Urban Love: Give a chance to life

Urban Love

Give A Chance to Life

Akshay Chitre

Notion Press

5 Muthu Kalathy Street, Triplicane,

Chennai - 600 005

First Published by Notion Press 2015

Copyright © Akshay Chitre 2015

All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 978-93-84878-60-3

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 reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, Xerox or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the authors.

To the one girl I knew,

Who walked over me, breaking my heart time and again.

My story would not have happened without you,

You made me realise that all the best things in life come after severe pain.

I have no regrets, only best wishes and lots of love.

After all what is life if one doesn’t give it another chance to laugh!

Contents

Title

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Prologue

1. Pure, Sacred Friendship

2. The Big Fight

3. Twisted Relationships

Epilogue

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank my family for not ridiculing my idea to write a book. My father kept advising me to write only what the Indian readers could digest. My mother, like always, supported me in writing this book.

I would also like to thank my brother Abhilesh, who was the first person to listen to my story. And Zack, my German Shepard, to whom I have narrated the story several times. I think by now he must have got the story.

My cousin Manasi was my best critique, knocking sense and logic into me as I wrote this book. Akhil, my cousin, for just being there.

A big thanks to my friends, Kanav, Milan, Jayesh, Shrikant, Ankit, Honey, Mansi, Gurpreet, Huzaif, Deepti, Poonam, Arun, Sharvari, Shubham, Sankho, Ebrahim, Deva, Sunil, Vidushi and Rahul, for constantly encouraging me even when I thought what I was writing was horrendous.

Special thanks to my childhood friend Taniya Seth who believed my story had the potential to become big and making me believe that people do read Indian authors. I am pretty sure I would never have completed this book without your support.

Last, but not the least, the entire team at Notion Press for showering me with so much love and caring for the outcome of this book.

This is my first book. So, please be kind. I hope you experience an emotional high reading this story.

Thank you everyone.

Prologue

MUMBAI, arguably the fashion capital of India, is one of the most vibrant cities in the country. The locals and those from the other parts of the country, seeking financial opportunities and a better quality of life, have provided glamour to the city. The people of Mumbai are highly fashionable and abreast of all the latest fashion trends. They burn thousands of rupees on big brands, but also do not shy away from local shopping centres such as Linking Road and Colaba Causeway.

This glamorous city is also one of the freest thinking city among the other Indian cities but like the rest of India there is a large part of society which believes in societal norms. Most Indian men and women, although highly educated and working in multinational corporations, live with their parents as living separately is unthinkable and considered against Indian ‘culture’. Indian families also urge women to get married after they finish college. If the woman resists, she is allowed to work for some time. But as soon as she turns 25, there is pressure on her family to find her a husband.

Most of the marriages are arranged by the family but things are slowly changing with women opting for love marriages too. But this is not easy. For this to happen women have to date men and a courtship period is required to understand each other. If this fails, then the probability of these women finding suitors diminishes as men in arranged marriages prefer a ‘virgin’ wife. Women who have had relationships are termed ‘sluts’. The attitude of society is revolting.

Our country has a population of 1.25 billion people which means everywhere, everyone around us is having sex. How else can you have such a huge population? But being Indians, we hide behind the veil of ‘culture’ and forget that ours was the land of the Kamasutra too.

It takes a lot of courage for women in India to be in a relationship. If a woman is dating a man in Mumbai or any other metropolitan city, she may ask the man to be keep the relationship discreet so that her future is not jeopardised in case the relationship fails.

Of course, things are changing as I said earlier with women opting for love marriages. They are being vocal about their emotions and physical needs.

But the fact is all across the world, true love is missing. Everything has become commercial and finding love has become a big task. People are connected to each other via technology but they don’t have the time to socialise in person. People chat with each other on the internet, but they do not interact with each other face to face. The physical connect is missing Gone are the days when being in love meant looking into each other’s eyes, talking for hours together and holding each other’s hands. All these are considered old-fashioned today. People prefer to look at their screens rather than their partner’s eyes. People have become lonely, even when surrounded by chaos. If you do find true love in this chaos, make sure you hold it as close to your heart as possible because true love is difficult to find in today’s world.

