The Best Serendipity of My Life

a musical love story

Swetank Telang

Notion Press

5 Muthu Kalathy Street, Triplicane,

Chennai - 600 005

First Published by Notion Press 2013

Copyright © Swetank Telang 2013

All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 978-93-83416-71-4

This book has been published in good faith that the work of the author is original. All efforts have been taken to make the material error-free. However, the author and the publisher disclaim the responsibility.

No part of this book may be used, reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Dedicated to the one I love

I wish I could turn back the time,

To complete the left over rhyme …

But everything has a damn good reason,

May not be this, but the very next season …

In my mind, in my heart, you will always stay,

In the cloudy sky, like a shining ray …

If it’s not life, will meet you after death,

Coz from now, am your sweetheart, you are my breath …

Long long are the distances that separate us,

But who cares? It’s not lust …

Where every logic, every reason fails,

Let The World Sing Our Tales …

Acknowledgements

I heartily thank God for being with me and guiding me in times when I felt low and for keeping me alive. I also thank my mom for her blessings, for a positive approach towards my new venture and for supporting me spiritually.

I am also thankful to my best friend since school time - Elison Niven for reading and reviewing this book for the first time. Special thanks to Alok Arya, Ankur Shah and Prateek Dhingra who helped during the initial editing of this book.

Writing this book would not have been possible without the help of Vishal Jain, Raj Patel, Jalpan Upadhyay and Dharmesh Detroja who were kind enough to lend me their laptops to work on the book.

I also thank Parasmal Prajapati, Mehul Joshi, Tejas Patel, Jaydeep Matroja for keeping my spirits up and for believing in my work.

Vijayata Chauhan chimed in and wrote beautiful poems specially for this book.

Trupti Jain, Monika Jain, Prachi Hemani, Robin Bhatia and Yojana Gurav always showed enthusiasm in giving suggestions and showing new ways to make this book a more beautiful one.

I am grateful to Jimmy Desai for working with me on the music album accompanying this book and for his great talent, creativity, dedication and friendship above all.

Warm thanks to Abhishek Nagrale for the cover art of this book.

Durgesh Shinde showed amazing talent during the video shoot of the album and solely handled the scripts, screenplay, direction and editing. I thank him with all my heart. A word of thanks also to Manthan Beladiya for helping during the shooting.

Special thanks to Gulafsha Shaikh for playing the role of Zeel in the song Dil Ye Mera Khoya.

Contents

Title

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgements

The Beginning

Zeel

Culfest

At Home

Her Place

College Days Back

First Propose

My Place

Final Propose

Love is in the air …

First Fight

We Came Close

Zeel’s Birthday

My Birthday

Picnics

Last Days at College

Life After College

The Chapter of Our Marriage

Our Last Picnic

The Departed

Transformation

Life Changed - Playing Two Parts

Present

a

The Beginning

The crowd was cheering, whistling and shouting " Once more ." Again I cleared my throat and stroked G. To this, the crowd became a bit silent, and then:

"Tuta tuta ek parinda ese tuta ke phir judd na paya …

Luta luta kisne usko aise luta ke phir ud na paya …"

I sung strumming G major.

This was the cultural festival of the Government Engineering College, Modasa; the place where I thought I would give a new path towards my successful life. Being a part of our college best ever band was not a piece of cake to eat. We were a group of a few which included a drummer cum keyboard player, three guitarists, a tablist, three male and three female singers. We rocked the show with new, old and western folks facing a huge crowd of 300. To make it a success, all of us had been practicing till 3:00 midnight hrs for the last 15 days. The show ended by Navratri Garba (as every show in Gujarat) with a big round of applause and appreciation for our band.

Our college was located on Modasa-Shamlaji highway 4 kms away from Modasa, in which I studied in 4th semester mechanical engineering. I lived as a paying guest in the Vivekanand society near Modasa bus stand.

