Thursday, November 21, 2013

Good People: Chapter 18: Tale of Disaster and Anxiety



Chapter 18


Every television channel all over the world was telecasting this breaking news:

“The most powerful ever known earthquake of magnitude 9 hit Japan for six minutes. It is one of the worst five documented earthquakes. It’s epicenter is approximately 40 miles east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tohoku. It’s hypocenter is at an underwater depth of around 18 miles.

The earthquake has triggered the worst tsunami after the tsunami of Indonesia of 2004. The tallest tsunami waves reached a height of approximately 120 feet in Miyako. Average height of tsunami waves remained at approximately 30 feet in most of the affected areas while it’s ferocity lasted. The waves travelled inland up to more than 10 miles even in Sendai area, which is some 80 miles away from the epicenter.

Rescue teams from all over Japan and a few from the rest of the world are rushing to the affected areas. The first team to reach from outside of Japan is ‘Humanity Forum’- a well known and competent group of volunteers from USA.”

Kelly and Shaan had already reached Japan. They along with a team of their other colleagues from ‘Humanity Forum’ were assigned Sendai area for the rescue operations. 

“Three areas have been worst hit by tsunami- Tohoku, Miyako and Sendai. Therefore setting up three rescue camps, one in each of this area was a good decision,” Kelly was in conversation with Shaan the night they reached Japan along with a planeload of other group members of ‘Humanity Forum’.

Shaan added, “We have adequate sets of equipment, tents, water, oxygen and medicines to setup the three camps simultaneously.”

“And yes, we have a good number of doctors and nurses. Also we have a large contingent of competent rescuers- the front liners- who matter a lot under such horrendous circumstances.”

“Let us tighten our belts and start the rescue operations from three in the morning. All of us need a couple of hours of rest right now so that we can start working non-stop for next couple of days. We can then take our turns of rest and work. Let us sleep now, it’s already past midnight.”

Before going to sleep, Shaan sent an email to his parents Yusuf and Alice in India, “With my colleagues of ‘Humanity Forum’ I am in Japan now to undertake the rescue operations. Do not worry about me. All of us are safe. Take care.”

………………….

In San Diego Samskara was trying to locate the address book in which Medhavi had written down her address and phone numbers of Japan. Her company had made arrangements for her stay in Sendai in an apartment few miles from her office.

No sooner Samskara heard the dreadful news of tsunami in Japan he started getting worried about Medhavi. He faintly remembered Medhavi telling him that she would be putting up in the city of Sendai in Japan. That made him all the more worried. Sendai was one of the worst hit tsunami areas.

Yet he wanted to be sure that what he had heard Medhavi saying was the city of Sendai. He prayed fervently that what he heard was not Sendai but some far away city of Japan where tsunami did not affect at all. 

Despite his religious differences he cared for Medhavi.

He wished to speak with Medhavi over the phone. He tried Medhavi’s cell phone but he could not get connected to her cell. Obviously the cell phone lines were out of order due to the earthquake and the tsunami and were not working.

He thought that perhaps by some miracle landlines might be working and he could contact Medhavi on her landline. So he started searching for the address book frantically. He remembered to have seen it in their bedroom on the bedside table. He rushed into the bedroom.

He saw a diary on the bedside table and it gave him hope.  He opened it to locate the landline phone number of Medhavi.

What he saw in the diary were not any phone numbers. It was a diary similar in looks to their address book but the inside of it did not contain phone numbers. Instead it contained some notes Medhavi made.

The first page contained remarks of Medhavi on the incident that took place in their home when Medhavi’s friend Anjali had visited them a few months ago.

He went on reading the entire diary Medhavi wrote.

(Get your copy of the novel "Good People" as an eBook from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BHH37G  only for $ 0.99. You may also like to get its Printed Book from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Good-People-Dream-Boundary-World/dp/1479333085/ref=sr_1_8_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380916602&sr=1-8&keywords=shyam+bhatawdekar%27s+books)

Novels and Stories

Novel "Good People" http://good-people-novel.blogspot.com/
Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/
Stories Children Will Love http://stories-children.blogspot.com/

Friday, November 15, 2013

Good People: Chapter 17: Romance and Tough Decisions



Chapter 17


On one holiday when Shaan and Kelly were together and generally chitchatting, Kelly shifted closer to Shaan, such that Shaan could feel the warmth of her entire body, she said, “I am in different mood today. I feel like getting more personal with you. Will you answer one very important question I am going to ask you?”