I, Priya Khanna, will now narrate to you a story. It is the story of my life and the lives of my friends Anusha and Meghna. It is about life in Mumbai, our opinions and views, and the issues we faced in our friendship. We were soul mates but somewhere along the way shit happened.

CHAPTER 1

Pure, Sacred Friendship

Scene 1

I need you Priya,

I am sorry, please forgive me.

Can you come down to my place now?

I got a text from Anusha on a Sunday evening. I didn’t reply, I didn’t want to. I instead headed straight to her place.

Indian brides, the whole world knows, are one of the most beautiful brides in the world. The red saree, the red bindi on the forehead, and the red sindoor, complemented by gold ornaments, make her look like a goddess from Indian mythology. Anusha Menon was dressed up as a bride. She definitely looked like a demi-goddess with dusky skin, golden brown hair, almond shaped grey eyes and an innocent smile that could cheer up the saddest souls. Anusha was looking into the mirror and adjusting her ornaments. Her room was decorated with flowers; sweets and imported chocolates were laid out on tables. Some of the invites to be sent across to family and friends were kept on a table, Most of the invites had already been sent.

Anusha was writing a personal note to Meghna, which she wanted me to hand over to her.

It read:

I am getting married, not much to say now. Hope you do come.

I was a traditional Punjabi girl born and brought up in Mumbai. I would say I had imbibed a mixture of western culture and traditional values. I am an average-looking, fair girl with long hair, black eyes and a dimple on my cheek, which I considered my USP.

I was not too ambitious in life, my goal was to start a family with someone who promised to love me till the last breath. In all, I was your girl-next-door, with small dreams for a simple life.

I slowly walked into the room wearing a traditional Punjabi kurti. Anusha was seated in front of the mirror. As I walked towards her, she finished writing the note for Meghna. She noticed my reflection in the mirror and gave me a warm smile but I knew that smile concealed turmoil within. She looked a bit nervous. Perhaps it was the wedding anxiety. She spoke to me through the reflection of the mirror, her eyes asking me the question, How do I look?

I was anxious seeing her after such a long time. I felt uneasy, my legs quivered. I shifted the nervousness from one foot to another discreetly, as I walked towards Anusha.

Before she could say anything, I put my hands around her shoulder and slowly hugged her from behind. I bit my lower lip. She was still seated in the chair in front of the mirror.

I looked into her eyes through the mirror’s reflection and affirmed to her.

You are looking incredibly gorgeous.

Thank you, Priya, she mumbled.

We have had our indifferences in the past and maybe due to those feelings, which were still raw, we could not look into each other’s eyes as we both met for the first time after the big fight. I was overwhelmed and happy to see her. I was happier to know that she was happy getting married to the boy her parents had chosen for her. She had always wanted it that way.

How are you? I asked anticipating a negative reply but instead Anusha gushed, Do you think she will come? in a concerned voice.

I understood and nodded a ‘yes’. Anusha was asking about Meghna. I did not really know how to react and honestly I had no answer.

The wedding is in one week right? I asked

‘Yes, the coming Sunday evening," she replied.

I could not understand what was on her mind at all. She was happy getting married to someone she wanted to and insisted on Meghna being there. But she had broken Meghna’s heart and hurt her feelings. All because Meghna had forced Anusha to come out of her comfort zone for the first time in her life.

Okay, hand over the card to me. I will visit Meghna and tell her to come. I am sure she will come, I asserted in an authoritarian voice that could only be used with a loved one. I fought my tears and forced them to roll back into my numb eyes.

Meghna, Anusha mumbled. She took a long pause, sighed, and looked up into the sky for a second. She will not come, I hurt her.

Whatever happened is in the past. I have spoken to her and she has promised to come. I assured Anusha. She smiled and felt happy that Meghna would come to her wedding.

This is the most important event of my life. I have imagined this day for a long time and I sincerely hope Meghna comes, said Anusha.

Yes definitely she will come. You don’t worry, baby, I answered gently, holding her hand in mine.

I then looked at my mobile phone and walked out of the room faking an urgent call. Just a moment, call from office, I said and speed-dialled Meghna without Anusha noticing it. I spoke to Meghna from the balcony in Anusha’s room.

Hi, it’s me, I said in a serious tone.

Priya, I know it’s you. I can never forget your voice and it’s been a while since you have called, said Meghna.

I interrupted her.

