"Hey! Are you alright?", asked a meek and hesitant male voice. Nisha stood erect as the driver opened the door and stepped out of his car. Her black pupils dilated at professor Alok nearing her. His light brown eyes too smiled while she recalled the scene of them standing beside the bakery outside their college; 'Kanpur Technological University' was written in bold on a board above the black gate. It was noon on the first Wednesday of January 1994. Students were leaving home after their last exam of the semester. Their college stood in the mid-way of the service road flooded with mostly the local buses of Kanpur; only a car or two could be spotted here and there, back in the 90s.
At the present moment, Alok blushed a bit at her, recollecting her, in a full-sleeved blue Kurti on saffron legging pants, proposing to him that noon, "And that's when I realized that I love you, Alok. I love you very much."Those words echoed in his heart.
Meanwhile, tears flooded Nisha's eyes, as she remembered his response, "I'm sorry. I don't feel the same way. Actually, I am not interested in all these things", after an entire minute of silence. The worst part was that they couldn't notice each other's facial expressions for they wore face masks during the week due to some common flu spreading in Kanpur.
On the other hand, Sandhya and Usha came outside the temple. They stood numb at the drama happening outside. Usha's eyes suddenly went over Alok smiling at Nisha beside his car a few feet away. She swallowed her tears as she recollected feeding him her own hand-made delicious chole batoore on his 20th birthday." Alok is no longer my son. According to me, he is dead", declared a stubborn elderly male voice within her. She wiped her tears and ran away secretly even without uttering a word to Sandhya who was then busy recalling her daughter in a long pink skirt and a dark red top inserted hugging her pillow and sobbing on the bed, screaming, "Alok, I need you"
"Nisha Verma?", asked he, and "Alok Sharma?", asked she, in chorus. They nodded and smiled at each other. He took out his white handkerchief from his pants pocket and wiped her tears like a gentleman."Aww!Thanks!", she thanked, blushing and taking the handkerchief in her hand.
"Long time!", exclaimed he, as she nodded and estimated, "Around twenty-five years!"He shook his head, correcting, "Sexy! Nisha medam, it has been twenty-eight years."They chuckled as she hit his shoulder gently, complimenting, "You are still the same. Sexy! Keep it up!" and they chuckled again.
"Hello! Excuse me! Continue your reunion sentiments later. Nisha, what's your plan? Will you allow the project to me or shall I die right away?", interrupted Aashitha. Alok shrugged at the knife in Aashitha's hands and raised his eyebrows at Nisha. He nodded at Aashitha, folding his hands and declaring, "Sexy! Come on do it. Cut your hand. We don't care."
Nisha shook her head and denied, "No."She turned at Alok and whispered, "Stop it,saar. What are you doing?"He nodded and consoled her, "I am doing what is right for the situation. This is the only solution. Wait and watch!"
"Oh! That's not right. It was rude", commented Nisha. As she stepped forward to near Aashitha, Alok caught her hand. His touch made her stand like a statue."Carry on!", announced Alok, pointing at Aashitha. The commuters who had been watching them were busy capturing videos and wondering curiously what would happen next. Aashitha dropped the knife, got back on her scooty, and left. Nisha bulged her eyes at the scooty showing its back and racing out of the street. She turned back and smiled at Alok who chuckled, in return.
A while later, Alok, leaning back on the couch, picked a magazine on the teapoy. He chuckled as he flipped the smooth sheets."Don't worry, you won't understand a single word in it although it's English", said Nisha, walking towards the hall with a tray. She placed it on the teapoy and offered him a glass of lime juice. She grabbed another and sat beside him, smiling and sharing, "It's not a mere magazine,saar. It is my mother's favorite Turkish Journal of Pathology which she loves reading almost every hour! You will only find such medical journals in our house.No newspapers, no novels, and no comics!"
They chuckled and began sipping the juice."But, I appreciate your mom's commitment,medam. Don't pull her legs. Moms are the sweetest creature on Earth. When they don't stay with you, you will miss them more than how much you will miss your motherland while living abroad."She smiled and nodded, assuring, "Ok,saar. I will never scold my mom."They nodded and completed the juice.
