Destiny revisited!

NOTE: Not necessary but you can have a glimpse of Destiny demystified here

14th February 2011. “Leaf departure is because of Wind pursuit. Or because Tree didn’t ask her to stay”. It has become a habit for Karan to read this message every time before he goes to sleep. Karan looked at the message one more time and then at his watch. It was 5 minutes past midnight and the night looked still young as usual like before. May be this is one reason he loved Newyork. 3 years have gone just like that and he still loves Newyork life, the same way he felt the first day when he landed. Some call this Newyork life too mechanical, too monotonous, and too tiring. But he likes it for the same pace of life it throws and demands everyday.

In the last 3 years so many things have changed but Rhea? What about Rhea and feel he had for her? Every time when Karan look at the message he goes into a self introspection mood. What really went wrong? Was it me who let her depart since i dint asked her to stay? Does’nt she knows that formality dint exist in our relation? What big difference it would have been if i have asked her to stay? Is it true that i have let her go long time ago? If so, then why this myriad of thoughts, questions? Time changes things but what time has done to her? Has she really let me go and do i?

That one quote always ends up Karan in a fission reaction and finally he goes into his dreamland. And over the years it has become an integral process for Karan if he wants to sleep. Every time he wants to sleep he looks into this message, same questions, and same thoughts and then he wakes up in his dreamland. Karan knows it’s weird but then for some untold reason he liked it. In his friends circle Karan is an iconic guy who can’t go too sentimental, easy come easy go, a bundle of energy bubbling out with enthu. But when it’s about Rhea, Karan feels like he is shutdown and really doubts the portrait his friends have about him.

It is Rhea who made him feel guilty to an extent. “Karan you dint asked me to stay”- Rhea’s voice keep lingering in his mind every time he see the message. Deep in his mind/heart he has just one final wish. Just go back in time and ask Rhea to stay. So that he would feel good and get rid of his guilty conscious that he never asked her to stay. Thinking all these he was about to wake up in his dreamland but the mobile rang at the brink of his dreamland and brought him back to his apartment in Newyork. It’s Sameer.

A small intro about Sameer. He is Karan’s classmate in college. He is the only one who knows a little bit about Karan, Rhea, and Karan & Rhea. They were the best pals who had their college life fun @ maxima. After graduation Karan left his hometown in search of nothing and Sameer went on to pursue his dream/s. His dream is to get finally a girl friend some day and doesn’t matter how badly his reputation was put at stake by some girls in the past. He believes “When going get tough, the tough keep going” He flirts and he is serious about that.

Sameer came to Newyork a year before Karan came and then what? When they met they took the fun beyond maxima. Sameer act foolish but actually smart. Pretends to be non-emotional but really not so. Overall he is a nice guy who cares nothing other than girls.

Karan took the phone.

Sameer: Hey Karan. Where and What are you doing?

Karan: Late night meeting with my secretary. Dare to join?

Sameer: Any time dude! So now i know you are at home.

Karan: What about you?

Sameer: You know what day is today. So trying my luck in blind date @ White rabbit. And I got some news for you!

Karan can feel the enthu in Sameer’s voice.

Karan: Congrats. So finally something even bigger to celebrate tonight. So when are you getting married?

Sameer: You remember Shalini? The one who was in Electronics dept.

Karan: which Shalini man? btw r u drunk?

Sameer: yaar boney one. The one to whom you asked to complete you assignment when our class girls ditched you.

Karan: Ya i remember her now. What’s for her?

Sameer: She is no more boney and damn goodness, she is so gorgeous. She is here with me now. Not really now as she has gone to RR(RestRoom).’

Karan: Sameer i know you will never change. So whats the flip? Hit or Miss?

Sameer: Karan can i complete? I don’t think it will be a hit for me. She was asking about you. And she seems to have track of you. She asked about you and also about to whom you are giving your official assignments!

Well almost many know who Karan is now just for the reason what position he holds. So there’s nothing special.

Sameer: We were just chatting about old gold college days like what we used to chat.

Karan: Haan haan (now don’t bore me)

Sameer: I thought i am the only one to know about you and Rhea, but it seems someone else is also there.

Karan: What?.. do you mean Shalini?

Sameer: Yes… She was asking about you and Rhea.. What happened between you 2… I dont know what to tell.

