At that moment, only I know what my heart went through. I told Sudha, “I love you a lot. If you don’t say yes today, I might do something drastic.”
She replied, “All boys say the same thing.”
I said, “Whatever I’m saying, I’ll prove it by doing it.”
Saying that, I left her house and went to a nearby park. I had said it in anger, but now what should I do? I had truly started loving Sudha and was ready to do anything to prove my love—but I didn’t know what.
Suddenly my eyes fell on a stone. Without thinking, I picked it up and smashed it hard on my left leg. A scream escaped my mouth— “Aaaeeeeeuuu!” Blood started flowing from my leg, and the pain was unbearable. Somehow I controlled myself, went to a doctor, got my leg bandaged, and limped back home.
My mom was sitting outside. Seeing me, she asked, “What happened to you? You left perfectly fine!”
I told her, “Nothing, I went out for some work. Got hurt while getting off the bus.”
Mom helped me inside and made me lie on the bed. Within no time, the whole lane knew that Saajan had met with an accident. Everyone came to see me—even people from Sudha’s house—but Sudha herself didn’t come!
It hurt me deeply. The one for whom I did all this didn’t even come to see me.
I tossed and turned in pain all night, thinking of Sudha. I couldn’t sleep at all.
The next day my leg swelled up badly. Even moving it caused pain. If I needed to use the bathroom, I had to wait for someone to help me there.
Ten days passed like this. In those ten days, Sudha didn’t come to see me even once, but her memory haunted me every moment. Eventually, my leg improved somewhat, and I started walking without support.
Right opposite Sudha’s house lived Sunita Didi. I used to sit silently on the stairs outside her house, talking to no one.
Didi asked me once, “What’s wrong? Why have you become so sad? If something’s bothering you, tell me!”
But the one I wanted to tell wasn’t listening, and the ones I didn’t want to tell kept asking.
I said, “Nothing, Didi. You’re worrying unnecessarily.”
But she didn’t believe me.
I said that and went home. A little later, I saw my elder brother (just two years older) talking to Sunita Didi from the window. I could sense they were talking about me, but I couldn’t hear what.
Later my brother came. We share everything openly. I asked him, “What were you two talking about?”
He said, “She was asking about you—why Saajan has become so depressed. I didn’t know anything, so what could I say? She said if it’s about a girl, maybe she can help.”
Then he left for work. After some time, I went back to Didi. While talking casually, I asked, “What were you saying to my brother?”
Didi said, “Nothing.”
I replied, “You’re lying! Didn’t you say that if I have a matter with some girl, you’ll help?”
Didi asked, “How do you know? You weren’t here!”
I said, “I was watching from the window. I can read lips. I saw what you were saying. So, Didi, will you help me?”
She said, “Oh, so that’s it! Who’s the girl?”
“Didi, it’s Sudha!” And then I told her the whole story.
Didi said, “I’ll talk to her. Maybe she’ll listen to me.”
I said, “Please talk to her today itself!”
Didi smiled and said, “Getting impatient for Sudha, huh?”