Chapter 1: The Hills & Dales

The sky was overcast. In a few minutes it would start pouring heavily as was the case during monsoon in the hills of Darjeeling. A figure barely recognizable, due to the weather, was making her way through the meagre light. As was the case she had just had a fight with her parents on her poor grades in school. She had come out into the open for a breath of fresh air. She was listening to her collection of songs on a walkman to forget about the debacle that had passed at home. It had taken her over a year to accumulate some of her favorite songs which had amounted to around two hundred of them, each of them catering to a different mood of hers.
It was always a rapturous and enthralling sight that would greet her on the road leading to her house. The entire landscape was dotted with tea plantations and the green panoramic views were captured in a thousand photographs that she had taken. In the daytime the tea pickers would start their work and she would spend hours just watching them. The circuitous roads were another thrill for her. Many a times the hills would echo her voice as she would shout pleasantries at the workers. Many of them knew her very well and would either smile or wave at her as she would make her way down the hills. The hills were inherent with danger as poor Lona saw it when she peered into the valley beneath. She thanked God for her life and that she could wake up to the joys of it everyday.
After the beautiful walk in the hills she decided it was time to get inside otherwise the neighboring dogs might start chasing her. She had a phobia of dogs which was not surprising as she had to take 14 injections to counteract a dog bite at still the tiny age of 10. Her walkman was playing the song ‘Nothing else matters’ by Mettalica and she was dancing to the tune of it while still thinking what to tell her mother of her absence from the household. She was a fan of rock music and especially the sound of guitar. Slowly she made her way to the front of the gate of their small house.
She could already hear her mother shouting at the maid to finish her work fast.
“So there you are Lona, u irresponsible girl!” called out her mother to her. “You should help me with the house work once in a while instead of running away to gape at God knows what!”
Not getting any response her mother continued.
“Take off that thing and listen to me, Dona had called and she wanted to talk to you about your low grades in physics. She is doing very well in Bangalore, she just topped her class and look at yourself, failing in a subject like physics when all of us have been scholars at it. Nothing will become of you. I have to get you married to some idiot like yourself and see both of you struggle to make ends meet.”
All this while Lona was making her way to her room which she had formerly shared with her elder sister Dona. There was exactly 10 years of difference between them. She had always felt her parents had her by mistake and this was getting blown out of proportions in her mind these days, especially at her ripe age of 15. She was anyway the black sheep of the family not exactly in looks though. Her looks were very classical with a chin that seemed to jut out, even more when she would strike a stubborn pose. Both the sisters were similar looking but Lona was the more radiant, always ready with a smile and maintaining a cheerful countenance come what may. Such qualities though do not find many takers except possibly her father.
Mr. Indranil Roy was the patriarch of the family and rightfully so with his stoic personality and patient disposition. He was working as the plantation manager in one of the most esteemed tea estates. It was a position of responsibility that infused admiration among his co-workers and seniors alike. His wife Mrs. Tulsi Roy was oblivious of this fact and would be nagging him daily about his shortcomings.
In her room Lona was waiting for her father to come home so that she could discuss with him, her homework as well as the crème de la creme match between Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini at Wimbledon Open final. She was serious about her studies but lacked focus due to which her grades were never satisfactory. Her mother found this odd with the precedence of Dona who was always every teacher’s pride. Lona unlike Dona was just happy to be her father’s apple of the eye.
Finally the drone of the car could be heard even though her mother’s voice was way above everyone elses. She was making a fuss as usual about the vagaries of her life faced through out the day. Mr. Roy gave a deaf ear to his wife’s lamentations and went straight for his daughter. He gave her a news article that had come out about Steffi Graf’s success. Jumping with joy she took it from her father and started reading it with avid interest.
“So we are watching the match honeybunch aren’t we?” He quickly made his way to get refreshed.
“Yes sure daddy just after I finish my homework. Anyway the match is an hour away.” Lona replied in a lively voice.
So both Father and daughter sat do their homework. Mr. Roy used to find these sessions a meat grinder as Lona was very hot headed about her viewpoints and would argue till morning if she could to prove herself right. The father knew this very well so would keep distracting her focus until she used to get frustrated and accept her fathers answer and viewpoints. The mother was always a part of the audience and many a times couldn’t stifle her laugh when she used to see her hot headed Lona turn into a mellowed down smooth flowing river. This was the only time she did not open her mouth, much to her husbands delight.
“So dear can we start watching the match now”, asked the father. With a sprint in her step lona immediately closed all her books(a wry smile there, that for the nth time her father had been victorious ). Anyway now it was match time and her favorite player Steffi will be up against the broad shouldered argentine. It was her duty to ask her mother for the keys to the TV. She went to her mother and asked for the keys. The mother as usual started off badmouthing the game.
“I don’t understand what’s so great about sports, it’s all got up. Before the match starts, it is decided who will win. They are just playing it like a drama well rehearsed before”
“MA! Please keep your ideas to yourself and watch the match with us and then you will understand the finer points of the game” shouted poor Lona.
The mother silently handed the keys to her because she could see Lona on the verge of tears. After all Mrs Roy had made the one thing that she loved all murky.
So it was a straightforward match from then on with Steffi’s forehand winners ruling the roost. It was a contrast to watch both of them. Steffi moving very fast between points and sabatini moving slowly to the next point. The score was 6-3, 3-6, 8-6 in favour of Steffi Graf. It was a monumental match because never had the last set gone for more than 12 games. For sometime it looked it would continue till eternity but Steffi finally prevailed. It was her 3rd consecutive win at Wimbledon.
Lona was glued to the telly till the last shot. Mr Roy did not like tennis that much but his daughter’s enthusiasm was quite contagious. She wouldn’t leave her seat till the final presentation was over and Steffi had the trophy in her hands.
It was time for dinner in the Roy household and Mrs Roy was always proud of this moment when she would have to serve her family the food that she had so lovingly cooked for most part of the day. Lona asked for the menu as was the custom. Mrs Roy shouted.
“Chapatis, Ladiesfinger, Moong dal and your favorite fish pabda. I hope it satisfies you for the night dear.”
The dining table was all set and everyone took their seats. Mr. Roy sat at the head and his two ladies on either side of him. The food vanished before you could say Jonathan Livingstone. Everyone was very hungry as Mrs Roy had expected.
After that Lona said good night to her parents and retreated to her room. The night was of course far from over for her. She would be studying physics and writing letters to Dona to try and explain why she had flunked. Also that she was not going to be a physicist like her, never to be very precise and that was the point she would have to slowly drive into her parents. She was very fond of the English language and she used to watch plays, read books etc at every opportunity she got. She had not yet revealed this but she was going to study English. She wanted to study its pristine form and to the colloquial form it had taken shape presently. She knew she was intelligent but lacked determination to pursue a hard line profession. She was more attracted to the offbeat subjects and felt more satisfaction in learning about a word in the dictionary than about chemical compositions of materials or computing velocity and acceleration. She knew there was work cut out for her as she was in the 9th std this year and next year would be boards and then she would have to move out to pursue her graduation. She had to be able to convince everyone of her chosen line of work. She knew it was going to be a tall order to convince her mother that she will not be trying for engineering at all and will take up something closer to her heart. She was all set for the bubble to burst when she would announce that she would be studying Arts and not engineering.
Outside a storm was brewing and the sound of thunder was creating havoc. Finally the rains came pouring down and Lona who had nearly fallen asleep woke up with a jolt. She loved to hear the patter of raindrops falling on the window pane. She could sit for hours looking at the rain trickling down and making everything moist. The faint smell of moist mud had an effect of drugging her. It was vacation time now so she could take it slightly easy though she needed to be well prepared for the exams that would ensue soon after the summer break was over. She was a very serious kind of person but interested only in the sublime aspects of nature. There was just one week left of her holidays and she and her friends had planned a visit to the Darjeeling mall. And with this thought, which brought a smile to her face, she went off to sleep.
The morning dew is scintillating in Mirik. Lona went out to check the flowers which are breathtaking in the mornings. This time she passed the plantation and reached the point where she could see the famous Mirik lake. The morning mist was an all encompassing attribute to the landscape. Usually kanchenjunga is also visible but due to the mist it had gotten hidden. The lake was lined by tall dark Japanese cedars but the most attractive part was the garden on the other side. She used the foot bridge to cross the lake and then was greeted with variety of flowers for which she had waited all winter. Most of the flowers were wild but beautiful. She made her way to the Hindu temple situated just nearby. She was not very religious minded but liked offering prayers as most of them were answered .This is mostly because along with the prayers she used to work very hard towards making them true and also all her dreams were of a very humble kind. After offering her prayers she decided to head back otherwise her mothers blood pressure might shoot up. She took the shorter way home. She knew most of the roads like the back of her hand and took a lot of pleasure in observing every little thing while walking.
Lona finished her morning rituals fast with her mother on her toes.
“You keep out of danger, girl. No dancing around with your walkman on the streets of darjeeling” she said.
“Don’t worry MA, I will be extra careful. After all Shweta and Swati are also going. (She decided to do some guilt tripping) and added “It’s the last week of our vacation after that anyways there will be no time”.
“OK OK, no need to tell me that you will not find time. I will make sure u don’t have any more time for these escapades.”
Just then there was a knock on the door and Shweta and Swati showed up shouting Good Morning Aunty in unison. Shweta remarked “Are you ready to go Lona? we don’t want to be late for the show, oops”.
Mrs Roy was curious “What’s this show Lona?” she asked
“Nothing Mother just a political rally and a street drama demanding Gorkhaland” she replied.
“Is this your idea of a fun trip, I want to know exactly what happened there and more importantly you are grounded for the rest of the year. I don’t want you to be any part of these political parties. We are simple people and you can get into deep trouble. Are you understanding what I am trying to say?
“Yes mother, lets Goooooooo!, Bye MA,” she quickly retorted.

So Swati, Shweta and Lona began their trek to Darjeeling. They had to wait for the bus or the shared jeeps that used to go till Darjeeling mall road. They were so excited that they were all talking at once, their laughter resonating in the hills. A jeep finally arrived and they all got in with gusto. Lona especially liked these rides though sometimes when they were too long she was hit by the most painful migraines.
“I saw terminator II yesterday on cable, fantastic movie” said Swati. The character of Sarah Connor was especially inspiring.”
“Jimmy Connors? But he doesn’t play anymore” said Lona
“Oh Lona where is your mind, is it running away like the mist here?” asked shweta.
It was a beautiful morning, the mist was fast fading away and the rays of the sun were making everything delightful.
“Oh there’s Kanchenjunga” cried out Lona
“I saw it long back but what else is new around here!” said swati
“Don’t be such a bore Swati, it always makes my day complete seeing its beautiful snow capped peaks and sharp flanks” said shweta.
The jeep was making its climb slowly but steadily taking on passengers as it went. The girls were quiet by now not wanting to disturb the other passengers. One look down into the valley from the moving jeep would insure vertigo in the faint hearted. Mirik was at an elevation of 1768 m and was 49 kms from Darjeeling. They just passed Ghoom which was 2226m in elevation and the highest point of the Darjeeling hills region. The famous tiger hill was situated in Ghoom. One could catch a lot of tourists there with binoculars, gorging at the thrilling sites through them. After Ghoom Darjeeling was only 8 kms at a slightly lower elevation.

The girls hopped out of the jeep once they reached Darjeeling mall road. All of them were dressed in T-shirt and jeans and they looked a very hip trio. They were nicely blending with the crowd who were mostly youngsters out to have a good time. The road was lined by shopping stalls on both the sides. The stalls sold all kinds of clothes, perfumes, knick knacks etc. The girls were getting very chirpy as they strolled down the road.
“What’s the price of this one?” asked Swati to the vendor pointing to a pair of earring’s of her choice.
“Rs 20 didi” said the man.
“And this one,” asked Swati again. She really was haggling with the poor vendor.
“I think we should move on if you are not going to buy anything” whispered Shweta in her ear.
Swati paid no attention to Shweta but finally she selected a pair of studs, which she hopefully liked because she did not look too happy about her purchase.
Lona tried to hide her grin and winked at Shweta. At these moments Lona looked just like her mother with that same winsome smile.
They moved on and soon reached The Mall which was a circular open space and the main attraction of the town. It consisted of some unique shops, restaurants and hotels. Usually a band used to play at one junction but today it was replaced by a show. There was a huge crowd in front of the stage and the girls were disappointed on reaching late. They could barely see the stage from their vantage point but the voices were clear.
“We are losing our identity as Gurkhas, we should be given a separate state. Can a fox and a crow drink from the same vessel? The answer my dear friend’s is a resounding NO. The same way we cannot be governed by the state of Bengal” spoke out the man in khakhis.
Soon there was the sound of a gunshot and the man in khakhis fell to his knees. A much younger looking guy took over from there. He was wearing a saffron kurta and blue jeans. He had the most amazing voice Lona had ever heard. It was resonating from post to pillar in its quest for empathy for his cause. He was wearing black spectacles, the ones similar to her grandfathers and had a chiselled face. A dynamic Gurkha thought Lona to herself.
Gurkhas were a tribe residing in the hills of Darjeeling. Their growing population were a threat to the minority Bengalis who were living in the hills. Darjeeling was in the state of West Bengal but the Gurkhas were demanding a separate state under their leader Subhash Ghishing.
“ Friends, Gurkhas, Contrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bemoan the death of my friend Tenzing who died as you could see in appalling circumstances. And for what reason pray tell me? Freedom of Speech is an integral part of our constitution. He was not violating any law but abiding one of the facets of our constitution. In fact this man Halder violated the law by not just taking up arms but killing him for expressing his opinion. We are a great country with a diverse past and present. But if the government doesn’t value this diversity we will be losing our rich heritage soon.” Saying this he knelt beside his friend and saluted to the public.
The girls were fixated by this speech especially Lona who had started crying. The crowd started dispersing in all directions and the girls also went their way. The mood among them was sombre.
“Let’s visit the Poddars” said shweta slowly to all of them. “It might cheer us up talking to Uncle”.
Poddars was a big souvenir shop which attracted a lot of tourists because of its vast collection of antiques. “The Uncle” used to like the girls very much especially Shweta and Lona. They would point out to the new additions and how it might look better in a different position. Uncle always used to humour these girls as once they had saved his store from incurring a major Theft. It was an antique clock or more appropriately a time piece from Egypt. It was spherical in shape and could give the time of any country through its longitudinal and latitude axis. Only a seasoned time freak could get it .It was a very costly item which was getting flicked and the girls pointed it out in time. The tourist apologized for their misconduct and left quickly. Since that day Uncle was always more than happy to entertain their muses.
“Uncle, I hope you like the position of the wall hangings. They were looking dull at the sides. Now behind the counter they will catch someone’s eye soon.” said Shweta.
“Very artistic Shweta, I will remember this”
“I guess we have a long way to go now so better to push off”, said Swati.
“By the way where is Lona?” Retorted Swati
Lona was busy looking at the trinkets and pieces of jewellery. She was very fond of this type of ethnic jewellery. Dona had a dozen of such sets and she was very envious of her collection. One day she decided she will have a grandeur collection of the most beautiful trinkets.
Uncle was observing Lona deeply and decided to gift a pair of earring’s made of gun metal. The glaze on the surface of the earring was amazing and very upbeat in its concept.
“No Uncle I cannot take this gift” said Lona. My mother has given me very strict instructions not to take any gifts. But soon I will come back to you to purchase this, that’s a promise.
“Ok in that case I will reserve this for you, so that u can purchase it later., replied Uncle to Lona.
“Thank you so much uncle, I will definitely be back” smiled Lona while replying.
“So can we move now, I have some guests coming over and I have to reach home and help mother.”
“Ok you mean Hitler will be angry if you are not home soon” laughed Shweta.
So finally the girls reached the bus stand and bought the tickets to Mirik. They were tired by the outing so their chatter had receded.
Mrs Roy could see the girls embarking from the bus and was tensed all this while as to what they must have encountered in this expedition. The girls dispersed heading for their respective homes.
“Come inside immediately” shouted Mrs Roy to Lona. “What exactly happened there” asked Mrs Roy again to her.
Lona always mainatained extreme composure when she saw her mother all agitated.
“Nothing Happened Mother, we had a beautiful outing and learnt some new things” Added Lona.
This increased Mrs Roy’s curiosity and with an angry face asked her about the rally.
It was very peaceful mother, the police were not there and the crowd was very well behaved. We just saw the show and then went on with our trek.
Mrs Roy was now getting ready to lecture Lona on the uselessness of these political ideas. Lona knew that she would have to patiently listen to everything otherwise both the parents would sit with her in the evening to brainwash her mind.
“You remember your Grandfather? He was a freedom fighter at the times of British India. But after Independence he began to fell how useless the whole revolution had been. He kept writing on topics of revolution in papers and saw the deterioration of Calcutta before his eyes. Basically revolution is for the people who don’t have any other work. You have your work cut out for you. Study hard and get into a good college of engineering. Become independent and you will feel a confident, smart girl. Whatever talent you have will be nurtured at a good college.”
“Dona did not do engineering? Asked Lona
“Dona was a brilliant student and she wanted to do her PhD in Astrophysics and she is in one of the best institutions in India for Astrophysics.” Explained Mrs Roy
“I hate this, what will I do if I am not as good as Dona? I have my dreams too. I don’t want to do engineering, I will do Arts,” Cried out Lona
“And pray tell me what you will do after that, forget it sweety, we will discuss this once your father is here. Be ready for a brainstorming session. Now have your lunch, it’s your favorite fish.”
Lona almost fell with excitement at the mention of her favorite fish. She ran and washed herself first and then sat down to have her favorite food. She loved chinese food the most but nothing came close to her favourite fish Pabda.
Lona just got up from her nap when she heard her father make way into the house. Mrs Roy was shouting at him for being late and that they had to go to the bazaar for rations.
“I also want to go” said Lona to her parents.
“No you had enough of exercise in the morning and we will be discussing your future plans after we come back, so better be prepared to face the shots,” retorted Mrs Roy.
Mr. Roy was starting the car, an old fiat that he had bought second hand from a colleague who left in a hurry. Mrs Roy always the busy body rushed to get in and they roared away.
Lona was depressed, nothing was going her way. She decided to start her walkman and listen to her favorite songs. This time it was “ I want to break free” by Queen.
Meanwhile Mrs Roy was telling Mr Roy to stop the car because she wanted to talk to him about Lona’s career plans.
“Lona has become very impractical. I don’t want her to get messed up in this politically infested state where nothing works until you are a member of some party. I would have liked to send her to Dona but her grades are not that good and I don’t know whether she would clear the JEE either. I don’t know which career prospect is suited to her. Just today morning she said she wants to study arts but I want her to be a technical person and not doing impractical mumbo jumbo. This way she will be an independent career woman faster.”
“You turned out fine with geography” mused Mr. Roy.
“Our times were different and don’t you dare spoil her future by your negligence where the household is concerned. God knows what you find in that office of yours daily that you forget all of us.”
“OK OK, I understand what you are trying to say but you can’t force her to do something she doesn’t want to do”
But that’s exactly the point. She doesn’t know what she wants. We have to shape her mind in the next few years. I have an idea that we should subscribe to National Geographic and get her interested in the environment somehow. Remember Dona’s friend Naro, she was not a very bright student but she is doing Environmental Sc in Pune University. I think we can make her as a source for inspiration for Lona.”
“Ok can we buy the rations now, the shops will close,” retorted Mr. Roy.
“Yes thanks for listening, be a little bit more proactive when we break this to her tonight.”
The rations were brought and all indexed and stored accordingly. Mrs Roy was meticulous where it came to keeping the house in order. She was the envy of many of her husband’s colleagues. Their parties were renowned for Mrs Roy’s food spread. The guesta would go back with the taste of Bengal in their mouth.
After dinner they all sat down in the living room which was tastefully decorated by Mrs. Roy. She had previously got the antiques from Poddar’s and the paintings were all of Jamini Ray’s reproductions. She had purchased them from a shop in kolkata while visiting her brother there.
It was Lona’s turn today to face the heat. Mr. Roy was busy watching the English news on Doordarshan. Mrs Roy faced Lona and spoke to her.
“School begins in a week. You have to start concentrating on your studies because after X11th Std there’s nothing here that you can do. You have to be mentally prepared so that you do well in your boards and finally get in somewhere good so that your future career is secure.”
“I can go to kolkata and study English” said lona.
“So you want everything easy in life don’t you? I can see how your mind is working. Kolkata will mean having fun with my nephew Raja and his good for nothing friends. I will not allow it Lona. You don’t realize how this world works and for that you have to move out of this state. There are good courses in Science in Bombay or in Pune. Dona will get all the information for you. But I want you to realize that the party is over for you. You have to work very hard and get good grades then sit for the entrances for Science and qualify to some College known for its curriculum in Science and that’s final. Go and get some sleep now.”
Lona ran from the living room and into the safe haven of her room. She couldn’t believe it. She had already been thinking of graduating in English from somewhere in kolkata, have fun with Raja and his friends who ran a drama company. They had an artistic approach to life. They would talk of bringing revolution in kolkata with their dramas and music. Tender Lona was gripped with their philosophy of life. Now because of her mother she would have to go somewhere absolutely alien and study doubly hard and make a career in God knows what. “It was all Dona’s fault” she thought aloud.
At that moment her mother came in and sat down beside her.” Lona please nobody is comparing you with Dona. She was always sure of what she wanted to do and her clear train of thoughts never gave way for us to doubt her. But you have no grip on life and we are just guiding you in the right direction that’s all. I have a letter from Dona for you. I thought I would give it you in the morning but I forgot. I am sure you will know that what we want for is the best for you.”
After Mrs Roy had left she had an impulse to tear the letter and throw it. But she loved her sister more than she knew it. Dona was never bossy or overbearing as many would be in her position, being so intelligent and so much older. She always considered Lona a kid and one to pamper and play with. Lona used to cherish the talks that they would have at night when the light was switched off and they could hear the faint noise of insects from outside.
She quickly opened the letter,
Hey Loony,
Are you fighting with Mom again and throwing your temper around? Control yourself otherwise the night fairy will come to me and not let me sleep. Already she has been complaining about how you are failing in your grades. The only solution to that is for you to stop losing focus darling and start meditating to keep yourself alert at all times. You are intelligent and there shouldn’t be a problem to fetch decent grades in even difficult subjects like Physics & Maths. School is starting soon and you will be away from home so enjoy as much as you can right now. I know u have been playing pranks at school from what the principal told mom. I think u need to grow up and take responsibilities for your actions. Come out victorious girl!
Enough about you so let me tell u something very interesting that is happening in my life. Don’t go bragging about this to Mom and Dad. I will tell them when the right moment comes. I have met this wonderful guy from States. He is half French and half Indian, name is Robert Lahiri. He has come here to RRI for his summer program. He is very witty and keeps me in splits with his jokes. We both have similar tastes and ambitions in life so time just flies when I am with him. RRI is a great environment to study and pursue research and he agrees with me. I think I might be able to interest him in continuing his PhD here just like me. I am so excited Lona that I have finally met someone, with whom I am thinking of spending the rest of my life. I will keep updating you on the status of my relationship.
I wish you could come here and spend time with me but you are still a kid and need to concentrate on other things. I would have taken you to a place called Cornerhouse, which sells ice-creams. They have some 50 varieties but I like only Death by chocolate. It’s great. So long sweety, don’t be of any more trouble and do as we say.
Love u
Dona