“No problem.”

“But you have to be absolutely frank with me. If you feel like answering only then answer but do tell me the truth.”

“I am always truthful to you, you know about it.”

“I know that. But my query is going to be a bit sensitive and that’s why all of this prelude.”

“Now please keep this prelude aside and come to the point. The mystery is killing me. So please hurry up and shoot your question.”

“I know that you are not a married guy. But do you have any girl friend?” She was pretty nervous; she did not know what Shaan’s reply would be.

“No, I don’t have any.”

“Did you love any girl before?”

“Yes and no.”

“Shaan, that’s why I asked you to be truthful. Now I see that you are dillydallying. Come straight or forget about my curiosity. Just don’t answer.”

“I am being absolutely truthful. I did love a girl immensely once upon a time. But I stopped loving that girl completely quite long time back. She has no place whatsoever in mind and heart now.”

“Who was that lucky one whom you loved so much and why is she so unlucky now that you do not love her at all? How is that possible? Is it that easy to do so?”

“Kelly, I will tell you everything. First let us order a pot of hot coffee. It’s a bit longish story. I need to tell you over a cup of coffee.”

They ordered a pot of coffee between two of them. Kelly was still close to Shaan and she adjusted herself closer to him. Shaan felt a bit different today about Kelly’s overall behavior towards him. But whatever was happening between Kelly and him he liked it.

The coffee came and he started reeling out the entire story. He told her how he met Medhavi after colliding with her in the college corridor and instantly fell in love with her. He told Kelly each and every detail of the things that happened between Medhavi and him.

Kelly heard the entire story non-stop. At the end of the story she became quite sentimental. Her heart went out to Shaan and she found it natural on her part to plant a kiss of mixed emotions on Shaan’s lips. She said, “Don’t tell me any more.”

Then they sat together for a long time holding each other’s palms without speaking a word to each other.

Afterwards they walked back to Kelly’s home hand in hand. No one spoke with each other. Silence suited both of them under the given situation. After bidding good night to her at her doorstep, he retreated to his apartment. 

Shaan felt released of his pent-up emotions. 

Kelly felt satisfied learning Shaan’s story. Why? She was not aware of.

………………….

Medhavi came home from office. Samskara was home too. 

He enquired matter of fact, “Hey you got late from office? More workload?”

“No, the usual. But today boss requested me to stay a bit late. His entire day was crowded with one meeting or the other. But he thought that my meeting him was important.”

“Anything really important?”

“Yes. A new project is coming up in Japan. He wanted a few persons from here to join the Japan team. So I have been earmarked as I have all the skill sets that they need there. I will have to shift to Japan for an year or so within next one month or earlier. The company will make every bit of arrangements for me there.”

“But don’t you think one year is quite a long period?”

“But I may travel back and forth between US and Japan during this period as per the company’s needs. So it should be OK, I suppose.”

“OK. Let us see how this whole thing takes shape.”

Medhavi was happy to notice that Samskara did not object to her shifting to Japan. Perhaps because she would be able to travel back and forth between US and Japan and one year will not feel like a long period.

Medhavi was happy that she was finally getting her private space away from Samskara. She needed it badly. She needed to think over the issues that were creating some serious problems between her and Samskara. She needed clarity on them. She thought that she could do so by being away from Samskara for some time.

(Get your copy of the novel "Good People" as an eBook from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BHH37G  only for $ 0.99. You may also like to get its Printed Book from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Good-People-Dream-Boundary-World/dp/1479333085/ref=sr_1_8_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380916602&sr=1-8&keywords=shyam+bhatawdekar%27s+books)

Novels and Stories

Novel "Good People" http://good-people-novel.blogspot.com/
Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/
Stories Children Will Love http://stories-children.blogspot.com/

Monday, November 11, 2013

Good People: Chapter 16: Dilemma and Solutions




Chapter 16


Kelly once said, “Shaan, with the world becoming a global village people seem coming closer to each other when it comes to business and making money. But socially people have remained as backward as they were hundreds of years ago.”

“Yes Kelly, grouping together only on the considerations of race, color, religion, caste, sub-caste etc still remains dominant socially. We cannot deny accepting that these considerations also enter the professional and political domains.”

