The Meticulous Plan

By Sheela K. Ramasesha

Kunal, the son of a poor daily wager in India has big dreams. He wants to study and become an engineer. He even fancies going to the USA for higher education with his girl friend, Deepa. He has no means to pay his tuition at college, yet he has a strong urge to make his dreams come true.

Kunal, unknowingly, gets sucked into drug peddling during his initial years in college and is kidnapped by the kingpin of the business. Staying inside the business, Kunal has a meticulous plan to return to normal life. He manages to marry Deepa and also send her to USA for higher education.

While Kunal is making his escape from the business, his boss gets killed. After many years and quite by chance, he meets the slain bosss son and wife. What ensues is a highly emotional exchange of words and blame game. Again, Kunal has to stand up for what he believes in.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Apr 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491729090

Sheela K. Ramasesha

Sheela Kollali Ramasesha, currently a Research Scientist at Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian Institute of Science, has a PhD degree in Solid State Chemistry. This is her first fiction book although she has published extensively in international scientific journals. She and her husband, Professor Ramasesha, live in Bangalore, India. They have travelled widely and have lived in many countries around the world. They have one daughter, Krupa Ramasesha who is a research scientist at UC Berkeley, USA.

Book preview

1

If one sees the life that Kunal is now leading, with a pretty and educated wife, a well-groomed and college-going son, it would be difficult for an outsider to guess either his upbringing or the situations he has been through.

Aseem rode off. While going he raised his hand and signalled to another man standing at the entrance of the airport. Kunal wanted to escape from there. He set out towards the taxi stand. He noticed that two more people had started walking behind him. He walked faster and they did too. Before he could call out a taxi a tall bulky man came in front of him saying politely, Sir, you need to enter that building. Kunal realized that he was being watched and followed. He was in trouble, deep trouble! Ishaan was right. Kunal had no choice but go to Mumbai.

The flight took off from Bangalore airport. Since this was his first flight, Kunal did not know much about the procedures in the aircraft. The passenger in the next seat helped him with fastening the seat belt and opening the front tray for snacks. As the flight landed at Mumbai the co-passengers began collecting their hand luggage and leaving the aircraft. Kunal also got up from his seat. A crew member rushed to him and asked him to wait for a while. No, not this guy too! The crew member accompanied Kunal to the door of the aircraft and told him, Please go straight to the exit door and somebody will guide you to your next destination. Have a good day, Sir. Kunal knew that he was being followed and if he took a turn anywhere, he would be redirected. Kunal decided to just do what he was asked to do because he was on unfamiliar turf. He walked straight to the exit of the airport. He recognized in the crowd the friendly co-passenger who was on the flight. They waved out to each other. Just as Kunal was turning away from the man, from the corner of his eyes, he saw the man signalling to somebody standing outside the airport. Kunal realized he was in a well-networked gang of wrong doers in the society. He cursed himself for having done this job.

How could I mess up my life so badly? How could I? What will I tell my parents or Deepa? Oh God! I wish I had listened to Mr. Patil and stopped this job right then. He felt like crying out, but who would hear him? Nobody, just nobody.

This is how Kunal got trapped in the Mumbai campus. Now, he had to find a way of getting out of the clutches of dangerous and ruthless people. The issue was not just getting out of the campus but also staying alive after that.

2

It was a bright summer’s day in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. After the day’s work, Kunal drove home in his Audi. He worked as an office manager in Princeton Medical Centre. He was in charge of maintaining the records of the patients admitted into the centre. His team John, Eric, Diana, Ashish, Leo, and Parvati enjoyed working with him. The team members were a bunch of efficient and smart people. Kunal was a gentle and soft-spoken boss.