"Alok sir! Have dinner too!", offered young Alok, bringing another tray with two bowls of yummy noodles in it. Sandhya followed her, eating a bar of dark chocolate. Nisha got up and frowned at her mother, asking, "Mom! You are not supposed to eat chocolates. Don't you remember the doctor's words? Why are you not cooperating?"
Professor Alok grabbed his noodles as his student sat on the single sofa beside him." I know, Nishoo. Doctor didn't deny me to quit chocolate completely though!", argued Sandhya, making a cute sad face and sitting on the couch opposite to Nisha and Alok's."Your friend is being strict like my mother nowadays. Advise her, Alok. Please!", requested Sandhya as Nisha stood back and began eating her supper.
Her friend smiled and nodded, as young Alok enquired, "So, you are the Alok Sharma? Sir, mom was talking about you a few days back."
"What!", exclaimed the professor, smiling at Nisha who gestured for her son to stay quiet. Sandhya managed, "Alok beta!" at which both the Aloks turned at her." No, I meant Alok Sharma beta" at which everyone laughed. She continued, "Nishoo felt that there is a lot of resemblance between her son and you that's it. Nothing else!"
"Yeah. That's true! We realized it when we met in college. It's such a coincidence! I will look more or less like my professor when I grow up!", added the young Alok. His professor nodded, joining, "Yes, son. I was just like you back during my college days. Now, I believe in the concept of look-alikes after meeting you."
"Son?", interrupted Nisha, at which Dr.Alok justified, "Yes,medam.My friend's son is like my son. Isn't it?"Nisha, shrinking her eyes, nodded at him, "Oh! I see,saar."
"How is Payal?", enquired Nisha at which Alok went blank. She shook him, asking if he was fine. He nodded and curiously questioned her, "How do you know that I loved her?..."
She smiled, intervening, "Payal and I were close friends back then. She told me..."She turned away from him to push her tears back into her eyes.
"How did you digest the fact then? I mean I can imagine...I am sorry about it but it just happened...", dragged the anxious Dr.Alok.She turned back and faked a smile." No, not at all. It's all over now. Come on,saar. I feel happy about your relationship. I wanted to talk to you but you only avoided me after everything that happened among us.", conveyed she.
Alok gestured at his granny as she too smiled and winked back at him." And we meet now after twenty-eight years!", sighed Dr.Alok, at which Nisha nodded and asked him to forget the bitter pasts." Let's remember only the good times. Forget the last semester of our college", said she, at which they nodded and sighed again.
"Oh yes! Payal and I got married...", began Dr.Alok.
"Oh wow, sir! Love marriage!", cheered young Alok at which Sandhya too clapped. Nisha placed her finger on her lips and signaled them to stay quiet. However, Sandhya ignored her and continued, "Acha, beta. How many children now?"
"Mom!Stop!", screamed Nisha, concealing her tears. Her mom caught her ears like a cute girl and apologized. Dr.Alok consoled Nisha that he had no problem sharing and replied, "Yes, aunty. One son..."He checked out Alok, comparing, "Of Alok's age now."The others nodded while the sad Nisha recalled a fair and chubby girl in a pink frock standing with her in the corridor, sharing with her, "Yes, bro. That guy is Alok-the guy whom I have been loving for a year, the guy who proposed to me, the guy who just can't live without me. It is your Alok Sharma whom you love to the fullest. I, Payal Gupta, am Alok Sharma's only girlfriend."
"Nishoo!", called out Sandhya, shaking her daughter back to reality. Nisha nodded, as her mother asked, "Nishoo, where did you get lost all of a sudden? Dr.Alok is asking you something. Respond!"She turned to her friend who smiled, waving at Sandhya and telling, "It is okay, aunty. Maybe Nisha isn't comfortable with my question..."
"No! I was thinking about my work suddenly.Ask me anything,Alok saar.I don't mind", admitted Nisha.
"Is Alok your only son?", asked he, looking around the house and observing their family photo in which Sandhya and Nisha stood on a couch with Alok standing behind them and grinning, "I can't find any other photo around."Nisha nodded and he continued, "Oh nois(nice)! Where is your husband and what's he doing?"
Nisha looked with tears at her mother who shook her head and whispered her apology. She turned back at her friend and concluded, sighing in a go," Mr.Dhushyanth Saxena. He was also a software engineer like me. He is no more. He died in the Malaysian air crash in 2014."Her son shrugged at her who shut her eyes and signed him to ignore. However, he stood up, exclaiming, "What! Who is Dhushyanth? When did this happen? Mamma!"
