2 States - The Story Of My Marriage | Page 7

guffawed. I ignored the comment and went into the booth. ‘Every girl wants an IIT brother, big help in quant subjects,’ the first student said as several people around them laughed. I controlled my urge to snap back at them and dialed home. ‘Hello?’ my father’s voice came after four rings. I kept silent. The meter started to click. ‘Hello? Hello?’ my father continued to speak. I kept the phone down. The printer churned out the bill. ‘Missed connection, you have to pay,’ the shopkeeper said. I nodded and dialed again. This time my mother picked up. ‘Mom,’ I screamed. ‘I told you to be near the phone after ten.’ ‘I’m sorry. I was in the kitchen. He wanted to talk to you, so he picked up. Say hello to him first and then ask him for me.’

‘I’m not interested.’ ‘OK, leave that. How are you doing? How is the place?’ ‘It’s fine. But they make you cram even more than in the previous college.’ ‘How is the food?’ ‘Terrible. I am in a hostel. What do you expect?’ ‘I’m going to send some pickle.’ ‘The city has good restaurants.’ ‘They have chicken?’ she asked, her voice worried as if she had asked about basic amenities like power and water. ‘In a few places.’ ‘FMS was good enough. I don’t know why you had to leave Delhi.’ ‘Mom, I am not going to make my career choices based on the availability of chicken,’ I said and looked at the meter. I had spent eighteen bucks. “I’ll hang up now.’ ‘Tell me something more no. did you make any friends?’ ‘Not really, sort of….’ I looked at Ananya’s face outside the booth. She looked at me and smiled. ‘Who? What’s their name?’ ‘An…Anant.’ ‘Punjabi?’ ‘Mom!’ ‘I’m sorry. I just thought you could have a friend who likes the same food. Its OK. We are very modern. Don’t you know?’ ‘Yeah right. I’ll catch you later. I have a test tomorrow.’ ‘Oh, really? Pray before the exam, OK?’ ‘Sure, let me finish studying first.’ I hung up and paid twenty-five bucks.

‘Why did you hang up the first time? Your dad picked, right?’ Ananya asked as we walked back. I stopped in my tracks. ‘How do you know?’ ‘I guessed. I do it with mom when I’m angry with her. We don’t hang up; we just stay on the line and keep silent.’ ‘And pay?’ ‘Yes. Pretty expensive way to let each other know we are upset. Only sometimes though.’ ‘I never speak to my father,’ I said. ‘Why?’ Ananya looked at me. ‘Long story. Not for tonight. Or any night. I’d like to keep it to myself.’ ‘Sure,’ she said. We walked for a moment in silence before she spoke again. ‘So your parents have big expectations from you? Which job are you going to take? Finance? Marketing? IT?’ ‘Neither of those,’ I said. ‘Though i will take up a job for the money first.’ ‘So what do you want to be? Like really?’ She looked right into my eyes. I couldn’t lie. ‘I want to be a writer?’ I said. I expected her to flip out and laugh. But she didn’t. She nodded and continued to walk. ‘What kind of writer?’ she said. ‘Someone who tells stories that are fun but bring about change too. The pen’s mightier than the sword, one of the first proverbs we learnt, isn’t it?’ She nodded. ‘Sounds ridiculous?’ ‘No, not really,’ she said. ‘How about you? What do you want to be?’ She laughed. ‘Well, I don’t know. My mother already feels I’m too ambitious and independent. So I am trying not to think too far. As of now, I just want to do

OK in my quiz and make my mother happy. Both are incredibly difficult though,’ she said. We reached her room and practised numerical for the next two hours. ‘I am so glad you are here. I’d never be able to crack these,’ she said after I solved a tricky one for her. ‘You are not using me, are you?’ ‘Excuse me?’ ‘Like you are friends with me because I am from IIT? So I can help you with the quant subjects.’ ‘Are you kidding me?’ she looked shocked. ‘I don’t want to be the IIT brother,’ I said. ‘What? Whatever that is, you are not. We are friends, right?’ She extended her hand. I looked into her eyes. No, those eyes couldn’t use anyone. ‘Good night,’ I said and shook her hand. ‘Hey Krish,’ she said as I turned to leave. ‘What?’ ‘The stuff you said, about being a writer who brings about change. It is really cool. I mean it,’ she said. I smiled. ‘Good night,’ she said and shut her door. A few sleepless girls wandered in the dorm with