I still remember the first
day I saw her. I was advising some junior prefects. I usually did not do that
in evenings. But I think it was the destiny which made me stay after school to
do that. It was a pleasant evening in
June. Whole school premises were covered with newly bloomed flowers. I told newly
elected junior prefects about the way they should handle the students at
morning assembly and how to let them go in a queue. These were very simple
matters but as the head prefect it was my duty to educate them about their
responsibilities.
A car stopped while
I was standing just in front of principal’s office talking to a dozen of junior
prefects. A gentleman with a graying beard got down from the vehicle and walked
to me.
“Where is the principal’s office son?’ He questioned with a
faint smile.
“Walk directly through this corridor sir, and then you come
across it.” I pointed and said.
“Thank you”
I turned around to
see how he follows my instructions. Instead of entering to the corridor he
walked back to the car. He bent near the rare seat and told something.
It was an amazing moment in my life. A pretty girl got down from the car. Her hair
which was in a plate shined in gold colour along with setting sun rays. She was
wearing a skirt and a white long sleeved blouse but her thin long fingers were
visible even at a distance. She had a small round face which reminded me an
angel in fairy tales of Hans Christian Anderson. Dumfounded and rooted on the
spot I waited being charmed by her beauty and elegance.
I wanted
to smile with her. But unfortunately she didn’t notice me. I guessed that the
gentleman was her father. Both of them headed to principal’s office.
Within few seconds I felt shy about myself. I
was the head prefect of the school; someone respectable and someone who is
supposed to be smart and decent. But at
that moment I stared at her forgetting where and who I was. I blamed myself for
that childish behavior and switched back to the tough role of the head prefect.
When I finished my work as
usual I had to keep the key of prefects’ room in principal’s office. The car
was still there so I knew that they must be talking with the principal yet. I
sat on the bench outside the office waiting until their conversation ended. I
had no intension of listening it though I overhead what they told.
‘It is the middle of the term. Are you sure that you can
catch up the things?” It was principal’s voice.
“Yes sir” Her voice was calm and soft.
“Because of my job we have to change our residence as well
as Divya’s school. When she was in Delhi she was the topper in the class.”
“That’s great. Even though this is a school in outstation we
maintain a high academic level and a good discipline among the students”
“ That’s why I selected this school” Divya’s dad replied.
“ It’s an honor for us to have police commissioner’s
daughter in our school” Principal replied.
“Divya!”
Her name
echoed in my ears. Her name perfectly suited her divine nature, the innocence
she portrayed and the kindness outpouring from her blue eyes as two ponds
filled with pure waters. She was too cute to be a human. Her first sight made
me explore an untrodden path in my soul. I felt that she had stolen my heart as
no one had ever done before.
Amidst
parents wishes for me to pass grade twelve exam well and the reputation gained
as the head prefect made me close the doors of love and become totally academic
oriented. During last few years I did not feel any kind of romantic feeling on
any one. Loneliness did not bother me either because of my busy daily routine.
All who fell in love, all who talked about love, and all who begged love seemed
to be fools to me. But my heart whispered me that I was deeply in love with her
at the first sight.
My
brain argued with the heart. I knew nothing about her. What I only knew was
that her name is Divya and her father was a police commissioner. She was
totally a stranger to Chandigarh. Along with all these unknown information I
didn’t know why I started to love her all of sudden. How can such a deep
feeling arouse this much fast? I couldn’t comprehend that. I wondered how
strange the love is. It makes your life upside down as if you have been caught
to a whirlwind. My brain warned me over and over again that this was mere
attraction, something like a crush but not love which people call sacred. But
my heart did not accept that.
She didn’t even
know me. I did not know what kind of an impression she would create on me. What
it she hates my company? I knew that it was really useless to love someone who
does not know you. But I was sure that I would get a chance to meet her though
I didn’t know that it was destined to get closer to her very early.
“Arun come in” Principal called me. He had noticed me
sitting on the bench near the office.
“Excuse me sir” I entered and hung the key of prefects’ room
in the usual place.
When I turned back to leave the shirt entangled with a new
nail fixed on the wall. I patiently released my shirt with fingers because I
was not pleased to see my school uniform being torn.
“This is our head prefect” Principal introduced me to Divya
and her father.
For no reason I felt embarrassing. I hid it and smiled friendly
with both of them.