Anusha is getting married in a week’s time and she wants you at the wedding. I am coming over to your house. She has given me a personal invite for you and I too would like you to come for old times’ sake.

You go, Priya. I will not be able to make it, said Meghna in a feeble tone and hung up the phone.

I felt let down. If I had not been near Anusha I would have wept for sure. Once best friends, now not talking to each other! Life is like that.

I realised that the bond Meghna and Anusha had shared was definitely broken but somehow I wished deep down inside my heart that Meghna would come to the wedding.

I walked back into Anusha’s room with a fake smile that convinced her that Meghna would come to her wedding but in my heart I was not really sure if she would come.

Anusha fretted. Is everything fine, dear? You seem different after the call.

Yes darling. Just the usual office work, nothing too important. Sometimes these people call for small errands too, you know how it is working in a corporate.

Yes I know, been there too, smiled Anusha.

Are all the arrangements for the wedding done? I shrieked in excitement.

Yes, I guess. My family is handling most of the arrangements, said Anusha,

As we spoke, I sent a text message to Jay.

Anusha getting married in a week’s time. Please convince Meghna to come.

I sat with Anusha talking about the wedding arrangements. We laughed and joked about the old times though most of the smiles were fake as somehow we did not share the old bond. And Anusha was not her usual self. She wanted Meghna. Something else was amiss in her life. She was not that excited about the wedding. It was evident she had issues on her mind but she was not keen to talk about them to me.

"Are you happy with this marriage?’ I asked.

Anusha just nodded, she did not say much. The bride’s charm was most certainly missing in her.

I left soon. As I scurried out her place, the last three years we had spent together flashed in my mind’s eye.

FLASHBACK

Scene 2

We met three years ago in a local gym. We had just finished college and were excited about moving on to the next phase of our life. I had enrolled for spinning classes as it was the latest rage in Mumbai then. The gym had disco lights and club music playing. My to-be best friends, Anusha and Meghna, too had enrolled for the same class. If it hadn’t been our zeal for fitness and spinning, we would never have met.

It was 7 p.m. The gym’s spinning section was crowded. Loud music was playing. We were all in gym gear warming up for the class with a female trainer egging us to spin slowly first and then eventually pick up speed. She was spinning with us too.

The room was small; around 25 spinning machines were crammed next to each other. They were so close to each other in the small room that one could hear the other person’s breathing above the din of the music. The music was mostly English; remixes of old hit songs. The disco lights were on us. As we started the spinning session, the instructor repeatedly roared in a head-splitting, deafening voice into the microphone attached to the speaker to motivate us but it was frightening me to the core. The instructor had such lean muscles that she could easily pass of for a guy.

The session was to last an hour. We were told that we could easily lose up to1200 calories in an hour. This was enough to motivate me for I was sitting all day in the office chair, adding calories and doing no physical activity at all. I had got into an unhealthy regime. About 20 minutes into the session, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open by a cute bubbly girl. She seemed all pepped up about spinning, as she walked hurriedly into the room. She looked at the instructor and said, Hi, sorry I am a bit late. Do you mind if I join now?

She waited for the instructor to reply but there wasn’t any acknowledgment as she was too occupied in her shouts. I looked at her and said, Hey it is okay, you can join us. I pointed towards the machine next to me. As the girl walked in, the instructor nodded and said in her loud voice, You out there, adjust your seats and next time don’t be late. She seemed angry as if the world depended on us not being late for the spinning class. Or maybe she just wanted her job to sound very important to us.

The girl who walked in late nodded affirmatively. She had such a bright smile, I noticed while she adjusted her seat placed next to mine. She had long straightened hair, which was tied in a ponytail, a fair and impeccable skin tone, big round black eyes, and a sharp nose. She was wearing a black sports T-shirt and leggings. The girl looked fit; she was hot and sexy. The kind of girl you envied. As soon as she finished adjusting the machine’ seat, she hurriedly jumped upon the seat by my side.

Hi. I am Meghna. She smiled at me

Hey. I am Priya.

I was gasping for breath and was sweating hard. My voice sounded a bit tired.

Just then, a girl stormed in from behind us with a soft voice. She too sounded tired just after 20 minutes of spinning.

Hey girls, I am Anusha.

We looked at each other and shared