FF : Shakespeare and Water colors

Shakespeare and Water colors

#3 A clear midnight

Ram

Glee. Malicious laugh. These were a few things he had wanted to do since he took a tiny revenge from the owner of that Maruti car for they were responsible for him not attending his father's death anniversary's rituals. He had made the owner sit at the police station for two whole hours. In vain. Not a tiny part of his conscience had irked him for his deed; this meant that his heart and mind were both satisfied at what he had done. But then, he had never known that the woman who ruined her day had a daughter with such amount of audacity. Her daughter had blatantly entered his office without prior permission, asked him the cause of his misbehavior. On being point blank and keeping his mouth shut, she cursed him a few more times before leaving and finally told him the cause of her despair, her father who was an asthmatic patient was not even permitted to go and get himself a glass of water. For this, ONLY this, he felt ashamed and sorry. But he didn't apologize. He had instantly disliked this odd girl with a vengeance but then, his heart appreciated the way she stood up for her father, like the way he would have done. A few more accidental meetings had strengthened his belief that this girl was trouble and it was better to stay away from her. Could he? The universe, it seemed had conspired against him and his little sister had fell in love with the brother of that girl. Talk about conspiracies. He had tried to convince his sister against that family but one meeting with her brother and damn, he was flattered. But then again, could the universe really see him happy? The answer clearly was no. As it so happened, his family was now trying to set him and that girl. Vikram had laughed very hard when he saw a look of shock, horror and finally annoyance pass his face but inside, He knew that this girl was the one, who Ram could really call his own. Ram, lost in his own thoughts had not even bothered to taste the coffee his friend had made with such care. What was the girl's name again? Priya.

Priya

She felt Goosebumps on her arms as she realized somebody was calling her. Maybe it was her imagination. She had upped her caffeine intake to a large extent and maybe that caused hallucinations sometimes, she mused. There she was, sitting innocently in her room watching the good old rain outside the window. Her life had changed in a past few days. Change was perhaps an understatement. She had met this horrible idiot of a man who was rich in respect to money, miserable natured man with no feelings for anyone. Sure, she had heard he was a self made man but his picture as an arrogant man with steel's ego had cemented in her mind and no amount of appreciation or kind words for that man could put crevices on that picture. She could not believe her misfortune. The same man whose morals and upbringing she had questioned with such buoyancy was about to marry her in a few weeks' time. She was unmarried and non -committed to anyone for thirty three years of her life, people taunted her and gossiped about her behind her back, she was fine with that. At least she was happy. Here, one decision of her parents to get her married to this man had shook her entire belief on the concept of a prince charming for every girl. Sure she was a plain Jane and often came across as a nerd; this could not stop her from dreaming about a man who took care of her just as her father took care of her mother. His constant questionings to her brother Kartik about his financial conditions too had peeved her to no end. If this really happening and if it was just the beginning, what would happen to her later in life? Could this man really fulfill her desire to find a mental companion or rather rip her off the little peace of mind she had left? She was snapped out of her trance by a strong wave of water adamant to soak in all of her room. Usually she loved rains; today she cursed them and closed the window. And that is what his presence does to me, makes the boons of my life turn into banes, she said aloud to an imaginary Ram, making an ugly face in his direction.

Shakespeare and Water colors

#4 The World below the brine

Ram

He could have never imagined what fate really wanted from him or wanted him to do. All the decisions he had. Made recently were obtuse and maybe he needed a muse. Well, a businessman doesn't need a muse, he questioned himself but then, he actually needed someone whom he could share his thoughts, his happiness, and his miseries with. He had his best friend Vikram to support and guide him but there were times when he could not possibly help in the slightest way possible, like when he wanted to cry aloud for his father, there were times when he saw a family happily gorging on a single plate of papri chat and laughing about some silly incident. He could have bought a plate each for the whole neighborhood but then, there was not a single soul whom he could it with the same way he saw other people. He had bought some chat street food once at home, his step-mother had shoved it away calling it filthy poor man's food while his siblings had called it unhealthy. After that infamous incident in his house, there was no other time that he bought any other such delicacy for them. He went to the stall himself and very cryptically had his favorite food and rushed away to his place whenever he felt like it.

His thoughts quickly came back to the mistakes he had made in his life. All his business deals were fetching him loses and he couldn't concentrate on any of his happenings in his life. He was getting married to a girl completely different from his own. Given a choice, he won't have given a second glance to a girl like Priya and why, for Kartik, a man who hit his sister. HIS sister, who had never been on the receiving end of so much as a raised voice by anyone in his family. She was HIT by her own fianc. The cheek of that guy. This whole family had irked him to no end. The boasting and gullible mother, a clueless elder sister, the gold digger young sister and now a violent brother. It seemed to him as if this family was a part of an Ekta Kapoor drama. He was angry now, with himself, with his life, his family and a man called Kartik. Surprisingly, He thought only one person in the whole world could help him in this situation. His fiance, Priya. He wondered if they were in a relationship anymore or it would (like his past relationships) would be shelved too. Only time would tell.

Priya

She sat comfortably in a restaurant, waiting for her fianc to come and break up with her in the most cordial manner, as fate would have it, it was sometimes that her brother's marriage was hindered because of her and this time, it was the other way round. Her brother had very unashamedly slapped her fianc s baby sister, who was also well, his fiance. She couldn't believe the audacity of her brother. When he took responsibilities of his would-be-wife, she was the most proud of the whole family. And now she was ashamed. She mentally prepared her mind for all the verbal abuse and the many of the angry faces conferred by Ram. She could feel his anger, his disappointment in Kartik and his frustration. A tiny part of her mind was satisfied that she won't have to marry the man she disliked. Dislike maybe was not the proper word here, she thought. She didn't dislike Ram; it was just the different lifestyles, their respective codes of conduct. Whatever the case might be, there was a flaw in her upbringing and she realized it late. She was ready to face the wrath bequeathed by him. Where was he anyway?

Sipping on the masala chai she ordered a while ago, her eyes automatically went on the couple sharing a blue cocktail drink. Typical but romantic. She would never be able to do it now. ABLE TO DO IT? With whom? Ram? She mocked herself and mentally kicked herself for even thinking that way. Ram in his sane mind would never have a blue cocktail drink, too low for his taste and secondly, he would NEVER share a drink with HER. Another break up, heart ache. She would have the bear the social stigma and the following repercussions. With their little but deep colloquialisms, she had a sneak peak to the insights of this man. He was definitely not bad but a bit rustic for he had to handle a big company at a very early stage of his life. Humility well, was something not bestowed on him by virtue. He tried anyway, she smiled when he struggled to talk to her nicely, looking in her eyes. It would soon be over. The feeling of belongingness, Shopping her way to her new life. She pretended not to care but couldn't help it anyway. She wrinkled her nose when she realized her tea was cold and ordered a new one. She made a self pitying face and wondered when would Ram come and drop the bomb. All she had to do was wait.

To be continued.

Spree.

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