Kunal lived in a reasonably big house on Hun Road, off route 206. The step-in room had a large well-framed Batik painting hanging right in front that welcomed the guests into a house of happiness. The painting depicted a village scene with pretty, young girls playing on a swing and the smile on their faces lightened the moods of everyone seeing it. The living room was very well festooned and kept absolutely neat. The many sculptures, paintings, and small artefacts that adorned the room were collected from all over the world. He visited museums and art galleries during the family vacations in Europe, Asia and within United States. The carpet with burgundy and yellow flowers came from Kashmir. There were a couple of sculptures imported from Italy and paintings from Paris. The beautiful kimono-clad dolls from Japan stood on a chest-high cupboard overlooking the room. Chinese silk pillow covers decorated the sofa. The sofa set was made of expensive red wood. Brass statues were kept on ebony corner tables.

The family was using the large room on the right of the living room as a den. A huge LCD TV was hung on the wall and a few futons were distributed around the room. To the right of the den was the dining room with an open kitchen. The dining room had a large glass-top dining table with eight elegant chairs. A tablecloth with lace work from Belgium covered the dining table. Near the wall was a cabinet containing silverware. The cabinet was overflowing with silver tumblers, and dinner and tea sets. Some of the silver plates were antique pieces. On the other side of the dining room was another cabinet exclusively for the china sets. Kalamkari and Madhubani paintings decorated the walls of the dining room. The kitchen was well ventilated and well furnished.

The passage to the left of the den led to two bedrooms on either side of it. There were two more rooms and a large hall on the first floor. The hall had a table tennis table. From the deck door in the den, one could enter the backyard of the property. The backyard had many trees and a small kitchen garden where Deepa liked to grow vegetables during summers. Since Kunal and his family enjoyed swimming, there was a large pool with all accessories.

After going through the house, one wondered, How could Kunal, with his salary of $70k, afford to have this lifestyle?

3

Kunal liked to sit in the backyard browsing through the newspaper with a cup of masala tea after work. He read the editorials very carefully so that he would have valid points to make during conversations with friends and colleagues. Because of his reading and ability to retain information, he would be a star at parties and people listened to his point of view. Today’s newspaper made him a bit unhappy; the editorial was on drugs and how children were being affected.

Kiran returned from the university and looked for his dad. He yelled out,

Mom, where is dad?

Deepa replied, He is in the garden with his cup of masala tea.

Kiran rushed out of the deck door. Kiran was a sophomore at Princeton University and had plans to major in political science. He was a tall and attractive lad with quicksilver characteristics. His facial features were similar to his mother’s and his body-build was like his dad’s. He always dressed in stylish cloths. Kiran was a straight ‘A’ grade student in school. At the university, he was doing well with three B+ and two A grades for the two semesters in the freshman year.

While Kunal made sure that his son had enough books to read and was generous with money, he watched the friends with whom Kiran was spending time. He did not want history to repeat with his son!

Kiran had a big group of friends across departments and disciplines. Even though he was born and brought up in Princeton, he participated actively in the foreign students’ association. With a kind heart, Kiran was ever so willing to help newcomers on campus.

Hi dad!

Hello son. How was your day?

Good dad. We had two hours of lectures today. Most of my classmates are back except Lisa and Pat. Pat is sick with stomach flu. Lisa is busy with her sister’s wedding. We will have a small party on Thursday because she is bringing cake and cookies from home for us!

Kiran continued, Dad, I also went to the international students centre. I met a guy, Sanjay, from Mumbai. He didn’t seem to have much money and his stay is arranged for a few weeks with Santosh, another Indian student. He looked very sincere and smart. He was asking about doing a part-time job to support himself. He paused to see if his dad was listening.

Good, now you have another friend.

Yep. I felt a little bad, though. His father passed away when he was a toddler. He doesn’t remember anything of his father. His mother’s brother brought him up.

Oh, that’s very sad.

I don’t know how I can help him.

How would you want to help him? Kunal sensed that Kiran had a plan for Sanjay.

I was wondering if we could accommodate him in the upstairs bedroom for a semester. I am sure he will find a job by that time and will make arrangements for himself. What do you say, dad?

