I was in the shower shampooing my hair when I heard someone shouting my name.
“Nina madam, Arjun sir wants to see you at the canteen.”
“Nina madam, Nina Madam where are you? Arjun Sir is waiting for you at the canteen…”
“Shut up, I heard you the first time” I shouted back. Unfortunately the bath rooms are on the extreme right side of the hostel and the announcer was standing the opposite side.
Soon there was a chorus of students who had nothing else to do on a sunday and the announcement progressed from Nina madam where are you to
“Nina, Nina. Arjun, Arjun, Nina and Arjun, Nina and Arjun”
I had almost finished my shower and was drying my hair. I quickly wore my clothes, I wanted to go and scream at the girl who started all this trouble for me. She didn’t have to shout and let everyone know. She could have just looked for me, instead of screaming like that.
“Nina, When is the wedding?” I heard a very familiar voice screaming at the top of the voice and I knew it was Anitha.
Wedding? What wedding? I started to feel scared, vulnerable and miserable. All of a sudden the woman who had the courage to write the university exam even after the anonymous letter fiasco started to feel afraid. I couldn’t face my friends and more than anything else I couldn’t face my own feelings. I didn’t know exactly what I felt. Do I love Arjun? No, I was sure, then I thought may be Yes, No it can’t be, I love Beautiful Eyes, But he wasn’t there when I needed him the most.
I was getting angry with myself. Make up your mind Nina, I told myself. I couldn’t make up my mind. I was angry, very angry with myself because I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to sit down. I threw away the rest of the water from my bucket and turned it upside down. The bottom of the bucket was wet and dirty. There was no way I could sit on that.
How long are you going to hide from everyone? I asked myself.
I wrapped my hair with my towel and walked out. Someone saw me and the songs started to become more louder
“yeh raste hain pyar ke, Yeh raste hain pyar ke…”
Then another one started
“chalate chalate,
mere ye giit yaad rakhanaa
kabhii alavidaa naa kahanaa
kabhii alavidaa naa kahana
arote ha.Nsate, bas yuu.Nhii tum
gunagunaate rahanaa
kabhii alavidaa naa kahanaa…”

Soon someone else started to sing

“kabhii kabhii mere dil me.n, Kayaal aataa hai
ke jaise tujhako banaayaa gayaa hai mere liye
tuu abase pahale sitaaro.n me.n bas rahii thii kahii.
tujhe zamii pe bulaayaa gayaa hai mere liye
kabhii kabhii mere dil me Kayaal aataa hai”

I started to walk fast, almost running towards my room and I knew I was blushing. I didn’t want anyone to see my face, so I looked down and ran as fast as my legs would allow. The faster I ran, the higher the song tempo went and everyone was laughing at me. I opened my door and quickly shut the door. I could hear footsteps outside the room and soon some one was knocking my door. I ignored it
“Nina, it is me Aparna, open the door”
I had no choice but to open. It was indeed Aparna, the only thing was right behind her there was a battalion of students. I saw Caroline’s face in the crowd.
“How could you not tell any of us that you are Arjun are going steady? Aparna asked
I didn’t want Beautiful eyes to know this. I didn’t want him to doubt me. I wasn’t going steady with Arjun, but what was I going to tell everyone?
Everyone knew from the beginning Arjun has been getting me books from the library and sometimes even food from his home for me. Everyone knew I stayed in Arjun’s house. But until now, I never thought of Arjun as anything other than a friend.
“I will talk to you later” I pushed Aparna and walked away from the gang
I heard Aparna singing
“Akeyley Akeley kaha ja rahi ho”
Everyone started to laugh and I ignored everyone.
Arjun was sitting outside in the veranda and I could see the relief on his face when he saw me walking towards him
“You know how long I have been waiting for you? I thought you wouldn’t come” He mumbled
“I was taking my shower”
“Oh”
“You want to have some tea?”
“sure”
He went inside to order and I sat down on the same spot where he was sitting.( the floor was dirty! and he had already collected the dirt on his pants while he was sitting down and waiting for me!)
He came out and saw me sitting down
“You took my place”
“Your name wasn’t written down here”
“Oh like that ah?” I knew he wouldn’t know how to argue and I was expecting him to sit by the side of me, but he walked towards me, stood right behind, lifted me up and moved my upper half of the body, so he could sit down. I used my legs to push him away soon one of his legs were on top of my legs.
‘Get lost, take your legs off my body”
“Then move your butt off my place”
“Your name wasn’t on the floor”
“Your name isn’t on your leg!”
“What? Can’t you see that these are my legs?” I pointed my legs to him.
“Oh is it your leg? Where is the name written? I can’t see any name”
“Get lost” I smacked him on his shoulder and moved away
“Sore loser” He was grinning
I ignored him.
I drank my tea in silence. I could see Arjun looking at me every few seconds
“What are you looking at me for?” I snapped
“My eyes! public space!” He pointed to his eyes and the area around us” I will look where ever my eyes wants to look”
I stuck my tongue at him. I haven’t done it for such a long time.
He started to laugh and like they say laughter is contagious. Soon we were both laughing.
“Want to go for a walk?”
“Sure”
He held my hands and we walked around the campus, talking about everything and nothing.

