Free Love Is Blind by Kimaya Mathew Page B

Nainital district was
Ruhi’s family-friend. Ruhi and his son, someone named Suraj, are
childhood buddies, as she told me. Some years ago, this boy named
Suraj fell in love with one of his college friend, Kiran. Both of
them were known to be the most happening and a glorious couple of
the college. Their relationship went on for two successful years,
but as they say that sometimes too much of happiness also, cannot
be taken in by the lord almighty. As fate may have it, just before
the day when the two people were about to get bonded in the eternal
knot of marriage, Kiran’s car went colliding with a loading truck,
thereby resulting in her death! Everyone went in a shock, but
wounded one was Suraj! He was completely, shattered by the whole
incident. “He went in the state of comatose, for two months. He had
lost every hope of living. Nobody, not even his own dad, could
re-kindle the fire back in his soul. Losing his first love was too
hard for him to take in. “Especially, when like me, he too had lost
his mother before he had even said the word ‘mom’” she said, and I
could feel her weeping for the boy. Of course, I thought, this
explains everything. Losing his lady-love must have instigated the
boy to take the terrible step of ending his own life. I still was
reeling in my own thoughts when Ruhi spoke again,
    “ But you know, what the worst thing is? Suraj still thinks that
Kiran is alive, as in, physically alive and not just in his heart.”
“What!” I nearly shouted. Ok, that was kind of freaky. I mean kind
of psychic person! I shivered, from tip to toe. “He is still in
that trance state, you know. Not able to digest the news of the
crash, so easily.” “It will take time,” I said, “It’s
Ok.”
    *************************************************
    Till the time, Ruhi met with her friend, I passed my time by
sitting outside of the room and thinking on various matters, all of
them which centred on mysterious phone call I had got last night,
from the anonymous caller who called himself Bobby. It was
something in that voice of the person but what exactly; I could not
keep my finger on it. “Hello,” a whispery voice intruded on my
train of thoughts. “Who is this?” I asked, as I searched for the
speaker by spreading my hands. “Sorry, are you Ruhi’s friend?
Sonam?” “Yes,” I said but kept on searching with my hand. An old
wrinkled hand curled up around mine and I heard the tone
again,
    “ I am Vishwanath Makhija, Suraj’s father, the person who is…”
“Lying inside the ICU?” I smiled, and said, “It’s alright uncle.
Ruhi told me everything about him, His love, Kiran…” I went silent.
Shit, I should not have said anything! “It’s Ok, kid.” He said, “I
know about both of them. I think Ruhi told you about it.” “Yes,” I
bit down on my lower lip. God, I looked so dumb right
now.
    “ So,” he spoke again, “You are blind, ha?” “Unfortunately,
Yes.” I said, with no sadness in my voice. Somehow blindness felt
like a boon to me rather than being a curse. I think many people
will call this a silly notion on my part but, I believe, that it
had helped me in being safe from all the vices and the sins of the
world. I could not see which had helped in making my other senses
extra attentive to my surrounding activities. As I delved in these
thoughts of mine, the old man continued, “Suraj is my only child,
Sonam. I tried to be his mother and father both, from his childhood
but, now it seems, as if I have failed on both accounts. When
Sumitra, his mother passed away, it appeared as if every kind of
happiness had left our household.
    Kiran entered Suraj’s life, lightening it in the ways I had
never thought. She was his morning sun, the bright sunshine in my
poor boy’s life. Now, when she too, has left him, he is doomed,
literally.” “How many years passed since the accident took place?”
I didn’t want to ask this question but, the man was so open,I could
not resist