Let us talk to your mom and see how she feels about it.

Kunal and Kiran started walking towards the house. They both were in their own thoughts. Deepa was in the kitchen trying to get dinner ready.

As the men walked into the dining room, Deepa asked, What shall we have for dinner? Roti or rice?

Anything is okay, mom, replied Kiran quickly. Deepa knew something was bothering him.

What is it, Kiran? What’s bothering you?

Mom, I met a guy from Mumbai today. He is looking for a place to stay and does not have much money with him

Okay? said Deepa. She was unsure of where the conversation was going.

Kiran came to the point straight away. I was wondering if we could let him stay in our upstairs bedroom for a few months until he gets some kind of financial support.

Deepa did not know what to say and looked at Kunal.

Mom, please

Kiran, you hardly know this guy. What is his name?

Sanjay. He seems very smart and I feel we should help him out.

Why are you feeling so strongly about him? I have no problem with his staying here, but can we meet him once before taking a decision? Bring him along for dinner tonight.

Kiran rode away on his bicycle to invite Sanjay for dinner. Kunal and Deepa were wondering why Kiran had grown so close to Sanjay in just one meeting. They were eager to meet Sanjay to know what it was about him that had touched Kiran so deeply. They prepared a menu for dinner. Kunal went out to buy ice cream and apple-pie for dessert. The dinner table was set around 7.30 pm.

Kiran went into Santosh’s house and asked,

Sanjay, have you settled down here?

Yes, sort of. Still have a bit of jetlag. After meeting you in the afternoon, I went to my department. I met another student, John, who will be in my class. He is from Colorado. He seemed very friendly and talkative.

I am glad you found a classmate. I came here to take you home for dinner.

I don’t want to bother your parents. I will eat here.

I have told my parents that I will bring you for dinner and they are looking forward to meeting you.

Are you sure?

Yes.

Okay, give me a minute.

Sanjay borrowed Santosh’s bicycle and began riding with Kiran. He struggled a bit to cover the stretch of the Washington Road that was steep. However, he told himself that he would get used to it soon. At the Nassau Street junction, they turned left to go towards Route 206. After riding about 1.5 miles on Route 206, they turned on to Edgerstone road that led to Hun Road.

Kiran called out to his parents, Mom, dad, Sanjay is here.

Deepa and Kunal came to the living room to meet Sanjay. After the handshakes, Sanjay was taken to the den. Deepa went into the kitchen to get orange juice for everybody. As they settled down in the den, Kunal asked,

Sanjay, how do you like Princeton?

It is a great place for academics, Sir.

Where do you come from?

Mumbai.

Which part of Mumbai?

Matunga.

What does your father do?

He had his own business, sir. He passed away when I was a year old. He actually died a week after my first birthday. I know very little of him. I grew up in my uncle’s place.

Sorry to hear that, Sanjay. Where does your uncle work?

My uncle worked in BEST, the transport providers in Mumbai.

I know.

How do you know so much about Mumbai?

I lived there for more than 5 yrs before I came here. I used to be quite familiar with Mumbai.

Oh, that’s nice to hear. My uncle was an office superintendent at BEST and he retired a few years ago. My aunty is a schoolteacher. They do not have children. They have been more than parents to me.

What’s your mother’s name? asked Deepa.

Gunjan.

And your dad’s? enquired Kunal.

Rakshak, Sir.

Kunal knew a couple when he was in Mumbai whose names were Rakshak and Gunjan. He wondered if it could be the same couple. He dismissed the thought because that Rakshak was a healthy man and could not have died that early.

Sanjay glanced around the dining room and kitchen. The dining table was looking attractive with a spread of familiar food on it. He realized how much he had missed home-cooked meal.

