A Second Chance (Short Story)
Hari was the first person I met when I started my college life as a nervous seventeen year old boy in a strange city. He was one year senior to me and we shared a room in the college hostel till he finished his degree and got a job in bank in another town. I missed him terribly as I started my final year without him , but eventually got used to it. In the years that followed , I completed my degree in Chemistry, went on to do my post graduate degree and managed to get a junior lecturer's job in a private college.
Though I tried to keep in touch with Hari after he left , correspondence was not one of his strong points and by the time I finished my degree I had no idea where he was posted or how to contact him. So it came as a great surprise when I bumped into him four years later in the corridor of the college where I was working, on the first day of a new academic year.
"Ramesh, what a surprise," he exclaimed.
I was so excited to see him, I hardly noticed the young saree clad girl with him till he introduced us.
"This is my sister Rohini," he said. "She is starting her degree program in English Literature. I am here to settle her in."
"Welcome to the college, Rohini," I told her. "You are going to like it here".
There was no answering smile. Rohini just looked at me and nodded her head. That was when I noticed those eyes. They seemed infinitelty sad and there was no sign of the excitement you would expect to see in a girl about to start college. I found it strange, but dismissed it as home-sickness.
Later that morning, Rohini went to attend her orientation session while Hari and I spent time in the canteen catching up on the last four years. it was then that he gave me the background on Rohini. She had got married a year back, at the age of eighteen. Her husband left for his job in the Middle East soon after the wedding and Rohini was just about to join him after getting her visa papers when they got the news that he was killed in an industrial accident. It took the young girl many months to recover from the shock and now her brother was determined to make sure that she continued her studies and became self-sufficient. A wave of sympathy washed over me for that beautiful girl with sad eyes.
Hari said that he was relieved to have me in the same college to keep an eye on his sister. I assured him that I would take care of Rohini and he had no reason to worry. I spent the rest of the day with Hari and his sister till Hari left by the late train after dropping Rohini off at the college hostel.
The next evening I was at Rohini's hostel to see how she was doing. We sat in the visitor's hall and talked, with me doing most of the the talking. I felt her warming up to me gradually till a couple of girls came over and said "Good evening, Sir' while throwing curious glances at the two of us. After that, Rohini looked ill at ease. She refused my invitation to go for a walk outside. I continued to regularly visit her at the hostel in spite of sensing that she was reserved and not very comfortable. For some reason, I just could not stay away from her. I told myself that I owed it to my friend to take care of his little sister. That was what I believed and I think I told her as much one day. That day, when we were saying good bye, she clearly told me that she did not want me to visit her any more.
"I am settled now. I don't need any looking after. If I need anything I will call you. You don't have to bother yourself by coming here." She told me in a firm tone.
" I know you are doing fine. But can't I visit you as a friend?" I asked her.
"You are a teacher here and I am a student. I just don't feel comfortable with you coming over to see me. I don't like giving reason for the girls to gossip," she replied.
I felt as if I was punched in the stomach. I was a blow to my ego and I decided that I wouldn't contact her till she made the next move, but that move never came. During the days that followed, I found that I just could not get Rohini out of my mind. I was tempted to visit her many times, but my pride kept me from doing that. Soon after, I got an offer of a research position in America and that provided the much needed distraction. The chance to go to USA was my dream and there was much to be done in preparation. When the time came for me to leave, I felt that I was not ready to let go of Rohini. I just had to take another chance with her. I went to the hostel to meet her, but found that she had gone home for study holidays before the exams.
I was disappointed I could not see her one last time. Then I decided to take one desperate chance. I sent a letter to Hari indicating my interest in asking for her hand in marriage before I left India. He wrote back promptly saying that his family was honoured by the proposal and would have loved to proceed with it, but when they discussed it with Rohini, she firmly declined saying that she was not ready.
I was heart-broken and blamed myself for scaring her away with my over eagerness. I decided to forget about the whole episode which was not all that hard when we lived continents apart. I immersed myself in work and was justly rewarded down the line with a Ph.D and a tenured faculty position and many publications to my credit. The memory of Rohini ceased to haunt me and I even dated a few women in the years that followed, but never felt inclined to go further than casual friendship.
Life moves at a fast pace in the west and before I realized I was comfortable living on my own with no desire to change my bachelor status. Then after fifteen years I got a chance to come back to my old university to discuss a research grant. It felt good to see the old, familiar streets and buildings and I felt as if I was travelling back in time. This town had a a quality that made it seem like time has stood still. When I passed the women's hostel building, I remembered Rohini and the episode of the royal ditch which brought a smile to my lips. I wondered where she was and what she looked like now. I was sure she was a housewife now, enjoying the bliss of motherhood and domesticity. I suddenly wished I could meet Hari once again, but had no idea where he was. After the episode of my proposal and Rohini's refusal, we both were too embarrassed to keep in touch.
The evening before I was to fly out, I was coming down the steps of the main building with the vice-principal Dr. Tiwari when I saw her coming up towards us. Even after all these years I would have recognized her anywhere. She was clad in a cotton sari and her enigmatic eyes caught and held my gaze. Before either of us could react, Dr. Tiwari wished her warmly and introduced her to me.
"Meet Dr. Rohini Nair," he said. "She is the head of our English department.
"Rohini, meet Dr. Ramesh Kumar, visiting professor from USA".
"Hello Ramesh," she said softly. "I did not recognize you. It has been a long time."
Dr. Tiwari looked at the two of us and laughingly excused himself saying that he would leave us to catch up on our lives as it was obvious we were old friends.
"Where is Hari now?" I asked Rohini. She told me that Hari had migrated to Australia with his family several years back and now her parents had joined him there too.
"And you," I asked.
"I became sort of a blacksheep in my family for preferring a career to re-marriage. They have finally given up on me," she said.
"Not that I was a great catch in the marriage market, being a widow," she went on.
"Hari still continues to remind me that I was foolish to refuse your offer." I detected a mischievious twinkle in her eyes. I had not seen this playful side of her personality before. She seemed to be much more confident and at peace with herself.
"Well, how do you respond to that?" I could not resist asking.
"It was nothing personal. It is just that the timing was wrong," she replied with a laugh. "May be if the offer had come a few years later....."
"Don't look so worried, I am just joking," she added. "Tell me about yourself. Is the American Dream all that it is made out to be?"
"Would you like to have a cup of tea while I sound you in on the vagaries of the West?" I asked her in a desperate attempt to buy time. She nodded and we started walking towards the canteen.
My brain was whirling. All the discipline and composure I had acquired over the last fifteen years were gone and I felt exactly as I did as a twenty four year old. I wanted to hold on to this girl and never let her go. As the rational part of my brain warned me not to blow it again, the irrational part of my personality was taking over and I felt helpless.
"Is fifteen years long enough? Do you think the time is right for me to repeat my offer?" I blurted out and closed my eyes tight as if bracing myself for the brick bat of rejection.
I faintly heard Rohini laugh. "You can't be serious," she said.
Then she looked at me and seemed to realize I was indeed serious. Her eyes turned pensive and she said softly.
Yes Ramesh, I would like to consider your offer, but we should first take some time to get to know each other better. It won't be wise to hurry into something like this."
An exquisite feeling of joy washed over me. The world looked brighter all of a sudden. I became aware of the students milling around us and felt the positive energy of their youth warming up my heart. Just then, as if in a trance, Rohini moved closer and gently placed her hand on mine, as if to seal our pact.
© Sue Menon., all rights reserved.
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