Lona kept the letter safely in her closet where all the rest of her letters were . She missed her terribly especially on vacations. They both went to the same boarding school but due to the huge difference in their ages, they were not there at the same time. The thought of school was filling her with dread. No more pranks Lona , she told herself, be an obedient student and get good grades just like Dona wanted. She would show all of them what she could do once she had made up her mind.

Chapter 2 : School Days

It was always a majestic sight that would greet your eyes as you approached Mount Carmel High School for girls. The twin peaks of the main building which were visible from afar were named Eve and K2 by the students, drawing comparison with the peaks of Mount Everest and Mount K2 respectively. Mr. & Mrs Roy dropped Lona off at the gate where the security was taking their names and roll nos. Lona searched for the names of her friends and soon rejoiced as she caught sight of both of them making their way to help her with her luggage.
It was the beginning of ninth grade for Swati , Shweta and Lona. They were sitting in their dorm and chatting as the matron came up to them and checked if everything was hunky dory with them.
“Unpack and arrange your part of the dorm and please keep everything clean” shouted the matron to all of them.
The dorm was a big room with 12 bunk beds. Each girl was assigned her own bed, top or bottom as was the case, by the matron as they poured into the room, on a strictly first come first service basis. Lona unfortunately being late was given a bed on the far corner away from Swati and Shweta. She got her favorite top spot though, and thanked god for this small mercy. All the girls were quickly settling in and could be heard talking to each other excitedly. Lona’s bunk partner was Pooja who occupied the bottom bed. Pooja was the class monitor and a very bossy kind of girl and Lona hated her for being the schools heartthrob inspite of her wrongdoings.
The next day school started and everyone dressed up in their uniforms, took their seats in the classroom. They all had expressions of expectations on their faces as they were waiting to find out who their class teacher would be. The class was divided in their expectations as some wanted class teachers’ from science background and some wanted from Arts. Finally the bell rang and Mrs Priti Singh made her way into the room. Everyone stood up to greet her with a resounding Good Morning.
Mrs. Priti Singh was a favorite among the parents and a terror for the students because of her strict adherence to rules and regulations. Not just that she demanded absolute alertness and attention from the students. Also she was known to ask the most baffling questions at the end of the class and anyone who failed to answer her suitably would immediately be in her bad books.
She started to take the attendance and reached Lona’s name. Shweta shook her knee to awake her from her daydreaming but unfortunately it did not go unseen from the piercing eyes of Mrs Singh.
“ Lona, stand up and give me your notebook, I want to see whether you have done your homework or not?” shouted Mrs Singh.
“yes Ma’aaam” stammered Lona.
Lona went to the platform for the teachers and climbed it to show her the work.
“ The method used to solve it is wrong”, Its not the one that I taught, so I will give u no marks for it. Try to be alert in class and solve the problems yourself instead of copying from others” retorted Mrs Roy.
“ But my answers are correct and the method was taught by my father, I couldn’t understand how to solve it by the method u taught.” Cried Lona
“ Well your father is not here right now is he?, so how will u solve the other problems”, U have to understand the concept and then work hard at the solution. My method is the simplest, Pooja please can you help her out”, shouted Mrs Singh.
Lona was feeling terrible. Now the whole evening Pooja will be bludgeoning her to solve the problems till she was satisfied Lona had understood the problem and could solve it on her own. Mathematics was an interesting subject to Lona but she would make real silly mistakes like while writing 6 becomes 0 and then the whole thing would fall apart. Conceptually Lona had got the the hang of Mathematics but because of her non- textbook answers, she would get less marks.
Next was English teacher’s turn to make an impact. She was a beautiful woman and her sarees were always pastel colored and very soothing to the eyes. The students were always glued to her as she spoke and explained the characters of the story she was teaching.
“Open your wren and Martin to page 379, I will be teaching you question tags, short answers etc today” told Mrs sen to the students.
Lona tried to to cover her laugh and whispered to shweta, “ Are we dogs that we are being taught how to use tags.”
“ Shut up Lona, Ma’am is looking” retorted shweta.
Lona quickly opened to the page before Mrs Sen called her to do the reading but unfortunately she failed to impress upon Mrs Sen.
“Ok today Lona will be doing the reading with me” cried out Mrs Sen
Lona Stood up and gave a wry smile before starting to read. oh Boy she thought, first day itself got into so much of trouble, God help me out here!.
After classes which ended at 2pm they hurried to have their lunch in the canteen. They were now seniors but the 10 grade girls made their way towards them in the canteen.
“ Its time for ragging” said the huge looking female Namrata.
“ No one will eat more than 1 roti and that too only with 1 onion” said her friend asin
“ After that each one will be assigned to washing a 10th grader’s clothes, Pooja you are to see that no one does otherwise, continued Asin.
Life was becoming tough for the girls. One girl started crying and was consoled by her friends. Pooja monitored the girls so that none were eating more than they should. They all started missing home especially Lona, Shweta & Lona were talking to each other deciding that just for the day they wont inform this to the officials who had banned ragging long back. They decided they will revolt if it continues tomorrow as well.
The evening was beautiful with the sun and the mist converging at a point and making it a heavenly abode. The girls were in the badminton court which had lights so it was still possible to play, even in the twilight. Lona was good with her reflexes and the opponents used to be perplexed at the speed with which the cork would be thrown at them.
After the game they went and showered laughing and cracking jokes along the way. They were terribly tired but Lona knew after dinner she will have to sit with Pooja to solve the problems. They finished their dinner and then went into the study room.
Shweta and swati and Lona were together discussing the days work and doing the home work.
“ Pick up your books and come to the corner Lona or is it Lana” retorted Pooja.
“ See Pooja no need to be so rude” said Shweta.
“Its ok Shweta some people will never grow up, leave it”, replied Lona
Pooja gave a nasty look to Lona and went to sit in the corner table with her books. Lona followed her and then the harrowing session began. Pooja as usual bullied her way through all of Lona’s points but finally Lona got her home work done.
Lona was very tired with the days work but wanted to offer prayers in the chapel before going to bed. This she would always perform alone as she was slightly embarrassed to be so God fearing. The chapel was at the rear end of the main building where the missionaries used to live. Students were allowed to utilize this facility and many of the apostolic sisters would encourage them to take part in their daily mass even if they were not a Christian.
Lona ran towards the chapel and offered prayers inside. She in her youthful spirit had even kept the option of becoming a nun open. This was spurred by the fact that the chapel was such a peaceful place away from the madding crowd. It was surrounded by stained glass depicting Jesus in many ways. Lona walked down the aisle to the centre where the statue of virgin mary holding infant jesus was sculpted. There was a lectern is front of it where the head apostolic sister used to conduct the mass. She sat in one of the pews right in front and just stared into oblivion. After a few minutes a fresh vigor invaded her being and she felt rejuvenated.
Finally the day was over and each student of ninth grade was in their part of the bunk bed. Lona was on top listening to her ipod and trying to sleep. She tried not to think about Pooja or her grades. She was missing her parents already and knew she had to wait till the weekend for them to pay her a visit. She was very excited as her mother had told her that she would be bringing the issue of National Geographic with her. She could guess that her mother was trying to create her interest in Science and was not particularly happy about that.