Deepa started serving pooris and palak panneer onto everybody’s plate. She told Sanjay to feel free and serve himself whatever he felt like eating. During dinner, Kiran and Sanjay spoke about the university, the facilities on campus, the grades, and other academic matters. Kunal and Deepa listened to the conversation intently just to assess Sanjay’s attitude. They inferred that he was a serious and hard-working kid.

After dinner, Kiran and Sanjay moved to the den with their dessert plates. Kunal and Deepa cleared the dining table and put the used dishes into the dishwasher. By the time they came to the den, the boys had finished the dessert and Sanjay was getting ready to leave. He walked up to Deepa and Kunal and said,

I really enjoyed the food. Thank you very much. I must leave now.

Kiran told his parents, I will ride with Sanjay up to Washington road. He isn’t familiar with Princeton. As the two boys rode away, Deepa and Kunal sat on the swing in the front yard. They were satisfied with their meeting with Sanjay.

Sanjay seems like a good and decent boy, Deepa observed.

Yeah, I also liked the boy. He is serious about his studies and has a good attitude.

They sat quietly gazing at the stars. Kiran came back after about half an hour. The three of them started walking into the house.

How did you both like Sanjay? I told you he is a good guy.

Deepa summed up their thoughts, We liked him. He can stay with us for a while. He can have his breakfast and dinner with us and manage lunch outside.

Kiran hugged Deepa saying, Thanks mom, thank you very much.

Next morning Kiran had a few classes to attend. After lunch, he rushed towards the electrical engineering department to meet Sanjay. Kiran called out, Hi, Sanjay.

Hi Kiran.

How is your day going?

Not so good. I met a few professors in the morning to look for open positions in their groups. But no luck, so far.

I am sure something will work out, don’t worry about it.

I hope so. I had a wonderful time last night. Thanks for that.

We also had a good time. Why don’t you stay with us until you find a suitable fellowship or a part-time job?

What? Are you kidding? What would your parents think?

I have spoken to them about it and they are okay with the idea.

Are you sure?

Yes, 100% sure.

Sure, Kiran, I liked your home atmosphere. It will be a pleasure and a big help to me.

Sanjay, when would you like to move in?

I will talk to Santosh and let you know tomorrow.

Fine. It is fair that you settle your bills with Santosh appropriately. I will see you tomorrow then.

Thanks again.

Next day, after the classes, Sanjay was eagerly waiting for Kiran. When they met, Sanjay said, I had a chat with Santosh about my moving out of his place. He is okay with it.

I will bring my mom’s car to Santosh’s house at 6 pm on Friday. If you keep your things ready, we can move them in the car.

Thanks, Kiran. I really don’t know how to thank you.

Don’t worry about it. We are all friends here. Kiran had a sense of satisfaction as he walked towards his department.

Friday, the day went by as usual for everybody in the house. Deepa came home at 5 pm and relaxed for a while. Kunal came home in his Audi, picked up a cup of masala tea, and went to the backyard with the newspapers while Kiran drove Deepa’s car to Santosh’s house to pick up Sanjay.

As Kiran parked the car in the driveway of his house, Deepa came out to greet Sanjay and he felt good about it. Deepa instructed Kiran, Show Sanjay to his room. Leave his luggage there and come for dinner.

Okay, mom.

Thanks, aunty said Sanjay shyly. The two young men carried the suitcases to the bedroom upstairs. Sanjay looked out through the window of the bedroom. He liked the big backyard with lots of greenery and the swimming pool. He saw Kunal sitting near the pool with the newspapers. He was very happy to move into this house and hoped that everything would work out well for him. In a flash, a picture of his family back home came before his eyes and he was in deep thoughts.

Everybody assembled around the dinner table. Kiran helped his mom put the plates and filled the water jug. There was pasta with cooked spinach and potato for dinner. The family liked to eat different kinds of food like pastas, spaghetti, noodles, ravioli, pizza, and many different kinds of breads. Even among Indian food, Deepa cooked south Indian, north Indian, Maharashtrian and Gujarati dishes. Kunal himself was a good cook. On some occasions, he would take over the kitchen and Deepa had entry into the kitchen only for eating.

