29

Arjun and my meetings continued, and he gave me some more insights for the case I was investigating.

“Mr Rahul, nothing that has been created in the universe is without a twist. Every romance in the modern world and probably before that as well was like a coin, with two sides. On one side is peace, harmony and love and on the other side is stress, fights and destruction. Therefore, those love stories succeed which can balance the two sides well and move ahead; it’s not possible to enjoy the fruits of one side of the coin without enduring the pains of the other side.”

“Interesting, so were there problems in your relationship then?” I asked, thinking that may give me some opening into what happened with Karishma.

“Yes Mr Rahul. One of the things which happen in a relationship perhaps are when expectations start to develop, which is only natural as two people decide to start a relationship together. And quite often, these expectations cannot be met and that leads to friction. Even the smallest and minutest of things can lead to big fights which if not handled well can lead to the destruction of the beautiful relationship that was being created.” I listened to Arjun as he preached, as though I was an obedient student. He, of course, had seen it all and had a long time to introspect, and look into his own relationship. I couldn’t but ask him this, as what I had known so far was only about the love between them. There seemed to have been no strain and no fight. What Arjun would reveal to me next would open my eyes to the truth that love is not easy to handle.

“Mr Rahul, our relationship was not just about love, there were lots of fights. We were two independent individuals and somehow while love releases the soul and makes your emotions fly, it also binds you in a lot of compromise and stops you from doing things which were once a part of your routine. I will narrate two incidents to you among many, which will give you an indication that our love story was not perfect. One incident happened before we got caught and the next incident was after we got caught. The second is more significant as it created a tremendous strain in our relationship and probably led to the creation of the story that you are writing, Mr Rahul. Let me narrate the first one. It is a small incident and a cute one at that.

Some women can get upset over the smallest of things, and most times, it is pretty cute. But one learns of these things only with time and personal experience. No book in the world can teach you how to deal with a woman in such a situation and to understand what she really means. Once, we were planning to attend a formal party. She got ready at Reshma’s place and I was to pick her up from there. I reached Reshma’s place. Karishma was adding final touches to her ensemble in Reshma’s room as I waited in the living room. She came out, excited, and looking amazing. She asked me excitedly, “How do I look Arjun?”

“You look very beautiful K. Ready to go?”

“Wait, I just need a few minutes more, J.”

“We are already late baby, let’s go soon.”

“Just a few more minutes na, honey.”

I replied with a lot of enthusiasm at that time. “Okay, K! Take your time!” That was the mistake I made. That was one among the few lessons I learned about Karishma that day. When Karishma is getting ready for a party and wants to look her best, she really doesn’t care for what time the party starts; the party would start the time they reach the party, so she thinks. Another important lesson is when she says that she needs a few minutes to get ready in such a situation, it basically means one should brace oneself for a lot of minutes, the ordeal is not going to end anytime soon.

She came out after twenty minutes, much to my irritation with another question, which would lead to my next learning, “Do you think this footwear would go with this dress?”

I did not find much change in her as she came out now as compared to twenty minutes back. I wondered what she must have been doing. No way could be choosing footwear for take that long! Anyway, I focused on her question. I am not the best judge of the fashion related stuff, but I felt proud that she wanted my opinion on the same. I said with a lot of pride thinking she will appreciate my views on the subject, “it’s good but I think a contrast colour would suit better on this dress.”

“Arjun, what do you understand about colour combinations anyways. I think this looks just fine,” and off she went leaving me thinking why she asked me in the first place if she didn’t want to even consider my opinion even for a second. It was time for the second learning of the day. Whenever Karishma asks me such a question, she has actually made up her mind about what she wants to wear, but she just wants a second opinion. And she hardly listens to what I am saying at that moment, as basically she is having a conversation with herself on the subject and rarely listens to what I have to say. I am made to believe that she is asking my opinion, but she just wants me to say, ‘oh yes baby, you are right’.

She was away again for fifteen minutes to my complete astonishment of what she was doing inside. I passed my time flipping channels on the television not sure what I wanted to see. I asked her, “We are really getting late. How much more time?” I should have guessed the answer - which came much faster than she did. “Just a few more minutes.”