Days passed by and soon the seasons changed from autumn to winter. The landscape also changed giving a frosty air to the surroundings. Each weekend Lona’s parents would come to see her and hand her some or the other gift. Lona’s grades had shot up like anything so now Mrs Roy was always in smiles as she would meet Lona. Lona did not want to admit but her grades were going up due to the constant company of her bunk bed partner Pooja who considered it her duty to help out her current partner. The National geographic was piling up on her desk and it was the envy of many of her classmates. Lona though was very generous about sharing her possessions and that was the reason she was popular among her classmates.
In January they used to hold their inter-school badminton tournament and this time Lona was in the organizing committee. Lona was becoming very responsible and this was reflecting in everything that she was doing right from getting good grades, becoming popular among teachers, sharing innovative ideas and turning them into reality etc.
“Lona , tomorrow you will go to the school St.Andrews and talk to the principal there” said Mr. Pachua who was their sports teacher.
It was going to be a big event as far as the school was concerned and everyone was looking forward to it. Lona was touring all the schools and getting all the teams ready for the tournament. Tomorrow she would be going to St.Andrews to set up the last team but not the least in any way as St. Andrews was known for their badminton team.
St. Andrews was 5 kms from their school and Lona used to hiking walked the whole way. It was not at all uncomfortable as January was the coolest month in the hills. The St. Andrews structure loomed in front of her and lona gave it a cursory glance not at all overawed by it, as many were. It was the most expensive school in the neighborhood and she was getting the nervous jitters finally like everyone else as she approached the reception having passed through the security without any problem.
She finally got through to the principal after half an hour’s wait. She had gone for such dozen meetings but somehow she was very tensed up today. The principal met her with a smile as Lona’s radiance was very infectious.
“So u r in the organizing committee of the Badminton tournament and you would like our team to participate in your event Baddy ’92. Well you must first meet our school monitor and discuss the details with him. I will take the feed back from him.” The principal told her.
“Thank you Ma’am” replied Lona as she waited for the school monitor to come.
“ Good Morning Ma’am” said a deep hollow voice that made Lona’s heart skip a beat.
She quickly turned around to take a look and she could not believe it as she saw the Gurkha from the play walk into the room. His presence was all permeating in Lona’s being and she was transfixed..
“Hello, I am Neel Sarkar” said the young boy to her.” I am the School Monitor and responsible for all outdoor activities of the school.” He said while escorting her into the common room. He seemed to occupy the whole space in the room with his effervescent smile and lithe body. Lona was dying to ask him about the demonstration in the mall but sealed her lips fearing other repercussions.
“ Can I offer you a cup of coffee or tea? Our vending machines are pretty good”, he added giving her his winsome smile.
“Yes , sure”, stammered Lona unable to control her inner emotions.
“ Tea or coffee”, asked Neel again giving her a quizzical look this time around.
“ Oh sorry! Coffee please”, replied Lona with an embarrassed look.
“ No problem, for a second I thought you were going to faint over there” added Neel.
Neel was back in a second or it felt so to Lona , with two hot cups of coffee in the typical plastic cups that Lona so hated. She had decided to champion the cause for recycling after reading extensively about how the environment is getting affected by the use of plastic especially in third world countries. Plastic being non- biodegradable destroys environmental growth at the point of contact and prevents recycling. Paper on the other hand is recyclable and bio-degradable.
“There is your cup and here is mine” , said Neel to her handing her, her cup.
Lona took the cup hesitantly not wanting to be ungracious but Neel was very quick to sense her reluctance.
“ Is there something wrong ” he asked Lona
“ Its just that I don’t like plastic cups because they are not environment friendly” replied Lona
“ Ha ha, thats funny” he burst into laughter and Lona was fixated, gaping at him unashamed.
“ Well I thought my father was the only one interested in the environment. He is an MLA you know from Tiljala district, kolkata.” , he said proudly
“ By the way , you have forgotten to tell me your name” added Neel.
“Its Lona Roy speaking”, laughed Lona this time as she introduced herself.
“ So u joke too! Thts nice as girls I know lack a good sense of humor and more importantly you look good with a smile. Your name is interesting Lona , is it inspired from the Hollywood actress Lana Turner” he added quickly seeing Lona going red when he had mentioned her smile.
“ No actually it rhymes with my elder sisters name who is Dona Roy. My father likes western music a lot and is a fan of Donna Summers hence the name.” replied Lona and looked down shuffling her feet at the same time.
Neel quickly looked at the time.
“ I think we better get down to business and discuss the event details”, he said hurriedly.
After that they discussed the event at length and when Neel was satisfied that they had covered all relevant topics and she had divulged all the information that he needed to proceed , they stopped to relax.
“ Well we are all looking forward to this event like last year. Hope it is a bigger success than last year’s”, he said.
“ We only wish that yours was a co-educational school so that even the boys team could have participated but anyways it is still going to be special. I am especially looking forward to meeting you during the event. Now if you will excuse me I have a class to attend and 12th boards are nearing so we have to also prepare for our prelims. I hope you can see yourself to the exit” he added quickly.
Lona thanked him effusively for his support and asked his help to make this event a grand success. Then she quickly showed herself out. Reaching the gate and exiting, she finally gave vent to her emotions. She kept replaying each and every dialogue she had with him and blushed to think of him. Her mind was in another world and she danced to the tune of “ The hills are alive with the sound of music” sung so enigmatically by Julie Andrews in the original soundtrack of the movie. This song was playing in her mind as she walked down to Eve and K2.
She reached her class and recounted every moment spent with Neel to her friends Swati and shweta. They were both listening to her story with baited breath. This was the first time someone had fallen in love amongst them and Lona was in seventh heaven.
It was the best month of her life up till now as she started meeting Neel more often and not just through the event management. Baddy ’92 started right on target in the mid dle of the month of January and the round robins took place in the courts provided for badminton near Eve and K2. Swati and shweta were eagerly waiting for the moment when they would meet their friend’s boyfriend or should they dare call him that.
“ Good Morning Girls!” , Neel said as he introduced himself to Swati and Shweta. It was the day of the semi-final and it was Mount Carmel vs St.Andrews so the air was pretty tensed for Lona. They knew St.Andrews was a good team and would beat them if their girls did not perform spot on. Lona’s affections were dwindling between both teams for obvious reasons.
“ Its so good to be finally meeting you”, replied Shweta
“ You are everything we expected and more. Lona’s descriptions for once have been correct.”, added Shweta.
“ So you have finally found Nirvana here in Gorkhaland. We did see your demonstration at the Mall during the vacations” said swati
Lona nudged swati to shut her up for good but Neel quick to reply was for once dumbfounded.
“ So you girls were there. Lona its bad of you not to have mentioned that earlier”, he replied after some time. He turned towards swati with piercing eyes and replied , “ I have my beliefs as much as I think you do” and he made an about turn and walked away.
Lona ran after him casting a disgusting look at Swati first.
“ You shouldn’t have said whatever you said” Shweta told Swati and then added, “ Anyways lets get our seats now as the match is about to begin, You don’t want to miss it do you.
They had a rollicking time after that as did the crowd. The teams were going neck to neck and winning points by the skin of their teeth. Each point was cheered by their respective fans and soon it was the last point to be served by Mount Carmel. The crowd waited with baited breath as she served and won the point with emotions of jubilation and disappointment respectively erupting from the crowd.
Shweta and Swati were very happy and so was everyone in the bus back to their respective dorms but not Lona. She was trying to keep herself upbeat even after the fight with Neel and only shed a few tears after she fell flat on her bunk bed.
“ Congratulations Lona” shouted Pooja to her from beneath. “ Everyone is very proud of you for having organized and taken revenge of last year when we lost to them in the finals. It should be smooth sailing for us now in the finals having beaten the best” she said.
Lona pretended to have fallen asleep and did not reply. She quietly took her ipod and started playing Donna summers music instead and thought of home. She was awake the whole night and till the wee hours of the morning thinking of every moment she had spent with neel and eventually the dreadful fight.
After the matches were over and they had won the trophy she called home.
“ Ma I want to go home for a few days, I desperately need a break from the hue and cry of the school” she told her mother over the phone.
“ No dear not now. You need to concentrate on your studies and get good grades in your final exams. Next year is boards and you need to be very alert from now on. We will anyways visit you on your b’day which is next month and your matron has promised that we can take Swati and Shweta along too on the outing. So it will be a lot of fun for all of you. Look forward to that day and forget about coming home now. Anything else you want to talk about?”, she said.
“ No, thanks for being so concerned about me”, Lona said and hung up.
It was getting very depressing for Lona without Neel who was maintaining a distance from her . He met her for one last time and explained to her the reasons for his silence and why he had to part ways with her.
It was a Sunday afternoon in February and the mid morning sun was beating down on them. The weather was not at all uncomfortable though and both of them walked down to the Café Royale in Kurseung which was a mile away from Lona’s school.
Café Royale was a quiet open café joint skimmed by the young crowd at large. They took their seats opposite each other and placed their orders. Lona ordered for a café Latte and Neel the same.
“How is your exam preparations going?” Neel asked Lona
“ Quite good” replied Lona
“ I will be moving to kolkata next year and doing my BA honours from Ashutosh college” said Neel
“ Which subject will you be choosing” asked Lona
“ Most probably English” replied Neel.
“ I wont be meeting you anymore as we are too young and we have to script our careers and that is serious business as far as I am concerned. You already know that I come from a very political family with stereo typical view points. I will also in future join my father in his battle and it could get very dirty. I don’t think you will be able to stand the rigmaroles of a political life.” added Neel.
Lona’s eyes welled up with tears but her mothers face drifted in front of her and she knew the relationship had to be ended. She did not reply waiting for him to continue.
The waiter brought their drinks and Lona sipped her coffee slowly. The smell of coffee was enough to rejuvenate her senses but today she had gone numb.
“I think we should decide to go our different ways. You are a very intelligent girl and I am sure you will succeed in life with leaps and bounds. I wish you all the best in life.” Said Neel.
After that they talked of some mundane topics but Lona was in a daze and she quickly finished her Latte and then they parted.
Lona was in no mood to go back to her dorm instead she wanted to admire the flora which grew in abundance in the countryside. In fact Kurseung was also known as the “Land of White Orchids”. There was a small shop which sold rare species of orchids found in the hills. She decided to visit it to just pass the time and clear her head.
Mr. Sebastian was the owner of the shop and knew everyone in the hills very well. He was a gossip monger and already was privy to the fact that Neel and Lona had broken up.
He greeted Lona with a big smile and shook her hand.
“There is a new variety that we are growing especially imported from North America. It is called Calopogon Tuberosus similar in color to your favorite Vandas. I know you like color of Lilac in Vandas so I thought of mentioning this to you, said Mr. Sebastian to her while strolling in the shop pointing to the different varieties of orchids there.
“ Have you heard of Mr. Kanti Sarkar” added Mr. Sebastian.
Lona gave him a startled look. Neel had of course mentioned his father to her. Mr. Kanti Sarkar was a MLA from Tiljala district given a seat by the party CPI(M). The party that both her parents hated so much and blamed the debilitation of West Bengal to them. She was scared of her parents finding out aboiut her relationship with Neel even though it was over now.
She wanted to know the extent of his knowledge so she said “ Yes of course, he is the father of my friend Neel Sarkar. I know him through school activities.”
“ Yes Yes” he replied hiding a smile.
“ Do you know he has launched a campaign against Gurkhas here and he has banned all activities pertaining to their freedom movement.” Added Mr. Sebastian.
“His son has become a spy here pretending to help the gurkhas at first but divulging all their information to his father. Mr. Kanti sarkar has imprisoned many of the activists on false charges. They are a real corrupt family.” Said Mr. Sebastion

Lona excused herself quickly and fled from there. She knew that Mr. Sebastion was a Gurkha himself and was manipulative enough to give her the wrong information about the Sarkars’. But a nagging doubt had entered her mind about Neel and his intentions. She loved him immensely and thought of deleting the doubt till she had some sound proof about it. Anyway the relationship was over so what was the point of mulling over it.
Next week was her B’day and Mr. and Mrs Roy were planning for it in full swing. Mrs Roy was baking her favorite Black Forest cake and Mr. Roy was making his rounds to her favorite music shop and buying her some of the latest Cd’s of her rock stars. Dona had already couriered her gift and Mrs Roy had kept it safely in her closet. It felt like a soft toy from the wrapping but she wasn’t quite sure and Donna had given explicit instructions to her not to open it as it was for Lona’s eyes only.
The D-Day came and it promised to be a beautiful day in March with spring at its best.
Lona started her day with her dorm mates wishing her and a joint gift from shweta and swati. It was a small statue of Lord ganesh whom she revered more than ever. To her surprise she got a gift even from Pooja with whom she did only but fight. Pooja gave her the gift saying that she cherished moments spent with her “Bunk buddy”. The gift was a enid blyton which she liked reding so much. She thanked everune individually for making the day so special. Then three of them ie lona along with Swati and shweta visited the saraswati temple on campus. She offered her prayers and rang the bell. Shweta accompanied her while swati waited nearby saying she couldn’t take off her shoes as her feet would hurt. Typical of Swati thought lona .
The next was the most tedious thing that was waiting for her parents to come and then they would frisk off on a day out. They were all very excited at the prospect of spending their day with Lona’s parents as they enjoyed her parents’ company very much. Lona wanted to make amends with her mother as she knew she had spoken rudely to her the last time they talked and was looking forward to her father’s presents as they were always very interesting.
Mr. and Mrs. Roy turned up half an hour late as their fiat had gone kaput on their way. Mrs Roy was not in a very good mood for obvious reasons and Mr. Roy was looking sheepish but as the girls came running outside to take their thing Mrs Roys mood changed and she gave her beautiful smile to her daughter and hugged and kissed her. Lona touched both their feet and accepted their blessings. She was in a hurry to open her presents so she took them to the visitor’s room quickly. She was elated to receive the CD’s from her parents and hugged them both again. She quickly unwrapped Dona’s gift and was in fits to find that it was a Teddy bear. Dona still thought that she was four when she had cried a lot while window shopping and had demanded the teddy to her parents who had refused saying it was too expensive for a four year old. Dona had remembered that incident and bought her the teddy now when she was earning herself. After the presents were kept safely in her dorm she went to the principal to take permission to leave for the day. The principal called her parents to her room and told them that Lona had made her school proud and they should also be proud at their daughter’s progress.
Lona, Swati and Shweta finally said bye to their classmates and went for their excursion into town as they called Darjeeling that in their teen lingo. Mr. and Mrs Roy took the three to the kurseung toy train station. It was Lona’s favorite ride in the toy train which passed through some of the most scenic spots of the Himalayan kanchenjanga range. They bought the tickets to Darjeeling and boarded the train leaving the window seat for the birthday girl who took her seat with gusto.
“ Lona please don’t put your hands outside the window ,” instructed her mother who was carrying the cake with her to be cut later.
Lona for a second opened her mouth to reply then shut herself up. She thought to herself that it would be a very daunting task to make amends with her mom.
Meanwhile Mr. Roy was humming his favorite tune by Donna Summers, “ I feel Love”.
Lona laughed and asked her dad “ Missing Donna daddy”.
“ No dear, the hills are so beautiful that it feels like love like when I first met your mom.”, replied Mr. Roy.
“ Oh Uncle please tell us the story, I am desperate to know how two of you met”, said Shweta in a hurried tone.
“ Some other time Shweta, lets enjoy the ride”, said Mrs Roy in a her shrill voice.
“ Mom don’t be such a bore, daddy even I want to hear it again”, said Lona.
Swati looking a bit lost also joined in quickly saying “Yes please Uncle”.
“ Ok when it’s a unanimous choice I will recount it for you’ll” said Mr. Roy.
“ I was the friend of her brothers and secretly loved her a lot but your mother was an uptight girl and I was a trendsetter,” said Mr. Roy and winked at Lona.
“ I was very hesitant to ask her hand in marriage from your grandfather and finally the day came when Tulsi’s marriage was fixed with a zamindar’s family. I felt very small that day and was heartbroken. But I wished her the best and actually helped in the marriage preparations,” continued Mr.Roy.
Mrs Roy was busy looking out the window at the hills and dales dotted with cedar trees. The Himalayan range visible ina haze. She was deep in thought probably rewinding the days before her marriage.
Mr. Roy paused to look at Mrs Roy and asked for some water. Mrs Roy fumbled inside her plastic bag and passed the bottle giving him her most charming smile. Mr. Roy’s eyes welled up and clearing his throat he continued.
“ So the day of the marriage came and I went to the Bhattacharya household with a heavy heart. The scene that I came across was totally unexpected. Your grandmother was howling and your grandfather was furious shouting abuses at everyone at hand. Shekhar ,
Your Mama was standing with his head held down and listening to all the commotion silently. I learnt slowly that the groom it seems had run away with his girlfriend leaving the zamindars at a loss for words. They had cancelled the wedding for obvious reasons leaving the bhattacharya family at sea.” Narrated Mr. Roy.
“ I waited for a hour or two and then shaking in my shoes approached Mr. Bhattacharya for Tulsi’s hand. I knew I was not a suitable candidate and had just finished college and had a very humble job compared to Mr. Bhattacharya’s stature in the society. But this was his hour of need and I had to help him in whatever way I could.” Said Mr. Roy.
“ It was the most joyous moment of my life when your grandfather hugged me and accepted me as his son-in law. I touched his feet and then got married to your mother.” Said Mr. Roy ending his story of love.
Swati clapped and shweta too. Lona nudged her mother and asked her to say something.
“ Yes I was also relieved to see everything fall into place,” said her mother
“How unromantic of you mom,” cried out lona.
“ Enough Lona, lets talk about your school now and how are your preparations for the final exam,” replied Mrs Roy.
Lona did not say anything and just made a face and looked outside the window at the pretty sites unfolding as the train chugged on. They finally reached Ghoom and many of the tourists got down there which was the highest point of the hills.
Lona tried to catch sight of kanchenjunga but failed in her attempt. The train went on its route to Darjeeling. The rest of the journey was done in silence. They got down at Darjeeling station and immediately made their way to the Chinese restaurant Frank’s in the heart of the town.
Frank’s was a swanky family restaurant, very crowded due to its special Chinese cuisine at a reasonable rate. Since it was a weekday it was not that crowded but still the clatter of dishes was audible through the space. They seated themselves at a corner table trying to avoid the din as much as possible.
Mrs. Roy was quite a nightmare to any chef as she was very particular about the food but she had no complaints about Frank’s and the chef in particular. They placed their orders or rather I should say Lona was given the chance to place the order as it was her birthday. She knew her mother did not appreciate spicy stuff so she was careful in ordering the right stuff. So it was Sweet corn Chicken soup,Mixed Fried rice, Chicken Noodles in white sauce and her favorite sweet and sour chicken. After the orders were placed Mrs Roy opened the parcel with the cake and installed the 15 candles in a symmetric circle. She lit the candles and gave Lona the knife. They all clapped as Lona blew the candles and cut the cake singing the birthday song in unison. Some of the other patrons looked at them cursorily and gave admiring looks at the central figure of Mrs Roy. She had always been a beauty and had remained one till this day.
They all devoured the cake as it melted in their mouth as soon as it was put there.
Lona got a kiss each from her parents and then they sat down to finish their luncheon.
Everyone was happy with the food and sent compliments to the chef who brought out a rose for the birthday girl. Mrs Roy asked him one or two questions about how to prepare the white sauce which he was more than happy to divulge as they were old patrons.
The day finally came to an end.
“ Lona please concentrate on your studies from tomorrow. I don’t want to hear anymore complaints on your grades. Continue the good work child,” said Mrs Roy to Lona. Then addressing Swati and Shweta she said “ The same goes for you both, just yesterday I met your mother Swati and she was quite upset that you were not improving your grades. Try hard and do not watch too many movies this summer. Shweta all the best to you too,”.
They finally dropped the trio back to their school and had to walk down to the garage where they had given the fiat for repair. They hoped that the car would have been repaired by now.
The rest of the day was uneventful and the three spent the whole evening playing badminton just beside their hostel.
The final exams came and went by with Pooja top scoring in all subjects excepting Hindi. Lona came second in Maths, Physics and English. Mrs Roy was very happy and presented her with a bicycle that summer. She now did not need to walk anymore to town but rode in her pink bicycle which drew a lot of attention due to its innovative design.
Lona got very busy taking tuitions for all her science subjects and Mrs Roy was constantly at her back pushing her further on. She wanted to see Lona excel in her boards that academic year. 10th std was serious business and they were all at tenterhooks the whole year going to the library, burning the midnight oil etc.
Boards were a surprise to everyone as it was much simpler than there preparatory exams and each of them sailed through with a First class even swati who had not done well in the preps. Lona to everones surprise did better than Pooja in Mathematics and the rest she did quite well too though she neither topped nor came second. But it was a proud day when she was awarded Sinhals award for scoring highest in Mathematics. She received the prize from the principal before her very proud parents who clapped throughout the prize distribution.
Mrs Roy was now confident that Lona would do well in her 12th boards too and get into a good college like Dona. But Lona had other plans. She was secretly writing to her cousin and finding out courses for English honours in kolkata. She was bent on finding and pursuing Neel till they were together again.
In fact to her surprise that autumn she got a letter from Neel. It was brought to her by Shweta who was in charge of their mail that month. She in fact took ransom for the mail from Lona. Lona was so excited she took an hour to calm her nerves and open the letter.
She read the letter when no one was there in the dorm.
Dear Lona,
I know this letter will come as abig surprise to you as I was the one who ended our relationship. But I have been thinking a lot about you. I will be graduating next year and I guess you will be going to either Mumbai or pune for your graduation and I will never see you again. This is not what I want. The thought of never seeing you again is filling me with a lot of anxiety and I wish you were with me. I have an idea , don’t divulge this to your parents. Why don’t you apply to Ashutosh college for the same course as I am in right now. I am sending you the forms , fill them up and send them to me. I will facilitate the process of your admission here. I know some very important people here so getting you admitted wont be a problem at all.
I am going to continue my studies and finish my M.Sc from here ie Calcutta University. You will love this place , it was made for people like you and me. I will also be applying abroad mainly to the USA. I will help you too in applying there but that will come much later.
Now I want you to know that I love you very much and cannot live or spent the rest of my life without you. I hope you are not angry with me for being so hostile towards you then but I had no choice as my political career was looming in front of me then. I am happy to inform you that I am now part of youth CPM and have become a very responsible member. I am helping my father in his daily political activities and everyone is very happy at home.
I want you now in my life as soon as possible so that we can start our life together once more.
Love
Neel