“You and me and our parents are miniscule minority.” 

“Our parents united together despite all these considerations because they were satisfied with only one thing and that one thing is ‘goodness of human beings’ irrespective of these considerations.”

“If two good people like each other they can as well unite together irrespective of their other affiliations. Such an action will be more conducive to make the human race as one single race.”

“But it’s a long shot. It’s a distant dream and one cannot be too sure of it becoming a reality even in next hundreds of years.”

“Shaan, let us not be too philosophical about it nor too pessimistic about it. Let us be happy with the fact that you and me and your parents and my parents form a pretty decent group of human beings of diverse considerations. That’s good start in a good direction.”

“And hope other people learn to do similar things.”

“Shaan, our group members of ‘Humanity Forum’ also are great examples. They have already achieved what we are discussing. So the numbers are increasing.”

By this time Shaan’s parents Yusuf and Alice had visited America and met Kelly and her parents Arun and Yin. They spent some real good time together. Thus Christians, Hindus, Muslims and persons not affiliated to any organized religion from India, China and USA had become closely knit family friends. 

Arun and Yin often remembered Christie, Kelly’s real mother. Thus this member, an African American, also became a part of this wonderful fellowship in absentia. They had a special place for Christie in their hearts. 

Kelly and Shaan gradually became very good friends in addition to being good colleagues of professional and human activities.

They clicked together because basically they were good human beings though from very diverse backgrounds.

………………….

But Medhavi and Samskara were getting drifted away from each other despite having absolutely identical backgrounds.

On their first marriage anniversary they decided to eat out in some top-notch restaurant of the city. 

Medhavi suggested, “Let us go to ‘Thai Fest’. They serve authentic vegetarian Thai food and the ambience of the restaurant is absolutely amazing. I love Thai food; I have not eaten even once after our marriage.”

“I can’t stand any restaurant where they also cook non-vegetarian food. So, let us stick to a pure vegetarian Indian restaurant.”

“But none of the Indian restaurants here provide the kind of ambience I want for our first marriage anniversary. And this Thai restaurant I am suggesting does not mix non-veg stuff into the veg stuff or for that matter any other restaurant too. They must be cooking it separately. Or you suggest where we can have nice ambience as well as good food.”

“Let us not get into any argument. You know my views. Only Indian restaurants and only a few of them cook exclusive veggie stuff.  Let us choose one of those. Ambience is secondary.”

Medhavi did not argue. She did not want to make it worse on her first marriage anniversary. 

Medhavi’s first marriage anniversary was thus a washout right from the word go. The dissatisfaction lingered on till late that night. 

This dissatisfaction remained a permanent scar on Medhavi’s mind then on. She started judging every word, gesture and movement of Samskara with a jaundiced eye.

One day Samskara instructed Medhavi, “Our religious doctrines do not allow consumption of onion and garlic from July to September, the typical rainy season. So avoid using them during this period.”

“I did not know about it that this matter was so important. We knew this kind of restriction but my mom did not follow it strictly. In fact she thought it was always healthy to consume garlic in all the seasons. Now you tell me why this restriction?”

“I don’t know that. But we follow many traditions and regulations prescribed by our respective religions. It is true of every religion, not only of Hindu religion. People of each religion are supposed to follow such prescriptions, rituals and commandments decided by that religion. They are not supposed to ask questions.”

“I was like this before. I never asked any questions on religious rituals earlier. But now I feel like asking questions.”

Medhavi was assertive.

“Don’t do it. It will do more harm than good. It’s almost a sin to argue about the commandments of any religion.”

Medhavi did not utter a word. She preferred silence. Her arguments could have resulted in more flare-ups between them. One or two such weekly discussions bordering on serious disagreements had become a habit between Medhavi and Samskara. If it continued it could become a threat to their marriage. Medhavi wanted to save their marriage.

But soon Samskara’s repeated staunch religious behavior started getting on her nerves. At times she felt humiliated and other times she felt utter frustration.  Sticking to too many religious rituals too often was harassing Medhavi beyond her tolerance. She started to think that his behavior was getting more and more weird.

Now she was not willing to overdo the religious rituals as well as look down upon the people of other religions as Samskara normally did.

