It was first
Sunday of June 2009. I had just completed a hectic year in TATA Motors
after finishing my engineering. But I was enjoying my ‘not enough’ big salary.
The people who believe in lavish spending have every weekend colourful and full
of fun. So on one of those weekends I had decided to go for a movie with my
girlfriend, friends and their girlfriends. We were four couples hanging out
together from months. But tragedy happened a day before. I broke up. It was
my third split (only) after school. Then also I went for movie because there was
a rule that the weekend should not be spoiled at any cause.
We, a group
of seven, reached to Raghuleela mall at Kandivali, a western suburb of Mumbai.
We checked the movie list and decided by voting to go for ‘The Proposal’ for
which my all friends voted yes except me. It was a romantic flick starring
extra hot Sandra Bullock. We were waiting outside as our friend went to take
tickets. That time I saw a girl (actually a woman) waving hand at me. First I
looked back to search who was that lucky guy. But it was for me only. I froze
at that place. My friends gave me a dirty look as if that lady was behind my
break-up. She was coming towards me and still I stood there expressionless. She
introduced herself. Her name was Vidya. I racked that section of my brain which
is meant to store people, but it transmitted no reply. I recalled the names of
all my friends and friends of my two (oh now three) exes. But there was no
Vidya (Because all of my friends had modern names!). Then our introduction ceremony
got over. We waited fifteen minutes to say her bye though we were getting late.
But she never stopped talking. She was probably in early thirties. She had very
astonishing figure. Definitely she had maintained it well. I thought of an
option to hang out with her but that was impossible. After all I was only twenty
three that time. Finally we went to box office again to buy her a ticket!
She sat next
to me. That movie was nice. We were chatting in between the movie. She got a
good humour. We had planned to go to Hard Rock Café to have some drinks and to
enjoy some dance. But she asked me for a peaceful place somewhere. So my
friends went to HRC and we headed towards Haji Ali rocks. We searched a
comfortable rock to sit. Then I opened beer cans which we bought on the way. It
was a most enjoyable weekend evening for me. We talked on every possible topic.
She was the only woman I met when I really tasted the feeling of love. She felt
safe with me. Then we had dinner at some stalls on the street. The street food
in Mumbai is very tasty and popular, unhygienic though (but we don’t care). And
then we were walking on the footpaths of Marine Drive when clock was showing
the ending of our weekend. Suddenly a BMW passed nearby and Vidya called out loudly ‘Karim Chacha’. Surprisingly that BMW stopped and she got in it in
such a hurry like I was going to kidnap her. And I froze second time that day
with the same strange feeling.
Today it is
a first Saturday of August, 2012. I was having my regular tea in morning with newspaper
in one hand. And suddenly a report on front page got my attention. It was
showing Vidya’s photo. Her real name was Sudha. Then why she lied to me! I read
it further and got shocked on every line written in it. She was a wife of the
owner of one of the most popular five star hotels in Mumbai. And she was
suffering from severe psychological disorder from last five years. She was missing from
the day we met. They just found her yesterday. I remember that Sunday very
well. How can I forget that day! I never felt for a single moment that she was
mentally imbalanced. I tried many times but could never find Vidya or Karim
Chacha with BMW in Mumbai. What was she doing for three years then? She might
have spent them with guys like me. If this is her way to live her life then what’s
the imbalance in that. And a thought flashed into my mind. Tomorrow it is one
another Sunday of my life. I headed quickly towards my phone to dial a number.
“Hello,
Leelavati Mental Care?”
.jpg)