Karan: Hmmmm…

Sameer: If you don’t mind shall i invite her for our party tonight?

Karan: Sure.. As long as she don’t mind.

Ending the call, Karan went to his theater room to set up things for the day’s big event. Cricket world cup finals itself is a big event and to add up, it’s India vs Pakistan. Karan is a cricket freak and he want to see the match right from first ball of the first over to the very end and even the ads. It’s something like people who want to see a movie in theater right from the trailers of other movies till the “THE END” after the titles. And Karan is very particular when it’s about cricket. He always schedules his official work so that he doesn’t miss matches and many times he even postponed official things which were more important relatively. He doesn’t even like re-telecast or recorded. For him the fun is to watch live with dozen buddies around him chit chatting and making fun.

After making all the arrangements Karan looked at his watch. It’s 00:30. The match starts by 12:30 IST. So he has got 2 more hours. He was tired, may be because of yet another fission reaction about Rhea. Lost in his mentation, mobile alerted him. Message from Sameer and it read “Shalini is coming and we will be there sharp 02:30 ”. He remembers Shalini’s face indistinctly but remember well how he ended up in asking her to complete the assignment. With a grin he laughed about himself looking at the past. He kept the alarm for 02:00 and thought he could catch up a nap before the match/party begins. But still he wished he could go back in time and let Rhea know that he wanted her to stay.

In few minutes he was asleep in the couch. All of a sudden he felt weightless. Something is strange in the environment he was in. Karan tried to open his eyes slowly. When he opened he was in his apartment only. But there was someone sitting in the couch next to him. He was smiling at Karan. Karan tried to open his mouth and ask “Who are you?” But before he could ask, the person on the couch replied “I’m GOD”. “GOD”!!! Karan thought WTF to himself. The person replied “Don’t you believe me?” Karan doesn’t know what’s happening.

Then conversation started and in the middle Karan asked GOD “Have ever fallen in love with a women?” GOD replied “Yes I was. Only then I became GOD” and smiled. Through out the conversation Karan was awestruck unable to differentiate whether it’s dream or real. Finally Karan asked “Why you came now?”

God said “Son I have been watching you long time and you seem to be bothered too much by something. To be specific something here is Rhea. So I thought I could help you to come out of your feel of guilt. So here is a solution. I have kept two pills in front of you. Red and Blue. If you take the red pill you will travel back in time and reach the time space which you felt as the best time to let Rhea know you want her to stay back. The blue one is even much simple. You take it and when you wake up you will never remember what ever happened between you and Rhea. What all you will remember is nothing but Rhea is just another person whom you know.

Karan tried to recollect what drink he had and how much he had. This one seems worse than absinthism.

GOD continued “BUT, one thing about Red pill. Even if you do ask Rhea to stay back, still you will end up like what you are today, you and Rhea are today. The moment you appear in front of Rhea the Karan who was there in the past will not exist anymore and from then on you will carry on and you won’t remember any of these conversations or what future holds for you. After taking the red pill if you miss those moments again, nothing will happen and you will back to this reality. I know what you gonna ask, if nothing is going to change then why such an option? Well even though nothing else is going to change one thing will change; the guilty feeling won’t be there. In your terms if I have to say, it’s the way the system is designed. Choice is yours now”

“pam pam pam pam pam pam pam pam pam pam pam pam pam pam pam pam pam pam”

Now whats that? Karan thought to himself. It sounds like ship siren. Am I in ship now? He then realizes it’s his alarm. He woke up to and shut the alarm. He started wondering. Was it all a dream? Karan dint felt the strangeness in the environment. He is not floating. Everything seems to be normal. He looked at the couch. It was neat. Laughing to himself he turned to the table. He was amazed, petrified on what he saw.

In the table he saw the RED and BLUE pill, same like the one he saw in the dreams. So is that a real dream?

Now STOP: If you are in Karan’s place what would be your choice for something bothering you so long! :-p

Still unable to come out of the shock, Karan stared at the pills in the table. Taking the Red pill in right hand and Blue pill in the left he started playing like juggler. Karan’s mind was going through lot of emotions. Should I call up Sameer and tell what happened? Will anyone believe it? At least he know for sure that there was no pill in the table when he relaxed in the couch and there is no means they would be here. Karan was very much confused. He knows only two states exist. Either what he saw as dream is all true or all false. But how can I identify one among them? He took the pills and looked at it again. Karan thought the only way to know is to take one of them.

