Better late than never

  Srinivas Rao stepped out of his car and stood admiring the resort while the driver pulled out his luggage. Screw all the office meetings, how could he have skipped his 20th year college reunion? He suddenly felt old, recalling the lad he was twenty years ago. However, his whole body seemed to have filled with euphoria after a long time.

  "Arre, Srini bhai!" he heard that name after twenty years. Turning back, he saw a small pot bellied man with a receding hairline running towards him screaming.

  "Abbe Machhar, Kaisa hai?" he replied ecstatically, embracing him warmly. Rohit Gupta was fondly called Machhar in college, thanks to his whiny tone.

 "I am good, brother. You are late, coming on the second day. Itna kya busy tha yaar? We were already done with the introduction and were just talking about the epic elections of the fourth year. Do you remember?"

 "Of course I do, how can I forget," Srini replied excitedly, "Abbe Lambu," Srini almost shouted seeing Amit Sharma approaching. Both of them ran towards him and the three shared a warm, long hug. They had shared the best four years of their life at VNIT, the Vallabh National Institute of Technology. And how can one forget the election? They had grown together and looking at each other after twenty years with streaks of grey hair and incoming wrinkles made them nostalgic, emotional, proud and happy all at the same time. 

  After lunch, many of them sat in small groups in the outdoor terrace of the resort where they had gathered, while the spouses and children enjoyed the sprawling gardens beneath.

  "Lambu, why didn't you bring your family along?" Machhar asked while slouching on a rug.

  "My son had his exams, you know and wife stayed back to look after him," he replied. "Why didn't you, Srini?"

  "Well, I don't have any," Srini said simply, puffing a cigarette. When the other two looked shocked beyond words he added nonchalantly, "My parents died a few years ago and I never married."

   "Bhai, but…but why?" Machhar asked, suddenly sitting up. "I mean, you are the CEO of a hotshot IT firm, it could not be that you didn't find someone."

   "Today I am the CEO, but I had to burn the candle at both ends to make it to the top. Life went through in a jiffy it seems, and I missed the bus," Srini replied slowly as if weighing his words, staring into nothingness.

   "Abbe yaar, don't be sad," Lambu consoled Srini, slapping his back. "Abbe woh dekh, it's Ritu, right?" he said, nudging towards the entrance below.

  Looking down,Srini saw her again. She looked the same, the exact same. No, she cannot be the same. He tried finding differences and found them, but they seemed superficial. The wide smile, the twinkle in her eyes, the gentle yet confident gait. She was exactly the same to him. Throwing her dupatta on her shoulder, she pulled out her luggage and then gently escorted a small girl of about eight out of the taxi. Turning towards the bunch of people who had gathered to meet her, she extended warm handshakes and hugs with one hand, while steadily holding the little girl with another.

    "Abbe Srini, you both were together in college, right? Why don't you try now?" Machhar said, ribbing Srini.

   "Saalon, think before you speak! It has been twenty years since college got over. When will you guys grow up?" Srini replied, getting back to puffing his cigarettes, trying to arrange his face on usual lines. "Don't you see she has a kid?"

    "We are just kidding yaar," Machhar replied, lazily reclining back on the rug. "Oh hello, Ritu!" he said suddenly.

    Srini's insides contracted. He quickly dropped his cigarette and turned around. There was nobody. "Yaar, you guys will never grow up," Srini protested with a reluctant smile amidst roars of laughter.

   In the evening, the organisers had arranged scores of games and competitions for the kids and adults. But mostly the former students stayed back on the lawns not a bit tired with the endless reminiscing about the good old college days. 

   "Oh, Hi Srini!" Ritu said.

  Srini had bumped into her while taking a stroll. He noticed that her cheeks were flushed, but could not tell if it was the winter or him.

  "Hi, Ritu," Srini replied. After an awkward pause, he managed to say, "how times change!"

  "Yeah, I know," she replied. "Where is your family?"

  "I… I didn't bring them along," he blurted, immediately regretting it in his head. "And yours?"

 "There's my daughter Sophia, over there," she pointed towards her girl, meticulously bent over a crayon drawing in the competition.

  "She is cute," Srini remarked, "Just like you," he wanted to add but instead mentally rebuked himself for this thought. "Let's have a walk together, shall we?" he asked gingerly.

   Ritu simply nodded and the two started walking, jamming their hands into their overcoats, since it was beginning to get colder. 

   "So, your husband couldn't come?" Srini asked.

   "I am divorced." 

   Srini felt the pain in her voice but he had mixed feelings. His mind kept wandering back to when they were young and together.

   "Do you think I have changed, Ritu?" he asked, looking at her.

  "Not one bit," she said, not surprised with his question. "Beyond all this ageing stuff, you are just the same to me."

  Srini felt the pit of his stomach go cold and heart fluttering, and laughed at the thought that he could feel such things at this age too.

   "Then why did you leave me?" Srini found himself asking.

  "I left you, I? Did you ever think I wanted to leave?" Ritu exclaimed animatedly. "Do you think my father would have had it any other way? He married me off soon after college. I had to start my career all over again after my divorce. Do you think it's easy for a single mother?"

   "I don't have a family, I never married," Srini replied calmly, now standing to face her. "I never intended to tell you this, nor do I expect anything of you. I loved you then, and I love you now. All these years, I did not marry because I loved you, and I could not even acknowledge this to myself till now, till I saw you again. All these years, I was thinking it was just work that prevented me from finding love, but I kept searching for you in every woman I met, and I was unable to find.  

  By now his chest was heaving and he noticed that they were alone on the margins of the lawn. Everyone had gathered near the stage for the final closing ceremony.

  "I… I am sorry, I shouldn't have said it, I am—" Srini said, realising his words.

  "I cannot do this Srini, I cannot," Ritu replied looking distressed. "What will people say… that too at this age?"

  "Really Ritu? What will people say? Are you doing this again to me? First your father and now… let it be, it's your choice. I did not intend to force anything upon you," Srini finally said, gathering himself. "It was nice meeting you, I wish you well." 

  The organisers were beginning to dismantle the stage. Everyone had gathered near the exit, their teeth clattering in the bitterly cold night, ready to leave. There were numerous hugs and number exchanges.

   "Srini, kahan tha yaar? Here's your memento, I took it on your behalf," Machhar said, holding Srini by the shoulder as he stood carrying his small luggage.

    "Nothing yaar, I was just—"

  "Hello…hello," a voice on the mike screeched, making everyone reel. "Hello, Srini, please don't go." 

    Srini immediately looked in the direction of the voice. The crowd parted away and he saw Ritu standing beside the dismantled stage with a mike in one hand and her daughter's hand in another.

  "I am sorry to hold all of you here in this cold, but I have something to say. This is something I should have said and done twenty years ago, but didn't. Srini, I feel sorry, for all years we were meant to be together, but were not. And this makes me realise that I do love you too. You were right, why should we worry about society, when it does not worry about us? Atleast, age has taught me this. And so Mr Srinivas Rao, would you accept Ritu and Sophia Srivastav as your life partners?

    As Srini ran towards Ritu, his heart was beating wildly and he embraced her. They cried ceaselessly, and after what seemed an eternity Srini noticed that all the people were clapping wildly. Machhar and Lambu came up with wide smiles. Srini picked up Sophia in his arms and gently patted her, while holding Ritu's hand to never let it go.