Deepa told Sanjay, We are fond of eating all types of food, and I hope you are okay with it. We are vegetarians, how about you?

We are vegetarians too, aunty. I also enjoy eating different kinds of food. In Mumbai, occasionally I would go to Chinese and Thai restaurants for dinner with my friends. My mother is a great cook. She used to cook south Indian dishes in addition to our regional food.

After dinner, the two boys moved to the den and switched on the TV. They started watching a sitcom that Kiran liked and Sanjay had also seen a couple of episodes in Santosh’s place. Deepa and Kunal were busy clearing up the kitchen and dining room. Suddenly, they heard loud laughter from outside. Sanjay’s laughter sounded very familiar to Kunal; he had heard that several times before. It was a very distinct laughter that he could never forget. It sounded like Rakshak’s. He wondered if Sanjay was indeed Rakshak’s son. If so, Rakshak has been dead for a long time! He stood still for quite some time. Why am I feeling so relieved to learn that Rakshak passed away more than 20 years ago? He did not want to jump to any conclusion. He decided to watch Sanjay closely before asking him anything.

4

Every Friday after dinner, the family enjoyed sitting around and narrating the happenings of the week that had gone by. They watched a movie together or played a board game or listened to music or simply spoke. Midway through all this, Kunal would make coffee or cocoa for everybody. Then they would continue with their activities while sipping the drink. Kiran would try to cheat his parents during board games and there would be light-hearted arguments among them. All in all, Friday night was very special for the family. Kunal made sure that he knew all about Kiran’s friends during the conversations. At times Deepa would wonder why Kunal asked so many questions about Kiran’s friends and asked him that on many occasions. Kunal would just smile as he had his own reasons for doing so.

This Friday too, Kiran had picked up a Jackie Chan’s movie. He turned on the DVD player and everybody settled down on the futons comfortably. Sanjay and Kiran were deeply engrossed in the plot of the movie. Kunal did not make coffee that day and seemed very aloof. Sanjay’s presence deterred Deepa and Kiran from asking Kunal anything even though they had noticed his remoteness. After the movie, everybody went to his or her respective rooms. As Deepa and Kunal entered their room, she turned towards him. He did not look well and his face was pale.

What is wrong, Kunal? You don’t seem to be yourself since dinner time. Are you sick?

I am fine. I have a little bit of headache.

Why don’t you sleep? Sleep will do you good.

Deepa pulled the silk Jaipuri razai on him as he stretched on the bed. Deepa was tired with the day’s activities and she fell asleep almost instantly, but Kunal could not close his eyes. As soon as he closed his eyes, he would see Rakshak and his men. He finally resorted to a sleeping pill.

Kunal woke up a little later than 9 am the next morning. By the time he came out of his room, Kiran had already finished dusting and vacuuming the house. Kunal walked into the kitchen to pick up his morning cup of tea and noticed that Deepa was making parathas for breakfast. On weekdays, since everybody is busy rushing out for work in the morning, they ate boxed cereals, orange juice and cut fruits for breakfast. During weekends, Deepa made sure that they had a cooked breakfast. The family would look forward to the heavy weekend breakfast.

How are you feeling now, Kunal?

What is wrong with dad, mom? Kiran also came into the kitchen.

He had a headache last night, replied Deepa.

Kunal tried to smile and said, I am okay now. There is nothing to worry. Let us do the weekly shopping after breakfast. In the afternoon, we can help Sanjay organize his room.

Fine, dad. Are you sure you want to come out?

No problem, son. I will come. I see you have already completed the housecleaning work yourself. You could have woken me up.

It’s okay, dad. You didn’t look very well last night after dinner. So, I wanted you to rest a little longer.

Thanks, son. Please call Sanjay for breakfast.