She thought, “I wish I had married any other decent man but without any religious tie-ups. I can now also imagine the people of other religions who overdo their religions and so are inflexible. I have no opinion of them too.”

In the mood of examination that she was in, it also occurred to her, “Why can’t the people simply concentrate on the good aspects of their religion and shun the retrograde aspects of their own religion? Why can’t they stop doing or overdoing the ritualistic and non-value adding chores after examining their utility as well as futility? Why can’t they appreciate the good aspects of other races, religions and communities and stop hating or looking down on them?”

She wanted to find solution to her problems with Samskara.

Then a little bit of wisdom started dawning on Medhavi under the tyrannical situations created by her husband. She decided to move away from him.

She thought, “A few months separation from Samskara might facilitate getting over their strained relationship.”

She decided to approach her boss in the office to request him to recruit her for the new project that was about to start in Japan. Early next morning before anyone else could step in, she entered the boss’s cabin. 

She put up her case to her boss, “The other day you had announced that you needed a few persons from our US office to join the team in Japan for the project there. I wish to volunteer my candidature. I fill the bill pretty well from all the angles. I have the requisite qualifications and skill sets to handle that kind of job. I am sure that I can contribute a lot.”

The boss said, “Let me go through your resume one more time. Prima facie you seem to be the right person. Give me a couple of days to finalize your name. Is that OK?”

“Thanks boss. I will wait to hear from you.”

(Get your copy of the novel "Good People" as an eBook from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BHH37G  only for $ 0.99. You may also like to get its Printed Book from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Good-People-Dream-Boundary-World/dp/1479333085/ref=sr_1_8_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380916602&sr=1-8&keywords=shyam+bhatawdekar%27s+books)

Novels and Stories

Novel "Good People" http://good-people-novel.blogspot.com/
Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/
Stories Children Will Love http://stories-children.blogspot.com/

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Good People: Chapter 15: Story of Human Paradigms



Chapter 15


Medhavi and Samskara got settled in San Diego after their marriage. Both of them got pretty decent jobs. They were quite compatible from various angles: same country of origin, same city of origin, same religion, same race, same caste, same sub-caste, same mother tongue, similar educational background, similar professional background.

Samskara soon set up his routine of getting up early at 5 o’clock in the morning every day irrespective of weekends and holidays for worshipping the god in an elaborate manner after compulsorily taking a shower.

Medhavi was not far behind him in reciting her prayers if not from 5 AM, it was invariably between 6 AM to 7 AM though she was not comfortable with the early morning shower as her husband did. 

By 7 AM both were free from their religious chores to eat breakfast and start for their offices. 

So they had every reason to be satisfied and happy and they were quite satisfied and happy for almost first four months. Then something happened.

After passing out from the university, Medhavi and Anjali did not keep in touch with each other. All Medhavi knew was that Anjali took up a job in LA and Anjali knew that after marriage Medhavi settled in San Diego. They had each other’s phone numbers and email addresses. Yet they did not exchange any communication with each other for all these days.

Then one evening while Medhavi was driving, she got a phone call on her cell from Anjali.

“Hi Medhavi, am I disturbing you in your office?”

“Anji, hi, what a surprise! I am driving home. I am so happy you rang.”

“Guess what? We will meet soon. I am reaching San Diego for a day’s conference next Monday. And I have decided to stay with you. I am sure that your husband will not mind my one night’s stay with you.”

Medhavi laughed heartily. “I am going to shift to the guest room with you that night. It will be like old times. We will talk and talk. There will be so much gossip to share. I am so excited about our meeting. And let me assure you my husband will not miss me for one night. You can as well plan to stay longer. I will love it.” 

Medhavi heard Anjali’s chuckle. “No. Thanks. I can’t stay longer this time. I will email you my flight details. Pick me up from the airport. Will you?”

“Sure, I will. I am excited.”

“I am excited too. See you soon then.”

That evening Medhavi informed Samskara, “Guess who is coming to our place next Monday?”

“No. I can’t guess. You tell me.”

“Anji is coming. You know her well. My roommate. You met her many times.”

“Yes, I know Anjali. But I cannot say if I know her very well. Since she shared your apartment in LA, I met her on many occasions but frankly I did not get to know her much. But I am happy she is coming. After all she is your good friend. Will she stay with us?”

