Saturday 30 August 2014

Late

"Aur sun, tere kissi friend ki shaadi ka card aya hai." Mrs Sharma said.
"Maa, shaadi mere kissi friend ki hoti hai aur excited ap ho jati ho." Sameer irked.

Sameer was in his late twenties and just like any other Indian mother, his mother too was hell bent on convincing him to get married.

"Achah, tu soja kal jaldi uthna hai. I am waiting for you. " Mrs Sharma said.
He disconnected the call and started working on the project he had to complete before going on the small vacation. Sameer lived away from his house, worked in a nine to five job. He smiled at his mother's naive advice. He just wished he could leave all the work and sleep but he was pretty determined to get a promotion and this project was the way to get it.

"Haan maa, finally train me beth gaya hu. Nahi late nahi hua." Sameer disconnected the call. Mothers!! he smiled. He loved travelling by trains. He sat comfortably and just relaxed. He observed the commotion that every train witnesses and smiled amusingly. Little kids running here and there. He compared the kids' restlessness to his mother's.

 As a kid, he was so quite and docile. Running in the train appeared bizzare to him then. He would read his comic books or just gaze out of the window. Now he reminisces about the time gone by and wished he had done something notorious or nondisciplinary. He wished he had been more like Tanvi. Tanvi was his college friend who liked and loved him dearly. Sameer was always pretending to not know what she felt for him. He dodged any such conversations. The last time he met her she was single,like she had been all her life. She still laughed goofily and was at her at her jovial best. Sameer had a girl friend in college but things didn't work out once they were out in the real world. Tanvi had stayed in touch with every friend in their circle. In the last reunion, Sameer had planned on telling her his feelings but she maintained a distance. This time he was determined to go meet her and tell him that he had been crazy avoiding his true feelings and was a fool to not acknowledge hers.He was sure his parents would be too happy with the news. He smiled and with the optimism, he didn't realize when he was home.

"Accha, ma ab me rest karne jaa raha hu." he was tired of eating the various delicacies his mother had prepared. He slept for three hours straight and it was good to be home.He woke up and arranged his cupboard again. He settled all his documents and files on the table and that is when he gazed at the various wedding cards his mother talked about. He looked at the names and dates and venues of each card carefully and the next second, he was packing his bags.

He had anyhow convinced his mother and promised to return back within two days. He knew it was a lie. His mother entered his room and smiled a sad smile.Work seems to be too much for him, she wondered. She tried to settle away the creases on his bed spread when she saw the wedding card. "Tanvi weds Ishaan ". She subtly kept the card on his table and switched the lights off.


Three Weeks later, Sameer was neck deep busy in his new job designation. He was travelling abroad for the next venture. He had achieved all that he had planned for. But before the trip, he had to attend a wedding .

He stepped on the stage with a wierd sadness. Tanvi looked amazing. She was perky as usual. She smiled when she spotted him. She seemed so contented to be sitting next to Ishaan.He silently blessed them. "Sorry, Tanvi. Late ho gaya. " he smiled and shaked hands with both Tanvi and Ishaan. He reflected on his words, he was actually late. Wish he had been on time.


No comments:

Post a Comment