Unkindled Love

Chapter 4

Now, we're back to the main story. . .

It was the day the tenth standard board exam results were to be announced. After the last exam Gautami had told her mother that she had done fairly well. She was not the kind who would exaggerate, be it success or disappointment.
Abhi had told his mother that he had done extremely well and was also
expecting a rank.

More than Gautami, her friends who had bet on many things, were worried.
Even the teachers were wondering what rank Gautami and Abhi would get.
They were undoubtedly the most talented students in the school. Either way, the school would get the credit for getting a rank. At home, both Abhi and Gautami's Grandmothers were waiting to know the results too.

Gautami was the only one who was not at all perturbed. She was neither bent
upon doing better than Abhi nor did she look upon her success as a matter of
family honour and pride. It was true that she was brighter than Abhi, but exam results did not always reflect or depend upon intelligence.

Though Gautami was so young, she had the equanimity of an ascetic. Over the
years, she had sometimes scored more marks than Abhi, at others he had
beaten her scores. She had taken it in her stride. So, that day's outcome did not
hold any anxiety for her. But Abhi was restless and impatient for the results.

Holding a bakula in his palm, he was wondering why he was fascinated by this tiny flower. The flower was neither as beautiful as a rose nor had the fragrance
of a jasmine or champaka. And yet, it was always very special to him. It held an
inexplicable attraction for him.

Abhi remembered many ancient stories that connected the bakula with
romance. It seems in the olden days, when young men travelled far distances for many days, they would carry small objects in memory of their loved ones. The bakula flower was one such memento that these young men carried, because, even though it would dry up, it would still give out the same fragrance, like the beloved's love.

Without realizing it, Abhi had come to associate the bakula flower with
Gautami. It is true that they hardly ever spoke to each other, but it was equally
true that there was a strange attraction between them. Perhaps it was their age—adolescence—or the teasing of their friends or just the way their names
conjugated! (Uniqueness of Names, Guys!!) Of course, it was Abhi who was more attracted towards Gautami than she was to him. Though Gautami was the more extroverted of the two, but he often wondered what was in Gautami's mind, he wasn't outspoken enough to ask her.

Only Abhi and his Grandmother were at home. His grandmother was aware that the results were due to come and so she thought she would light ghee lamps to please the gods. There was a lot of ghee at home and since Abhi would not eat it, she used it for the lamps.

There was a knock on the door and when she saw it was the postman bearing a telegram, she became very nervous. It reminded her of her husband's death. For her, a telegram would always bring bad news. Holding the telegram in her hand, she prayed to god to forgive her for using the rancid ghee and promised that she would use the fresh one, if this telegram did not turn out to bear bad news!

In a trembling voice, she called Shrikant and handed the telegram to him.
'Abhi, here is a telegram. See whether it is from Sholapur'

Sholapur was where her daughter Suhana (Abhi's Sister) stayed with her
husband, Krishna. She could think only of her daughter. Her horizon was
extremely limited.

Abhi was equally curious to know what it was. He opened it quickly, glanced through it and said to his mother in a delighted voice, 'Avva, this telegram is from the Maharashtra SSC Board. I have stood second in the entire Board.'

She did not understand what that meant. All she was interested in was whether he was first in the school.

'Abhyudaya, are you first in the school or not? Have you scored more than Gautami? Who has taken the first place?'
Abhi smiled at his mother's ignorance.
'Avva, I have stood second in the entire state and ought to be first in the Bandra
Centre and of course our school. I don't know about Gautami, but she wouldn't
have scored more than me! You know, now I can get a full scholarship and you
need not struggle for my education.'
Abhi was very happy indeed.