Redialing (Unplanned)
Place: BMSCE Hostels, Bangalore
Time: 09:00PM
Period: Engineering 3rd year
The story is about two guys who plans a sudden visit to jog falls. This journey changes their relationship from being college mates to really good friends. People open up when they go for a trip.
Junaid is not his real name.He is not in India. It's been 5 years i had met him. He might kill me for writing this. Sorry bro. I had to pen it down.
Me: Dude the dinner was fab. Siddique(A restaurant in Frazer town Bangalore) was really nice. The food was affordable and tasty. I still have money to have dinner next Saturday even though having a absolutely fabulous dinner. Thanks man.
Junaid: Sale dost ko thank you bolega (Thanks not allowed in friendship).
Me: But your bike was fab man. Wish i could ride like you in Bangalore traffic.
Junaid: You don't know how to ride a bike?
Me: I know. But I can't ride in Bangalore. There is too much traffic. I am scared.
Junaid: Don't worry I'll teach you.
Me: Hmm. Why are your hands shaking?
Junaid: Shit man! I forgot to take my medicine.
Me: Medicine? What medicine?
Junaid: I think i should get back to home now. It's late.
Me: Oh! come on Bro. You can stay here for a night. There won't be any issue. I'll take care of watchman. Your bike is also safe here.
Junaid: Are you sure? There won't be any issue?
Me: No man. Just chill.
Junaid: Thanks bro. We met at the first day of our college. We were just hi, bye friends. This is the opportunity for us to get to know each other.
Me: Bang on. You just stole my lines.
Junaid: You know what? Lets go somewhere! What say?
Junaid: But where?
Junaid: Hmm hmm Jog falls.
Me: Bro are you crazy? I have no money. If i spend the money i have now, I have to starve next saturday.
Junaid: We will go by train to Shivamogga. I'll take care of the bus rent and food. Lets go.
Me: This offers seems tempting and the place you have selected is breathtakingly beautiful. In fact my favorite place. Lets go.
Junaid: Train is at 11:00PM. We better start now.
We reached Bhadravati, the iron and steel capital of Karnataka.
PLACE: Bhadravati
Time: 4:00AM
Me: Why did we get down here?
Junaid: Will tell you everything. Lets fresh up quickly.
We chose the public toilet to finish our early morning deeds and a normal tap on the street to brush teeth and wash face. These small things gave a traveler kind of feel. I was hungry.Its too early for a hotel to be open. I had to wait for my first breakfast in Bhadravati. So we decided to take a walk around the city. Like every time weather added the beauty to the place and mood. God thanks for creating monsoons.
Me: Macha male shuruvaaytu. Maatu shuruvaagli (It's the dialogue from a kannada movie meant lets talk).
Junaid: It's very rare to see you become filmy and say these cheesy dialogues.
Me: Ab kya karen, kusoor to is mausam ka hai (Weather is the real culprit. Don't blame me).
Junaid; Wish i could be like you. Always cheerful, always happy. You really listen. You understand people's pain. It feels good to share things with you. It feels good to spend time with you. Your family is orthodox. But you are very open minded. You don't act like a typical muslim. I tried to share my story with others. Many refuse to listen, many failed to understand. People can only understand by the level of their perception. But you are not like them. You really listen, understand, really don't give your opinion and the best part is you make them feel comfortable. You are the most unbiased person i have ever seen.
Me: Woo man. That seemed cheesy. I am flattered dude. Are we gonna kiss now? But wait, being a homosexual is still taboo in India. I winked at him.
Junaid: Ha ha. I have forgotten the most beautiful part.You blush when someone praise you. You keep your expectations low. You help someone because you wanna do it, not because you want anything in return. How did you get better at these? Which circumstances lead you to become the person you are? Life would be wonderful if everyone start thinking like you.
Me: Dude i think we are gonna have sex now. Bus kar yaar. Turn on karega kya pagle (Stop it dude).
Junaid: Wokkay man. I just felt like saying all these things to you.
Me: Everyone has a story. Well I have stories. "Only the person who had gone through pain could understand somebody's suffering". Why were you taking medicines yesterday?
