My best friends....Part II

It was for a business meeting that I first visited the so
called "Land of great oppurtunities".We landed in
LA International airport on a snowy morning.The Black lady
at the immigration counter smiled courteously
and looked at my passport.

"Mr.Kuumaar"

"Yep"

"Ohhhh, Indian...!!!"

"Yep.."

"I love Sania Mirza"

"Me too,She is my best friend,of course shez lives next door", this is Balu.

"Reeeaaally!!!!!, I cant believe that.."

"Dont believe him,he is lying"-this is me.

"This is the mobile number"

Balu scribbled something on a paper..

"Sania's phone number??"

"No this is mine, gimme a call,I will tell her phone number"

I almost dragged him away from the counter.

Balu...he is my school-mate,my friend,can solve
The Hindu's toughest Su-do-ku in 5 or 6 mins,
can read Richard Feynman and Ayn Rand with equal ease,
and ofcourse he is an IIM-L grad,but the problem is ...
you would have known from the above conversation.

We directly went to Tanya's house in the evening after the meeting.
It was almost a year since I saw her in the wedding reception.
I know she will be expecting us.She welcomed us with her
usual charming smile. But her eyes spoke a different story.
The hot tea she served us was very refreshing
for the Los Angeles cold.

"So,Howz ur marriage life Tanya"

She smiled wryly.
No... Never ever I saw her smiling that way.

"Heey, what happened..?"

She just broke down.I didnt expect that.
It seems she just waited for this moment.
For the next fifteen minutes she told the miseries and
tribulations that she faced.She was not treated properly,
not given due respect,the respect that a women will expect
from a man.


Seems all the dreams she had dreamt for in her marriage life
had just become a dream for her.
Seems her husband is a kind of chauvinist.

But what made me really sad is when she told me
that there is no one around in US to share her sorrows.

I didnt say anything for a minute, just stared at the distant
Los Angeles river.I dont know how to console her.

Her husband just entered the house.

He just came and hugged her,smiled at us.
Never bothered to know whom we are, why are we here.
The hall is filled with alcoholic smell.He is almost trembling.

"Vodka...", this is Balu.

"hmmmm"

"Why dont you take alcohol in limits..",this is Tanya

He kind of got infuriated,exasperated.

"Who are you to advice me...Do you know my social status..
do you know how many Harvard MBAs reporting to me..?"

"Education should have taught you the manners and not..."

"shut-up you..."

"You should know to respect a women.."

He just slapped her.
She didnt utter a word.I cant believe my eyes.
I am helpless.Probably the most distressful,traumatic
moment in my life.We just left.

While we are returning back to India in the flight
I was pre-occupied with that incident.

"She should have slapped him..."-this is me.

"Forget it da.."

"How dare he talk that way,Social status and education should have
taught him to respect a women..if Harvard MBAs report to him...
does it allow him to behave like this.."

"leave it da"

Life has itz own twists and turns which we dont expect,
but I never expected that it will be too harsh.
I know life is unfair.Life is unfair to my friend.
She should bounce back...but will she?

Exactly two months later, I got a phone call from Tanya.
"Heey Senthil, I am going to start a consulting firm in India,
got a VC to back me,looking for some IIM grads....interested..?"

I know, she will...

(The End)

P.S.
In the story "I" not necessarily refers myself.
I feel at ease in writing in first person singular.