Dr.Alok shrugged at Alok's blank and puzzled eyes. He asked Nisha, "What's your son doing? Why is he acting as if he doesn't know his father?"Nisha's eyeballs rolled from left to right over and over restlessly. Sandhya wept aloud.
"What happened, aunty?", asked Dr.Alok, patting her. She narrated, "Beta, Alok is quite sensitive. He went into depression after his dad passed away. He has recovered after a long struggle. That's why we never talked about his father since then. But, you asked him now and..."
"Impossible!Naani, mamma, what's happening? When did my dad die? Did I have a father in the first place? I never met him...Where is he, mamma?", enquired the confused Alok. The professor pitied him and commented to Nisha, "I am sorry to hear about this."He massaged Alok's head, showing his empathy," Sorry about it, Alok. I too won't talk about it again."
"It's alright, Alok. You hardly knew about my son's attachment with his loving dad", added Nisha. Sandhya smiled and winked at her secretly. She escorted her grandson inside the bedroom beside and locked the door. The three sat back on the couch.
"So, how is your son? What's he studying?", enquired Nisha.
"We lost him in the mela", shared Dr.Alok, sighing with tears." I am sorry to have been lying to you about Payal and Ayush", thought Dr.Alok, his mind filled with guilt.
"My conversation has been more of lies. How can I marry someone else when I love you, Alok? I adopted a boy at an orphanage in Pune and named him with your name-Alok. I, as an unmarried woman, raised him like a single mother.", thought Nisha.
"Oh! That's sad,saar. I wish you find him soon", said Nisha. Alok thanked her and the conversation shifted to the company where she worked and why he shifted to college from corporate and so on.
Sandhya yawned and slowly sneaked inside Alok's room. He was restlessly walking from his study table to the door, rubbing his hands once every minute." Naani! What were you telling there? Why did you hide such a sensitive matter from me all these years?", interrogated Alok curiously.
"Dumbo!Dumbo!", screwed Sandhya, hitting Alok." How are you the topper of your class?", asked she. Alok explained, "Come on, granny. Don't you know how much I burn the midnight lamps and study and keep revising during the study holidays..."
His granny slammed her forehead, exclaiming, "Hai Ram! Thanks for the good grandson you gifted me."She whispered, "Beta, it has always been Nishoo, your mother, and I, your granny who has been your universe ever since we adopted you from Pune. Where will Dhushyanth come into the scene? Got it now?"
Alok smiled, as he realized slowly and nodded, concluding, "Acha. So, you guys cooked up a story to answer Alok sir?"She nodded, justifying, "How can we tell your professor that you have been adopted? We fear it may affect your marks and interactions with him and the others at the university. Let the secret live only within us, the three Vermas."
"Mom!Alok! Dr.Alok is leaving!", they heard Nisha's voice and rushed outside the room.
"How are you now?", asked the concerned lecturer. Alok nodded and smiled."Bring Payal someday for lunch, beta", invited Sandhya. Dr.Alok stood silently for a moment and then nodded. Nisha too invited his family for lunch sometime."Tell us at least a day before but you must come saar.", added she.
He waved at them and headed towards the lifts as Nisha escorted him. One of the lifts opened. A ferocious German shepherd pet barked at them.
"Saar!", exclaimed Nisha, hiding behind Alok and pressing his shoulders hard. She rested her head on his neck and closed her eyes. Her heart began throbbing at the way it tried to escape from its master's belt around its neck. The mistress brought his dog outside and they began heading towards the last house in the corridor.
"Control your dog. Why do you require such a ferocious dog in an apartment? You already have the guards to protect you. It's so unsafe for the others like us. Will you pay the compensation if it harms us?", yelled the frustrated Dr.Alok.However, the carefree lady ignored them. At last, she replied from her house, "You must be careful. Not us!" and banged the door.
Alok felt Nisha's hands shivering on his shoulders. He turned around to face her. She swallowed her fear as her hands began getting goosebumps. She wasn't even looking at him; she breathed hard, looking at the floor. He wrapped his arms around her curvy waist and hugged her so that she couldn't move; they stood closer than ever before. He massaged her back, convincing them, "It's gone. It's all fine. Chill"
