Crossing the Mirage:Passing Through Youth

“Glad it's some concession after all the negation,”

“But as luck would've it,” continued Sathya with a sense of delusion that Chandra could discern in his demeanor, “sometime back my work kept me at a remote project for four months at a stretch. Such was my passion for her, or whatever feeling I can't really make out what it is, that I used to go to the nearest town, fifty km away, to post my letters. Believe me, four times a week at that! Oh, how I wanted them to reach her early as if her life depended on them, even as her letters conveyed warmth that sustained my hopes. Once

she cited the famous "success quote‟ attributed to Ralf Waldo Emerson and added that she believed every word of it is true in my case. It was shortly thereafter that she wanted me to meet her at Coimbatore. Sensing the import, I rushed there in anticipation.”

“What a turn!”

“Coming straight away to the point, she said, she had made up her mind to marry me,” said Sathya seemingly in single breath, “But, she insisted that I must know about her past before I decided about our future. When I said her past wouldn't in any way matter to our future, she said that I should be privy to it all.”

“In a way,” said Chandra growing suspicious all the while, “won't that explain her past behavior?”

“Unfortunately that's true,” sighed Sathya and continued. “See how her story makes its own revelations. That 'uncle' was neither her uncle nor their love any platonic. Her father's insensitivity made her his kept woman and everyone in the family was in the know of it. He was rich and resourceful, and was the scion of a well-known family in Madras, though of a lower caste. Wanting to ensure a secure future and a proper position for herself, she began pestering him to make her his second wife. But being averse to its fallout on his family life, or whatever, as he prevaricated at every turn, at the pain of leaving him, she made him promise to marry her. And soon, sensing that he was only buying time and had no intent to keep his word, she felt miserable and was at loss as to what to do. It was then that I happened to come into her life.”

“Oh God, what life can be up to really.”

“That's life merciless!” said Sathya animatedly. “Obviously, testing the waters and seeing my sincerity, she came to see me as a viable second to her evasive best. But as matters came to a head, when transferred to Madras, he wanted her to follow him in status quo. While refusing to join him as mistress, she reminded him about her resolve to leave him if he were to dodge the issue any longer. After inducing me to leave Cal, she told him if he wouldn't marry her in six months, she would walk out on him. When she was convinced that he wouldn't oblige her, and being certain that I wouldn't ditch her, she opted to marry me. And to be fair to her, she said that it's up to me to decide, and she won't take my "no‟ as a breach of trust.”