Inspired by William Somerset Maugham
My brother was the person who brought me to the world of books. He used to narrate stories in a special way which arose interests to many. It is through him only that i came to know about WSM. That story which he narrated left a mark in my mind that even after some 15 yrs i still remember.
The speciality of the story is that the hero is presented as 'I" ie when the author says " i was going to a place" it means the hero was going and not the author. I borrow the same thing from him and my stories are going to have only one hero "I"
Will I Become .............??????
Childhood
I was the naughtiest, stubborn,arrogant child in the history of my family. My anger was uncontrollable that at times even my mother might have hated me at least for a fraction of a second. I had just two friends in my childhood- my grandmother and my mother. Every one else were alien for me. Whenever somebody visited my house i used to hide under the cot. I could see no affection in others face nor had the courage to greet a new face.
Things started changing when i started going to school. I was not a bad student and was reasonably good at sports. I was not a talkative guy and expressed my feelings through emotions rather than through words. Fewer were friends but the friends i had were really close- a well knit group. i never had any girl in this well knit group and virtually hated every girl without any particular reason.
Teen
By the age of 11, I had transformed into a new person except for the hatred i had for girls. I started making new friends through my sporting interests. Some new students were also enrolled in my class. I used to go to class at least half an hour early. It was one such day that I saw the two new faces in the class. Every one was introducing themselves and trying for an acquaintance but not i. The reason is so simple- they were girls.
But both of them came to me. I didn't give a look initially and with my usual arrogance only i spoke to them.
The Irritants
Soon i found that these gals were very talkative. They were talking as though if they didn't talk for 2-3 minutes they would die. As days passed by i got more and more irritated. I felt the serene and calmness of our class was lost after their arrival. So whenever they tried to talk to me i was indifferent to them, So they couldn't built a good rapport with me.
One day it happened that our teacher gave an interesting question for us to solve. Since i had done it before, i got the answer in the first attempt itself. Surprisingly nobody was able to crack that . Since i strongly believe that studies are god given blessings and we should also help those who ask for help, i was ready to help others.
Since all girls were familiar with my behaviour no body turned up except she ,the noisy. For the 1st time in my life i spoke and told her politely how to crack the problem. May be she didn't expect me to behave like that. So i could see a smile on her face and a sense of satisfaction.
As days progressed she began to bring more and more doubts. Since as i mentioned earlier about my belief in studies, i couldn't ignore her nor talk in my usual indifferent manner. Till then i never spoke to any girl over phone. To my surprise, one day i got a call from her. Again the subject was studies only
The turning point...
Even though i continued to behave rudely to others i no longer could do the same to her. My hatred towards girls is well known in my class.One day she came to me and asked
" Why you hate girls"?
I didn't answer. I just looked at her face. She was looking at me. she asked again
" Do you hate ur mother"?
i could no longer sit there. i just walked away
Every day i used to pray. But after this incident whenever i close my eyes these two questions come to my mind as though god is asking me. i thought a lot about these things. i didn't get a clear cut answer as to why i hate girls but i really love my mother . Without her i couldn't live and she is everything to me and as i mentioned she and my grandmother are my best friends. Then i realised that i hated girls for no particular reason and i felt i am doing something wrong.
i didn't talk to her for almost 2 weeks nor did she bring any doubts.
One day as i entered the class she was there talking to those arrived early and so happened that i asked her come near me and asked her " will you talk to me again and say sorry to ur friends on behalf of me for the way i behaved to them" . I said this in a voice audible to all. Everybody was dumbstruck, nobody moving even their eyelids and is fixed on me. I just walked out of the class. After this whenever there is a break, my friends had only one thing to ask " what happened to you"
Rarely i smiled but now i had only smiles on my face to all such queries
Love????
Yes i changed or else she changed me. it has been more than two yrs since we were studying in the same class but now only i really looked at her face. Yes she was pretty just like my mother.
Now she used to talk to me even on matters other than studies. Through her i came to know more about other girls and soon we became friends. Many girls started talking to me and to be frank i was really happy talking to them.
But deep inside my heart i had already given a very special place to her and i wrote in my diary " i like the person i am when i am with her".
During lunch intervals we talked a lot on every day about all the things under the sky. I felt like time goes even faster than it actually did when she was with me. It was the class tour which made all of us closer than ever and some girls invited the whole class to their home for a get together.
It was just two months away for our intermediate exam.Our school days were going to end. So my father suggested to throw a party to my classmates. Initially i feared if anybody would show up but all except one came.
She was in a white dress in which she looked like an angel. She was at ease with everyone in my family as though they were known for long. She started helping my mom in preparing lunch and my mother,though a shrewd person, liked her at the first instinct itself. This day i am sure will remain in our hearts for long. Meanwhile i also visited her house and her mother just like her was also very talkative.
The First Kiss
We did our exams well and were waiting for our results.
I wake up in the morning for the sole purpose of eating. Otherwise i would have slept 10-15hrs and i hated anyone disturbing me. My parents were both working and my brother goes to college. So after having breakfast i used to watch TV and around 1 O'clock i prepare an omelet for my lunch and then sleep again.
It was one such day just when i was about to fall in to a sweet dream that i heard the calling bell ringing. As i was alone i thought if i i didn't respond , the caller would feel that nobody would be there and would go eventually. But the calling bell kept on ringing. I got up angry and was about to dash the caller and I opened the door. I couldn't believe she standing there. I closed and opened my again and again..
Without any invitation she came in ,went straight towards the fridge,drank water and came and sat on the sofa.
" I know you were sleeping idiot" she said.
she went on and on that i got little opportunity to speak as always. She looked really beautiful in her blue salwar. she talked about why she came and after an hour or so she stood up to leave. i was still sitting. Then she asked me " was i a disturbance for you " . I said a big "YES" with a smile. She slowly turned towards the door. I didn't want her to go. So i caught her hand and pulled back. She almost fell and couldn't prevent herself from sitting on to my lap.
Our eyes were locked. I lowered my face towards her. i could hear her breathing sound and my palms could feel her rising heart beats. She closed her eyes and Yes i kissed her on her lips. so soft i felt and i have never experienced such a sensation till then but it lasted for seconds only. She giggled away and sped out through the door.
For sometime i couldn't realise what had happened. When i regained my senses, i felt very bad and was trembling with fear. It took me some 2-3 hrs to become somewhat normal. Then the phone rang. Fear was running through my body like goods trains making lots of noise. i didn't pick up the phone but it kept on ringing 2 times...3 times...Finally i gathered some courage and lifted the receiver
" Hello"
" Will i Become ............. Pregnant ?" she asked
I couldn't prevent myself from laughing on hearing this. I thought she was funny but she was really serious and almost inconsolable. i thought how naive she was but i really loved her.
She always had and has many doubts even after becoming mother to my one yr old sara. She still asks some " Very Serious Doubts " which is the reason that i am really in a perfect shape since laughter is the best medicine.