She had a mesmerizing smile which made a warm sensation in
my heart. It was impossible for me to maintain my normal behavior. Her
sparkling eyes were speaking. They had a timid look half hidden from glamour. I
remembered that principal was watching me and her dad too. She was like a
dazzling diamond for her sallow dress, surrounded by a king cobra and a demon
with principal and dad around. So I took the wise precaution of pretending to
be normal and not to show my emotional excitement in the mind.
“This is Divya, our new police commissioner’s daughter. From
Monday she will join your class. She is new to the school so help when she
needs a support” Principal advised me.
I nodded obediently.
Principal considers me as her care taker but I was falling
love with her. I was wondering how to win her heart. How bad I was?
I lived in
Chandigarh; the city beautiful. My dad was a land owner who owned half of the
fields in the village. My mom was a caring house wife. She had learnt well. If she
tried she could have found a good job. But papa considered his wife doing a job
as a disgrace. He was such a conservative thinker. In weekends there was no
school, so I used to visit vast lands belonged to papa. That was what most of
the wealthy villagers expected from their grown up sons. But in papa’s case he
never forced me to visit our property. I did it because it was an utmost
pleasure for me to help him in his work whenever possible. Anyway papa had
clearly understood the value of studying too.
When I saw his face I
felt guilty about having romantic feelings on Divya. That weekend was the
hardest weekend for me to end up. I was day dreaming about her with my chin
rested on palm. Mom noticed it and asked me whether I was ok. I replied yes,
fixing my eyes on the ground.
Like the tender
paddy plants a tender love was growing in my heart. Her smile and beauty were
like sunshine and pure water which kept my newly born love alive. I could do
anything for the sake of her. As the blooming sun above the golden temple in
Amritsar my love for her was certain. I had no idea about the future how she
will respond me. The only thing I knew was that I love her so much.
The weekend passed.
Somehow or the other I was waiting eagerly waiting to see her. I went to the
school early in the morning. Usually I stand near the main entrance and check
the uniforms of boys while the head girl checks the uniforms of girls. That day
I was so delighted that this duty was assigned to me. Every student had to
enter to the school from the main gate and there were no optional ways. So I
was pretty sure that I will catch the first sight of her. A soft pride and contentment rose in my mind.
It was the first day on which I did not do my prefect duty properly. When I
focus much attention on checking the uniforms I feared that I would miss the
opportunity of seeing her. My eyes were fixed on the gate.
There was a more
spare time for the school to start. I was impatient to see her, but there was a
little possibility for her to come to the school so earlier.
Accidentally I saw a
boy of sixth grade wearing fashionable ankle boots which were not permitted in
Chandigarh high school.
“Hey don’t you know that this type of shoes is not allowed
in our school?” I asked him in a tough voice.
“Dad had sent them from abroad for me not knowing about the
regulations. That’s why I…………….” He hesitated with a scornful face.
“It’s ok for today but hereafter, don’t wear this pair” I
advised him.
I sighed and looked at the main gate. There was a hustle and
bustle in the girls’ queue.
“You can’t come to the school with all these hair styles.
Look how many strands of hair fall on your forehead?” Head girl was shouting.
I walked there to see
what the matter was. I couldn’t believe my eyes. She was Divya! The head girl
had caught her.
“What’s going on Roshini?”
“Arun, look at her hair, strands falling all over the
forehead like of a modeler. Even she has not oiled her hair properly. The
uniform is against the disciplinary code” Head girl complained me.
This time I had a
chance to see a close up of her. What Roshini said was true. Really she had a
stubborn , silky hair which cannot be tamed by hair oil, pins or whatever. But
I did not want Divya to be humiliated because she did not deserve these cheap
insults. She is a genius as I have heard. After all she is the daughter of the
police commissioner.
I was in a dilemma that what Roshini would think if I gave
her string-pulling.
“Yeah! what you say is true Roshini, I too noticed that. But
you know, she is new to our school. Today is her first day here. So let’s
forgive her only for today. Today she will get to know about the disciplinary
code, rules and regulations here. So she can correct them when she comes on the
next day.” I said with a complicated look on my face.
“Oh I didn’t know that she is a new comer. O.k then” Roshini
said.
I felt irritated, I
didn’t understand why this much power and importance were given to the prefects
in our school. Sometimes prefects misused their powers to harass the enemies.
Divya’s uniform was not in to the way of the school. But Roshini was overacting
on that. What made her so angry? May be other girls are jealous on Divya
because she is so pretty.