Modasa was a small town located in North Gujarat

on the map hemisphere, and besides this, it was a place where all the shops closed at 7 p.m. those days. Most of the people living in our society were farmers and landlords having an orthodox mindset of not accepting the thoughts of the young generation. All the house owners had a stringent rule of not allowing the opposite sex to get inside the room that they rented, not even for an academic cause. The house, in which I stayed, was a bungalow of two floors having three rooms and a toilet-bathroom on the first floor and another couple of rooms and another toilet-bathroom at the ground. The owners of the house were elderly old persons in their sixties. There was a large open space outside on the ground floor which was furnished with a three-seater swing. We were five of them who were given two rooms, attached toilet-bathroom with a provision of external iron stairs from the rear end so that anybody could enter our rooms without disturbing the owners of the house who resided at the ground floor. There was a huge empty space at the ground floor which was gardened by the owners, it was the corner-most bungalow of the society which was bounded by a 10ft wall. In our two rooms, we dwelled five of us: Jalu, Rajju, Alpes, Vimu and myself. I, Jalu and Rajju owned the inner small room and the other two were accommodated in the main bigger room. But this arrangement was only at sleeping times; besides this, all of us were found chit-chatting with each other in the main room. Friends called me a nickname ‘motu’ just because I was a little plump on all sides of my body. And I did not bother about it at all as my school friends also called me the same. Cooldip was one of my best buddies that became too close to me after our first performance together; a musician attracts another. He usually stayed at the hostel inside the college compound but after our show at college, he with some of his hostel friends decided to rent a room nearby me in Modasa town. The reason was simple, nobody after becoming renowned in college would like to stay in a girl-less boys hostel. In our society, there resided many college girls as paid guests so Cooldip with another five decided to rent a room for a few months in our society. One odd day, I was at Cooldip’s new room at the entrance of the society discussing girls that lived nearby. And suddenly Cooldip threw me a weird question.

Don’t you have a girlfriend in Modasa? Being a good guitarist and singer you should have at least one!

No dude, nobody has been introduced to me yet and I am coy to talk with girls. During my schooldays it was difficult for me to talk with a single girl without extremely important work. I smiled.

Had I been at your place, staying in Modasa, I would have had at least one, replied Cooldip.

Stop it! I don’t even need to learn the guitar; just give me the guitar and its cover and then see how girls follow me! chuckled Keyur. Everybody guffawed with this statement.

Come on guys, our life is so boring and I am pretty sure none of us will ever have any girlfriend, no girl will like to become even a friend of a mechanical stud, I said.

This calls for a bachelor’s party tonight, Rajani shouted.

You dumbo, there is no chance of arranging drinks in so short time, its 6 p.m. now and nobody, even after spending double the black amount, will fetch us drinks in such a small time, objected Simon.

So? I asked.

Let’s celebrate with a song on the guitar, announced Cooldip and he started strumming Em. Everybody else started loudly so that the girls staying nearby would pay attention to it.

"Imtehan ho gayi … intezar ki …

Aayi na kuch khabar … mere yaar ki …"

This was followed by a few other songs and the last song ended with a big boom by all Rajaniii and all of us suddenly started bashing Rajani. It was a common habit in that group to curse-beat-blame Rajani for no reason. Maybe, because he was the only super studious student and a ranker among our group. We always had to work hard for avoiding KT’s; reaching 1st class was like a dream for all the rest of us. Rajani’s stupid face looked more stupid after everybody pounced on him. Everybody laughed and mocked Rajani.

I am leaving for my room, I said packing my guitar.

I too accompany you with my guitar, followed Cooldip carrying his guitar on his shoulder, I do not trust these devils (pointing towards them) that my guitar will be safe with them; in the hostel I used to keep it in almirah but there’s no such facility here.

"Ay! Leave quickly, varna tera tamboora tod dalenge," Simon fumed without being serious.

It was February and dusk in Modasa was a little colder. Cooldip packed himself in a jacket and I too borrowed a jacket from Keyur. Both of us started walking towards my room which was located at the last most corner of the society. It was five minutes walking distance to my room and between both of our rooms there were many other rooms in which girls stayed. Some of them stayed in the whole house and some of them stayed like a paying guest on the top floor just as I did.

Hey don’t you feel uncomfortable carrying a guitar; it just looks like flaunting our image & becoming a hero, although we are not, said Cooldip silently as we walked towards the end of society.

