1
Raghav Iyer - In his early forties. Leads a calm, disciplined and organized life. A neatness freak. A stickler to routines. A recluse who shies away from human contact. Basically, a person from some other era of time (probably a good era!).
Kiran Kulkarni - In her mid-twenties. Is a tomboy, a rebel and doesn't know the meaning of 'rules'. Unless she makes her own. Which she does always. Passionate about tattoos and likes to experiment with her hair. Chaotic, disorganized and crazy.
And then these two met. And that's how it happened!!
Raghav looked at the mirror. He gave himself a final check. Hair parted sideways neatly, spectacles that fit him perfectly, formal shirt neatly tucked inside trousers, his pocket-kerchief without which he never left home, his watch of - how many years now? - well, he didn't want to know. But it was there on his wrist, where it rightly belonged. He took pride in his precious and old possessions.
Not bad. Not bad at all for a forty-year old. He smirked at himself and left the room to join his parents at the dining table for breakfast.
He ignored his mother's irritated 'hmmph!'. He very well knew what it was for.
"At least, open up the top button of the shirt! It's bad enough that you always wear those formals that make you look so perfect and boring. I feel suffocated just by looking at you stuffed up from the neck to your feet!" His mother lamented while his father shook his head resignedly.
"Stop it Kavitha. Don't give him hell every morning over his clothes." His father said.
Raghav chose not to react as usual and concentrated on his breakfast.
His mother sat back on her chair, gazing at him thoughtfully. He tried to ignore for a while but then his irritation got the better of him. "What now, Amma?" He asked tiredly.
"Are you sure you are not gay?" She asked casually while Raghav tried really hard to not to face-palm himself.
"I am very sure that I am not gay, Amma. How many times do I need to tell you?"
"You do know that I am quite okay with that, right? As long as you marry someone who makes you happy..." She said cautiously, for 'marriage' was a topic that was a bone of contention between mother and son.
"Amma, let us not go there again. Just accept it already that I am not going to marry anyone. I am already in my forties. I have a job I love, I have you both and I am perfectly contented with my life as it is now."
His mother shook her head and looked at his father, her gaze implying that it was all his fault. Ishwaran Iyer shrugged helplessly and resumed his breakfast, having had many such sessions with his wife and his son.
"But surely you must have met someone you like? I can't believe that someone as good as you is still single!" His mother commented furiously and Raghav laid his head back on the chair in exasperation.
"Amma, I am single by choice. I intend to STAY single. Please stop worrying about me!" He said it in a tone that suggested that there was to be no more conversion in this topic.
When he saw his mother attacking her breakfast, he suppressed a smile.
It wasn't that he had never found someone special. He had. Once upon a time. When he was still studying in college.
He wouldn't have lost faith in love if the girl, whom he had instantly fallen in love with and had proposed, hadn't rejected him. Made a scene out of his proposal. Passed cruel jokes on him with her friends. In other words, made him the laughing stock of the whole college.
And his heart would still have been open. But for the above reasons.
Thanks, but no thanks, Amma. I am much, much better alone.
He finished his breakfast and checked the time. It was already 8.30 am. He had just about time for a cup of steaming and heavenly filter-coffee. And then he had to rush to his office.
Where Kiran kularni, the bane of his life, would be waiting for him.
(To be continued!)
Kiran Kulkarni - In her mid-twenties. Is a tomboy, a rebel and doesn't know the meaning of 'rules'. Unless she makes her own. Which she does always. Passionate about tattoos and likes to experiment with her hair. Chaotic, disorganized and crazy.
And then these two met. And that's how it happened!!
Raghav looked at the mirror. He gave himself a final check. Hair parted sideways neatly, spectacles that fit him perfectly, formal shirt neatly tucked inside trousers, his pocket-kerchief without which he never left home, his watch of - how many years now? - well, he didn't want to know. But it was there on his wrist, where it rightly belonged. He took pride in his precious and old possessions.
Not bad. Not bad at all for a forty-year old. He smirked at himself and left the room to join his parents at the dining table for breakfast.
He ignored his mother's irritated 'hmmph!'. He very well knew what it was for.
"At least, open up the top button of the shirt! It's bad enough that you always wear those formals that make you look so perfect and boring. I feel suffocated just by looking at you stuffed up from the neck to your feet!" His mother lamented while his father shook his head resignedly.
"Stop it Kavitha. Don't give him hell every morning over his clothes." His father said.
Raghav chose not to react as usual and concentrated on his breakfast.
His mother sat back on her chair, gazing at him thoughtfully. He tried to ignore for a while but then his irritation got the better of him. "What now, Amma?" He asked tiredly.
"Are you sure you are not gay?" She asked casually while Raghav tried really hard to not to face-palm himself.
"I am very sure that I am not gay, Amma. How many times do I need to tell you?"
"You do know that I am quite okay with that, right? As long as you marry someone who makes you happy..." She said cautiously, for 'marriage' was a topic that was a bone of contention between mother and son.
"Amma, let us not go there again. Just accept it already that I am not going to marry anyone. I am already in my forties. I have a job I love, I have you both and I am perfectly contented with my life as it is now."
His mother shook her head and looked at his father, her gaze implying that it was all his fault. Ishwaran Iyer shrugged helplessly and resumed his breakfast, having had many such sessions with his wife and his son.
"But surely you must have met someone you like? I can't believe that someone as good as you is still single!" His mother commented furiously and Raghav laid his head back on the chair in exasperation.
"Amma, I am single by choice. I intend to STAY single. Please stop worrying about me!" He said it in a tone that suggested that there was to be no more conversion in this topic.
When he saw his mother attacking her breakfast, he suppressed a smile.
It wasn't that he had never found someone special. He had. Once upon a time. When he was still studying in college.
He wouldn't have lost faith in love if the girl, whom he had instantly fallen in love with and had proposed, hadn't rejected him. Made a scene out of his proposal. Passed cruel jokes on him with her friends. In other words, made him the laughing stock of the whole college.
And his heart would still have been open. But for the above reasons.
Thanks, but no thanks, Amma. I am much, much better alone.
He finished his breakfast and checked the time. It was already 8.30 am. He had just about time for a cup of steaming and heavenly filter-coffee. And then he had to rush to his office.
Where Kiran kularni, the bane of his life, would be waiting for him.
(To be continued!)
Comments
Post a Comment