Sometimes god does
very strange things. I was longing to see her. God has noticed that I truly
love her. On the first day he made me her savior and gave her an unforgettable
memory. This was never expected. Something made me feel that both of us are
going to be lovers.
Chandigarh, known as the city of beautiful was more
enchanting after the arrival of Divya. The school seemed as a nicer painting
with Divya roaming in it. My lifeless soul which never had a touch of this kind
of love felt vital with her glimpses and sight.
I was in the first row of the class. It was the place
registered for brilliant students. Unfortunately Divya who was a new comer had
to take a seat in the last row. I hardly got a chance to see her. I couldn’t be
that cheap to turn back every time and gaze at her.
Sometimes god blesses you by giving everything you wish,
continuously.
Radhika who used to sit in the first row was absent that
day. I heard that she was down with fever. So there was one vacant seat in the
first row.
“You , the new girl please come and sit here” Our chemistry
teacher told Divya. She took her satchel and the pile of the books and sat in
the first row, in a place which was parallel to me, where I could observe each
and every moment of her without being noticed to any other.
It did not take a long time for us to realize that our new
comer was genius. I, who used to be the topper of the class felt totally
helpless amidst her radiance and intelligent nature. When the teachers came to
know that she was a new comer, they asked many questions from her. Divya’s
answers were superb and clear.
Most of the good looking girls are not gifted with good
brains. That was a common logic in schools. But for Divya this theory did not
apply. She was really an extraordinary case. That nature charmed me more and
more.
When so many unexpected things happen continuously you must
understand that the phase of your life is going to have a big change. That day
I had to take the bus to the home. Dad had taken the vehicle away from
Chandigarh. I walked to the bus stand lost in the thoughts of Divya.
“Arun!” It was a sweet voice with a familiarity.
That was Divya. She even remembers my name. My bliss was
outpouring. I halted and smiled with her. She came running to me.
“Thanks a lot for the help in the morning. I was scared that
they will take me to the principal”
“Oh it’s ok. Don’t be scared. Just do as the disciplinary
code says then no issues” I said.
“How cute she is, how well mannered?”I thought.
“But if you were not there I would have fallen in a big
trouble. I will never forget this”
That’s what I too badly needed. I wanted to reside in her heart
and live there forever. But I did not know how the things were meant to be.
***************
Days passed. I became a close friend of her. Really it was
not the friendship I expected from her. I wanted to be her lover, not an ordinary
friend. But I did not have guts to tell her what my heart was urging for.
The greatest fear I
had was her dad. He was a great police commissioner who was not shaken by the
influences of politicians and he was a person who valued bravery and truthfulness
than any other. I didn’t know what kind of a boy Divya expected as her lover.
To my greatest pleasure I came to know that she is single. Some school girls
had boyfriends. So that was indeed good news for me. One day our conversation
turned to that subject.
“Divya, have you ever had a boy friend?”
“Yes”
I petrified. She noticed my change.
“No no I was kidding, I have a dream guy in my mind” She
smiled. I felt a little relief and tried to be funny.
“Aha! that’s nice to have a dream guy. So tell me how he
looks like?”
“Mmmm look? Yes his appearance is quite similar to you, tall
and strong”
My heart skipped a beat. I laughed to hide my excitement.
“What else?”
“He must be honest, decent and intelligent” I analyzed
myself.
“I like him to be someone outstanding, someone very brave
like my dad who would risk his life to do something great for the betterment of
the society”
“So if you come across such a guy will you marry him?”
“Of course! How can I let such a great guy go? Even my dad
will be pleased to see that. Anyway there is more time ahead to think about
that nonsense” She giggled.
“It won’t be easy for you to find a man with all these
requirements” I warned her in a tone of sarcasm.
Divya’s arrival made a great change in my life. I proved my immense love
towards her with every work I did though I didn’t put those three words to a
sentence. I believed that she would understand how much I loved and cared for
her with my behavior even though I didn’t whisper that romantically into her
ears sitting on a bench of Rajendra Park as all the other boys did in common.
By cause of time her eyes portrayed, she had felt that I am
in love with her. I refrained from all the things that would make a bad gossip
between Divya and me. Others never doubted that I was in love with her. They
teased us because Divya and I were the toppers of the class though she was few
marks ahead from me.
