HEARTFULLY ENTANGLED - CHAPTER 1 - THE BEGINNING
1- THE BEGINNING
I stepped out of my shelter with my single backpack which was loaded with my clothes, an old laptop, a guitar, and my mobile phone in my pocket. I was 26 years old back then. I was working as a guitar teacher in a music academy. Definitely, I did not have a laptop to improve myself or my skills in any way. The maturity I had and the circumstances which brought me up made me use the laptop only to watch porn videos. My laptop was filled with hundreds of such movies.
My clothes, my laptop, my guitar and my mobile phone were my only properties. I had a two wheeler. But I had sold it to have some money in my hands to pay for the advance to my new home after finding one. My previous house owner got to know my habit of drinking and red light area visits and made a mountain out of a molehill. I didn’t know what the problem was for him about my personals when I paid the rent properly, when I didn’t misbehave with anyone in his home. He behaved as if my personals were any of his business, as if I stole his money for my personals.
I didn’t feel any care in his words, either. All his words were meant to strip me down, looking at me in disgust. Perhaps, I was filthy. I wouldn’t say no. But I was just a tenant to him. He had no rights to trample over me. I warned him that he had no fucking rights to criticize me about whatever I did with my own earned damn money just because I was staying in his house and I just packed my things and vacated his house on the spot.
Anyway, people are like that. They have a tendency to have their own definitions or standards for everything and they would question you, blame you, strip you down or throw you away when you don’t fit into their definitions or standards. They would never care why you are not fitting into their definitions. All they want is to fit their equations. Because, caring or understanding needs effort. Judging or stripping someone away is so easy. It doesn’t need any effort. People always choose an easy way. Including me! I too chose an easier way of escaping my realities with temporary pleasures rather than making any efforts to change my realities for the better.
I sighed at my thoughts and walked aimlessly on the busy streets of Chennai in the evening, my eyes looking for a Tolet board. Being a bachelor, it was difficult for me to find a shelter. Almost every owner I saw from the morning didn’t even give me a chance to glance at their house.
“It’s already evening. I have to stay on foot paths only, it seems,” I thought to myself, feeling tired and frustrated while walking.
Suddenly, my mobile buzzed in my pocket, interrupting my thoughts. I pulled my 4G mobile out of my pocket and looked at its display. It was my friend Nivas. We were friends not because we had a pure bond, but because we were sailing in the same boat. Spoiled brats we were. Mostly, we spent time together drinking.
Though we were in the same category of spoiled brats, I would say, I was more spoiled than him as he never visited sex workers, but I did. He did advise me not to visit them as he had a concern I might develop sexual diseases, but I always used to cut him off in the middle. I always maintained a personal distance with everyone I had contact with. My mouth would speak anything for fun or to tease, but I would go off when it is about my personals. I just didn’t want to get personal with anyone. Maybe, sharing your personal with someone needs an unbreakable bond and trust. I really didn’t have it with anyone.
I attended the call.
“Hey Arun, I heard you fought with your house owner and vacated your house. Where are you going to stay after this?” His voice pierced my ears.
“I don’t know, dude. I am just searching for a Tolet board,” I replied flatly.
He suggested, “Hmm, if you can’t find a room within today, then come to my home and stay for tonight. Let’s look for a house tomorrow.”
“Hmm. Let me call you back later,” I said flatly and disconnected the call as I had no idea to stay in his home even for a single night. His parents were mad at himself for his drinking habit. Then, how could they allow me, a person who gives company to drink! On the top of everything, I would rather stay in footpaths than disturbing someone in search of help. That was me.
I slipped my mobile back into my pocket and carried on my hunt for a house and my eyes landed on a Tolet board on a large steel gate. It was almost the 20th Tolet board I saw that day. Though I didn’t have any hope that they would allow bachelors, I couldn’t ignore the board as there was still a possibility. I peeped inside through the lattice of the gate and my jaw dropped. Not by the sight of the palace-like home. But by the sight of a beautiful young girl who was playing badminton, wearing a white top and a knee length white skirt.
The moment I saw her is still fresh in my mind like a newly composed melody. I didn’t have any idea that I would remember that moment till my last breath. Though I can still remember the orange twilight sky, the gentle breeze, and the serene garden which adorned the palace, when I was present in the scene, I didn’t give any damn to nature. My eyes landed directly on the girl. She had such an innocent big doe eyes. But I didn’t give any damn about her innocent eyes, either. The person I was then made my eyes to catch her hip curves and travelled down to her smooth legs which pleased my eyes.
Suddenly she started jumping excitedly. “I am the winner. I am the winner,” she announced herself.
The boy who was playing with her seemed like her brother who was in his teens. He pouted his lips like a child and went inside the home, calling his mom. The girl was laughing at him innocently.
I seized the opportunity to have a conversation with the beautiful girl alone and opened the gate. She looked at me puzzled, her innocent laugh fading away.
It took almost a minute of walking to reach her from the gate. On reaching her, I said politely, “Hi, I am in search of a rental home. I saw the board here. Is it available?”
“Oh, wait. Let me call my Maa,” she responded, running inside the home. It was disappointing. I thought she would talk with me. But, she disappeared inside her home. I was standing outside, shrugging off my disappointment, looking around the vast garden which had a swing to relax amidst the serene plants. The house had a name board and it read ’Little Diya’s little nest’
I wondered who that little Diya was.
