No matter where you are in your life, you may regret choosing the wrong love.
You may repent of some bitter deeds you committed in the past.
What is it like if life luckily gave us a second chance? Can those issues be resolved at least then for a better life?
For instance, what about love in middle age?!?!
Buses, autos, cars, trucks, and bikes were horned restlessly as they were paused like statues in the middle of the Vikas Marg road. Smoke exhausts along with other common chemicals outside yellowed the darkening evening sky. Nisha sat back and sighed in her car, at the red traffic light glowing a little far from her. She wore a brown formal shirt upon grey jeans. A blue tag saying 'George Healthcare' in bold white hung from top to bottom on it, hung down her neck. As she patted the steering and waited for the three-minute traffic timer to end, she heard someone knock on her window's glass.
"Payal!Payal!(Anklet) Would you like to buy one, ma'am?", asked the vendor boy of around twelve having a clean-shaven face except for a small strand of a mustache. Nisha frowned at the silver beads of the anklet he oscillated in front of her eyes. The vendor tilted his wooden basket to display different patterns of beads-some were circular, some were squares and the others were either of the two shapes decorated with yellow, red, or pink stones.
The scene of a fair chubby girl of around twenty-two, standing with her younger self, in the corridor whose juxtaposed wall had the banner of 'Kanpur Technological University' written in dark yellow and the college's mission and vision all on a black background, flashed in her mind, as she banged her head behind on her seat. "I too will accompany and stand beside when you go to propose Alok. Even if I felt like laughing, I wouldn't", assured Payal, in her sweet voice, smiling and patting Nisha.
The next moment, Payal's wicked laughter struck Nisha's mind along with her selfish intentions revealed on the following day in the past: "I wanted to test if Alok truly loved me or would he cheat if another girl confessed? So, basically, I befriended you, became your bestie, got closer to you, learned whom you loved one-sidedly, and thus decided to use you as my pawn. Hahaha! How innocent of you! In fact, I already knew that you liked Alok."
Presently, Nisha closed her fist and breathed hard, recollecting how Payal had then pulled her cheeks and concluded, "You better burn yourself with kerosene and die. Alok will never stop ignoring you." She looked outside to see that the anklet vendor had moved in front. She got down from her car and rushed to buy an anklet.
As she made her way through her fellow vehicles, she recollected slapping Payal and locking her up in the electrical lab. The frustrated Nisha whose delicate, genuine, and costly emotions of love were taken for granted by her cunning bestie, threw the shelves open and surfed for a nine-volt alkaline battery. She found one from a bottom rack and placed it on the black slab supporting to perform experiments.
"What are you doing, bro? Hey! Have you gone mad? Hahaha! Looks like you were really very shocked at my revelation that Alok has been loving me sincerely for a year. Wow! Just look at you, love is so much fun and full of drama. Haha!", mocked Payal, resting with her arms on the floor. The empty lab was in a corner of the campus. It was a little dark with two glass windows that allowed a handful of sunlight to enter. Lights and fans too were all turned off and the doors were all closed.
While the clueless and wicked Payal continued mocking Nisha's deep feelings for Alok, which went in vain, Nisha was engrossed connecting the battery to the multimeter. She smiled to herself, holding the free ends of the red and black wires in her hands. The other ends were connected to the multimeter.
"Bro, study for a hundred percent that's okay. Why do you study to score two hundred out of a hundred? There is only a maximum of hundred marks. See how you have got dark circles under your eyes. Why do you think Alok will ever accept a girl like you? Anyways, what do you wanna talk to me about? Tell soon...", Payal went on. Nisha placed the wires on her own tongue for a second or two to feel the tingling. She then turned back at Payal. She breathed hard and walked slowly towards her. She forced her to stand up and dragged her to the workbench. At last, she placed the wires on her tongue forcibly.
Payal screamed while Nisha tilted her head and smiled as the reading grew unit by unit and reached up to seven milliamperes on the multimeter. Her tongue trembled with electrons flowing continuously through it. Tears rolled down Payal's cheeks as she tried to scream for help with a vague voice. She shrank her eyes at Nisha, begging her pardon to leave her. "It's alright, Payal darling. When you can hurt my heart-a big organ, your little tongue can suffer some pain", commented Nisha, frowning and breathing hard at her. Nisha leaned forward and shouted in Payal's ears, "It's after all an electric shock and not the shock of your life. Suffer! Suffer! Suffer, you donkey."
Presently, Nisha, in a kaki uniform and gloves, placed the anklet on a milling cutter's stand. The workers of the roadside workshop were stunned to see a middle-aged lady suddenly walking into their shop and trying to use a machine all alone. They neared to stop her but she pushed them and shouted, "Stay away and be quiet" as she threw a tray. They stood helplessly and chose to become silent spectators.
The beads of the anklet tore and split apart in different directions as she turned so that its edges faced the miller's teeth. She turned it slowly exposing every joint to the tiny milling cutter. She smiled at the beads lying all around on the floor and sighed. She bent and picked one of them. She walked to the drilling machine and pointed it on the little bead to drill a minute hole. "I hate you, Payal. You too will be shattered like the bead someday. If not, I will shatter you", thought Nisha, smiling and removing her gloves, as she walked out.
