CHAPTER 15
1302 Words
“W
hat's going on in his life? I don't understand how he could have turned out this way.” Narmada handed a cup of coffee to her husband Prabhakar while sitting on the sofa.
"I got a call from his Professor. He informed me that several complaints have been filed against him. “He was a middle aged man with medium height and a face bearing a well-trimmed moustache. He wore thin rimmed spectacles, grey hair and a trimmed salt and pepper beard.
"Do you think we are losing our Son?" Narmada said, rather concerned.
"Don't worry! Such allegations can be made against anyone these days. I think these might be false accusations. We can't come to a conclusion right away! Let’s call our son Surya and find out what happened." If something’s wrong, we have to accept the fact there's our mistake too.
"Seriously! These days he is not informing us anything. He stays up all night and parties with random friends. If I ask him anything, he says some story and escapes. I expected him to be a great surgeon. How did he end up so spoiled?" she said and sighed as she placed the coffee cup on the table.
"We can only expect our sons to be good, we can't expect them to be great. In fact, we can't expect anything or judge anything. We just have to fulfil our responsibilities."
Prabhakar dialled Surya’a number and waited for Surya to answer.
Surya woke up just then from his bed in NIMS hospital. He was looking after Sandhya who was being treated in the ICU. He was there all night. Her condition was out of danger and she had been shifted to a private room. His phone beeped. It was a call from his father.
"I got a call from your HOD! He wanted to talk to us"
He was taken aback "What? The HOD!" What devious plans were going in his demonic mind? "Dad! It's not a big deal! Just trivial issues in the college. You don't need to worry.
"It's okay Son! He asked me to meet him casually. I will go and meet once"
"Dad! Why are you making a scene out of it? " Surya said apprehensively. Already he had so many things to deal with. Now, another one.
"What's happening? I hope you are not hiding anything from us."
"Dad, it's nothing like that!” Surya protested. "For God's sake, why don't you listen to me once?"
"Don't worry! I know your HOD."
"If you know him so well, just visit him at home. Why do you have to go to the hospital?"
Surya didn't understand if Saturn had anything against him. When he used to go to temple as a teenager, Surya's mother insisted that he pray to all the planetary deities. Surya was Agno-theist and never heeded to her mother. Now Saturn had cast its shadow on him.
He lost his patience, boldly said "Just do whatever you want to," and hung up.
His frustration seemed to have no boundaries. It was time to take his medicine.
He reached home and opened the cupboard! His beloved bottle of Blender’s Pride was looking at him. He broke the promise of staying sober he had made to his S.R. He opened it and drank directly from the bottle. He got a phone call from his SR. Surya instantly stopped drinking and attended the call.
"Surya! How are you?"
"I am fine bro! It's good to hear from you"
"Are you abstaining from alcohol?"
"Yeah bro! I didn't drink even a sip since that day. I am not even looking at it" Surya told looking at the whisky.
Meanwhile, his friend Faizaan came inside and opened the door. Surya had an idea. He asked Faizaan, "Bro! I need you to do small a favour"
"Tell bro! I can give my life for you"
“Dude! Why do you have to be so melodramatic?"
Faizaan chuckled and patted his shoulder "Tell me dude! What you want me to do?"
"That idiotic HOD called my father. I don't know what he told my dad."
"What shall we do now?"
"You have to pretend to be the HOD and talk to my parents. Tell them that it’s not possible to meet."
"Okay! We can convince your parents but how shall we convince your HOD? Your father has to meet him, doesn’t he?"
"I have another plan. I want you to dress up like my father and meet him"
"I think the whisky has gotten to your head! Stop drinking it for God's sake! Such things can happen only in Movies" Faizan exasperated.
"My HOD is not that smart to see through this"
"Don't underestimate him! You know how he played with you last time in his chamber with the blood report," Surya could hardly move with his hurt ego. "What if he has already met your parents?" Surya recalled his father's words.
"Yeah true! What shall we do now! How to stop the HOD?"
"Just admit everything to your parents"
"What the f**k? My parents don't even know that I drink" said Surya.
"Your life is a lie! Just think with your conscience. How long will you cheat your family?"
"I don't know man! I can do this as long as possible. I just can't bear them knowing all this"
"Your parents need to know the truth. You can't hide this forever. It's better if you tell them yourself. In fact, they will support you. Just think.'' Both of them rested in their sofas.
"Okay Man! I will tell everything to my father"
"Good Surya! I know it's quite difficult for you. But trust me, sometimes facing the truth is much harder. You can't burden yourselves with lies.” Faizaan walked out of the room.
Surya took his phone, tried to call his father but he couldn't muster the courage. So, he took a sip of Blenders Pride. He continued taking sips.
Faizaan entered the room saying "Did you call ..." then his voice faltered "your father?" as he saw Surya lying on the floor. His head was bleeding. "What the hell happened, Surya?" He immediately called an Ambulance. Soon, they were at the hospital.
Prabhakar entered the HOD’s room "Good morning, sir! I am Surya’s father"
"Please sit Prabhakar! I was thinking about you"
"You said that you wanted to tell me something important"
"Yes, I wanted to talk about your son"
Similar to how US dropped an atom bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the HOD did the same with his father's heart by narrating all the complaints against Surya.
Prabhakar was appalled by what he’d heard. "I can't believe this! My son is not like this."
"I can understand your concern for your kid. Every son is a gem to his parents. But sometimes we need to accept the truth."
"But sir, what shall I do?" said Prabhakar as the words choked in his throat.
"The disciplinary committee will meet soon. The committee will decide what to do"
"Sir! Can't you do anything?"
"Actually the matters are beyond my control. But if you promise that you can control him, I can talk about this matter to the board and cancel the meeting of the disciplinary committee"
"That would be really nice!" Prabhakar heaved a deep sigh of relief and thanked him.
"But remember, such things should not happen again!"
"Definitely sir! I will talk to my Son and make sure he changes his life style" he said with a promising smile.
"That's good!" Prabhakar stood from his seat, gave a warm handshake to the HOD and went out from the Chamber.
As soon as he came out, he got a call and he lifted it.
"Hello Uncle! It's Faizaan!”
“Hello Faizaan! Tell me what happened"
Faizaan flustered for a moment before breaking the news, took a few deep breaths and told "Uncle! Surya fainted in his room"
Prabhakar was shocked. "Faizaan! I just met the HOD! Tell me what happened"
"Uncle... Surya...” Faizaan faltered "drank too much alcohol and became unconscious." Prabhakar felt uneasy. He sat on a nearby chair in the corridor.
- Writer
