In Search of Happiness

A Short Story by G.S.Vasukumar

Avinash came back home from abroad after a gap of six years. During that time, he realized how much he loved Suman. They had been good friends from their childhood days. Now, he wanted to propose to her and he knew that she wouldn’t say, No.

“Ma, you know, how much I missed you and your delicious cooking…I missed you and many other things.” Avinash said.

“I know.” said his mother, blushing in joy.

“Ma, does Sanjay come by?”

“Yeah, he does, sometimes.”

“And Suman?”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you about her. She got married sometime back….”

He was really shocked hearing this. He felt all his dreams were shattered and as though his world had come to an end.

“Avi, are you alright?” She asked shaking him.

“Oh, yes, but no one told me about this?” He said trying hard to suppress his sadness and forcing a smile on his face.

“Even if you had known, you couldn’t have attended her marriage. Now, she also has cute little daughter by name, Neethu, but god has been very unkind to her.”

“Unkind to her?”

“Yes, her husband had left her and went away somewhere, and he never returned back. It is almost three years since this had happened. There is no trace of him.” She said with a sigh.

“So sad. Where is she now?” He asked.

“In her in-law’s place in Kolkata.” She replied.

After dinner, he was lost in his own thoughts, lying on his bed in his room, staring at the ceiling above. He decided to go and meet her. Next day, he met Sanjay and along with him he went and met Suman’s best friend Anushree, and got her Mumbai address from her. He left for Mumbai in the train.

“I’m very glad to see you, Avi.” said Suman, smiling at him.

“So I am,” He said. “But really sad to see you in this way.”

“It’s all my fate!” She sighed, "Sit down. I’ll go and bring something for you to eat and drink.”

He saw her marriage photo on the top of the T.V stand. He went and had a closer look. His face was somewhat familiar to him. He had seen him before somewhere. But where? He couldn’t recall.

“Ma!” cried a cute little girl coming home. She kept staring at him.

“Come here! Little one, what’s your name?” He asked, smiling at her.

“Her name is Neethu!” Suman cried from the kitchen.

“Neethu, come here!” He said, taking out a chocolate and handing it to her. She came and sat on his lap.

“What are you doing, Neethu?” He asked.

“I am eating this chocolate sitting on your lap.” She replied.

“Oh, no. I mean in which class are you studying in?” He asked, laughing at her.

“U.K.G.” She said. “And you?”

“L.K.G.” He said.

She broke into peals of laughter. Suman came with two cups of coffee and some biscuits and fruits.

“What happen to him?” Avinash asked, sipping coffee from his cup.

“Don’t know? Maybe, he is dead or something bad had happened to him? I…I really don’t know?” She said, with a drop of tear in her eye.

“Suman, I didn’t tell you this before…I…I love you and would like to marry you.”

“Marry me?!? Are you crazy or what?” She asked. “Please don’t try to be sympathetic towards me.”

“No, I’m serious.” He said “I came back to India thinking only about this and I want to do it.” He added.

“But..”

“Suman, it wasn’t your fault. You should move on in your life.” He said, leaning forward and taking her hand into his.

“I..I need some time to think about it.” She said.

“O.k.I’ll come back after sometime.Please make up your mind by then.”

“O.k.” She said.

Avinash went to Mumbai to meet his friend. She had sent her wedding snaps by email to him while he was away in America. He gave her a gift.

“Why did you bother to bring this?” Pooja asked, taking it. “Keep talking with my husband. I’ll go and prepare dinner.”

“O.k.” He said “Why did you leave Suman?” He asked, looking at him.

“Suman? About whom are you talking?” He said.

“Don’t try to act smart. You know too well about whom I am talking. If you don’t tell me then I’ll tell everything to Pooja. I am sure that you don’t want me to do that, don’t you?”

“Please don’t tell her..I..I..Had run into debts up to my neck over there, so I had to leave it. I couldn’t take her and the child along with me. I came here thinking I would settle afresh here and then get them here, but everything happened so fast…”

“…that you even forgot that you were married and had a child?” He added.

“Please don’t tell about this to Pooja!”

“So, what about Suman?”

“She…she can marry someone and…”

“It’s not as easy as you said. Even if someone does come forward to marry her, he would have the doubt that you may walk back into her life someday.”

“That will never happen. I swear!”

“If at all I keep silent then it is only for one reason. I don’t want my good friend Pooja to suffer or undergo any pain, but what if you do the same thing to her too?”

“I swear, I won’t!”

“I’ll take your word!”

Some days later, Avinash went to meet Suman. Then:-

“Well, Suman, have you decided?”

“Yes.”

“And your answer is?”

“Well, you can marry someone else and live a happy life. Why marry me and suffer?”

“Because I love you!”

“Ok, then. I will marry you, but on one condition that we will have no more kids and you will treat Neethu as your own daughter.”

“Sure. Anything else?”

“Nothing.I’m very happy today.Even I too loved you from a long time, but I couldn’t tell you. I thought you would tell me, if you too loved me, but that never happened.”

“Well, I told you now.” He said, taking her into his arms.

The End