As Aashitha turned the papers of her file and walked down the office corridor, she happened to pass through Nisha's cabin. She found it empty that morning. She opened the door and looked around to see none and hear none except for the utter silence. "Where is Nisha? She couldn't have taken a leave today for it's her client meeting...", thought Aashitha, rolling her eyes hither and thither on the glass shelves opposite Nisha's table.
"Anyways, she isn't here and I must utilize the opportunity to prove that she has some psychiatric issues", decided Ashitha, gnashing her teeth, recollecting how her boss had made her drink the saline coffee forcefully and also emptied the only water bottle purposely. "I must kick her out at least for her ill-treatment because she is not only inhumanly but also abnormal", concluded she.
Her eyes suddenly went to the drawer of the table. While she tried to open it, a green light glowed from the small LCD screen fixed to the desk. "No match", it announced, in black block digital font. She raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "So, there is definitely something useful here", she observed.
One night, as the crescent moon smiled at Ishitha's flat, someone with long nails painted in light pink rang her doorbell. "Hi, Nishoo!Looking twenty years younger!", Ishitha greeted, opening the door and hugging her best friend. Nisha wore a black frock with glitters all over it. She had also straightened her long black hair and had left it loosely on the back. Her neatly waxed legs shined like a precious gem on the peacock throne. She looked very pretty and chic; hardly middle-aged.
"Sexy!", exclaimed Alok saar, as Nisha walked towards the dining table. She hid behind Ishitha, closing her eyes and blushing as Dr.Alok's eyes were on her heavy breasts and curvy body. He blushed, complimenting, "Nisha medam, you look different tonight. What's the matter? Did you go to the spa for me?.."
Ishitha shook her head at Alok and whispered, "Stop overreacting. Control your love, my friend!" Alok shrugged asking if complimenting a beautiful lady was wrong. Ishitha pulled his ear, correcting, "But you went a little too far." Alok looked away and sighed. "Fuck!", he grumbled. "Ishi, why did you invite him here? It's only our chatting and dining time. It has always been only the two of us gossipping over everything in the world. Why him tonight? A third person in our kitty party?", Nisha raised her voice.
"Dude, he lives alone. He said that he was bored at home...", Ishitha tried to manage.
"No", denied Nisha, interrupting her, "He isn't lonely. Why can't he dine with his beloved wife Payal?"
Ishitha spoke out, "Payal isn't there at all, dude! Please!"
He intervened and reasoned, "No, she has gone out of the station."
While Nisha sighed and nodded, raising her eyebrows, narrowing her rosy lips painted in dark red, and pulling her right index finger with her left index finger and left thumb, Alok bowed at her. He pointed his right hand at the dining table having six chairs around it. He invited her, "Nisha medam, come and sit. Let's start dining." He also pulled out a chair for her.
Ishitha smiled at Nisha who shrank her eyes, replying, "You are a guest too!"
With the yellow flame burning high from the candles on the bow-shaped stand in the center of the table, Ishitha served a bowl of chicken soup to Alok and Nisha sitting opposite her. As the three began sipping, Ishitha stared at Alok who shrugged at which she opened her mouth and uttered, "Propose her", in mute. Alok blushed and winked at her. He turned to see Nisha busily hogging the spaghetti on her plate.
Alok rotated his finger at which Ishitha pointed her fork and pressed her lips together. She moved her eyes from Alok to Nisha and vice-versa. "Tell her at once. I arranged for the dinner and planned only to help you. Why did I have to get screwed by inviting you despite knowing that she isn't in terms with you? Come on, do it, Dr.Alok", she thought.
"Ouch!", squealed Nisha, breathing hard and throwing her mouth open. Alok massaged her back while Ishitha observed the half-bitten red chili on Nisha's plate. "You should have been careful, dude", advised her, filling a glass of water.
Before she could offer her glass, Alok fed Nisha a small bowl of gulab jamoon dipping it in its yummy floody syrup. He continued feeding her and she continued relishing the sweet. Ishitha replaced the glass of water on the table, smiled to herself, and continued eating. As Alok tore the smallest bits of gulab jamoon to feed Nisha, they were lost in each other's eyes. He blushed as she ate like an innocent and obedient girl of six.
"Alok saar, do your eyes turn light brown whenever you are in love?", wondered she, as her dark black pupils dilated along. Just as he brought the next spoon closer, she caught his hand. He stopped, shrugging at her while she directed the spoon inside her mouth, and smiled, chewing along. Alok blushed while she left his hand and thanked him.
"Nishoo, Dr.Alok wants to tell you something", revealed Ishitha, wiping her hands with tissues. Nisha began sipping a glass of mango juice as she crossed her legs and blushed at Alok whose eyes went hither and thither. "What is it, saar? You can tell me", assured Nisha. Alok began sweating as he felt his heart instead of the plate in his hands.
"Medam is fine this moment but the next moment she may crack her throat at me. Is this indeed the right time to confess?", doubted Alok, recollecting Nisha's muddy face warning him not to meet her again when she had confessed her love. He turned slowly to his left. His breath stopped at the giant whale dining beside!
What is Nisha hiding? Will Dr.Alok overcome his nervousness to win Nisha's love?
Dear readers,
Thank you for following my series and reading the episode. Rate it and write your review, give it a heart and share it in your circle whenever you are free. Your voice matters a lot to me.