Come on bro, there is nothing to be ashamed of, it really matters none.

Hello both of you! A feminine kid-like voice boomed from a nearby room as we walked towards my room. We halted a little but then thought the call would be for someone else and we continued walking.

Hey . . . Hey . . . Ha . . . Yes both of you only, the voice became much louder and clear. We halted and turned left, back towards the voice.

"Hi, I am Chandni. I liked both of your performances very much, and Swetank especially you, I liked your singing, tumhari aawaz mein dard he . . ." a fat girl in Punjabi dress came near and greeted.

"Meri zindagi mein dard nahi to aawaz mein kaha se dard hoga? Kya khullam khulla line mar rahi hain moti! I thought to myself and then both of us acknowledged, Thank You Chandni."

By the way, what’s your name? she asked, turning her face towards Cooldip.

He is my very good friend Cooldip, and in fact a much better guitarist than me, I answered.

Hey come fast, she turned back towards her room and shouted.

"Coming na," another feminine voice answered from inside the room as if she was getting ready.

Yesss! My mind sensed it correct; a girl came out with her wet face and a towel in her hands.

Swetank, Cooldip, meet Rizu my roommate and class mate, Chandni introduced the charm.

Hi! Cooldip and I greeted.

Hi. Rizu smiled after she wiped her wet face "Both of your performances were amazing and Swetank, tumhare aawaz mein bahut dard he."

Cooldip looked towards me and smiled teasing me, I controlled my laugh. Who would like to laugh boisterously in front of two newly introduced girls, a person not having any girlfriend would not like to laugh and insult a new so-becoming girlfriend standing in front of him. So by any means I had to control my laugh. I wondered and my mind quickly started counting all the songs being sung on stage and I did not recall any which had dard.

Which song did both of you like? asked Cooldip teasing by his cruel smile towards me.

Maaeri! both of the girls replied.

By the way, which semester and branch do both of you study? I asked changing the topic.

1st year IT, Chandni replied.

I looked towards Cooldip and gestured for him to move but his cruel eyes refused.

It was nice meeting both of you, we shall talk later. I smiled.

Nice meeting both of you too, Chandni said.

Bye, Swetank and Cooldip, see you later, Rizu said.

Bye. Cooldip waved his hand.

Bye bye! I added.

You ***hole, why didn’t you continue the conversation? Cooldip fumed.

Hey, keep cool, you do not know girls, when we start giving them attention, they seek more, I replied as if I held a Master’s degree in dating girls.

But Rizu looked nice!

Hey she is mine, you think about Chandni.

"Shut up motu! Chandni matches your size; make her your girlfriend," Cooldip argued.

We reached my room. We were just climbing the iron stairs making noise and a voice boomed inside the room, Our hero has come.

I just stepped inside and found Jalu saying these words to Rajju.

Where are the other two? I asked.

Dunno, replied Rajju as if he was least bothered about the other two.

Hi friends! said Cooldip entering the room, Do you know what this ***hole did just a while ago?

What? both of them reflecting curiosity.

We were having a sweet conversation with 1st year IT girls and he ended the conversation very quickly!

Who were the two girls? asked Jalu curiously.

Chandni and Rizu, I mentioned.

"Rizu . . . vo choti choti, chasme vali na?" asked Jalu.

"Ha wohi," I replied.

"Chandni to pata hain," Rajju exclaimed in a sad tone,

"Yaar, please introduce me to Rizu," Jalu said getting excited.

Hey you are in the queue right now, I replied.

Who’s first? Jalu asked curiously.

Of course me, I flaunted as if I was the star of college.

We continued our meaningless discussions, after which we had our dinner at Harikripa lodge and then talked about girls and only girls until we felt sleepy and closed our eyes. My mind kept thinking about Rizu until I slept and why not, she looked good and my lonely heart was also seeking a girl-friend.

10 Months Later

I, along with my room partners were seated at our room teasing each other with names and discussing the hottest topics going on at our college. The discussion was agitated by a feminine voice from the ground floor, Swetank … Swetank.