The family got together around the dining table. Kunal pulled out a carton of orange juice from the refrigerator while Kiran picked up glasses, cups, and plates from the cabinet. Sanjay was observing the activities in the house. He wanted to be a little more familiar with the house and the people before trying to help in the household chores. Deepa served hot parathas and raitha to everybody. Kiran poured out orange juice in glasses and Kunal brought out the coffee pot. Sanjay and Kiran ended up eating three parathas each. They felt really full after breakfast and were not willing to get off from their chairs. Nevertheless, Deepa reminded them about the weekly shopping and slowly they started clearing the table while Deepa went to her room to get ready.

It was nearing 11 o’clock by the time they set out for shopping. Kiran drove to the Montgomery Township Supermarket, which was a 15 min drive from their house. This week, they were going to pick up a little more than their usual quota of groceries because of Sanjay. It took almost one hour to complete the shopping and the check out. The Indian groceries store on route 27 was their next stop. That evening they were planning to visit a friend’s place in New Brunswick area. Peter and Asha were friends of Deepa since her Columbia University days. Kunal also liked the couple and once a month they all met either in Princeton or in New Brunswick for dinner.

After lunch, Sanjay decided to unpack his suitcases and organize his room. Kiran and Kunal also offered to help him while Deepa decided to start cooking for the party. Kunal had a hidden agenda in offering to help Sanjay unpack. He was eager to see if Sanjay had his parents’ photograph somewhere in his luggage. Sanjay’s suitcases mostly contained books and his clothes with some cooking vessels. All the books were arranged on the bookshelf near the window. The clothes were put in the closet. From the pile of clothes, Sanjay pulled out a photograph. Kunal was very impatient to see it and he almost pulled it out of Sanjay’s hand. Sanjay said, My family photograph.

Really. Kunal pointed at a woman in the photograph and asked, Is this your mother?

Yes, sir. The other two are my aunt and uncle.

Kunal stared at the photograph in total disbelief. The woman was indeed Gunjan. He had known her and her husband Rakshak when he was in Mumbai. In fact, I had attended Rakshak’s son’s first year birthday. That means I had attended Sanjay’s first birthday! What a coincidence! Rakshak is really dead for over twenty years; unbelievable. He rushed downstairs and he could hardly speak. What would have happened if I had learnt that Rakshak has been dead for so many years? Who knows? Who knows . . . .  ?

Deepa got ready to go to her friend’s place and called out for Kunal, Kunal, aren’t you ready yet? We need to leave soon.

When she saw Kunal, she got a shock. His face was all flushed and he did not look well at all. His eyes did not have the usual glow.

What happened? Why are you looking so sick?

I feel a little tired. Can you guys go to Asha’s place? I will rest at home.

We will all stay home. I will call up Asha and tell her you are not well.

Kunal wanted to be alone for some time and regain his wisdom, You all should go. I just need some rest, that’s it.

You haven’t been yourself since last night; maybe you should see a doctor tomorrow.

Okay, I will. For now, please go and enjoy yourselves.

Deepa called out to the boys and very soon, they were all on their way to Peter and Asha’s place. Kunal was happy to be home alone. He picked up a cup of coffee and sat in the den. His mind was full of thoughts about Rakshak.

5

Kamala, give this dress to your son, Jayshri told Kamala as the eight year-old Kunal was finishing cleaning the car.

Kunal grew up in a small town, Tumkur, in Karnataka state. His father, Kishore, worked as a daily wager in paddy fields. Kamala, Kunal’s mother, was a maidservant in Jayshri’s house. Jayshri had given the small house in the corner of the property to Kamala’s family. Kamala and Kishore together made enough money to feed themselves and their son. They had good intentions of educating Kunal because they wanted him to have a better life than them.