Which one? Red or Blue? He started looking at the Blue pill. Is it worth to forget all? Is that all this relation is about? To forget all together? Karan doesn’t have to think long to get answers for these questions. He decided what to take to know what is real. He went back in memory lane when he should have told Rhea that he really care or want her to stay back. Even that does’nt took long for him.

It was the day when Karan left his hometown in search of nothing. It was bright sunny day and the airport was buzzing with passengers and tourist. Karan told Rhea about his plan to move out the night before. It was not a lengthy conversation. In fact it was not a conversation at all and was just information. Rhea told that she will come to airport for send off. Karan remembers saying nothing other than hanging the phone. Next morning in the airport he met Rhea. It’s this moment were their ego played their part. Both Rhea and Karan had lot to say. But who is going to start and how to start remained a mystery. After an hour only Karan realized that still no words has been uttered. Karan could’nt control anymore and he know he may break out if this silence would prolong for another minute. He told Rhea he is going to get a coffee and asked her to look after the baggage. Even though there was an hour and half left for boarding, after grabbing a cup of coffee Karan came back and said Rhea “Good Bye”

Sitting in the couch looking at the red pill everything happened that day flowed seamlessly in Karan’s mind. Now Karan know, which is the moment he should have broken the silence and let her know that he wanted her to stay. Thinking all those moments he kept the BLUE pill down on the table and just took the RED pill.

Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock…

“Dude it’s me, Sameer” Sameer sounded a bit drunk but that’s usual.

Karan got up from the couch and went to open the door. There they are! Sameer, standing beside him must be Shalini which took some time for Karan to identify, then Akash, Siddarth, Mira, Shashi, Meera, Arjun, Radhika. “Come in, the players just entered the field and India won the toss” Karan said to all. Looking at Shalini, Karan said “Hey you look really gorgeous as Sameer told” Shalini gave a witty look at Sameer and said “Oh is it. Thanks Karan”

All set and there goes the first ball. Some Sachin of 2011 knocked it off to boundary. Perfect way to begin the game, Karan thought to himself. It was shalini who noticed that unusual BLUE pill on the table. She turned to Karan “Are you not feeling well?” Karan dint got what Shalini was asking. She pointed the BLUE pill to everyone and asked Karan again. Karan dint expected that. Everyone knows that Karan is not that good in hiding facial expression. Karan tried to bluff, as he thought no one is going to believe what happened. But Sameer, he is tough and that to believe what ever Karan is bluffing. After a while when Karan stopped his bluffing, Shalini asked “Ok. Finished blabbering? Now what is the truth?”

Karan decided to tell everything happened, whether they believe it or not is up to them. Karan started telling anything and everything right from beginning of Karan & Rhea chapter to the RED & BLUE pill. He paused few minutes after saying that he took the RED pill. Everyone was listening to him and there was absolute silence in the room other than the cricket commentary. No one doubted what Karan said because it’s even tougher for Karan to lie. Sameer asked what happened after he took the RED pill.

Karan made him-self comfortable in the couch and said “It’s true”. I went back in time and there I was at airport. I saw myself and standing in front of Rhea. I was standing there looking at them. No words spoken when both of us had so much to say. I saw myself saying to Rhea that I will grab a cup of coffee and myself coming back with coffee. I saw my watch then.

All were looking at Karan and expected he will say he appeared in that moment before Rhea to say how much she mean to him.

Karan was keeping mum. Then he broke the silent by saying this “When I looked at the watch it was 02:25 and realized it’s just 5 more minutes for the match to begin so I let that Karan to bid GOOD BYE to Rhea and here I am”

It may seem unbelievable for others/readers but Sameer and others trusted Karan, especially Shalini. After the match is over Karan came out to the balcony to have his morning cup of coffee. It was bit cold but coffee gave him the warmth. Shalini accompanied him. He showed the blue pill in his hand and throw it towards the sky. It went above and slowly disappeared from their sight as it descended. Karan told Shalini “It’s not needed anymore”. Shalini smiled at him and told “Good. Good for you”

Karan noticed something more is there behind her smile

BOTTOM LINE: LIFE GOES ON, NO MATTER WE GET A RED PILL OR BLUE PILL OR NONE AND MOST OF ALL GUYS ARE GUYS! :-p