Monday morning, before I went for the rounds, I checked the hospital telephone directory to find KSF group’s number and called the number
“Hi, Can I speak to Maria Thomas?” I asked the operator
“Just a second” She replied
I quickly put the phone down. I finally knew where my sister was working. I felt like shouting “Yeah I did it, I found her”
I wondered why I never thought of going to St. Marks church to find her, instead of walking all over Ulsoor looking for her house?
I was with Dr, Nandita, when I saw Arjun walking in
“What?” I mimed and asked him. I didn’t want to get in to trouble. Most of the professors suffer from an extreme allergic reaction everytime a medical student falls in love. In order to prevent any such tragedies, affairs were always hidden within the four walls of the canteen, until the final year results are announced.
“Hello Dr. Nandita” Arjun greeted her
Get out Arjun, Don’t get me in to trouble. I hoped he could read that message in my eyes.
“yes” She looked at him from top to bottom
“I finished my medicine rounds and my friends tells me that you are one of the best Gynae prof, May I attend your rounds after I finish mine” His face looked so innocent and I knew Dr. Nandita will fall for it.
“Of course you can, come along” She sounded so thrilled
As soon as she started to walk, Arjun looked at me and grinned.
At one time while everyone was crowding near a patients bed, while Dr Nandita started to explain the diagnosis, he was standing right behind me and I could almost feel his breath at the back of my neck. I felt so funny, but at the same time it was exciting to know that there was someone who loves me and he was standing right behind me and that he took the pain to attend the rounds with me, instead of going for coffee with his batchmates.
After the rounds was over, he handed me a paper cutting
“For you”
“What is it?”
“Open and see”
I opened the neatly folded paper cutting. It was a Cartoon with the title, Love is….. making her smile*”
“Oh Arjun” I felt so happy.
“You want to follow me on my bike back to the hostel?”
“Not today. I need to go somewhere”
“Where?”
“Koramangala”
“Why?”
“I need to see someone”
“Who?”
“My sister”
“Your sister lives in Koramangala?”
“Hmm”
“You never told me that”
How do I tell him that I never knew where my sister was until yesterday?
“I have to go now” I saw an auto coming down the road and I showed my hands.
“Nina, I can drop you there” He spoke
“No Arjun, you can’t do it” I didn’t want Maria to give his bike number to George.I no longer trusted my sister
“Why not?”
“My sister is very orthodox, if she saw that I followed you on your bike, she will let my dad know and I will get in to trouble”
“Oh ok”
I got in to the auto and gave the address to the driver. I wasn’t sure how Maria was going to react. But I couldn’ be bothered about her reaction. I wanted to see her and let her know that, how ever George tried to erase the link between me and her, it will not work. She will always be my sister.
The sun was shining so bright and it was so very hot.I was sweaty and thirsty. I regretted not bringing some water with me.
The auto stopped in front of a beautiful 2 storey building. I paid the driver and got out. My heart started to pound. What if she yells at me? I thought of going back to my hostel. Then I said to myself enthayalum nananju eni angu kulichekkam (Anyway I came till here, I might as well see her). I walked in to the office. It felt so good to be in the air conditioned room, after enduring the hot Bangalore summer the whole trip from my hospital to Maria’s office.
“Yes” the receptionist looked at me and asked
“I am here to meet Maria Thomas”
“Is she expecting you?”
“No”
“Please wait here” She pointed the blue chairs by the side of the room.
Soon people started to come down the steps, talking and laughing. Must be going for lunch, I thought. They were all wearing neat office clothes and I watched a lady walking down the steps, She was so thin that a small air current could have knocked her down, she wore an over sized spectacle on her thin bony face, she had a (wool)shawl wrapped around her shoulder. Who would wear a shawl during this heat wave? My God, she looks like a ghost and I was stunned to see the ghost walking towards me