“Yes. It’s just one night. Longer stay is not possible for her this time. Don’t mind if we exclude you from our company that day. We have a lot to catch up; we will be meeting almost after six months or more.”

“Have a blast.” He smiled.

And next Monday night Medhavi and Anjali had whale of a time together. They exchanged a lot of gossip. 

Anjali said, “Hey Medhavi, the other day I bumped into Shaan at LAX. He stays in San Jose.”

“Oh I know that. And I care two hoots. Tell me about others.”

“How do you know that he lives in San Jose?”

“Just like that.”

“Oh, come on. You had no way of knowing it since you had severed all the relationships with him. Then how do you know that Shaan is in America nowadays?”

“Some common acquaintance gave me Shaan’s whereabouts,” Medhavi lied.

“No. That’s not true. But I know how you know about Shaan being in America. You met him when you travelled with him to USA the very first time. In fact Shaan dropped you at our apartment. You hurt your leg at the airport and he took care of you. But you did not tell me about it.”

“How do you know all these details?” Medhavi got curious to know more.

“I told you just now that I met him recently at LAX. During our conversation I realized that he presumed that I knew about his stay in San Jose. When I denied, he told me all about how you two travelled by the same flight, how you hurt yourself while picking up your bag from carousel and how he dropped you at the apartment. He took it for granted that you told me the entire story. Tell me why you did not tell me?”

“OK, but you know about it now. That should be all right now. Let us close that chapter and talk something more pleasant. Enough is enough.”

Anjali was in a mood of teasing Medhavi. She continued, “Do you know that Shaan goes to India on and off in connection with his business? And yes one more very important thing. At LAX, I saw him with a girl.”

Medhavi’s curiosity got aroused. Her jealousy also got aroused. She asked, “What girl?”

“I saw a beautiful girl with Shaan. They seemed quite intimate with each other. I saw Shaan holding her hands all the while I was talking to him.”

“Has Shaan married her?” Medhavi was quick to enquire. She became impatient with curiosity.

“No. He introduced her to me as his friend. Once bitten, twice shy. I think he is going to be careful about girls now on. You taught him that lesson.”

“Don’t talk rubbish. Was that girl really beautiful?”

“Yes she is but not as beautiful as you.”

On that note Medhavi felt happy and satisfied and she had no difficulty getting a peaceful sleep that night.

At the breakfast table, Medhavi, Anjali and Samskara gathered before starting for their respective venues of work.

Medhavi got busy setting up the typical vegetarian South Indian breakfast of idli-sambhar-chatni and Madras coffee for all of them. In the mean time Anjali cooked two fluffy omelets and brought them on the table for Medhavi and herself. Medhavi was unaware of it.

All the three of them sat around the table.

Medhavi was surprised to see the omelet in front of her. She asked, “Anji, when did you make these omelets? And who brought the eggs? We don’t keep or cook non-vegetarian stuff at home. Anji, did you?”

This conversation attracted Samskara’s attention.

Anjali answered, “Yes. While you did the grocery the previous evening and you were busy paying for it, I lifted a tray of eggs and paid at the other cash counter. I wanted to give you a surprise this morning. I thought why not eat eggs for our breakfast, like old times. After all towards the end of our stay together I had finally been successful in initiating you to eat omelet. Surprisingly you had started relishing omelets.” 

“So thoughtful of you,” said Medhavi. “I never thought I could ever eat an egg preparation and like it too.” 

After the breakfast Anjali was the first to leave the house. Medhavi started getting ready to go but Samskara stopped her by pulling her back in a somewhat rough manner.

He forcibly made her sit in front of him on the dining chair and shouted, “You did not tell me that you are used to eating non-vegetarian stuff. How can you eat non-veg stuff despite being a Hindu Brahmin?”

“I don’t eat any non-veg food. It’s jut eggs and that too I started eating it of late in the company of Anji. Have you ever seen me eating an egg earlier? And please don’t shout at me on this minor matter. Please leave my hand, you are hurting me.”

“It’s not a minor matter. We Brahmins don’t even touch the non-veg, eating it is a far-fetched thing. Now I need to do your shuddhikaran (purification or cleansing) and that of our fridge where the eggs were stored.”

He opened the fridge, threw out the egg tray in the trash bin, took out a bottle filled with the water of the river Ganga and sprinkled it over the fridge and also over Medhavi.