“Maybe a child,” I answered to myself.
Soon a middle aged lady emerged from the home. She was gorgeous, too. She was wearing a sky blue coloured Kurti and white patiala pants. She didn’t look like a mother. She looked like a sister to that girl who ran inside with white skirt. When I was shamelessly looking at her physical features, she asked me in English, “Are you looking for a home, dear?”
The word ’dear’ hit me. No one had called me affectionately like that till that date, except those fake endearments of sex workers.
I cursed myself for looking at her shamelessly for a moment and uttered involuntarily, “Yes, maa,”
“How many of you are there in your family?” She inquired.
“I don’t have a family. And, I am unmarried,” I replied.
By this time the beautiful girl who was playing badminton reappeared, emerging from the home.
She asked me while approaching us, “What do you mean by you don’t have a family? You don’t have your family here or you don’t have a family at all?”
“I don’t have a family at all. I am an orphan,” I replied.
She forced a smile, her eyes flickering between me and her mom as if she wanted her mom to give the home for rent to me.
But her mom said, “Sorry, dear. We are not giving a house for bachelors.”
“Oh. Okay.” I sighed with a nod, turning to leave with disappointment.
“Wait a minute…” The girl interjected, stopping me.
I turned back.
She pouted at her mom, “Maa, he is alone. He doesn’t have a family, either. Where will he go, Maa? Let’s give him our home for rent. My Maa and Papa (dad) are kind hearted and helping many people, right? Please, help him too, maa.... For my sake! I was myself an orph....”
The girl was about to say something. But her mom yelled, cutting her off, “Diya....”
Oh, damn! Was this little Diya? A little part of me felt it funny, but a larger part of me loved it and smiled to myself.
As her mom yelled, she fell silent with a pout.
Her mom inhaled to calm down herself and asked sternly, “What do you want now? You want to give him our home for rent, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” She shook her head up and down firmly, keeping a fake long face like a child.
Turning to me, her mom relented, “Okay, dear. Take a look at the house. If it is okay for you, you can stay here.”
I glanced at the girl with a gentle smile for her help and replied, “Okay, let me look at the house.”
They nodded in agreement, leading me to the empty house. It was a one bedroom house with an attached bathroom. The house had enough furniture. I was satisfied with the house. For a bachelor like me 1 bhk was more than enough.
“What is the rent?” I asked politely.
“Monthly 7000 and 20,000 advance,” She replied.
I nodded happily as I was staying in a single room for a monthly rent of 5000 and with a lot of water scarcity. But here the house had a 24/7 water facility with a neatly maintained house and a garden in it.
I instantly retrieved 20,000 rupees from my wallet and paid the advance. She accepted the money and asked my name and other details.
“I am Arun. I am a guitar teacher in XYZ music academy,” I replied.
“Oh, guitar teacher? So, I will learn guitar from you,” little Diya said excitedly.
Sorry, I am saying Diya as Little Diya because I love to call her little Diya.
Her mom intervened gently, “Sorry Arun. Don’t worry. She won’t disturb you. I will talk to her.”
“It’s okay Mam. Let her come to learn on sundays, if she wants. I will teach her,” I said, smiling at little Diya. I didn’t know why I felt she had humanity unlike the other people I met in my life. The curves of her body suddenly vanished in my eyes and she felt like a child.
“Okay, let’s see. Now, take a rest. Good night, Arun,” her Mom replied, turning to leave, interrupting my thoughts.
“Your name?” I stopped her.
“Mrs. Payal Krishna,” she replied with a gentle smile and turned out of the house.
Little Diya too made her way out.
“Diya,” I called.
She turned back to me, looking at me curiously, “How do you know my name?”
Damn! She proved she was a child.
I shook my head with a smile. “Your mom yelled at you, saying your name.” I imitated her mom, faking an yell. “Diya..." My voice transformed to my own voice, as I added, "For requesting her to give me home. Also, your home has a name board.... Little Diya.”
“Oh.” She laughed. “Okay, tell me, why did you call me?”
I took a deep breath. ’That....thank you,” I said genuinely as she was the reason I got a shelter after a long hunt.
“You are welcome,” She passed a gentle smile. “Don’t worry as you are alone. We will be like your family. Remember, you are staying in a separate home, but we are also your family. You can reach us anytime, for any help.”
Family.
The word got on my nerves. But I couldn’t show it out to the only girl who helped me.
I gulped hard to control myself, nodding my head, and shut the door, my nerves craving for alcohol suddenly. I didn’t care what she thought at the way I shut the door. All I wanted was alcohol at that moment.
I was always a drunkard. My tiredness and the word ’family’ added fuel to the fire. I unzipped my backpack, pulling out my whiskey bottle, and twisted it open. I gulped the whiskey as fast as I could.
When I think of those moments now, I find myself a fool. I just encountered an angel. An unexpected Angel of my life! But I didn’t realise it then and I was drinking like a fool!
← PREVIOUS CHAPTER - NEXT CHAPTER →
Nilah R.
©️ copyrights reserved.
Comments
Post a Comment