Lona was nearly in tears. She read the letter again and again till it was dinnertime and she had to go otherwise the matron would summon her to her chambers. Lona was thinking constantly of how to convince her parents of her going to ashutosh college and not pune university. She thought for days on end and exchanged letters with Neel constantly during that time. They were becoming very close again and she was looking forward to meeting him again. Their Boards were looming and Lona was dividing her time between Neel and her all important exam preparations. Neel had come to meet her last month and they had the most romantic day out. She was now ready to tackle her parents come what may.on the issue of Neel. At home of course they were all thinking that she would be going to Pune University for B.Sc in environmental Science. Dona had come home that Christmas and spent a lot of time trying to guide her through the application process. Lona was feelin very guilty of having to deceive her parents and especially her sister. For a moment she even contemplated divulging the information of Neel to Dona but she knew she wouldn’t be able to think like her. Dona had recently broken her engagement with Robert Lahiri on the issue that she wouldn’t go to the states with him but would pursue her research in India. She wanted Robert to move to India not vice versa hence the break off. Lona knew Dona wouldn’t understand her.
Lona was planning to make her parents porivy to her plans only after the boards were over but unfortunately something happened. One fine morning just 2 weeks before her boards, the principal called Lona to her office. Lona thought it must be some standard talk that she would give to all the students one by one but she was surprised to find her parents in the room as well.
Mrs Roy looked livid and was throwing daggers at her as she entered the room. Mr Roy did not look too happy either.
“Please take a seat Lona”, the principal told Lona in a shrill voice.
“ How could you do this to us, you responsible child”, Said her mother.
“ Why did you not openly reveal everything to us in the first place?”, said her father
“ I don’t know what you are talking about”, replied Lona.
“ I will slap you right now before everyone if you continue this act, do you understand?, said Mrs Roy to Lona.
“ Its about Neel Sarkar, who else? And your plans to meet him in kolkata, answered Mr. Roy in a stern voice.
“ I was going to tell you everything in good time Ma believe me. You are not understanding the situation just like I anticipated”, replied Lona and shrugged her shoulders in a disparaged action.
“ What is there to understand? We have been told that our dearest daughter is trying to run away with a local thugs son. Kanti sarkar is a notorious guy in kolkata known for his dirty politics. His son may be more educated than him but from what we hear he is no different than his father. How could you disappoint us this way now when we are so close to seeing you shape a fabulous career for yourself. Are you going to ruin everything and take us down with you?, informed her mother
“ He is not even from our community”, replied her father shaking his head.
“ dad this is the 20th century! People are building the most sophisticated bridges and connecting people everywhere and you are talking of communities and Ma Kanti sarkar is not a thug but a renowned MLA”, replied a desperate Lona.
“ Lona don’t try to lecture us. There is no reason for us to endure more of this nonsense from you. You are still not an adult and we are your guardians and you will do exactly as we say”, replied Mrs roy in consternation.
“ Everything we have dreamed and struggled for will be done by you whether you like it or not. So now pack your bags immediately and come home with us. Don’t look at the principal , she has already given us her permission”, continued her mother.
“ I don’t understand, my final exams will begin soon and then my entrances for ashutosh college etc are also nearby, replied Lona in a shocked voice.
“ So what are you saying that you still think we are going to send you to kolkata? Your classes have anyway finished, you can study from home under my supervision and we will send you for the final exams escorted by either of us. Pune university entrances are still a month after your finals so you have lots of time. Dona will be home for a month then and she will help you in every way. We are all so concerned about you and this is how you pay us back. Shame on you!, replied Mrs Roy.
“ Dad please I don’t want to go to Pune. I will work very hard in kolkata please, replied Lona.
“ Shut up your nonsense Lona and do as your mother says otherwise a whole year will be wasted . Whatsoever way you will never meet Neel Sarkar again. So pack your bags sweetheart and come home with us” , Mr Roy commanded his daughter.
“ You have ruined my life “, shouted Lona to all of them and walked off from the room.
As she ran away one could hear her footsteps on the tiled floor. She had grown quite a bit in the last two years and her back looked gorgeous.

Chapter 3: Citylights

 

    Lona and Mr. Roy reached Pune junction after having boarded the Azad Hind express a day and a half earlier. Lona was no longer in a friendly mood with her dad for forcing her to take up the course of Environmental Science at Pune University. She had sat for the entrance test under a threat from her mother that she would have to sit and do housework for the entire year if she did not clear it. She realized that as long as she did not become an adult, she would have to obey her parents to the letter. That, of course, did not come in the purview of having fun with them, so she had avoided her parents all summer. Even she was pleased to get into Pune University and scoring 90% in her boards, though not topping in anything. Getting rid of her parents was her primary motive now, as she could not stand the sight of them. They had made her leave the one thing that she had dreamt of for two long years, which was going to Kolkata to do her English honours and spending time with Neel. Both were out of the window now, thanks to them.

    Mr. Roy was trying very hard throughout the journey to maintain a conversation with Lona, but to no avail. Pune junction was a chaotic place, as all railway stations are in India. But Lona instantly took a liking to the Pune city, which was very green and clean. Pune University was even better with 400 acres of land, stretched out luxuriously. Lona and Mr. Roy headed for the Department of Environmental Science and were greeted by a very friendly staff, who guided them through the procedures and paraphernalia of admission. Mr. Roy paid the fees for her tuition and hostel, saw her settled in the hostel and bid her goodbye. Mr. Roy once asked Lona if she wanted him to stay for a few days to get her adjusted to the campus, but she bluntly refused him, so he left silently.

   Lona settled in her room and cried for the whole afternoon, not knowing the reason why. It was too early to make any acquaintances, so she thought of taking a walk on campus, but again ruled it out on second thoughts that she might get lost in the vast space.

All kinds of depressing thoughts were going through her mind while she was unpacking her clothes, when there was a knock on the door.

 “Hi, you are Lona, right? I stay next door in room #10. My name is Ratna Tiwari and I was just checking on you, whether everything was all right,” said her neighbour.

“Yes, thanks for checking. I’m settling in slowly,” replied Lona in a quiet voice. She knew Ratna was making a very nice gesture, but she was just not in a mood for talking.

 “Well, I think you are lucky to move in first, and since you are a junior, you will be sharing with Tina Halder, who will move in tomorrow. So select the bed you want and the side of the room that best suits you, and good luck. If you need anything, just knock on Rm #10. Well, see you then,” told Ratna hurriedly.

    Lona was a little dazed with the speed of Ratna’s short monologue. After arranging things in her room, she realized how much she actually liked Ratna’s concern over her well being. She was also feeling lonely and dinnertime was still an hour away, so she decided to visit her neighbour.

“Oh Lona, come in, please! I hope things are fine with you, or are you this quiet all the time?” asked Ratna again with tremendous speed.

  Lona took some time to register the words and realized that she had entered a whole new realm of life.

“Yes, I’m actually a very friendly person but it’s been so hectic these last few days that I am feeling down. But it’s so nice to be introduced to you,” replied Lona quickly after a pregnant pause.

“Don’t worry, things will be fine.  Everyone feels worn the first few days here, and then they start enjoying the campus life. Do you want me to show you the hostel? It’s too late to go out now and it will be dinner time soon, so let’s chat. I want to hear everything about you,” said Ratna.

    They chatted for quite some time and Lona came to know that Ratna hailed from Bihar and that she was in her final year of graduation and her subject was chemistry. Ratna informed her that now she would be meeting everyone who was either a topper or an ace student in her area, and she would have to work very hard to stay in the reckoning.

  “That’s enough for one day, dear.  Let’s go for dinner,” said Ratna, guiding her to the dining hall. Lona was getting a bit nervous to see so many young ladies going about their work. Ratna was very hospitable and showed her the whole hostel after dinner.

  The hostel was rectangular with a quadrangle in the middle. Just behind the quadrangle was the dining hall, the cooler and the fridge. There were two wings flanking the quadrangle. Lona and Ratna were in the left wings. The rooms were tidy and compact with a table, chair and a cot. There was a CFL and the table lamp, much to the joy of Lona, was covered by a beautiful lotus holder. Lona had two days to arrange the things before classes would start and she wanted to put up curtains, a table cloth, bed cover, etc.

    Tina, her roommate, turned out to be a tomboy. She had boy-cut hair and was from Jaipur, Rajasthan. She was a Bengali too, but unlike Lona, she did not know any Bengali, as they spoke English and Hindi at home. Tina’s mother was a Rajasthani and her father had decided to settle in Jaipur after falling in love with her mother. Tina was doing her graduation in Maths and had a very caustic personality.

“So Lona, don’t mind, but why this keen interest in Environmental Science of all subjects? It’s not even a proper subject but a mixture of various subjects, isn’t it?” asked her roommate snootily.

“Don’t be such a snob, Tina.  I used to read the National Geographic and took a keen interest in the environment that I live in. It’s the job of every citizen to protect the environment for their future generations. It’s a big responsibility,” replied Lona haughtily.

“Oh my God, are you running for the PM’s post?” replied the sarcastic Tina, and then smiled and winked at her.

“I would have become the PM if I did not have more important work like washing my clothes,” replied Lona angrily and walked to the washroom with her bucket full of clothes.

   Lona’s classes started with the topic that was closest to her heart, which was industrial hygiene. It was the study of recognizing workplace hazards. She had read all about the Bhopal gas tragedy and wanted Union Carbide to pay for the damages heavily, though they wouldn’t ever be able to pay it back in full. The radiation effects were lethal, in this case, and had far-reaching effects for the next generation. Lona was mesmerized by the rest of the topics, too, and was happy that she chose this field. She found physics and chemistry to be tough, but somehow, by spending hours in the library, she was cracking those papers too. She was maturing into a beautiful girl. Meanwhile, Dona used to call her regularly, as she was refusing to talk to her mother, except extremely cordially.

    Dona was herself excelling in her field. She had gone for a few conferences to the USA and had found international acclaim. She was still adamant on pursuing research only in India. She was nearly on the threshold of finishing her PhD and had already started visiting potential employers. Robert Lahiri and she were history and anyone who knew her would realize that she did not have any time for anyone right now.

  The seniors at Lona’s hostel were organizing a fresher’s welcome party for them. It was going to be a small affair organized in their quadrangle. Ratna made it a point to invite Lona personally. Ratna and Lona had hit it off from that first meeting and Lona saw a bit of Dona in her, except that she was a mellowed version of her sister. She used to discuss her tiffs with Tina in detail to Ratna, and she used to calm her down with some solid advice and concern.

      The fresher’s welcome party went well for all of them. Each fresher had to introduce herself and talk about her aims and objectives. The dinner was excellent and the gifts were also very good. Lona was tired by the end of the day and decided to retire soon.

 “Hi, I have a letter for you,” said Tina, after entering into the room with a bang.  “But I will give it to you only if you tell me who Neel is,” continued Tina.

“Go to hell, Tina.  I’m tired. Don’t bother me now,” replied Lona, who was already half asleep.

“But it’s really from some Neel Sarkar and it is addressed to you. What beautiful handwriting!  Please, Lona, tell me who is it,” cried out Tina.

“Tear it and throw it away, Tina, and FYI, it’s none of your business,” replied Lona.

“Ok, if you don’t want it, I am going to read it for you,” said Tina.

Lona, hearing this, jumped out from her bed and snatched the letter away.

“I will slap you if you read my letters without my permission!” screamed Lona.

“I didn’t steal anything, Lona, just joking,” Tina said sheepishly.

“I don’t like your jokes; they’re not funny,” replied Lona and tore the letter into bits and pieces and burnt it up.

 Tina watched the whole scene in a dazed manner, and then started smiling.

“What is your problem?” asked Lona, looking at Tina smiling.

“Oh, so it’s your ex-boyfriend, isn’t it?” asked Tina.

“None of your business,” said Lona and switched off the lights.

   Lona was no longer on talking terms with Neel after he refused to shelter her from her parents, telling her that she was still a minor and to wait till she finished her masters to hook up together again. So Lona broke off all connections with him this time, and refused all his overtures of friendship, including letters like these.

    Lona was enjoying her classes a lot. She had bought a cycle and used to go around the campus in her ladybird. There were quite a few eating joints, which were very cheap, around the campus and the days were passing on fine. She finally celebrated her entry into adulthood with a huge birthday bash in her room. Ratna and Lona painstakingly organized the whole thing with a little bit of Tina’s help. Tina, as usual, was getting on Lona’s nerves most of the time, so she spent more and more time in the library.

   The library was an extensive warehouse of reference books as well as publications for daily use and coursework. Dona’s paper had just been published in A&A and she went to get hold of it. It was a treatise on dark matter and had far-reaching implications in the Astrophysical world. Ratna was dumbstruck when Lona showed it to her and congratulated her on having such a brilliant sister.

    Lona was getting more and more involved with her subject. She started reading the book Silent Spring, which was given for extra reading. The book had spurred a reversal in the national pesticide policy in the USA and she was greatly inspired by that event. At the back of her mind was the case of the Bhopal gas tragedy and she hoped the judiciary in India would pass such a verdict and avenge the death of thousands. 

            Apart from campus life, Lona was discovering city life. They used to go for movies often with classmates and hang out in nearby pubs. The night life in Pune was quite gripping, but Lona somehow did not enjoy it. She was missing her good friends, Shweta and Swati. They had also migrated to different parts of the country, though Shweta was nearby in Mumbai. Lona’s wardrobe was fast changing, keeping up with the city’s trends. Lona was nicknamed “the saint” by her friends for her indifference towards the opposite sex and always staying in the library till late. Her hostel friends were fed up trying to pursue her to go on dates and check out the “in” places in town, but all that effort was in vain.

       Meanwhile, the first academic year was coming nearly to an end. Lona had taken up social work as a preoccupation during weekends. She is used to go to a Mahila Ashram run by the Osho workers to help underprivileged women. Lona did not believe in any of Osho’s philosophy, but she liked the social work being done by his disciples. She also took up a part-time project in NCL (National Chemical Laboratory). Her seniors in the lab were quite impressed by her passion towards her topic. She used to study all the chemicals used in the different pesticides that were manufactured. Her topic was whether the pesticides were increasing the toxic waste circulating in the environment.

     Every student in Lona’s batch was asked to present on her project that year and it was attended by all and sundry in the university. Tina was more excited than Lona herself, as she was bringing her friends along, and she told Lona that she had a surprise for her.

     Lona’s presentation went well, and from the ovation she got at the end, she realized that she had done something to be proud of. The Q&A session ensued soon afterwards and she was thrilled to find that someone mirrored her thoughts.

“How do you feel about the banning of plastic bags?” asked a student from the audience.

“That’s a very good question, sir!” answered Lona in a shrill voice.  “I would be very happy to answer it,” continued Lona. “I feel that unless the government implements legislation at a national level in the banning of harmful chemicals, pesticides and plastic bags today, we will lose out on our environment tomorrow. Soon the soil will not remain fertile and the air will be filled with pollutants, which will lead to an unhealthy diet and deformed babies respectively. So I urge that you and I today become educated about the environment, and tomorrow, when we are in a position to make changes, we should work towards ensuring a better environment for the next generation. I hope that I have answered your query satisfactorily. Thank you,” ended Lona.

    She wrapped up the session soon afterwards and the audience dispersed.

Tina merrily came to congratulate her on her presentation and started introducing her jing bang of friends. It turned out that the guy with the question was part of Tina’s esoteric group. She introduced him as Kunal Kamat.

“Hello, I liked your presentation a lot. I’m going to become an economist soon. Let’s see if I can derive some equation to finance the end of plastic bags. I hope that will please you,” said Kunal.

Lona quickly glanced at Tina, who winked, and she understood that he was the surprise.

“No, that won’t please me, personally speaking,” replied Lona.

“Lona, we are all going for a juice at Sagar’s juice shop. Why don’t you join us?” asked Tina.

  Lona was about to refuse when Tina, realizing it, gave her an entreating look.

“Ok, but I have to go to the library soon,” replied Lona.

“You and your library! I wonder when you both are going to get married. I hate that place,” remarked Tina.

“No, I enjoy being there too,” added Kunal quickly.

“No, you don’t, Kunal,” said Lona.

 “My friends call me KK,” replied Kunal.

“I am not your friend, just an acquaintance,” replied Lona.

 They all took their places in the juice shop and their chatter could be heard across the street. Kunal took the seat beside Lona and engaged everyone in captivating conversations.

 Lona had her drink quickly and pushed off from there. After putting in the hours needed in the library, she went back to find Tina doing yoga in the room.

