Episode 5

Chandigarh, 2017

Divyaant

Namo Arihantanam

Namo Siddhanam

Namo Ayariyanam

Namo Uvajjayanam

Namo Loe Savva Sahunam

(I bow to the enlightened souls

I bow to the liberated souls

I bow to religious leaders

I bow to religious teachers

I bow to all monks of the world)

Acquiescing in front of our divine, for the enlightenment of the right path and a scrupulous life, I sent my devotions to my creator and closed my eyes in deep meditation, a thing I used to do to have an intenser connection with the divine power.

The day ahead would be a hectic one as I was currently operating on a high-profile case where an impeccable man was falsely accused of rape, a heinous and most condemned crime which he didn't even perpetrate.

Everything was against him but I knew him better. Suspiring disconcertedly, I pursued back my path outside our temple and closed my eyes one last time in a praying position as today was the last hearing for me to either win or lose, for the innocent to either live or be hung to death with shame and humiliation.

No negative thoughts, I reprimanded my mercurial mind and breathed out in a little tension and anxiety. This would be the first case where I'd lose, where I would let the innocent die in front of my eyes, I could only wish for the best.

I was advancing towards the exit when a voice stopped me in the track, "Divya, brother, why are you in such a sulky mood in the morning?". It was my elder brother Divyajeet who had a perturbed look on his visage. "Nothing Jeet bhaiya, just some work-related tension," I tried to flash him my infamous grin but it didn't work as his contortion turned more contemplative.

"Divyaant, remember we had always warned you to join this sector but you never listened to us. What was wrong with our Pharmaceutical company? Tell me? You could've worked with me and you wouldn't have to have such tumultuous and pensive job, grappling every single day over one case or another. I cannot see you in this state, brother, honestly, it distresses my heart every time you've to...." I couldn't have this dressing-down again when I had such an urgent meeting to attend, I side-tracked him in between his monotonous and repetitive lecture and briskly strolled to my automobile.

"He doesn't listen to me ever," I heard my brother's ranting in irritation and I could only roll my eyes at that. He treated me like a baby if I'd say to bring me some stars and moon, he'd extraordinarily die to fulfil that wish of mine, he was that much fond of me. I could only scoff the way he treated me.

"Divyaant, at least have your breakfast, please," my feet stopped automatically on its own accord when I heard that female voice which belonged to none other than my peachy sister-in-law, Ambika, the third woman in my life after my mother and grandmother whom I valued and loved a lot.

Tracking back towards her, I stopped in front of her and flashed her a genuine smile, "I will have all my favourites in the night, Bhabhi just, wish me luck".

Setting my hair correctly like a mother, she intoned, "Thathastu, my blessings are always with you, Divyaant. Truth always wins over lies and falsehood as they're temporary but the truth is permanent, you'll win too and bring justice to the innocents, don't worry, here have this Mishti Doi (Sweet yoghurt)," and then she fed me the most popular catalyst of Indian houses for winning against anything, be it for the exams of children or the exam of truths and lies.

Daughters are the heartbeat of a house, my sister-in-law was a real instance of it. I unceasingly had longed for a sister and I got it in my Ambika Bhabhi, an elegant, elder sister of mine who always stood with me when everyone else was against me.

After bidding her adieu and passing a small smile to my scorning brother, I consequently left the house inside my vehicle.

Tension started pouring in from all the directions, what-ifs started wrestling with my positive counterparts, buts started another waging war with my tranquillity and the crimson red cherry on the cake was dropped with the red signal in front of me, aggravating me more.

One-hundred-and-eighty seconds!

Wastage of three full minutes!

I breathed harshly and took a dekko towards my right out of absolute boredom when I got the sight of the same girl who had almost provoked a very young-age heart attack to me, yesterday night. How animatedly she was screeching something, wait, was she singing? I had to narrow my eyes to gaze at the childish actions she was playing inside the vicinity of her car. But something different caught my eyes.

This girl was not mentally grown, her higgedly-piggedly actions were valid proofs of that. Yesterday, she was playing hide-and-seek with some invisible power and today, she wasn't wearing her seatbelt, I just couldn't even fathom what she thought of herself! Didn't she comprehend that Chandigarh has very stringent traffic police? And not to mention the number of accidents that happen every day on these very roads.

How careless and obtuse of her! I presume the proverbs I used for her got her attention as she glanced at my side and I was shocked when I confirmed it was the same girl. Her expressions mirrored mine. Before I could've signalled her for the seatbelt, she immediately shifted her gaze away from me, looking at the person who was on the driver side.

Are I and my warnings a joke to her? I asked myself like a stupid and got no answer but just her ignored sight.

Another cherry on the cake was added to our pleasurable dessert when I saw traffic police constables standing just at the left side of the round-about.

This girl would have to pay a hefty amount if the police would see her without seat belts and I couldn't even have the heart and mind to say that this girl would have brought the documents of her car with her, she was a kid, kids couldn't care about anything but nonsensical pranks and all-time playing only.