Both of us got flying results from the exam qualifying for
the engineering college. Yet I was suspicious about one thing. Always my mind said that I was not the brave
man Divya is dreaming of. I wasn’t a coward but not a hero either. I could be
an engineer, but there were thousands in entire India. I was not sure whether I
had enough qualities to win her angelic heart.
It was obvious that she liked me and was fond of my company.
But she didn’t tell me that she loves me.
“Someone very brave who would risk his life to do
something great” Her words echoed in my heart.
I had her phone number. But I wanted to meet her personally.
After refusing several times finally she agreed to meet me at the coffee shop.
Her reaction in this matter made me realize that during past time there was
nothing in her heart rather than a close friendship with me.
Time had passed; we weren’t school kids any longer. I was in
a burning desire to propose her. I couldn’t stand her treating me as a friend
anymore. But every time some force deep in my soul prevented me from asking her
out.
“I am going to join Air force as a pilot of rescuing unit”
Divya stared at my face in astonishment when I revealed my
decision.
“But engineering?” She stammered.
“Someone who would risk his life to do something great, is
always better than an ordinary engineer”
I retold her words which she told me a year back.
“Why are you doing all these?” She was in a puzzled mood.
“To make you mine, with the blessings of your papa” I
wanted to say. Instead I kept silent looking at the empty cup of coffee.
When I raised my head after a pause my eyes met with hers.
They were tear- dimmed and her eye liner was wet.
I didn’t know what made her sad. Did she really love me? Why
she cries when I say I am going to leave Chandigarh? Is that just because of
missing a good friend? or is that something deeper? Thousands of questions were
rising in my mind.
************
I had a nice time in training period. Every night I phoned
Divya and told her every happening of the day. She listened like a kid hearing fairy tales. She was not
different from the young girl I met for the first time at the school. Divya was
also enjoying with her new friends in the engineering college.
“Early in the morning before my first flight she phoned and
wished me.
“I am so proud of you Arun. I wish if I was there to see you
flying. I miss you a lot!” Her words touched my soul with an essence of love.
I can recollect that
day with yesterday’s resemblance. It was a rainy and gloomy day in September. I
was assigned to rescue some flood victims. For the first time of my life I
understood how much valuable one’s life is and I felt that great contentment by
saving the lives of those helpless people. Even the people who were elder than
me worshiped me to pay their gratitude for being their savior.
“Arun Pratap Singh, you have done a great job”
I was admired by the heads. I wanted to shout loudly to say
how happy I was.
I became a pilot because of Divya. If not I could have been
an engineering student working on a sum at this moment. I dialed Divya’s number
to share this news with her.
She did not pick the call till the screen displayed “No
Answer”. I tried several times but it was in vain.
Then I tired her land line. Call was picked after two rings.
“Hello could I speak to Miss Divya Agarwal please?”
“Who are you?”The reply was a feeble male voice.
“I am Arun Pratap Singh. Her best friend at school”
“Oh! Didn’t you get
the news? she is………no more” his voice was shaky
“What do you mean? Is she in the college right now?”
“No” The reply was weaker.
“Then?” Unknowingly my pitch rose.
“She is not in this world anymore. Unidentified gunman has
shot her dead at the college to take revenge from police commissioner”
Phone fell from my hand.
How to believe that
she has left me in this thick loneliness forever remaining an ocean of tears,
letting me to weep throughout my life?
I became a brave man; a savior on behalf of the girl I truly
loved but I couldn’t save her in my arms.
I sat down on the
dusty floor with clammy eyes.
" පොඩ්ඩක් කලබල කරන නැතුව ඔහොම්මම ඉන්න. මම මහාචාර්යතුමාට කියන්නම්.එතුමා අවසර දුන්නොත් වැඩිය අවුල් නොකර පෝලිමෙන් පිට පැනලා එන්න. මං ඉක්මනට එන්නම්" යැයි කියූ තරුණයා ගොඩනැගිල්ල තුළට අතුරුදහන් වීය.
" පොඩ්ඩක් කලබල කරන නැතුව ඔහොම්මම ඉන්න. මම මහාචාර්යතුමාට කියන්නම්.එතුමා අවසර දුන්නොත් වැඩිය අවුල් නොකර පෝලිමෙන් පිට පැනලා එන්න. මං ඉක්මනට එන්නම්" යැයි කියූ තරුණයා ගොඩනැගිල්ල තුළට අතුරුදහන් වීය.