“Now this sacred water of Ganga has purified you and the fridge. Please don’t ever do it again.” His patronizing tone sounded quite jarring to Medhavi’s ears. She hated it.

And then he walked out of the house in a hurry. Medhavi heard his car drive away.

Medhavi remained stunned for some five minutes. She felt terribly violated. She immensely despised the words and actions of Samskara. She thought, “Why is he so narrow-minded? What wrong did I do by eating just one omelet in the company of my old friend? And what did he mean by sprinkling the water all over me without my permission? I hate him.”

She also recalled from the previous incidents, “He carries out the same procedure of sprinkling the sacred water of Ganga all over the house every time I am done with my periods. And now I know why he avoids touching me during those four-five days. So he thinks that my periods make the house and me dirty. Rubbish. Now I remember my mom doing the same thing and I always hated it.”

She started feeling that Samskara had been quite irritating in many other ways too. She felt that it was very boring of him to wake up every day at 5 AM, take a shower at that indecent hour of the day and carry out his pooja (worship) for two long hours. Why can’t he windup his pooja a little quicker?Because of his extended poojas even on weekends he did not even once give the kind of company she needed from him for a leisurely tea and breakfast. 

“Excess of everything is bad. I am now sure of it. It gets on nerves,” She thought.

That evening when he returned from the office he lost no time in suggesting Medhavi, “Do not encourage your friend Anjali to come here often.”

“Just because she made me eat an omelet this morning?” Medhavi was furious.

“Of course that wasn’t good on her part,” Samskara was quite harsh.

After giving a pause he continued, “Also we should make friends with the people of our own community only. Isn’t Anjali a Christian?”

“We already have many friends who are from our community but I do not mind making friends with the people of other communities. I have been good friend from all kinds of communities from my childhood. What is the problem?”

“Oh these people of other communities can be a bad influence on our children. And I am quite serious about it. Our samskaras (cultural heritage and upbringing) are far more superior to the samskaras people of other communities give to their children. We do not want our children to pick them up.”

Medhavi got very upset hearing all of these ideologies of her husband. She thought that he carried some extreme ideas related to these issues that did not gel with her. She thought it wise to remain silent. She was already perturbed and if she spoke with that frame of mind she would surely get into a big row with him.

She accepted that she herself was quite religious and could not think of getting married to a boy of other religion. She had also looked down upon the people of other communities and castes when it came to the question of marriage. She did not consider the boys of other castes and sub-castes of even her own religion suitable for her. That’s why she did what she did to Shaan. But to her, her husband seemed to be far more religious than her. He was too much of a religious person as per her judgment. 

And she wondered how religiousness, which she thought was a great virtue, could become intolerable when stretched to extremes. She felt confused with her new understanding that religiousness could also be categorized as being non-religious, little religious, moderately religious and extremely religious. 

She further asked herself, “How much religiousness is correct, after all? And does sticking to all the diktats of an organized religion make a human being completely worthy? Are all of those diktats relevant today? Do people interpret them correctly? Were the people who made them more authentic and wiser than the modern day human beings? Haven’t many of those diktats become obsolete and irrelevant? May be many of those diktats are outright retrograde and inhuman. Do we need to review them from an open mind and modify appropriately?” 

She further probed, “And perhaps that seems true of every organized religion. Perhaps no religion may be an exception to it.” 

It was a sudden revelation to her, that too for the first time in her life.

For the first time after many months she remembered Shaan. For the first time she remembered him in a favorable manner also. Subconsciously she started comparing him to her husband. By now she was quite tired emotionally. She did not realize when she hit the bed and went to sleep.

(Get your copy of the novel "Good People" as an eBook from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BHH37G  only for $ 0.99. You may also like to get its Printed Book from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Good-People-Dream-Boundary-World/dp/1479333085/ref=sr_1_8_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380916602&sr=1-8&keywords=shyam+bhatawdekar%27s+books)

Novels and Stories

Novel "Good People" http://good-people-novel.blogspot.com/
Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/
Stories Children Will Love http://stories-children.blogspot.com/

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Good People: Chapter14: Serious Reflections



Chapter 14


Medhavi was doing very well with her MS studies in University of California. She was happy convincing herself that she did better with her academic progress when compared to Shaan who stopped his studies just after graduation.