“We need to talk,” said Lona.

 “Don’t be mad, Lona, but KK insisted on being introduced to you. He has a big crush on you and was waiting for the right moment to be introduced to you. He is a fantastic guy and keeps us in splits with his jokes. He has seen you many times in your favourite joint, the library! But he could not find the guts to approach you. He instead approached me and I, of course, agreed to play the cupid. Hopefully - .”

“Nothing like that is going to happen, though I have to say that he is smart, but what kind of name is that?  KK,” finished Lona.

“Bingo! At least you liked him, which everyone does. So should I fix up a date?” asked Tina.

“No way! I have a lot of work in the library and you know that I love someone else,” replied Lona.

“Don’t give lame excuses! If you don’t want to meet him, then that’s what I will tell him straight, not hang him high with the story of your old boyfriend whose letters you burn up! Shame on you, Lona,” shouted Tina.

“Ok, I need time to think.  Maybe in the next academic year, after the exams are over,” replied Lona sheepishly.

“Nothing will happen where you are concerned; you do whatever you want. I will tell KK tomorrow that he is wasting his time with you,” said Tina.

    The exams came and went, and it was time for vacation. Lona told her mother sharply on the phone that she was not going home for vacation but had taken extra courses in Bangalore with an institute called NCBS. She informed her mother that she would be spending time with Dona as well, in NCBS.

    It was just as well, because Dona had agreed to join IMS Chennai as a junior faculty member and would be leaving Bangalore soon. Lona packed her bags and took the Udyan express to Bangalore. Dona was there at the station to meet her.

“Hi Loony, hope you had a nice journey. I want to show you the whole city, but later, as you must be tired,” said Dona.

“I am tired, yes, but will be fine by tomorrow. So where are you taking me? To RRI or to NCBS?” asked Lona.

“This weekend you can stay with me, and then on Monday, I will drop you at your institute,” replied Dona.

  Dona took her to the prepaid auto-rickshaw booth and bought the coupon to Mekhri circle. Lona was observing every detail of the city, the landscape, the people, the weather, etc.

“So how were your exams, Loony? I hope they went well. Mom was asking,” asked Dona.

“Ma has no other concern about me except for my exams,” sulked Lona.

“Don’t be so judgmental. She loves you more than me, as you look and behave just like her. Anyways, what’s your topic of research in NCBS?” asked Dona.

“I’m going to study environmental changes that are occurring due to the deforestation of rainforests. I wanted a project in industrial hygiene, but it wasn’t available and my professors advised me to get my hands wet on something different this time,” replied Lona.

  They reached the campus of RRI. It was nothing like she had seen before. It was an ornate brick structure with spacious expanses of greenery every 50 mts. Dona told her that CV Raman, after whom the institute had been built, had instructed in his will that the construction was to be done in such a way as to keep 60% of the space green. It was really a relish to go around the institute.

   Dona took her to her room, which was quite exquisite considering her room in Pune University. The interiors were neatly done up with a double bed and a table and chair in the corner made of the finest wood. Lona was stupefied, seeing the grandeur of the room compared to hers. Dona hugged Lona and said that the PhD students were kept really well at this institute. Dona asked Lona to unpack and get settled fast. As it was a Sunday, she said they would eat out because the canteen used to be closed on Sundays. Dona explained anyways that she wouldn’t like the food here, because it was purely catering to the South Indian palate.

   After dinner, Dona started her jokes, which would always keep Lona in splits.

“So George and Stephen were very close friends. George was a geek and Stephen was a guy with average intelligence. So George was boasting to Stephen that he was taking these night classes in computer technology for the past ten years and started asking him questions on whether he knew who Gregor Reish was, and he replied in the negative. George answered that he was the man who invented the abacus, and if he went for the night classes, he would know about it. George again asked if he knew who Julius Lilenfield was; again, Stephen replied in the negative. Then George answered that he was the man who invented transistors, and if he went for the night classes, he would know too. Then Stephen, finally getting frustrated, asked George meekly whether he knew who Bill Yago was. George was dumbfounded this time for a change and eagerly waited for the answer. Stephen replied, ‘He is the man whom your wife is sleeping with, and if you did not go to the night classes, you would know about that.’”

  Lona laughed a lot at this joke.

  Dona then started probing Lona for more information on her personal life.

“Have you slept with anyone yet, Looney darling?” asked Dona, winking at her.

Suddenly, Lona started howling; her pearl-shaped eyes were brimming with tears and she hid herself beneath the pillow and muffled the noise. Dona was taken aback and came to console her.

Lona immediately got up and looked angrily at Dona.

“You will never understand what I have gone through in this past year.  I have missed Neel immensely and still keep thinking of running away to Kolkata just to be near him. If only I had the means to be independent, I would be with him today. I hate you for not supporting me. What use are degrees if you cannot find solace in someone’s arms at the end of the day. I just don’t understand why you left Robert, for Christ’s sake. He was more comfortable in his home country, which happens to be the USA, and you could have gone with him there and pursued your career there. I would do anything to be near the person I love, but you left Robert like a hot brick,” moaned Lona.

   “Why do you always think with your heart and not your head, Lona?  You would have been a slave in his hands, that’s all. I left Robert because I already had my whole life planned, where my career was concerned, and he did not fit in anywhere. You are very young; that’s why you are talking like this. Otherwise, you would also have been worldly wise,” replied Dona.

   “Forget it, you will never understand. If I live to be ninety, I will never change!” shouted Lona.  “Let’s go to sleep, ok?” continued Lona, seeing that Dona had nothing to say in reply.

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea, considering you have a long day tomorrow. Good night, Looney,” said Dona.

   It was till late that night that Lona was lying awake, thinking of old times and of Neel in particular. Dona was fast asleep when Lona was still thinking and sobbing quietly into her pillow. She had made her decision that she wouldn’t study further than her masters, and then she would go in search of Neel.

   The next day loomed bright and sunny and the air was filled with a freshness that Lona had missed since leaving Darjeeling. Dona took Lona for a walk through the campus, which was a horticulturist’s delight. All kinds of plants were being grown in sporadic intervals. There was a badminton court and she could see some early risers playing with a lot of enthusiasm.

   Dona introduced her to some of her friends and they all asked her numerous questions on her field of study. They were impressed that she had been accepted for a project at NCBS at such a young age and wished her all the best for her future. Lona really liked the crowd there and told Dona that.

 “Yes, they are very simple and down-to-earth people here. Everyone is busy with their own research and mix around with their own kind. Certain regional skirmishes take place once in a while, but they are few and far apart,” explained Dona.

  “What about having close friends and hanging out together?” asked Lona.

“We’re no longer kids that we would want to hang out, and everyone is so busy that they just don’t have the time. We organize occasional parties and they are always fun-filled. Let’s get on with the day, Lona, otherwise you will be late for your appointment at NCBS,” continued Dona.

    Both of them got ready fast and took an auto-rickshaw to NCBS. It was kind of far from RRI, and by the time they reached their destination, it was pouring in Bangalore. Dona explained that the weather was pretty unpredictable in Bangalore and she should always carry an umbrella even when it’s sunny.

    NCBS was a very new structure and equally impressive as RRI. The gatekeeper took their identities but would not allow Dona to proceed beyond the gates, so Lona took her luggage, hugged Dona, and told her that they would meet in the weekend again. Lona proceeded to her advisor’s room. Mr. Anil Subramanium received her with a warm welcome and immediately appointed his two students to get her settled in the campus.

  Lona’s room was a bit far from the main building, about ten minutes walk, but it was a nice compact place. Her days in NCBS started very well. She attended seminars and conferences pertaining to her topic, as well as some interdisciplinary topics like Genealogy. Mr. Subramanium was a man who was very hard to please where her research was concerned, and she was burning the midnight oil to get some kind of breakthrough in the study of rainforests. Her colleagues were advising her to take it easy, as she was still very new to research.

“What results have you found?” asked Mr. Subramanium to Lona after 2 weeks into her research.

“Rainforests are a source of some 120 prescription drugs, and with its disappearance, we will be losing some cures for life-threatening diseases,” started Lona.  “So we have to preserve rainforests for future generations,” continued Lona.

“And how will you do that, my young girl?” Mr. Subramanium smiled while asking the question.

“The felling of trees and logging are the main reasons for the destruction of rainforests,” said Lona. “We have to stop this.”

“You are being naïve in your decision. The government sponsors all this felling and logging due to growth and the industrialization process. Stopping this would mean unemployment problems. How will you counteract this?” asked her boss.

Lona was dumbfounded; she had no reply. There was a pregnant pause, and then it was time for her to ask a question.

“You mean the rainforests are the only source of income to the country?” asked Lona.

“Yes, let’s face some facts, ok. The rainforests are dominant in Brazil, Congo, Surinam, Indonesia, Peru, Columbia, Papua New Guinea, Venezuela, etc. These are the countries that have the most rainforests. Do you know their GDP, unemployment rate and per capita income, along with their main sources of income? I want you to find that; do some more research and then come to me. Ok?” spoke Mr. Subramanium, while taking a call and punching some keys on his PC.

  Lona ran from the room and went red as she realized how inadequate her research had been till then. She got to work immediately. She worked for two whole hours without any result, and then her colleagues came to her rescue, asking her to come out for a cup of coffee. She related the whole meeting to her friends and they told her not to worry as they were all novices at first in research, and then they started becoming experienced, so it was just a small pitfall that she was facing.

“Cover all the points you discussed with him and go prepared with the answers next time. We are not going to give you the answers, as short cuts don’t pay off in the long run,” explained Namrata, one of the PhD students.

   Unfortunately for Lona, one month’s time was not enough to provide the answers to all the questions asked by Mr. Subramanium.

“Sir, I want to conclude on my work that I’ve done here, which is not much. I found out that it’s mainly population explosion that is leading to deforestation. All the countries where rainforests are abundant are poverty-stricken countries whose only hope for development is following the rich countries in their industrialization process. This is the root cause of the problem, and saving rainforests would be a tough task to follow,” ended Lona.

“That sounds fair enough. I hope you enjoyed your time here in NCBS. I think you should realize that the main motive of calling you here was not to get some results from you, but to give you the look and feel of research, and for you to understand whether you enjoy doing it. I would be looking forward to seeing you again here, possibly when you are into your masters. You should continue to look into the unanswered problems of rainforest destruction. Lona, I wish you all the best in your endeavour,” finished Mr. Subramanium.

   Lona was pleased with Mr. Subramanium’s feedback, and as Namrata explained later on, he was a man who was hard to please; that he had invited her to come back to the institute itself meant a lot.

    Dona was keeping very busy with her work and that’s why she could not even see off Lona. Lona was sad about seeing so little of Dona in the entire month, but she resolved it in her head as she realized how difficult research was during her stay at NCBS.

   The next year started in full swing and she began seeing a lot of KK and became good friends. The curriculum was getting tougher year by year, but her research helped her a lot. Tina had turned into a new penny this year. Even she was feeling the pressure of studies at the university. She used to constantly pester Lona about KK, teasing her whenever they met, but Lona always maintained her stoic stance and warded off all comments, saying they were just good friends.

    Meanwhile, Shweta was desperately trying to get in touch with Lona, calling her to come and visit her in Mumbai. Lona was also keen on meeting Shweta, but their course was getting so tough that it was impossible to make time and take off. But at the end of the academic year, opportunity came knocking on her door. Bryan Adams had come to India and his show was going to be held in Mumbai. Most of her classmates were planning to go to Mumbai to catch the show and so were Tina and KK. Though Lona was not an ardent fan of Bryan Adams, she still wanted to see this rock show, which would be a onetime experience for her. She joined KK and Tina to plan the trip and called Shweta that she would be there to meet her. Shweta was never into music, so she declined the offer to go to the show but said she couldn’t wait to be with Lona again.

    The show was on a Saturday, so they packed their overnight bags and left on Friday for Mumbai. They decided that they were going to indulge on this trip; after all, they were adults and out to have a fun weekend. They had saved up for this trip in the last two months and were now ready for some feisty time. They hired a Tata Sumo for their ride to Mumbai through the Pune-Mumbai expressway. The roads were very fine and smooth, as there were thousands of commuters who paid heavy toll taxes for the maintenance of the roads. There were eight of them in the jeep, all from the campus. All of them were talking and cheering each other. One of them had brought a stereo and they were playing songs from Bryan Adams’ Best of Me. Lona was quiet the entire morning, but when the song “When You’re Gone” started playing, she joined in with gusto, taking everyone by surprise. KK sat beside Lona as usual, trying always to be his most charming self, which was not a very hard task.

  “Well now, tell us the story behind the song,” KK asked Lona, once the song was over.

“You won’t believe it, and anyway, it’s nothing special,” replied Lona.

“Don’t lie, Lona. All of us here know about the love of your life, or am I clairvoyant? God help me,” said Tina sarcastically.

“Don’t interrupt her thought process, Tina. I am sure she has difficulty talking about her past,” defended KK.

“Oh, I am so sorry.  I did not know I was interrupting anything. But as you say, KK.” Tina winked while replying.

KK ignored her and took Lona’s hand in his. Lona was thankful to have found support in KK. They stopped at a wayside Dhaba for lunch and feasted on South Indian dishes. Kunal was a Maharashtrian and had chosen the dishes, keeping his palate in mind. Lona hid her distaste for the food with a smile, as she knew that KK was not to be second-guessed where food and studies were concerned.

   The group split once they entered Mumbai. Tina, KK and Lona were to stay at Kunal’s home in Mulund. KK’s parents were incidentally out on vacation at his sister’s place in Delhi. The trio trouped into Kunal’s home. Lona observed that his flat was tastefully decorated, though compact. As was the case in Mumbai, the furniture was designed for compact flats and so was KK’s home. It had a living room with a sofa cum bed, which was given to Tina and Lona for their stay at his home.

    KK’s room was a hideout for the nerds, or at least that’s what Lona thought. Instead of having posters of beautiful women, it was dotted with timetables and posters of economists. It also had a schematic diagram explaining the game theory. Lona was very impressed with his trophies and medals from school. KK asked them to feel at home and went to the store to get some groceries. What even Tina did not know was that KK was a very good cook, and like everywhere else, he took charge of the kitchen too. They had fried Bhindi, Dal fry and rice for dinner.

   Nobody was in the mood to go to sleep, so they played some games.

They started playing Truth and Dare. Lona was scared of being asked questions about her past, and especially about Neel, so she was constantly taking Dare as her option. Lona, meanwhile, took a toilet break, and when she returned, she knew there was something happening between Tina and KK, as they had wicked grins all around.

    The next time Lona’s turn came up, she took Dare as usual. But this time, she was trapped, as Tina immediately asked her to kiss KK. Lona went red in her face and refused such a preposterous suggestion.

“Be a sport, Lona, please.  It’s just for fun,” entreated Tina.

   KK gave his lopsided smile to Lona and shrugged his shoulders as if he did not care one way or the other. So that’s how she kissed KK, closing her eyes and pursing her lips, and the rest was left for KK to finish. He caught hold of her hard and gave her the smooch that any guy would be proud of. A pang of desire went through Lona’s body, but it was time to let go and that’s what Kunal did.

   Lona’s eyes were brimming with tears, and again, Kunal gave her his lopsided grin. He said ‘goodnight’ in a hurry and left for his room.

   Tina acted as if nothing had happened and started arranging the bed. Lona tried to help her but kept fumbling with the sheets. Tina turned the lights off and went to sleep immediately. Lona could not sleep, as she was shivering with the feeling of desire. Finally, she summoned the courage to walk to Kunal’s room. Kunal was waiting and took her in his arms and locked the door.

    It was a night that Lona would never forget, as she lost her virginity that night to Kunal. It was a momentous event in her short life.

   The rest of the weekend went in a daze. Even Bryan Adams could not get her out of her stupor. The high point of the trip was meeting Shweta, so soon after the show, she excused herself and caught a cab to South Mumbai where Shweta was staying in a hostel.

She used to commute every day from her hostel to her college, which was not very far away.

   Seeing Lona get out of the cab, Shweta rushed to her side and hugged her and kissed her. It was a very sweet reunion of two old friends. Shweta took Lona to her room, which was not exactly threadbare, but close to it.  However, Lona hardly noticed anything as she was filled with excitement, first of all in meeting her friend and second of all in the events of the last night.

“I have so much to tell you. A remarkable thing has happened,” said Lona.

“I know, I know,” replied Shweta.

“How do you know?” said Lona, blushing.

“Well, you always had a passion for music! So the Bryan Adams show must have been something. Tell me more,” replied Shweta.

“Oh that! Yes, it was new and interesting for me. Bryan Adams was quite a personality. Even at his age, he was behaving like a teenager, especially when he sang the song ‘18 till I Die.’ He looked as if he really meant it. He was wearing a faded pair of jeans with ‘BAD’ written on his bottom. The crowd was going mad for his songs. He in fact called someone on stage to sing along with him. She was so nervous at first, but they sang a beautiful duet together. It was a magical moment with the full moon shining bright and the neon lights playing hide and seek with the crowd and the duet ‘I Finally Found Someone’ being sung by the erstwhile and the novice,” finished Lona.

  “So that’s why you are blushing so much?” asked Shweta.

“Well, there is one more thing,” said Lona and she recounted the whole episode at Kunal’s place with all the finer details.

 Shweta was quiet for some time, and then spoke after a long pause.