I and others identified the kid-voice girl. Chandni! I just got up from my bed lying on the floor announcing, "I am coming frens."

All the best! teased Vimu, and Rajju one by one as if I was going to talk to my dream girl.

At least the guitar has fetched you a Hippo if not others! commented Vimu and everybody laughed heinously.

Shut up guys, I shouted and went down.

Hi! I smiled at her, "Kuch kaam hain?" I gestured to her with my eyebrows and hands.

Cultural week is a few days ahead … she just begun and I interrupted her, so what?

Swetank, can you organize music for this culfest? she asked.

Listening to this my heart first flew up high in the sky and another thought suddenly pulled my heart back onto the ground again.

Who is the female organizer? I thought to myself.

I was a bit tensed; that moment many thoughts were running in my mind. Some of them were – What if Chandni is the female organizer? How would I suit with her while organizing? What a master – funny news would spread about me and Chandni? And the jokes would be like – ‘Two hippos became music organizers’ or ‘Hippos Rock’ or ‘Yo Yo Hippo’. And what names would my college friends give me? And my room partners Ahhh! They will *uck me with bitter-hard jokes all the time they see me with Chandni. And what about the other beautiful girls in college that I did not know but they liked me from inside and never revealed anything to me? Forming a couple with Chandni, this culfest will mess my forth coming love life.

Swetank, your dream of getting a nice girlfriend in college seems numb! I thought to myself.

Gathering courage I asked, Who is the female organizer? expecting the answer to be Rizu.

Oh God, let it not be Chandni at least, if not Rizu, I prayed to myself.

"Well! You remember the girl who sung Maahi Ve song from Kaante in the previous culfest singing competition?" she asked with a slight curve on her lips expecting me to know the answer.

My heart relaxed as it was not Chandni but someone else.

No I don’t remember.

Are you nuts? Why should I look at other girls when there were three of them in our band and all of the three were pretty, I thought to myself.

You remember Zeel?

"She had sung Maahi Ve," she added.

Oh yes. How can I forget her? I said even though I didn’t recall anything. It was just to avoid this statement from her mouth, ~~~~Ok Swetank, I will inform her that you don’t know her~~~~

Well, Zeel is the female organizer and she wants to conduct organizing with you. Her smile became wider.

Hmmm, I said silently but inside my heart was overwhelming joy and a prayer to God, "Hey Bhagwan, kash Zeel aachi dikhe!"

Should I call her this evening at your room?

Oh yes, but we shall meet here on the ground floor, girls are not allowed inside my room, I replied cursing my landlords in my mind and on another side thanking them for this rule without which my girl-hungry room partners would have eaten both of the girls raw.

Fine, I will call her this evening, she said and turned back waving her hand.

Bye Chandni. I waved back and turned to get upstairs towards my room.

As I climbed the stairs my ears caught a group song from my room partners:

"Mote ko moti se pyaar ho gaya, Pehli nazar me pehla pyaar ho gaya."

Hey come on guys, I interrupted.

"Dil jigar dono ghayal hue, tire nazar dil ke paar ho gaya haaa aaan,

Ha ha ha Haaaah!" Every monster burst into laughter.

Getting into the room I announced, Guys there’s good news!

Need not utter a word, your eyes tell the tale. Rajju commented.

Come on ***holes, first listen to me completely.

They became quieter after my shout.

I am going to be male music organizer for this cultural week, I announced in excitement.

And who is your partner? asked Jalu curiously.

Of course the kid-voice who met you just before some time, Vimu chuckled and everybody joined him. I kept quiet and walked into another room. I purposely did not bring in them about Zeel, else they could have spread some idiotic rumors screwing up my friendship with Zeel that had not even initiated. Jalu followed me inside and sat beside me. He was the only one person in my room whom I used to share secrets. Of course, this was not one like a secret to be disclosed but it was not even like sharing with everybody at that very moment. It is a natural tendency of girl-hungry bachelors to screw up a committed person’s life and make him a bachelor again. They enjoy playing these games a lot. And I did not want the same game to be played with me at an initial stage of introduction.

Jalu asked secretly, Who’s becoming your partner?

Chandni, I