Once she mentioned to her roommate Anjali, “Anji, don’t you think that I am in a better position than Shaan? He is just a graduate from India and I will be a post-graduate that too from a reputed university of America. I am sure to get a great job in USA and he is struggling with his start-up in India.”

Anjali did not comment. Just said, “OK.”

Medhavi remained cross with Anjali for many days after this.

Medhavi started spending less time with Anjali and more with Samskara. Samskara was her classmate.

Samskara also came from India to US to do his MS. He lived in an apartment that was quite close to Medhavi’s. Since Samskara and Medhavi were teamed together to carry out a project they needed to consult each other often. In the process they started frequenting each other’s apartment.

One day when they were at Samskara’s apartment they got talking generally.

Samskara informed, “Our family originally comes from South India, more particularly from Tamil Nadu. I am a chaste Hindu Brahmin.”

“What a coincidence. Our family also hails from Tamil Nadu. And we too are chaste Hindu Brahmins.”

“Do you know why my parents named me ‘Samskara’?

“Tell me.”

“They are very proud of Hindu samskaras (rites of passage, cultural heritage and upbringing). As per them Hindu samskaras have no match in other religions. They wanted to imbibe all those samskaras in me.”

Medhavi added, “And so they named you Samskara. Right?”

Samskara could feel a sense of approval of his credentials.

“Yes. I am proud to say that I lead my life by those samskaras.”

And they exchanged many things describing their personal and academic resumes. They described to each other what their parents did back home. Fathers of both of them held high positions in government jobs. People in India always held high opinion and were in the awe of the persons who grabbed top positions in government departments. To top it all both sets of parents were equally religious.

They were happy to know that their religious, personal and family backgrounds were quite identical. Soon their professional and academic association turned into a personal friendship. And gradually they decided to personally like each other and to ultimately fall in love with each other.

They were convinced that they were a great match.

Before all these developments between the two took place, they were in constant consultations with their respective parents.

Medhavi’s parents sought a lot of information about Samskara’s family background and she scooped it from Samskara at times directly and other times indirectly.

Samskara’s parents also sought a lot of information about Medhavi’s family background and he scooped it from Medhavi at times directly and other times indirectly.

In doing this research work many days and months passed.

And finally when everyone was satisfied that everything was in order, Medhavi fell in love with Samskara and also Samskara fell in love with Medhavi.

As their final examination leading to completion of their MS approached and one day when they were at Samskara’s apartment studying together and took a break to cook the dinner together, Samskara found it a perfect time to broach the subject of his falling in love with Medhavi, “Medhavi, now that we will complete our studies, I think that it’s time for me to declare my love to you. I feel that we should marry soon after I get a job. Of course your consent is necessary.”

“I was about to say the same thing to you,” Medhavi said. “I have also fallen in love with you. I don’t mind if we marry soon after you get a job. By then I will also be having a job. So, that suits me. Then should we inform our parents?”

The deal was done.

“Yes, we should inform our parents. They will need to carry out lots of preparations since our marriage will have to take place following strict religious rituals. They will also have to find out an appropriate shubh muhurtham (auspicious date) in consultation with our guruji (the priest). All this takes time.”

“I too believe in all the necessary religious rituals of the marriage and a shubh muhurtham. Without them, the marriage does not feel like a marriage.”

“You said it. My opinion is ditto.”

Their meeting ended with a perfunctory embrace with some tinge of emotions.

Then both of them got busy with their studies.

They also got busy communicating with their respective parents with reference to their impending marriage.

After consulting the respective priests Samskara and Medhavi and their parents took decision that the marriage would take place in Chennai, India within next six months since that period presented the most auspicious time for solemnizing their marriage. Auspicious time was decided by the positions of the planets with reference to earth.

Medhavi and Samskara started looking forward to the D-day. They started making the necessary preparations to travel to India.

(Get your copy of the novel "Good People" as an eBook from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BHH37G  only for $ 0.99. You may also like to get its Printed Book from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Good-People-Dream-Boundary-World/dp/1479333085/ref=sr_1_8_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380916602&sr=1-8&keywords=shyam+bhatawdekar%27s+books)

Novels and Stories

Novel "Good People" http://good-people-novel.blogspot.com/
Funny (and Not So Funny) Short Stories http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/
Stories Children Will Love http://stories-children.blogspot.com/