“I always thought that you and Neel would be back together. You know he calls me regularly asking for updates on you as you are not replying to his letters. It’s real bad of you to do this to him, Lona.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about. He is the same Neel who refused to support me when I needed him most. I was ready to run away with him, but he asked me to go to Pune and finish my masters!” cried out Lona.

“He said that because you were still a minor then and both of you would get into serious trouble with the police if you had run away. Anyway, all that is in the past now. So I will tell him the next time he calls that you are in love with someone else,” replied Shweta.

“Yes, you most definitely should let him know that I am no longer in love with him. There are many more fish in the sea,” said Lona.

“God help you, Lona. I don’t even know you anymore. You are playing with both Neel and Kunal and you will get your just desserts soon,” continued Shweta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4: Love is Blind

 

Lona took the train back to Pune. She was mulling over whatever transpired between Shweta and her over the last two days she was in Mumbai. To say the least, they were being civil to each other. Shweta took her on a whirlwind tour of South Mumbai. The itinerary included Elephanta caves, Flora Fountain, Chowpatti, and Regal Cinema, where she caught the movie Independence Day. Then came a crossword bookstore, which was her favourite, and dinner at a Chinese restaurant to give her a flavour of the Chinese at Mumbai. They even got a student’s discount because Shweta used to frequent the place quite often.

The rest of the time, Shweta was giving Lona the cold shoulder and not replying to any personal query, so after some time, Lona gave up.

    Lona returned to find Kunal at the gates waiting for her and gave her a hug. Lona was in no mood for his affection, so made an excuse about having a headache and rushed to her room. But she did not find a respite there either, as Tina was ready for her.

“So Kunal and you are good friends, I guess,” she started to joke in her usual light-hearted, sarcastic way.

“Don’t you have to study or something, Tina? Because I have to. I am going to the library,” she replied in a huff.

“The libraries are closed at this hour.  It’s after 5pm now,” replied Tina.

“Not for the last month.  They will be open now till 10 pm at night. You should be more serious about your studies, Tina,” replied Lona.

“Yes, Aunty, I will, and you should be more serious about your relationships. Go and enjoy the library, as it looks like you have made up your mind on that,” ended Tina.

    Lona started working hard for her exams after that, but Kunal’s presence was disconcerting. Every time she would meet him, his laugh and affection would leave her weak in her knees. Every breath in her body would shout for him, but she was confused about how far she should go with Kunal. Thoughts of Neel were always creeping up now and then, though his physical presence was a distant memory for her. She used to recall his dynamic appearance and viewpoints on all topics and ache for him. Many times, she was near to writing a letter to him, asking him to come for her, but she was still hurt at being rejected by him the first time around when she had asked him to elope.

   The second year’s exams came and went. The third year brought about a lot of changes as Lona got her own room, which she cherished with her whole heart. Meanwhile, her relationship with her mother improved. She had gone home for the vacations and developed a matured understanding towards her mother. Mrs. Roy also changed a little bit, as she saw that Lona had become very independent and was going to do well in her academic life; at least, that was her projection. Now mother and daughter behaved more like long lost friends and Lona also became responsible towards her duties in the household. Mr. Roy, as usual, pampered Lona a lot and loved seeing her around again.

   Lona returned to the hostel with a refreshed mind and body, only to find her ex-roommate’s life in a mess. Tina’s father had just been diagnosed with blood cancer and he was going through the worst kind of medical treatment, which had taken a toll on the entire family. Tina looked 5 years older when she returned and very sombre, which was totally unlike her. Kunal and Lona were her closest friends and this brought the trio very close together. Lona, realizing Tina’s mental state, was spending more time with her. Tina too liked being with Lona when she did not have classes or library work, and most nights, they would spend talking till late.

One such night, Lona was preparing for her practicals the next day when Tina entered her room, which was always kept open for her, and sat down on her bed.

“Go to sleep if you are tired, Tina.  I have to finish my practical journal for tomorrow, so I’m just a bit busy, but never for you, of course!” said Lona.

“I was thinking how life can be so cruel. I want to cry out, throw myself from a cliff or something. I am so frustrated. But guess what? I have just got accepted by Mathematica for publishing my paper,” replied Tina.

“Naughty girl, you did not tell me anything about it till now. Congratulations!” said Lona.

“I did not even remember it since sending it for review. But why am I not happy, Lona?” asked Tina absentmindedly.

  Lona did not know what to reply, so kept quiet for awhile.  “It will be fine; you will see. I am sure medical science has improved a lot. Have patience,” replied Lona.

“Kunal will try to get the treatment procedure while he is in the USA. Hope he finds something that helps,” said Tina.

“Kunal is going to the USA? But he hasn’t mentioned anything to me,” replied a shocked Lona.

“He is keeping it close to his heart right now. He is leaving in November for Oregon. His friend is doing research on cancer, so he is going to meet him over his month’s stay there, and hopefully, they will find a solution as to the best way to approach his treatment,” answered Tina, not realizing how shocked Lona was at not having been informed about this by Kunal himself.

“There’s no time, Lona, though it is, after all, chronic cancer and he still has a chance at recovery. It’s so nice of you all to be helping out this way. I would have been totally lost otherwise. Mom is crying every day over the phone and is saying how much weight Dad has lost since being diagnosed. What will happen? Oh God, why me!” said Tina in a monotonous voice.

   Tina continued like this for another few minutes till she finally fell asleep on Lona’s bed. Lona quietly switched off the lights and ran to the phone booth. She immediately dialled the boy’s hostel.

“May I speak to Kunal, please? Room # 74,” she asked in an urgent voice to the receiver.

She was put on hold for a few minutes, and then Kunal’s chirpy voice said, “Hi babe, what’s up? Missing me too much, are you?”

 “Yes, why did you not inform me that you were going to the USA?” said Lona, cutting to the chase.

 “Ok, so Tina must have spilled the beans. I am just going there for a month to find the best treatment for Mr. Halder. I have a friend in Oregon who is doing frontier research on chronic cancer. Thought he would be of help,” replied Kunal.

“Why did you not tell me? I am feeling totally left out,” answered Lona.

“Well, I don’t know why you are reacting this way.  You leave me out of your life every day, Lona, and I silently bear it, though truthfully speaking, I did not purposely try to make you feel left out. That was not my intention,” said Kuna.  Then changing his voice again to his chirpy self, replied, “But I am highly flattered, dear, to have made you feel that way. Tomorrow, I will give you the most adoring kiss. Now go and get some sleep. You don’t want to miss out on your practicals, do you, dear? Good night,” ended Kunal.

“Good night,” said Lona and hung up.

   Lona did not want to wake Tina up, so she went quietly to Tina’s room to catch some sleep. This had become a routine episode. Lona also needed time to think about her relationship with Kunal. She went red when she realized that her reaction had actually meant that now, she more than just liked Kunal, but she wanted to be a complete part of his life. Inevitably, thoughts of Neel took hold of her. She did not even realize how she was ruining her present relationship by dwelling on the past. It was getting very late, and finally, she switched on her iPod, playing Backstreet Boys’ “Quit Playing Games with My Heart”.

November came and it was time for Kunal to leave for the USA. Tina and Lona saw him off at the airport. He gave a hug to each one of them and gave Lona an endearing look. He left, blowing a kiss. Lona was feeling a bit let down, but she realized that she was asking too much of Kunal, especially so soon. They had all decided to stay for their masters in Pune University and have the time of lives here, before starting their working career. Tina had changed a lot these days. She had become extremely serious about her academics and used to spend a lot of time in the library, studying for her research work. She was indeed a brilliant student, and being so focused now was reminding Lona of her sister, who was similar in her pursuit for excellence. Tina’s paper did get published and that was one day when she forgot about her troubles and celebrated with her friends and colleagues.

    During the Diwali vacations, Tina insisted that Lona come to stay with her in her house in Jaipur, as she could not deal with her parents alone. Lona was hesitant at first, but when Tina said that Kunal would be joining them there, she changed her mind. So among all the festivities, Tina was ecstatic that Lona would be joining her, so that her nosy relatives could be kept at bay.

    Tina did everything royally, which again reminded her of Dona, and booked their flight tickets without letting Lona know; Lona was thinking that they would have to catch a train.

When Tina broke the news, Lona was extremely nervous, as she did not have the money for the flight tickets. Tina insisted on paying off the tab, but still, Lona’s self-respect almost made her cancel the trip. When Tina cried and made a scene and asked Kunal to call Lona all the way from the USA, that’s when Lona finally agreed to go with her. This was the first time that Tina got a taste of Lona’s obstinacy in money matters. If she could not pay for it, she was not going to be part of it.

      Jaipur was called ‘the pink city’, and not without reason. Most of the buildings in the city were pink. It looked quite beautiful from the tourist’s point of view and there were plenty of them in that city. Lona wished that India could be cleaned by a vacuum cleaner somehow to make it look fresh and new. After visiting Bangalore and Pune, she realized that the old cities were pretty dirty and unkempt. The local people had little civic sense of how to keep their environment clean, not for others but for their own sake. Kolkata too fell in that category; in fact, it was notorious for its dirt. But on the other hand, it was these old cities which gave meaning to the word ‘India’. It was in these streets and by-lanes that you could find infamous foods and local handicrafts that could beat the competition out of any big name. Lona discovered that Jaipur was not to be taken lightly and not to judge it by its cover. It was full of thriving businesses, which was very popular among the local people.

            Tina took Lona straight to her home, which was a little away from the airport, but in a very clean locality, i.e. when you compare it with the more frequented places. It was   a small bungalow nestled in a corner of a residential complex. It was an affluent area of the town with a long list of big shots residing there, from local businessmen to higher ranking government officials, people from the entertainment industry, and so on and so forth.

  “Come in please, Lona. It is so nice to finally see you after hearing so much about you. No need to touch my feet, dear,” greeted Mrs. Halder and blessed Lona as was the custom.

  Mrs. Halder was not a very good-looking woman, but had sharp features and was a very gentle and soft lady.

“Go and meet your father immediately. He is in the garden. Don’t trouble him too much. He is under medication,” said Mrs. Halder and Lona saw her expression becoming sad. She was not a very strong lady, she deduced.

   “Oh, Tina, you have become thin. Are you throwing your weight around too much?” said Mr. Halder, holding a garden hose. Lona now understood that Tina had inherited her sarcasm from her father. Mr. Halder was not a very tall person, as Lona had thought previously; he was very ordinary in looks but had an awesome voice and personality.

“And this must be Lona, your beautiful and smart friend. I hope Tina has not troubled you too much. She can be quite overbearing at times, as she is a chip off the old block, so to speak,” said Mr. Halder.

Lona was transfixed by his personality and was happy to have come here to visit Tina’s family. At first, she had thought they would be snobbish and irritating in their conversations, as most affluent families are, according to Lona. But this was quite different and she was made to feel at home instantly. She was shown to her room by the aaya, which was quite majestic in Lona’s eyes. She got chatting with the aaya, and then came to know the whole history of the household.

  Mr. and Mrs. Halder had a love marriage with the initiative of mainly Mrs. Halder, who was smitten by Mr. Halder when he had come to work for her father. Mr. Halder was reluctant at first to romance the boss’s daughter, but soon with his business acumen, he had won the ultimate attention of his future father-in-law, and at his behest, he started courting his daughter. Mr. Halder was a self-made man and only when he established himself in the garment business, with an initial capital help from his father-in-law, did he decide to get married. It was a success story after that in the household, as Mr. Halder became a partner in nearly all the activities of his in-law’s business. Mrs. Halder was an unfit housewife, and knowing this, he did not have any more children after Tina. He had given financial help and affection to many of his employees, who had shown merit and acumen. They all were very well settled and reciprocated his affection by working for him 24/7. This did not find acceptance in Mrs. Halder’s eyes, who had wanted more kids, but Mr. Halder was adamant. He loved his work and liked a sedentary life at home, where he also made most of the contributions. He had brought up Tina by himself because Mrs. Halder was more interested in her kitty parties and the grapevine. She used to spend more time in clubs and playing golf than at home. She used to constantly nag Mr. Halder about her relative’s children and their successes, reminding him of his failure to comply with her wish to have more children. Mr. Halder used to always counteract her haggling with his sour humour, which would shut her up immediately. Tina was the apple of Mr. Halder’s eye and he insisted that she be close to home, and that’s why he did not allow her to go abroad. He wanted her to get exposure to life and hostel life, so Pune seemed a good option for her.

    Tina and Lona grew very close together in the next month. The house was always filled with relatives in the day time, who were nosy and bitchy, to say the least. Tina used to get furious at all their foreboding talks of impending doom. Mr. Halder was always making fun of their show of concern or lack of it.

“Ravi, it’s so sad that your health is going to deteriorate fast now,” said Mrs. Halder’s elder brother.

“Look at the brighter side.  Your son will benefit from it,” replied Mr. Halder with a sarcastic smile.

“What does that mean?” replied Mr. Jaiswal.

“He means that -,” said Tina, and was about to say something really stinging when Lona nudged her.

“What was that, Tina?” cried out her mother.

“Why are you being so rude, dear?” Mrs. Halder asked her husband.

“It’s just that I am so enamoured by you that your brother’s words seemed a stark contrast.  That’s all, dear,” replied Mr. Halder with a smile.

“Lona, let’s go and do some work instead of listening to such crap,” she said.

Tina stood up, caught Lona’s hand and asked her to come with her, as she wanted to study for the finals.

  The days sped off fast at Tina’s home. Tina used to spend as much time with her father as possible, who was an avid reader and was well informed about everything happening in the country and around the world. Lona used to look forward to the discussions between father and daughter, of which she was a silent spectator most of the time.

    “Lady Diana and Mother Teresa died in the same week, Dad.  Sad, isn’t it?” asked Tina.

“Sad for us, perhaps, but not for Lady Diana. She had a miserable life and was not part of the system that we all follow. So she is better off dead,” said Mr.  Halder.

 “What about Mother Teresa?” asked Lona.

“Well, she was a smart woman. She did a lot of charitable work, but at a price, and that was to convert the poor into Christianity. Well, we all have our goals in life, but they all come with a price.  At first, we pay, and then we make others pay. Well, she wasn’t very different from any of us,” said Mr. Halder.

  “But her selfless missionary work is commendable, isn’t it?” asked Lona.

“Who knows the motives and inner inspiration of such selfless work? I know many villagers who do selfless work day in and day out, without gaining any recognition and asking anything in return. Sometimes, just destiny plays an important role in assigning fame and fortune for similar work to someone and no reward to another. So, from my point of view, Mother Teresa was destiny’s child.”

“What do you think we should do after our masters, Dad?” asked Tina.

“It’s primarily up to you, but I would like it very much if you can join the family business. Lona, I think you should study further like your elder sister, because with your lack of interpersonal skills, you will be a misfit in the corporate world. Best thing would be to get married and settled down. I am planning to marry off Tina too, soon enough,” said her father.

“You are being such a chauvinist!” exclaimed Tina. “Kunal is coming tomorrow and he will put some sense into your old-fashioned head. By the way, Lona, let’s get ready for the party tomorrow,” finished Tina.

    Lona and Tina were taking Kunal out to the karaoke discotheque nearby, where they were planning to do some serious chilling out before they all left for Pune again. Everyone needed that, and since Kunal had started communicating good news to the family, the mood was upbeat in the household.

        Kunal entered the household with bags and bags of data that he had gone through with the help of his friend. The notes included case histories, past treatment procedure, current procedures and pioneering research results. He immediately had a chat with Mr. Halder and reported to him that the pioneering research treatment was available at HCG Bangalore, and it could cure chronic cancer with 99% accuracy. The main treatment was to be stem cell transplants, which was very effective, although expensive.           

     Mr. Halder was, as usual, filled with sarcasm to Kunal’s proposal of treatment. Kunal knew that the shock of the diagnosis was still settling in. Mr. Halder thanked him profusely for his help, which Kunal brushed off.

    Tina and Lona were waiting to pounce on Kunal to get all the details of his trip. They spent hours in Tina’s room, talking about his foray into medical science. He was 100% confident of his full recovery from his initial discussions. Now, of course, it was up to Mr. Halder to follow up the trails that he had given him or to find some other alternate treatment which would perhaps be more effective. In either case, it was a very hopeful situation.

     At night, they all got dressed for the party and went out to the discotheque. It was an escapade of sorts, as their relief was obvious after being tense for the entire month. They danced all night. Kunal preferred to dance with Lona and she liked this attention very much. Finally, they were all drunk and returned back home.

   The trio took the next week’s flight back to Pune. Lona was filled with a lot of conflicting emotions. Her belief in love took a turn after seeing Tina’s parents. She realized that love was not a bed of roses and started thinking of all the men in her life. Her parents had been in an arranged marriage, but it had fared much better than the supposed love marriage of Tina’s parents. Her father was not as dynamic as Mr. Halder, but his household had been more successful than Mr. Halder’s, so she started wondering what the secret of a successful marriage was. Her relationship with Kunal was more understanding than the bumpy ride with Neel. But she realized that her attraction for Neel was tremendous, and though they had not been physically that close, as she had been with Kunal, she would always love Neel more, come what may.

   Tina was back to her mischievous self again and was getting involved with men (not boys). She somehow was falling for much older men, and then breaking off suddenly as she was getting repelled by certain habits of her lovers. In short, she was acting like a spoilt brat and Lona had no time for her idiosyncrasies. The trio was no longer seen often together as their final exams were approaching, and they were all working hard individually in their subjects. Kunal used to make it a point to meet Lona every day, but their initial attraction for each other started waning, which Kunal put to exam pressure in his light-hearted way. Lona, of course, was more attuned to her feelings, and though she also blamed exam pressure for her lack of interest, in her heart of hearts, she knew the answer lay somewhere else.

