, if you will keep your part of the deal, then my choice for you is Deepak."
Aarthi and Deepak were both stunned.
"Aarthi, I imposed my thoughts and dreams on you. You were ready to sacrifice for me. You are one level above me, no doubt. But look at Deepak. He made you discover your own dreams and gave up his to fulfill yours. Considering at all that he has done for you, where can I find anyone even close enough to his standing?"
"Anna! Have you taken Deepak's consent for this?" she asked angrily not realizing that she had given her consent inadvertently. Bharath smiled looking at the flash in his friend's eyes.
"That, my dear sister is something you have to find out all by yourself." Bharath walked out of the room closing the door behind him. Outside he could still their voices.
"Deepak... I am .. what anna said...do you..."
She cursed herself, 'why can't I think clearly and make meaningful sentences?'
"Yes... yes... whole heartedly. Aarthi, it is your turn now. Will you accept me?"
"I never thought about all these things until now", she replied honestly. "But from the moment anna pointed you to me, I don't feel like thinking about anyone else."
He came closer, hugged her and planted his lips on her soft hair.
Aarthi came out of his embrace and looked at him strangely, "There is definitely something which I don't like."
He was concerned, "What now?"
"Am I also so selfish? Why do you have to sacrifice so much for me?"
"No Aarthi, neither did I sacrifice nor are you selfish."
"I differ on that Deepak." She paused. "I can't change the past and give you the years you have lost. But I can definitely do something about the future. I will take up your responsibilities on your behalf and wait for you till you fulfill your dreams. That would be my promise to you."
"Aarthi... oh Aarthi", Deepak's voice choked in emotion. Aarthi eyes welled up as they hugged each other once again. The room soon filled with positive and optimistic waves radiating from the two hearts now beating as one.
Bharath smiled. He had removed the prickly stones and thorns from the path of friendship. Aarthi had proved her love was no way lesser than Deepak's and now he was confident that Deepak had nothing to stop him from reaching the skies.
Edited by girivanam - 10 years ago