Jayshri and her husband, Vijay, were very fond of the kid, Kunal. They were impressed by his learning abilities and brightness. In the morning, before going to school, he would wash Vijay’s car. They insisted that he attended school regularly and enquired about his studies frequently. With their help and support, Kunal managed to do well in his twelfth grade. He also got admission in a good engineering college in Bangalore and Vijay encouraged him to join that college. However, due to the sudden death of Vijay’s father they had to move to their hometown in Maharashtra. Before leaving, Vijay was kind enough to pay Kunal’s first year tuition fees and 10,000 rupees for his living. Kishore had saved 20,000 rupees through his entire life and he gave that away to Kunal.

Kunal joined the engineering college and started living in the hostel. He knew that with the money he had he would be fine for the first year. Engineering is a four-year course and he did not know how he would manage his tuition and living expenses for the second year. Getting a part-time job right in the first year was inevitable for him. He looked out for job opportunities. He spotted a tuition centre near his hostel. The centre would help students from class 9 and 10. Mr. Dinesh, the owner of the centre, after hearing of Kunal’s situation, decided to give him a chance. However, he would not pay Kunal full salary, as he had no prior experience in teaching children. Kunal thought it was a win-win situation for both the parties as the centre would save money on a regular teacher and he would get a part-time job. He agreed to teach mathematics and science from 6 to 8 am every day. There were 20 children in his class and he started enjoying his time with them.

Kunal knew he had to manage his expenses within the 3,000 rupees salary he was making at the tuition centre. He put the 30,000 rupees he had in the bank as fixed deposit and was not going to touch it unless it was absolutely necessary.

6

The first semester went by uneventfully. During the semester he visited his parents only once for the dasara festival. He was forced to go home because the tuition centre and his hostel closed for a week. Other than that break, he worked very hard. His distinction with 80% marks in the first semester was proof enough for his dedication. He was happy with the result and shared his joy with his parents. He made a special trip to Tumkur during a weekend. He even bought a cotton sari for his mother and a shirt for his father. The parents were overwhelmed by this, as they had not bought any new clothes for themselves in years. Kamala always wore the old saris given by Jayshri and Kishore wore Vijay’s old clothes. Post Vijay and Jayshri now there was a new family in the front house. Kamala and Kishore liked them but the relationship was not yet like what they had with Vijay’s family. Kunal also missed talking to Vijay.

Kamala prepared a festive meal for Kunal. After dinner, Kunal sat on the stone bench under the mango tree. He looked back at his house and thought about his parents. They lived in this single room house for almost 30 years. They faced hardships every single day of their lives with very little money. Both his parents worked hard but made just enough money for two square meals a day. If ever they bought any new clothes it would be for Kunal. Mother never thought of buying any jewellery for herself or father never wished to go out with mother anytime. How long should they live like this? How long? He wondered.

The second semester started and continuing with the tuitions job was not an option anymore. This time Kunal was a little relaxed because he knew how to teach children. In his timetable for this semester, he put aside some time to mingle and socialize with other students in his class and hostel. He made a few friends and he would go to their rooms for chitchatting in the evenings. The friends also liked Kunal because he would help them with their assignments. They regretted not knowing Kunal in the first semester!

Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, Kunal had practical classes. In the first practical class, they were introduced to various machines and equipments in the laboratory. In the second class, they were given a small experiment of making a circuit. Most of the students finished the experiment and informed the instructor that they would submit their practical report before the next class. Four or five studious students wanted to finish writing the lab report before leaving the class. The hall was almost empty and this set of students was busy writing up the report. After Kunal submitted his report, he looked around the hall. His eyes located an attractive girl among the students in the class. She was a tall girl wearing a light yellow dress. She had reasonably long and thick hair that was held together with a clip. Just as Kunal was leaving the hall, she submitted her report to the instructor and started collecting her things to leave. Kunal felt like talking to her as she walked past him in the corridor but held himself back. He had not spoken to any girl in the college so far and today he felt nervous talking to this girl. He went back to the hostel and continued