   The exams were a month away now and the trio met for the last time, though they did not know it then.

    “Hey babe, how are the preparations coming up?” asked Kunal over a mug of beer.

  They were meeting at a pub to celebrate their last year of bachelor’s, which had become a custom with Pune University students.

“It’s so long since we have been together. Tina, stop ogling at that guy; act your age. What’s wrong with Tina, Kunal? Can you please explain it to me?” asked Lona.

  “Yes I can, dear. She has a fascination for grey hair; that’s all. Don’t you, Tina?” replied Kunal.

“Yes, indeed I do. Oh my God, he just looked at me. Friends, I am off to the dance floor. Don’t wait for me,” said Tina and made her way to the dance floor as her new crush was making a scene himself on it.

“I just can’t understand her. Why doesn’t she  learn from her mistakes and fall for someone her own age?” asked Lona.

“We are all going through difficult times, Lona, and not all of us are similar in our liking of the opposite sex. Forget it. Let’s talk about you and me,” replied Kunal with a wink.

This was the moment she was trying to avoid for some time, and finally, it was upon her.

“I don’t know, Kunal. Let’s start our masters and let’s see what happens,” replied Lona

“Ok, as you say, darling. I can wait for you till forever. I know that you are finally going to want me like I want you today. Tell me that you love me, even if it’s just a teeny-weeny bit,” asked Kunal.

“Yes Kunal, I do love you,” she lied to stop all the questions.

“Well, let’s drink to that. She loves me.  Do you hear, everyone? She loves me!” shouted Kunal over the din.

“Kunal, please, you are drunk.  No one can hear you anyways,” replied Lona.

“Do you want me to paint the town red then, about you and me? You have to just give me a sign and I will. At least give me a kiss now, babe.  I have missed you so much these past few days,” said Kunal, seeing her look down and shake her head.

  “It’s a public place, Kunal, please. I am going away if you insist on pursuing this line of conversation,” replied Lona.

“I love you, Lona, will love you always. Ok tell me now where do you want to get married?” asked Kunal, getting more and more drunk.

  Some other friends joined them at that instant and saved Lona the embarrassment of replying to that question.

  Soon, the night came to an end and Tina was missing, which was just like her.

Kunal, Lona and some of their colleagues caught a cab back to their respective hostels.

   It was just a week after that when Lona’s life turned upside down.

She had put in a hard day’s work at the library and was returning back to her hostel when she stopped dead in her tracks. It was dark outside and had started to drizzle. She saw a figure making his way in the dark from the opposite direction towards her. His stride and silhouette seemed very familiar and Lona’s heart skipped a beat. At first, she thought her mind was playing tricks and she tried to gain composure.

“Hi Lona, how have you been?” asked Neel in a voice which she was crazy for, and which had developed and gone hoarse now.  “I have missed you so much all these years and have come to apologize for the past and am asking you to accept me back into your life again,” continued Neel in a voice that had started shaking with emotion. He knelt down and took her hand and kissed it, and then held it on his cheek.  “Why did you not reply to my letters, Lona?” asked Neel.

Lona was transfixed and it felt like a dream from which she could not get up, and finally, she got back her senses. She snatched her hand away and started running away. Neel chased her and caught her from behind. Her books fell off and he turned her around to face him and stared right into her. Lona was helpless in his strong arms. Neel bent down and kissed her madly; she kissed him back, crying and howling at the same time. Neel hugged her and swept her up in his arms as she hid herself in his chest. There was a bench nearby; Neel carried her there and they both sat down.

“Why have you come here, Neel? What do you want from me now, after all these years?” asked a sniffing Lona.

“If you had read my letters, the question would not be there in your head. Come with me and be my wife, Lona. I can’t live without you anymore,” said Neel.

“Why could you not say the same things years back when I needed you so much? Where were you then?” asked Lona.

“We were kids then, Lona.  I was confused as to what to do then and we would have landed in prison if we had eloped. Try and understand that and come with me now,” replied Neel.

“Yes, I will come with you, Neel. I love you, and seeing you here now, I am sure of that. But I want to be independent, so I have to give my exams, get a job, and then we can get married,” said Lona.

“Anything for you, Lona, as long as we are together. I am not letting you out of my sight now. I will meet you every day till you come back to Kolkata with me,” replied Neel.

   After that, the days just flew by as she sat for the exams and met Neel daily. The news of them had spread like wildfire as Lona was well known in the campus, and Kunal came to meet Lona for the last time.

“Hi Lona, I have just come to say bye. I have been accepted at NYU for my masters, so I am going there. Wish you all the best for your future,” said Kunal.

He turned around and walked away from her, when Lona shouted, “Stop, please! I don’t know what you have heard, but I want to say that I always liked you very much, but just as a friend, Kunal. I don’t want to lose your friendship, please,” said Lona.

“Stop being childish and grow up. Everyone is laughing at me throughout the campus for loving someone and getting ditched. That’s what you have done, Lona, get real! The funniest thing is I still love you, but I can’t stand you and Neel together, so goodbye. Don’t try to contact me anymore, Lona,” said Kunal and walked off.

 Lona returned to her room, feeling very guilty for having betrayed Kunal this way, but she was helpless. After some time, there was a knock on the door. She went to open it and she found no one there, but a letter.

  It was in Tina’s handwriting. It was one of the most scathing letters anyone had written to her.

Lona, or is that even your name?

  It should be ‘a bitch of the highest order’. You have broken Kunal down totally. You should die of shame for having played with his heart this way. He met you today and I am surprised that he did not slap you for your disloyalty. We were all looking forward to being together for our masters here, but let me inform you. Kunal is leaving for the USA and I am going back to Jaipur. Best of luck with Neel. Don’t ditch him too.

Tina.

  Lona cried after reading the letter, as she realized that she had lost two friends who were so close to her heart. Now, she was absolutely alone in her love for Neel. She knew that she would not find acceptance with her parents, and neither with her friends here. She decided that she would leave Pune too after her exams, though Neel was supportive of her studies here and had planned to take up a job in Pune if she wanted to continue there. But now, the thought of Pune was cutting through her like a knife.

  After her exams, Lona informed her parents that she would be visiting Shweta. This was partly true, as Neel had asked her to spend time with him in Mumbai and would be meeting Shweta, who had decided to continue her masters there. They all needed time to come to a decision as to what to do next.

   It was the best time of her life, spending it with Neel day in and day out. Neel had rented a flat in the suburbs of Mumbai, namely in Santa-cruz. It was a quiet little hideout for both of them. They used to spend the mornings going for walks then make breakfast together. Neel was doing research for a play, so he used to visit the libraries of the British council and USIS. Lona would accompany him and admire his ability to discern ideas from the autobiographies that he would read. He was a budding communist and was passionate about politics. Lona had total faith in his outlook and loved the man that he was. The evenings were spent mostly walking down Marine Drive, which was usually dotted by couples very much in love, just like them. The nights were spent in passionate love making, the degree of passion reaching new heights as they grew closer to each other with each passing day.

   One such night, after an intense love making session, Neel lay spent in Lona’s arms, sleeping like a baby. Lona used to lie awake like this, with love for the man in her arms coursing through her body.

“What’s the time, darling?” asked Neel, waking up suddenly and seeing Lona awake.

“It’s just 2 o’clock at night, dear.  Go back to sleep,” replied Lona.

“No, I want to smoke now and think about tomorrow,” said Neel.

“What’s so special about tomorrow?” asked Lona.

“I have to recruit some cadres for our movement here in Mumbai. They are disillusioned by the capitalistic thinking of the industrial city. I have to instil some of my ideas into them of why communism is going to be the torchbearer of tomorrow. Then I will ask them to join CPM of their own free will, of course,” said Neel, lighting a cigarette and sharing it with Lona.

   “Can I join you, dear? I also want to hear your talk on communism being the future of tomorrow. Who are your recruits?” asked Lona.

“They are mainly college students not from very affluent backgrounds and are trying to find some meaning in their lives, something more than just making money,” said Neel.  “Of course you can join me,” he continued then looked at her with a mischievous grin and fell on top of her. Thus, Neel made out with her till Lona was panting for more. They made quite a good-looking couple and their instincts were tuned to each other’s liking.

  Next day, it was a hard day at the office for Neel, so to speak. They reached one of the posh areas of Mumbai and entered a college campus after signing in the visitor’s book. They were to meet the general secretary of the college, who was a student, and some of the other students.

 After the initial round of introductions, Neel sat down to discuss politics with his juniors.

“Karl Marx says that control should be in the hands of the people, who really produce the goods, rather than those who finance the produce. Money should not be power, but hard work should be power,” says Neel.

“But how is that possible, Neel, because without capital, one cannot start work?” said Gaurav Upadhyay, the general secretary.

“That is because you are thinking like a capitalist. In Karl Marx’s utopia, everyone will ultimately share equal power, but to begin the formation of this utopia, the labour class has to be given more social status than any other strata of society,” said Neel.  “Right now, workers are the most exploited class in society. They are treated like commodities, and with more competition, soon the labour class will be eliminated. Automation will lead to more poverty among the masses and it will be the victory of one capitalist among many. Even small industries will be eliminated. But on the other hand, in a utopia, there will be distribution of wealth among the masses and competition will be rendered useless. There will be more surplus food for everybody and the sharing of wants will be global,” ended Neel.

“It seems too good to be true.  Can we actually achieve this if we join you?” asked Shalini, one of the many students listening with baited breath.

   They were all enlisted into the party and it was a small victory of sorts for Neel. They were asked to make trade unions in the college and put demands on the college authorities to reduce competition among students.

  Lona was mesmerized by the whole episode. She not only adored Neel, but was also his most ardent follower. That night, they celebrated in China Garden, one of Mumbai’s best Chinese joints. Over wine and Manchurian, Neel proposed to Lona that night and she accepted. He gave her a very simple diamond ring with a platinum base and said that this was for the next 60 years of their life together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 5: The Fight Begins

 

Lona and Neel married without informing either of their parents. Shweta and one of Neel’s friends acted as their witnesses during a simple marriage registration. It was held in Mumbai, and later that evening, Neel and Lona treated their friends at Copper Chimney to a continental dinner. Shweta had decorated their flat with the help of a few friends and their bed looked ornate. Neel and Lona had grown so close in the last few months that the night was going to carry no surprises, which was just the way Lona had envisioned her wedding night with Neel.

   Soon, Lona’s results were out and she passed with a First Class. She did not have the courage to collect it alone, so Neel accompanied her. They bumped into Tina, which was the most foreboding task for Lona.

  “Won’t you introduce me to your husband, Lona?” asked Tina sarcastically.

Neel was introduced to Tina, who was not at all impressed by him, which was nothing new as Tina was only in awe of older men. Neel was also not as good looking as Kunal, though everyone forgot about that when he started speaking. But Tina was a hard nut to crack. Neel acted oblivious to Tina’s attitude.

“Well, what are your plans now, Tina?” asked Neel politely.

“I am joining my capitalist father. I hope you have no objections to that,” asked Tina with a wry smile.

“It’s a free country, Tina, though capitalism will soon come to an end, I must warn you. Competition is bad for the masses,” said Neel.

“You mean competition is bad for incompetent people like you, but I must say, that’s a good one,” said Tina, laughing out loud.

“Well, you hardly know me. Lona, if you are done, let’s go. It was nice meeting you, Tina. I have a hunch that you will soon remember my prophecy,” ended Neel.

  Lona was not too happy with the way the conversation had gone and sent daggers at Tina, who ignored her completely and joined her other friends. Lona was pleased with her First Class and returned back to Mumbai with Neel, in a trance as to what to do next.

  Neel did not want Lona to start work just yet and told her that they should get ready to embark to Kolkata in the near future. Lona did not have the guts to second guess her husband, so agreed silently. She called Dona, who was now in Chennai and had been appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Institute of Mathematical Sciences.

  Dona was shocked to hear about Lona’s marriage and started scolding her vehemently. She said that she would come to her immediately because she was sure that Neel had steamrolled her into making the decision. Lona tried to make her understand that they were very much in love and were going to stay together no matter what. Dona was not to be vacillated and took her address and said that she would be there within 2-3 days.

   A few days later, the bell rang and Lona went to open the door.

“What have you done, Lona? You have ruined your life,” said her mother with a teary face. The whole family converged upon her.

“Come back with me immediately and everything will be fine. I don’t want Neel to kidnap my little daughter,” said her father in a sombre voice.

“Where is the bastard anyway?” asked Dona.

“He is not here right now, Dona. Stop using abusive language. I am an adult now and I love Neel. We are married and he is my husband. I am very happy with him, Ma. Please try and understand!” cried out Lona.

“I won’t accept this, Lona. He is a thug’s son and soon going to be a thug himself. His political views are causing havoc in West Bengal. You are at an impressionable age, Lona, and he has whisked you from us. Come with me and I will help you get over this phase of life,” replied her mother.

Lona was silent and she fiddled with her ring and looked at it lovingly. Then she went to the other room and brought her marriage certificate. She put her foot down and asked them to leave her alone.

  At that time, Neel entered the flat amidst the commotion, and seeing his in-laws, went to touch their feet as was the custom.

 Lona’s father nearly hit him and accused him of using Lona’s innocence to fulfil his ulterior motives. Lona could not stand this and asked them to leave Neel and herself to themselves.

“I will call the police, Lona, if you don’t come with us,” said her father.

“You can call the police as much as you want, Dad”, said Neel. “We are legally man and wife and nobody can separate us without our will,” replied Neel.

 Mr. and Mrs. Roy realized how futile it was to even talk to their daughter and understood that she had gone away from them forever. Mrs. Roy started howling and Dona consoled her.

“We are not going to accept you anymore in our life if you remain with this man. We will think that we never had a second daughter, Lona, so goodbye,” said Mrs. Roy.

“Ma, please try and understand. I don’t want to lose you,” started Lona, but was cut short by Dona.

“We are leaving now, Lona, and think us dead as we don’t want to be known as your family as long as you stay with Neel. But the moment you change your mind, we are going to be there for you,” said Dona.

   “I won’t change my mind,” replied Lona quietly.

The family left the premises and Lona started crying loudly as she realized that she had lost her loved ones forever. Neel gave her a hug and promised to take care of her for the rest of their lives together.

  Lona was dreading the moment when she would be told to pack, as they would be leaving for Kolkata. She always wanted to live in Kolkata, as it had the spirit of a wholesome city, but now she had no one but Neel over there.

 Neel had already informed her that his family came from a less-educated background, though they did not lack anything financially. The cultured environment was missing in his family, as Mrs. Sarkar came from the remote parts of the state and could barely speak English. Mr. Sarkar, of course, was an MLA and a smart individual who had provided the best for his son. Neel calmed Lona’s nerves by saying that they would be staying separately and will have a nuclear family, not living in a joint family like his father.

   The ominous day loomed when she was told to pack her bags as they were to leave for Kolkata in a few days. Neel had persuaded his parents to accept Lona under a lot of opposition, but finally, they had relented. His father was too busy to bother and his mother was too much of a doormat to cause any ruffles in Neel’s feathers.

   So they were received at the airport by Mr. Sarkar’s henchmen. They got VIP treatment as they made their exit at the airport. Then they were whisked away in an escorted car in a frenzy of hurried porters, security personnel and the henchmen. It was a whole new life for Lona as she reached her in-laws’ place. Mrs. Sarkar was there with a lot of her relations to greet her son and daughter-in-law. The threshold of the house was decorated and Lona took her first step into the house with Neel in tow. Lona was not dressed appropriately, according to Mrs. Sarkar, who asked her to change immediately into a saree, which Lona refused, saying that she did not know how to drape one. This led to a fury in the household, and finally, all the relations came and helped Lona by draping the saree for her.

  Lona looked beautiful in a wine-coloured saree with all the jewels, mainly of gold. Neel winked at her when she entered, all dressed up, and took her place beside Neel. Mrs. Sarkar made a sour face, as she was not at all pleased with her daughter-in-law’s attitude.

Mrs. Sarkar hardly knew any English and this was another communication gap between her and Lona. Neel ignored all this. as he was well aware from before that this would happen and pacified Lona by saying that this was only for a few days, after which they would live separately.

“Lona, you haven’t any of your own jewels. Neel is so rash in getting married in such a hurry without informing us,” lamented Mrs. Sarkar in Bengali.

“I don’t feel the need of jewels, as books are more important to me than dumb jewels,” replied Lona.

“Stop answering back to me. If you want to be my daughter-in-law, you have to do as I say,” said Mrs. Sarkar.

Lona made a face and remained quiet. The relatives were all being very nosy and amused by the whole affair. They had never come across such a modern girl like Lona, who had no regard for any of the customs and traditions which Mrs. Sarkar was instilling in her.

“What dishes can you make, dear?” asked Mrs. Sarkar.

“I can make a good omelette and that’s all,” replied Lona jovially.

“My son is going to go hungry most days. Oh, Neel, what have you done?  You have brought home an uneducated wife who doesn’t know how to keep her in-laws happy,” cried out Mrs. Sarkar.

“Times have changed, Ma. I can keep a part-time cook. I did not marry Lona for her culinary skills anyways,” said Neel.

