She loved him, he loved her & they lived happily ever after – Part 2

 

Narrated earlier…

I was narrating the interesting two decade old love story of Pramod and Susan to our friends.

 Pramod was studying in an engineering college.

He had a huge crush on Vandana but his love was rejected by her as she had no intent of falling in love with anyone. Education was of high priority for her.

Susan, a very beautiful and balanced girl liked Pramod and told  me about her love for him.

Narration continues…

It was six in the evening. Pramod came to my room. I scanned him from top to bottom. I had never seen him looking so handsome. He had taken bath twice in the day for the first time and was dressed neatly. I looked at his slippers. They were torn at the back.

I told him “Wear my sandals. They are much better”. He thanked me and after wearing my sandals walked away.

In about half an hour’s time Pramod and Susan were walking together in the extension area where not many people were around.

“So, Vandana is more beautiful compared to me?” Susan asked.

Pramod replied “Please Sussie do not embarrass me further. It was infatuation. I have immense respect for her after this. I want her to concentrate on studies and wish her a very good future”

Susan remarked “Hey Pramod, hold on. We are not here to fall in love and neglect studies. You know very well that I am second in my class.”

Pramod laughed and said “Please promise me not to talk about Vandana anymore. To tell you the truth I always liked you. I was hesitant as you come from a very rich family”.

It was getting darker. Susan started walking closer to Pramod and held his hand. It was like a jolt for Pramod. He had never held the hands of a girl. He held her hand tight. They walked further on the road and she placed her head on his shoulder. Pramod was in seventh heaven.  He stopped and with tears in his eyes said “Sussie, promise me that you will never ever leave me.”

Susan looked into his eyes and said “I shall never ever leave you. My upbringing has been very good. We value human relations very much. I like you not for your looks. I like you as you are very true at heart. In fact I see a child in you which appeals to me. Promise me that you will never leave me even if it comes to opposing your community people”

Pramod held her hands very tightly and replied “I will tell my mother about this during my next visit to Dharwad. I do not have the guts to tell my father. I know my mother will accept this unconditionally. She is an angel. She will in turn convince my father. You will know in days to come that once I commit myself I will not go back. I am soft at heart and will never ever ditch anybody”

Susan had tears in her eyes and said “ I know that you are like this. Please study well and get a good job. You should take care of your family. I anyway am doing well in my studies. We shall take up with our families a year after completion of our course”

The next few days were very exciting in their lives. Every day evening Pramod used to go to the ladies hostel and go out for a walk with Susan. They would stop at eateries and have the street food.

Soon they became the talk of the college. It was obvious as Susan was the most beautiful girl around and Pramod was quiet popular.

I was observing them daily and praying that nothing wrong should happen in the cute love story.

That day in the afternoon Pramod came running to me and said “Did you see the wall of the college?”

“No but what happened?”

“Come with me and see it with your own eyes”

He dragged me to the wall and I saw what was written there.

Someone had written “Pramod Dsouza + Susan Kulkarni” on the wall.

I told him “Take it easy buddy. It was bound to happen. Everyone knows about you guys. Someone has played a dirty trick on you”

“I am worried about Susan”

“Do not worry about her. I know she is a very bold girl. She will face it well”

Daniel  was a far relative of Susan and was her classmate. He also had a secret crush on her. He was not happy with the developments. One day in the college canteen I overheard him talking ill of Pramod. I intervened and warned him to keep away from Pramod and Susan.

That night at around 2 AM there was a knock on my door. I opened it. It was Daniel. I was surprised.

 I asked him “What now?”

He told me “Jaggu bhai wants to meet you and Pramod”

“We shall meet him in the morning. But why now?”

“If you do not come he will come to the hostel and beat you guys”

In about twenty minutes time me, Pramod and Daniel were in Jaggu’s room. He was a senior student whom we used to call as founder member as we had lost count of the number of years he had spent in the college.

He was drunk. He looked at me and said “Hey you mediator. What do you think of yourself? You want to snatch the girl from Daniel”

He then looked at Pramod and said “You go and do pooja in the temple. You have come here to study and stop poking your dirty nose elsewhere. From tomorrow if we see you with Daniel’s girl, you had it”

I was sweating. I never had such experience before. I kept quiet.

Pramod could not. He said “What will you do? Who are you? I will meet Susan. She is my girl. I do not care who this Daniel is”

Jaggu became wild. He got up from his chair went straight to Pramod and slapped him hard. Pramod fell down. Tears came in his eyes. There were red finger marks on his white cheek.

 I looked at Jaggu with anger and shouted “Are you human?”

At this stage Jaggu’s friend got up and gestured me to go out. He lifted Pramod and escorted us to the door and told us to go away.

Next day Susan came to know about this. She went running to the Mechanical department. Shastri sir was taking Turbo Machinery class. She peeped in the window. She could see the red marks on Pramod’s face. She could not hold back. She started sobbing.

Shastri saw her. Susan noticed that Shastri Sir had observed her. She ran out of the department.

She went to the telephone booth in the college and called her brother Samuel. Samuel was a successful businessman in Mangalore. He would go to any extent to keep her happy. On hearing the story he promised her that he would reach her college in a day.

 

The next day we were sitting on the lawn near the college. Samuel was sitting with his friend Purshottam, a local thug. Daniel was standing in front of Samuel. He was shit scared. Samuel warned him pointing his fingers to him “Keep away from Susan. If I hear about you again your hands and legs would be broken .This is a promise made by Purshottam.”

Purshottam added “Samuel anna do not worry about the college thug Jaggu. He is a very small guy. Susan is my sister. I will ensure no one will trouble her henceforth”

I walked up to Samuel and said “Anna please understand that Susan and Pramod love each other very truly. They need your blessings”

Samuel gestured Susan to come closer to him. He hugged her and kissing on her forehead said “My angel sister whatever you do is OK with me. I shall talk to father at the right time”

I looked around. There was pin drop silence in Sujan Chandy’s house. Everyone was fully immersed in my Narration about the love story of Pramod and Susan.

I got up and said “The story ends there. You all know what happened later.”

Mini Mathew clapped. Everyone clapped. Mini had tears in her eyes and she went to Susan, hugged her and said something in Tulu language which we could not understand.

Ranjan spoke “I always had a doubt. I wanted to ask Pramod and Susan”

“Please ask us” Susan said.

Ranjan continued “Did Pramod covert to Christianity or Susan became a Hindu?”

I did not like his question.

Susan smiled. She walked towards  Pramod.

She held his hand and replied “We are Indians first and will remain Indians till we last. Religion is strictly a personal thing for us. Other things do not matter.”

Everyone including Ranjan got up and started clapping in appreciation.