Having my impatience reaching to its peak out of utter concern and sympathy with the fact of me being a typical Marwadi, gave me enough strength to help this kid in her reverie and unknown childishness.

I eventually got outside my car and tapped on her window's pane but that girl, she was terrified like I was some ghost that she detested and propelled as far away from the window as possible. Her car was fortunately non-convertible and luckily she hadn't wings otherwise who knows she might have already flown away or worse, dug a hole inside her car and hidden inside the core of the earth, kids these days are spoiling themselves indulging in those overdramatic daily soaps, I sighed in annoyance and tiredness.

I was trying to help her but this woman!

Please god, send some pieces on earth but with brains and some common sense. It'd be a lot easier for us petty humans than to handle such masterpieces.

She still didn't open the window, panicking like I would eat her alive. Gosh, woman, I might haven't my breakfast today but I am a pure Jain, I couldn't even eat onion and garlic, forget about eating feeble-minded, kiddish flesh like her.

I was just going to leave her on her own when the traffic police arrived at the most upright time. Now other charges of false harassment and violence shouldn't be followed, or would it? I shouldn't have come out of my car in the first place, why Divyaant why? I suddenly had the wish to smack myself for my stupidity.

This nincompoop girl induced her foolishness in me too, I scowled and started answering the monotonous queries of the constable.

"Why are you knocking on her car's window, sir? Any problem?"

"Sir, she was asking me the path of a particular road so, I was trying to explain it to her but I think she's having some problem with her window pane, it couldn't be opened".

This was the first and the last question that the constable dropped on me as he moved towards her and knocked on her window pane. I was prepared to get this constable away from here when that girl opened her mouth and explained the same thing that I had explained to the traffic police. How could this happen?

How could she hear us when the windows were shuttered closed? I couldn't understand, I was dumbly looking at her when she supported me and did the first mature thing out of all our past encounters.

The traffic police went away and I wanted to thank her for not doing the typical thing a girl would've done with me but her yesterday night's strings pulled me back from it and I ended up on a contemptuous note, "I know you've got a child-like brain which you had proved yesterday night only, but even toddlers of today's age know about basic traffic rules. Wear seat belt before you become a star in the sky and also before these traffic police charges you a bulk amount for defying the rules. And please, stop watching serials, you overreact a lot, have a good day". And I left immediately as the signal too had turned green.

But I couldn't forget the elephant-sized, saucers like eyes of her after my statement, I chuckled humorously and raced towards Chandigarh High Court, my destination and my abode, where our victory and jubilation was waiting for me.

I could feel very different yet mystic confidence within me, all my tensions and negativities had suddenly migrated from my head to some offshore place.

****

Marriage isn't a ring worn or a paper signed. It is not something endured but savoured. It is the union of two hearts beating as one, each that would sacrifice for the other's happiness and wellbeing. Marriage is something so beautiful that in that natural world it would be an opening rose, always with radiant petals left to unfurl to a warm sun. Perhaps that is why we give roses to those we love and often have them at our sacred unions. Marriage is the blessing we give to one another, an eternal bond of soul-mates.

Have a great and happily ever after, brother!

I read the message on the card that my assistant had written on behalf of me for my best friend's marriage as I couldn't even get time to write one as I was already getting late because of a sudden arrival of an urgent case. Fortunately, Bhaiya had dropped my attire for the evening in my office only otherwise it'd have taken another two hours to get back to home and later the voyage to the wedding venue, I could already see the invisible smoke of rage coming off Rudra's ears.

He had a wedding today and his best friend was the last one to reach, he had every right to be the angry bull, I mulled idiotically and buttoned my Modi coat haphazardly in a hurry.

"Thank you so much, Vijay, will wear this pants in the car, take care, good night," throwing a 'thank you' to my PA, I ran outside my firm almost tripping on my way.

"May you get some beautiful girl for you too in the wedding," I heard the stifled laughter-mixed voice of Vijay and only one person came in my mind.

The black magic girl!

Yes, that same boo, black magic girl.

Reaching the destination was a cakewalk as no traffic was there, fortunately, but it turned the legend-level thorny pathway when I entered inside the hall.

The 'Boo' girl had either some magnet or some black magic bestowed within her, the moment I just put my feet inside the hall she came galloping towards me like a cheetah on the hunt.

Was Sharukh's and Kajol's K3G running over here?

Was I her Sharukh and she, my Jaya Bachchan who could feel the presence of her son even without seeing him?

What was this?

I looked quizzically at her, why had she come to me running like that. What was going on in her mind that didn't even exist?

I couldn't fathom it!

"You came? I was waiting for you only," she dropped the bomb on me making me look at her dumbfounded and in utter foolishness!

She would make me mad too with her super craziness and unpredictability.

"Boo girl, kindly stay away from me," I vocalised and went towards the holy pavilion where my friend was currently seated.

~**⁕**~

So, how's the chapter?

Are you excited for their journey?