  It was in the evening when the guests started pouring in and Mrs. Sarkar was too busy to mull over her daughter-in-law’s shortcomings. Lona was also kept busy accepting the gifts from the guests and Neel was holding Lona’s hand throughout and not letting her out of sight, lest something untoward might befall.

   Finally, Mr. Sarkar entered the scene with bodyguards, his secretary and a whole entourage of his employees. He was greeted by Neel and Lona, and for the first time in hours, Neel left Lona and started chatting with his dad. Mr. Sarkar blessed Lona and gave her a diamond set of jewels, and then he went back to greeting his guests. The evening came to an end, and slowly, the house cleared up. Neel and Lona then went to their room, which was bedecked with flowers and garlands. They spent the whole night talking and Lona shared her apprehensions about being a part of this family. She cried silently in Neel’s arms. As the night waned, she was missing her parents and wished they could be a part of these celebrations.

  Neel consoled her, saying they would soon accept her decision when they saw how happy she was with him. Lona knew that it was easier said than done to woo her parents back, especially her mother who despised Neel from the bottom of her heart.  She could not sleep and kept thinking of ways to win her parents’ love. Finally, when Neel too had given up and gone to sleep, she rose from the bed and lit one of Neel’s cigarettes. She had grown used to smoking, but only in private, as she did not want to invoke her mother-in-law’s ire. That brought her mind to another problem and that was how to tackle her mother-in-law and her medieval outlook on life. She wondered how Neel was so different and had liked her, even though she was very different from his own mom.

     The early hours of the morning dawned upon the Sarkars and Lona was woken up by her mother-in-law. She whispered in her ears to leave Neel as he slept soundly and asked her to accompany her to the kitchen. There, Lona was told in a loud voice that “the key to a man’s heart was through his stomach,” and nothing else. She commanded Lona to help her through the preparation of their breakfast. Lona was aghast as this was the first time she and Neel were not together in a household activity. She so wanted to go back into Neel’s arms and lie there till mid-morning, but her mother-in-law had put her foot down.

     She knew that she was acting like a spoilt child, but she could not help it. She had not gone through the rigors of a university for this. She saw how Tina would have laughed in her face now to see her become a perfect housewife to Neel.

This is what you left Kunal for, to wash dirty linen and utensils and swear by your mother-in-law, thought Lona in her mind.

  She had to do something quick. She was confident of Neel’s support. She loved him dearly and he reciprocated that 100%. He was always caring and listened to her views about everything. He wouldn’t refuse her anything if she asked him for it.

  Her mind was made up that she would tolerate this household only for a month at the most. Meanwhile, the vegetable that her mother-in-law had given her to cook had gone over-cooked and her mother-in-law started yelling at her.

“You useless thing, you are good for nothing!  I am trying to teach you something and you are engrossed in I don’t know what else,” she shouted at Lona.

Lona was nearly in tears when Neel walked in and she went to him desperately.

“Ma, why are you overreacting? This is her first day here. She will learn everything in a few days’ time,” said Neel.  “Lona, go and take a rest. We will have lunch at Mainland China to cheer you up,” said Neel.

“But what about what I am cooking for you?” cursed his mother.

“That can wait for another day. Anyways, Baba never eats his lunch here, so don’t worry about us henceforth. We will manage,” replied Neel.

“What a mess Lona has made,” said Mrs. Sarkar, looking at Lona’s cooking and ignoring Neel altogether.

        Mr. Kanti Sarkar was a busy man with few hours to spare for his family. He was part of the council of ministers for the state and had the portfolio for Ministry of Irrigation and waterways. He was not very well educated, and therefore, needed an entourage of people around him to help him with the daily working of his ministry. What he understood was politics, and he manipulated everyone well enough to keep his position intact. He was trusted by the Chief Minister himself, and hence was a powerful man in West Bengal.

   He was feared by everyone around him, but not Neel. He adored his son a lot and let him have the final say in almost everything. He therefore never objected about Lona, even though he could not comprehend her. He classified her as being part of the upcoming generation, which had no roots, but since Neel thought the world of her, he left it at that.

One month was soon over and Neel and Lona moved to a posh flat on Southern Avenue, which Mr. Sarkar gifted to the newly married couple. Mrs. Sarkar had a lot of reservations about Neel and Lona moving out of the house, but since Neel was adamant, she could not do anything. Lona, of course, had spoken about moving to another place to Neel, but needed to remind him just one more time in the whole month that had passed.

In this month, she had hardly seen anything of Mr. Kanti Sarkar. He had never had lunch with them and most dinners too. Lona found this odd and found her mother-in-law’s attitude even more exasperating, as she thought it was a sign of a real man not to have spent time with the family.

   One day, Lona was in conversation with her mother –in-law about her husband’s routine of the day.

“Ma, do you know what Baba does throughout the day and night?” she said, laying a stress on ‘the night’.

“Oh, he is a very busy man, you know. Mr. Basu is in conference with him day and night to manage the state’s affairs. Neel will soon become like him, my dear son,” cooed Mrs. Sarkar.

  Lona was shocked and did not say a thing more. She did not know what to say to a woman who had no identity for herself, but she in no way would compromise her life.

She expedited her plans to move out as fast as possible. She once thought of asking Neel whether his father was having an affair with another woman, which would explain his absence from the dinner table nearly all the days. But finally, her mind did not voice her doubts to Neel.

   She began talking with the security guards at the gates and the working staff at their home. Malti, the sweeper, after a lot of coaxing, discussed with her that Mr. Sarkar was a man of few morals, and she would not be surprised if he visited “nachnewalis” at night. Lona was feeling sick after talking to her and thanked God that at least Neel was not like that.

   She was waiting for the day when she would move out and have her household to herself. Neel hadn’t resumed work, but she that knew Neel would give her more than enough attention. The sex was better than ever now that they were married, though she had to be careful around Mrs. Sarkar not to show her eagerness for Neel’s arms again and again. At least she did not feel guilty anymore for having too much sex once she was married.

     The new flat was exactly like the one she had wanted. This was not a surprise, since even though it was financed by her father-in-law, she had selected it herself after many visits to many flats. It was a 2-bedroom flat with a balcony attached to each room, including the living room. Lona was very excited about moving and insisted on furnishing it slowly so that they can enjoy every bit of their flat one bit at a time. So currently, the flat was sparsely furnished with just the perfunctory beds and the cane furniture in the living room. A few almirahs completed the furnishings. They did not even have proper curtains in their rooms but Lona could not have been happier. She kissed Neel passionately when he brought her over the threshold of the flat. And they made love on the bare floor of the living room. For days on end, she would think of the day when they moved in with a happy heart.

Now, Lona got down to business and became a good wife to Neel, which even her mother would have envied. She cleaned the whole kitchen herself while Neel looked on. He kept muttering that they would have to employ a maid. Lona seemed not to hear any of this and went about her wok merrily, as if she had been awarded the Nobel prize. She did not have much of a trousseau, but that did not matter much as they did not make visits to relatives, as was the custom after marriage. Neel would soon be resuming his work in the youth wing of his father’s party. Lona did not mind this, as a man had to do something for a living.

  Neel soon started to go out for his meetings with the youth and came back in the evenings. Lona used to get bored in the house, except when the meetings took place in the house itself. She found the group to be pretty knowledgeable and ready to make sweeping changes in the way the government worked.

  It was during one such meeting that she participated, though as an outsider.

“Dada, we need to make more jobs for the people. Their grievances against the government are increasing, as they do not have work,” said one worker to Neel.

“Malay, the people should realize that this is not the time for opposing the government, as it is in the best interests of the people,” replied Neel.

  “The work environment has been totally destroyed in Kolkata and whereabouts. No industries are opening in West Bengal, but the ones that were there had to close down due to Unions. We have to change this, otherwise the other states will become better places of employment and an exodus of Bengalis will take place,” continued Malay.

“Unions are very important in propagating fair practices towards the workers. As we all know that the workers are the most important people and should be treated that way. If we lose a few industries, so be it. Karl Marx and Lenin were in agreement on this too. And so, to attain utopia, we have to sacrifice something,” replied Neel.

“But Dada, the USSR has disintegrated long back and it should be an example as to how communism failed to attain utopia. It is high time we also abolished these principles and moved on to imbibe the principles of successful states. One does not want to end up like a Russian, who had to line up for a loaf of bread after the disintegration,” said Malay.

“I don’t want you talking like a capitalist, Malay. We all know that the USSR disintegrated because of the Cold War and the people who were living in a state of utopia were foundered by greed and capitalism,” said Neel.

Malay was quiet for some time and felt helpless. Lona could not understand what was happening, so she was quiet too.

“There is one way we can preoccupy the people without having to pay wages. We all know that computers are being instated in all work places across the world and the central government has agreed to initiate it in India. The first computers are arriving in Kolkata and are being instated in LIC office in Chowringee. We have to oppose this motion as it means the automation of offices whereby many workers will lose their jobs. We will be taking out a rally next week and stop this atrocity from taking place. I hope everyone will keep themselves free for this rally,” said Neel.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase ourselves, Dada. I will definitely be there. I hope the error is noted by the government and the computers removed because of our opposition,” replied Amit.

Malay was silent through the rest of the proceedings.

Lona was admiring Neel’s rhetoric, but somewhere, she felt this was wrong and her empathy stayed with Malay.

   She brought up the topic again at dinnertime when they were all alone and the party had long dispersed.

“Don’t you think science and technology are there to help the common man? I think computers will help facilitate work and it is a sign of advancement,” said Lona to her husband.

“Computers will displace workers and that has to be opposed. It should only be used in high-tech laboratories; that’s all,” replied Neel.

“But the whole world is using it for their daily activities, be it their workplace or home,” remarked Lona.

“Do you want to bring a computer home, my dear, and displace me?” Neel winked while replying.

“Don’t be silly, I -.” Lona was about to add something when the phone rang.

It was for Neel and he received the call while Lona cleared the table.

   In the days to come, Lona used to think of that afternoon and yearned to talk to her elder sister about it. But the thought brought back old memories and she did not want to think of it anymore. She missed her family immensely, but also wanted to move on with her new life.

 They used to frequent the cultural spots of Kolkata with Neel and his friends. Though she did miss the casual attitude of Tina, Kunal and her friends from Pune, she was trying very hard to gel with the Kolkata crowd. The people of Kolkata were more intellectual facetiously. They prided themselves on the fact that Kolkata was the birthplace of Rabindranath Tagore. For years, it had been only about Rabindranath Tagore, who was more affectionately referred to as Gurudev here in Kolkata. Satyajit Ray came a close second, but to Lona, he was closer to home, as he had lived his life and times during her childhood.

Rabindranath Tagore and his manifestations gripped Kolkata in every possible way. Every year on his birthday, there were numerous artists who specialized only in rabindra.

Sangeet were invited to sing songs from his compilations. Lona was the only exception. She did not receive training in rabindra sangeet, hence she couldn’t follow much, in the very beginning, about the contexts of the conversations of their group. But after mingling with the group, she could hum a few songs herself.

   Neel was a cynosure of all eyes in the group. Malati, who had been with him in college, would always try to get his attention and this peeved Lona a lot. Most of the time, the group, including Malati, would snub poor Lona, as she did not dress, talk or show interest in the topics that they were engrossed in the whole day.

   Lona soon realized that she needed to work to find her identity, as she was getting lost in this Kolkata crowd. She brought up the topic of work and Neel was furious straightaway. He told her that she did not need to work and could join some cooking or dancing classes if she was getting bored at home.

“You don’t understand. I want to put my education to some use in this bloody city which can think of nothing else but Gurudev. There are so many other issues that need to be addressed right away, instead of getting drugged by the sedative characteristics of Gurudev’s music,” said Lona.

“You should be ashamed of yourself for maligning Gurudev’s name in this way. You would have been exiled form Kolkata if you were speaking somewhere else.  He is revered like God in these parts, and rightfully so. He has given more to Kolkata and the world and has conveyed through his writings, his true greatness. Instead of such foolish plans like working, I suggest you start reading his novels and gain some maturity on all matters,” replied Neel.

  “I did not want to insult Gurudev. I know that his greatness is priceless and to understand him and his writings an overwhelming task. But there are so many exponents of his work, some good and some not so good. I don’t understand his music that well as I was not brought up in this environment; still, I enjoy it through all the limitations. What I was suggesting was something else. There are many more issues that have been neglected by society, and for that reason alone, I am suggesting that I work to remove these shortcomings of the city,” said Lona, who was out of breath after her short speech.

“Shortcomings like what?” asked Neel.

“To start with, we need a campaign to clean up the city. In every nook and corner, there is accumulation of dirt. Then there is the concern of child labour. Statistics show that it is very high in this city. I want to work towards these problems,” sniffed Lona.

“Now don’t start crying, darling. I realize you are feeling lonely over here, away from family and friends. Ok, if you want to pursue a certain kind of work, I will help you in finding the right kind of work.”

    Over the next few days, Lona searched for an NGO which would mirror her thoughts and beliefs.

She went into a frenzy stupor when she found the NGO called “Ganga Bachan”. This NGO was dedicated to cleaning up the waters of the Great River Ganga, or otherwise known as Hooghly in these parts. Ganges originates in Gangotri in the Himalayas, flows through some densely populated areas and ends in the Bay of Bengal. The last stretch of the river Ganges is Hooghly in West Bengal, after which it flows into Bangladesh. Many people even now depend on the river for their daily activities, like bathing, washing and cooking, thus accumulating dirt in the river which some believe is the personification of God himself.

   Lona had done her graduation in Environmental Science and this topic touched her heart. She knew immediately that she had to try joining this NGO in whatever capacity possible. She waited for Neel to come back from his meetings to discuss with him at length about the NGO.

   Meanwhile, Neel was with a handful of CPM workers at the LIC building, protesting against the installation of the computers. He was backed by the entire government, which meant that the police were just silently observing the demonstration. Neel, as usual, was clad in a kurta pyjama and had a loud speaker at his disposal. He was shouting slogans and inciting his fellow workers, who were carrying placards. The whole traffic on Chowringee was going haywire and resentments from office-goers could be heard. This did not faze the party workers and they went about shouting anti-LIC statements. Soon, an official of the LIC came to the gates and approached Neel.

“I am the senior manager and have conveyed these protests to the managing director. I have informed him over the phone, as he is out of station, that the government does not want us to install the computers currently acquired from abroad. I request for you to disperse, as I am sure that nothing else can be done,” said the man.

    “We need a written assurance from you that you will not install the computers,” continued Neel in his deep bass tone.

“I can’t give you any more assurance as the orders are given out by the managing director and he is out of town,” he said.

“Then we will continue our protests till you close down the building,” said Neel.

“OK, suit yourself,” the man said and left.

     Several journalists had converged on this point and were relaying the events. One came over to Neel and started asking questions with a pen and notebook in hand.

“Mr. Sarkar, I am Mr. Chakraborty from the statesman and I would like to know why you are protesting against the installation of some harmful computers,” asked Mr. Chakraborty.

“Computers are the enemy of mankind and it will remain so till the end of this world,” replied Neel.

“Well, what about the advancement of our society and the empowerment of man through computers? Don’t you want to live in a more educated world?” continued Mr. Chakraborty.

“Automation of industry through computers will be harmful to the simple man, as it will eat away his jobs. We are here to prevent that from happening,” said Neel.

“I think you are here just to keep your vote bank intact. Keeping the labour force uneducated is your first intention for making protests,” said Mr. Chakraborty.

“How dare you say this? I am here for the welfare of the labourers. You are talking like a capitalist and why not? You are a bum licker of the British. This conversation is over,” replied Neel vehemently and walked off.

The other party workers started shouting slogans, “Down with the capitalists!”

This entire episode continued till dusk when the employees started streaming out and the gates were finally closed.

  Soon, under the orders of Neel, they dispersed. It had been a hot and humid day, so everyone was sweating as they went towards their party office, but they all bore a triumphant air about themselves. They all knew that their protests would not go in vain, and if need be, they were ready to do it all over again. Neel excused himself and got down at Golpark. From there, he walked to his home.

  Lona was very happy to see him, but one look at him and she knew that he must be very tired, so did not press him for his attention. After he had taken a bath and looked fresh, he sat down with the newspaper. Lona asked him if he wanted to eat something with his tea, but he replied in the negative. Lona served him his tea and looked tense as she wanted to broach the topic of her employment. Neel did not sense anything and seemed to doze off on the sofa.

   Lona nudged him and he woke with a start.

“Darling, I was thinking of what we discussed the other day,” started Lona in a low voice.  “I went through a lot of NGO’s that were listed in the yellow pages and found a suitable one to work for,” continued Lona.

There was no response from Neel, who just yawned and looked at her and winked. He put his arms around her and kissed her passionately. Lona, as usual, forgot everything and kissed him back. Soon, Neel was carrying her to the bed, where they made love.

   “I think we should consider having children.  That would keep you busy, not some stupid NGO,” said Neel after their love making. He lit a cigarette and lit one for her too.

Lona was out of breath and did not respond immediately. But soon, she absorbed the impact of his words and struck a pose that must have been close to Rani Jhansi’s pose before she attacked her opponents.

“I think you are taking this very lightly. I will say this only once, so listen closely. I am joining the NGO Ganga Bachan and will dedicate myself to working for that NGO in whatever capacity that is acceptable to them. I have no intention of lying at home doing nothing and becoming like your mother. I want some intensity in my life too, to fight for and to die for something,” said Lona with a jerk of her head.

“Do whatever you feel like, darling,” replied Neel and dozed off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 19.05.2011

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