She came back after fifteen minutes, which now I understood meant a few minutes, “Arjun, do I look fat in this dress? Look from this angle.” I was really irritated by then and didn’t care whether she looked fat, thin or invisible, I just wanted to leave. I hated turning up late. She checked herself from every angle. I was so different; I would just wear a good suit and really ‘not worry how my angles look.

“You look just fine, let’s go now, we are very late, Karishma.”

“You really don’t care na how I look, do you? You didn’t even look at me properly. You just want to leave. Do you care if I make a fool of myself in front of people?” She said sounding a bit upset and definitely a high-pitch voice.

I felt proud again that she wanted my opinion, and I hoped this time she meant it. I said proudly again, “Ok, let me look properly, just turn around a little to let me get the angle right.”

“OK, thanks, here,” she turned around for me to get the angle right. I felt I was a film director watching how my leading lady looks in the scene being shot.

“Do you want my honest opinion?”

“What yaar, tell me the truth, why would you be dishonest with me,” she said suspiciously. I should have got the message, but sometimes you learn some things the hard way.

“Yes, I think you look a little fat from this angle.” That was it; perhaps I should not have been honest. I could have been more diplomatic, politically correct. And what did I just do, I called her fat, that’s the last thing a figure conscious woman would want to hear.

“What?” she asked. Now when some women ask you ‘what’ they have more often than not heard what you said, but want you to repeat it just to give you a second chance if you want to change your opinion, and if not the opinion at least the words that were used.

“I said, from this angle you look a bit fat,” I said defensively and in full honesty, she didn’t want me to be dishonest, or so I thought.

“You mean I look fat? How mean can you be! You have really screwed up my evening, I will have to change my dress na now,” she said that and a few tears rolled down her eyes, wiping out in the floods all her make up and the time that she had spent on that. I was confused as to what she wants me to do, what she wants me to say. The right answer probably would have been, as I learned, ‘this dress suits you just fine, you look beautiful from every angle’. However, I had committed a cardinal sin and I had to pay the price for it.

“K, I didn’t mean that, you look beautiful, but since you asked, I mentioned it, I wasn’t serious about it.”

“Now you are saying that just to please me and because you are getting late to go to that stupid party.” Reshma was enjoying our discussion at my expense.

“K, that party is not stupid! You were so enthusiastic about going there! I mean it. You look beautiful, didn’t I say that when I saw you first,” I said that and held her hands in mine, followed by a tight hug.

“Then why did you say I look fat?” I really didn’t know what to say. I had no clue how she would react. I looked at Reshma and only got a smile in exchange, as if she wanted me to commit another sin. I didn’t want the remaining make up to get washed away and we get delayed more.

“What are you thinking Arjun? Tell me na.”

“I am not thinking K, maybe I misread the angle a little as you were standing so far or maybe the puffiness of the dress made me feel so,” and it went on and on. It took me around ten minutes to please her then with a lot of submissions. Gosh, it’s much easier to please your boss at work who is upset than to please a woman who is.

“Are you sure I look okay?” she asked for the nth time.

“Yes, you look stunning and I mean it.” That probably settled it. We finally managed to leave in the next 30 minutes or so to reach the party really late, but after I was taught some really interesting lessons in dealing with sensitivities of Karishma. It was just the start of my PhD, and I was going to learn a lot of lessons as I proceeded in the relationship.”

“That was funny Arjun, really was,” as I couldn’t stop laughing the way Arjun described the incident to me.

“Yes, looking back in the hindsight, for sure it draws a laugh, but at that moment, I was really irritated, and if I wouldn’t have shown patience in those critical moments, God knows what would have happened.”

“Agree, I have learned a lot, will never call a woman fat in my life, will tell her this dress suits you and you look beautiful in this,” and we both laughed. “But that wasn’t a fight Arjun.”

“Well it was and it wasn’t but the next incident I am going to tell you will join the dots in the story when the complete book has been written.”

“Can’t wait to hear, Arjun.”