Junaid: I have anxiety neurosis. It's a mental disorder. I am consulting a psychiatrist.
Me: Bro but you are too young. You study in Electrical department from a very reputed college of Karnataka. You must be possessing a very high IQ. I am sure you could have solved it without a help. Why taking medicines or consulting a psychiatrist?
Junaid: There is a phase in your life where you really can't share things. You try very hard to find answers. You try very hard to make things normal. Then there is a time when you get tired. You think like "Our kinte din, kab tak aise hi chalega?(How long it's gonna take. When will this end?)". I used to be the guy who reads one whole book over a night. But now turning pages seems very hard for me. Sometimes i don't have the energy to get up from bed and drink water. Sometimes i feel like ending my life.
Me: Dude you are scaring me now. See i got goosebumps. Please calm down. I'll be with you. That's my assurance. Now tell me what happened?
Junaid: I am sorry man. I just got carried away.
Me: That's ok.
Junaid: I was in my teenage, class 12. I studied my class 11th and 12th here in Bhadravati. I was very good in studies. I used to be a nerd and an introvert.
Me: Ok.
Junaid: I was good in mathematics. I saw a girl struggling with a problem and I helped her. That was a very conservative society. We used to exchange smiles every time we face each other. She got fractured her leg once and we become very close after that. She was the topper from her school and I used to be among top 5 from my school. We compete in class. But outside we were very good friends. She started liking me. I was already flattered. We used to meet in that ground. But...
Me: That's why we got down in Bhadravati not Shivamogga. Continue...
Junaid: Her cousin saw us one day. We were just sitting in the ground and studying. But he was observing us for a long time. He told her parents that we were together. Her parents told her to keep a distance from me.
Me: But why?
Junaid: They told her that they never agree for a marriage outside there community and religion. She was a hindu. Moreover it's not the age for falling in love. She should study well and find a really nice job.
Me: What's her name? Can you show me her pic?
Junaid: I don't want to reveal her name. I don't have her pic too. I have not met her after that. I tried to send flowers on her last birthday. But the address was incorrect. She changed her number and blocked me on facebook. She is not active there also. I went to her engineering college also. But her friends saw me and told her. She locked herself in room. I asked her friends to share at least her number. But they had refused to do so. I didn't or don't have anyone who supports me. Now i was just the person that she used to know.
Me: It's so cruel dude.
Junaid: Hmm. She didn't have a choice dude. She did what seemed right for her. I knew that girl very well. She could never go against her parents. Her actions were just the result of the environment she had born in, friends she had and circumstances.
Me: How could you still talk good about her? why aren't you angry on her? Don't you think what she did was wrong?
Junaid: How could I talk bad about a girl I had loved?
Me: Wait a sec. I will just make your last word bold and underline it. LOVED? Do you still love her?
Junaid: There is a hotel near the bus stop, you get the best idlies there in Bhdravati. It would be open by now. Lets go eat.
Me: Gotcha. You choose not to answer that question.
Junaid: Smart you are.
We had breakfast and took a bus to Sagara (Taluk where jog village is there). From there to jog falls.
Place: Jog
Time: 10:00AM
Me: This is my favorite place man. It's so beautiful.
Junaid: Yes! And this drizzling rain made it fabulous. Come we'll go to where it starts. To the origin of the Jog falls.
Me: Lets go. Though i have visited Jog falls many times, I have never been there.
We took a walk to the origin of it. Never stopping drizzling rain and greenery made it look like a paradise on earth.
Me: Dude i'll get married to a girl from Sivamogga. In that case i would come to this place more often.
Junaid: May your wish be fulfilled soon.
Me: Thanks man.
Me: Wow! It's so beautiful. Come here.
Junaid: No man. I can't. I am scared of heights.
Me: Ha ha. I was scared of heights too. One thing i have learned from life. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger".
We stayed there till afternoon. We took a bus to Shivamogga and train from there to Bangalore. Sometimes not so close friends, unplanned trips, simple life and less money teaches you amazing lessons of life.
Mohamed Jamaluddin
Link: https://mohamedjamaluddin.blogspot.in/
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