“Hi Maria” I got up, still suffering from the shock of seeing once a beautiful girl turned in to something even her own sister couldn’t recognize.
“What are you doing here?” she snapped
“I came to see you” I spoke. We both could see the receptionist looking at us and I knew Maria felt uncomfortable.
“Have you eaten lunch?” She asked
“No” I replied
“Come” She started to walk towards the steps
“Where are you going?” I didn’t trust my own sister. The receoption was an open public area and I knew I wouldn’t get killed, but the steps that leads to unknown places aren’t!
“To the canteen” She sounded mad
“Oh”
There were lots of people in the canteen and not one person spoke to my sister or acknowledged her. She didn’t ask me what I wanted to eat and I didn’t want to fight with her. She ordered 2 veg pulao for both of us.
“Find a place to sit” Maria ordered
I found a place right in the middle, so Maria won’t dare to yell/scream/shout at me and sat. I watched her signing her name on the register and looking around to see where I was sitting.
“Chechy, here” I waved my hand. She looked a bit stunned when she heard me calling her chechy and I knew few of her colleagues recongnised the word Chechy and they looked at Maria and at me.
“Why did you call me Chechy?” She hissed as soon as she sat down
“because you happen to be my sister! Whatelse should I call you? chakka manga thenga(jackfruit, mango, coconut)?” I was mad at her
“I am not your sister any more”
“Oh Maria, I am so sorry to disappoint you, Unfortunately unlike a marriage, you can’t divorce sisters. ” I hissed
The operator brought the food and I started to eat. I noticed the tremors in my sister’s hands when she was holding the spoon. She was picking on the food instead of eating it. No wonder she is so thin. After a few spoonful of rice, she pushed the plate away and took a box from her bag. She started to take different colours and types of pills and started to eat them
“For what are you taking all those medicines Maria?”
“I am not feeling well”
“I can see that, I asked you why are you taking those pilles? who gave you those pills ?and what is the diagnosis?”
“Acha said I have Anaemia”
“And how did he know that?”
“He asked me if my kakka(shit) is brown, and I checked,it is brown!”
“Oh really? What would be the colour of non anaemic shit? Green? White?” I was just so mad at her for being so stupid and naive.
She kept quiet
“So how many pills must you take for Anaemia? You only need iron tablets for heaven’s sake. Maria, Why are you taking so many pills?”
“Acha got the specialist to prescribe all this for me, if you take iron pills, you can get constipation, so this one is to prevent that, if you take the medicine for constipation, then you will not have vitamin K, so this is vitamin K and if you take vitamin K, then you can bleed to death, so this medicine is to prevent that” My sister continued to talk like a robbot pointing each medicine and I wanted to take something heavy and smash her head, may be with a head injury, she would get some common sense.
“Maria, there are good doctors in my hospital, I want you to come there and do a full check up”
“Acha already got everything done for me”
“I can see that. we could always have a second opinion, can’t we?”
“Acha says, the doctors always lie, because they want to make more money from you. That is why he got his physician to prescribe this medicine for me”
“I promise you Maria, my profs won’t lie, please,let me take you to my hospital”
“I can’t. Acha says there are too much pollens in the air and I will get wheezing, so he sends his car in the evening to pick me up”
I wanted to scream, I wanted to scream so loud, each door that I tried to open to save my sister, George has already blocked it. That bastard is destroying my sister’s life and there was nothing I could do.
“Nina, don’t come here again. Acha says you are a bad influence for me. He doesn’t want me to talk to you” She spoke as she got up and I didn’t reply.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s Times of India used to have a comic strip( a single sqaure) with a girl and boy in it and often it used to have witty dialogues like love is… Does anyone know what cartoon was that?

update: someone send me this link