The Awakening (story)

The IIT campus had witnessed many love stories, but Kirti and Yash were known as the best couple, the love birds.
Final year was the peak anxiety time, all were waiting for the best companies to come for campus selection. Kirti and Yash were the luckiest one, both got selected by Google(the dream company of many).
Life was so blessed, smooth and easy. Kirti was the only child of her parents, very beautiful, intelligent and smart.  Her bob cut hair suited her personality.
Yash’s father was a Jamindar in one of the villages of UP (Jamindari pratha still exists in many villages there).
Kirti’s parents also liked this humble, good natured Yash. Her mother was a little upset with the fact that it will be an intercaste marriage, but later she accepted it too.
One day Kirti came back from office looking very tired and bit upset.
She came and sat with her father and said,” Papa, there is something to share with you.”
Her father turned and said,” Tell beta, I am always there for you.”.
Kirti said,” Papa you already know that Yash’s parents are very orthodox, now they are insisting him to get married, to a girl of their choice, but Yash is upset, he wants to marry me, but at the same time he is worried that in his village, no one will accept intercaste marriage. He is in a dilemma Papa, he cant make his parents sad, can’t let them down and on the other hand, he is worried  about me also.”
Her father was silent for a moment and then asked,” What did he decide  ultimately? ”
“Papa, he says, that he will marry that girl, just to please his parents, she will stay with them in the village, here we both will be happy together. ”
Kirti’s father sat up straight and shouted,” Don’t be an emotional fool, can’t you see he is cheating you, can’t you see he is buttering his bread on both sides.”
Kirti also sat up straight and said,” You are not getting it Papa, I don’t have any problem with this adjustment, the fact is, we love each other and the rest doesn’t  matter.”
By this time her mother also joined them and was stunned to hear this conversation.  She said,” Your Papa is correct, this is a wrong decision.”
Kirti got up and said,” You know, this is known as generation gap” and walked out of the room.
Her mother started sobbing, her father sat quitely and then said,”She won’t understand anything now, let her do what she wants. Time is the biggest teacher, she will understand it one day.  But now we can’t leave her alone.”
They went to Kirti, she was also sobbing.
Her father said,” Do whatever you think is correct. We are always with you.”
Kirti was happy, hugged them and said,” Thanks for understanding us.”
Yash went to his village, got married, came back and told Kirti,” Her name is Kamala, her father is very rich, she has done her BA (hindi), short heighted, bit plum, long hairs, average looking, nothing like you Kirti, we both are made for each other”.
Everthing was back to normal, they both started going for movies, dinners as usual.
Days passed.
Of late Kirti started noticing that Yash was going to his village often. Every time he has got a new excuse.  It’s a land settlement, mother is sick, time to collect  harvest money, renovation of their house and so on.
His phone was also busy all the time, lunch time he would sit alone and chat over phone for a long time with a smiley  face.
One evening, as both of them sat talking, Yash suddenly said,” Kirti why don’t you grow your hairs, long hair looks so good”.
Kirti stared  at him and said,” But you always liked my short hair, now suddenly…….”.
“No, no, I said it casually, forget it, actually  you always looked beautiful”, stammered  Yash.
Next day as they were working on their project, Yash asked,” What is your opinion  on this, Kamala?”
Kirti was surprised, “O hello, I am Kirti, not Kamala. What’s wrong with you, Yash? It seems you have started liking Kamala nowadays. ”
“No, never, you are imagining things,” Yash uttered.
In office, work pressure was increasing, as it was again time to select the best employee of the year, and this time the bonus was that the best employee will be posted, in their headquarters, California (US).
All were working really hard to achieve it.
Exhausted by the pressure, Kirti told Yash, “Let’s take a break and go for a movie today”.
And to her surprise Yash said,” Today I am going to my village, have taken a week off.”
Kirti reacted,” At this peak time, how can you take a week off? Something is really wrong and you have to tell me now.”
” It’s already 10am and my flight is at 12.15pm, let me go, I will come and explain everything. ”
“No Yash, tell and tell it now.”
“Actually I am going to be a father.”
“What are you saying?!,” screamed Kirti.
“Don’t panic Kirti, take it easy, just to please my parents.”
“Stop,” shouted Kirti, “Not to please your parents, you liar, what a fool I am, Papa was correct, I am an emotional fool, you cheater.”
“Kirti, I don’t have time to explain more, let me come back, I will tell everything.”
Yash left.
Next afternoon, Yash tweeted,” It’s a boy, I am a proud father now.”
In Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, he posted pictures of the threesome, a happy couple with a sweet baby.
Office Notice Board was full of, “Congratulations Yash”.
Kirti stared blankly at all this. “It was our dream Yash, how can you do this with me. You used me as a door mat. You made me realise how foolish I am”, she sobbed her eyes out like a mad women, in the bathroom. All her friends sat quitely with her. There were no words to console her.
And the next day, was the biggest day of the year. Kirti could hear, sitting in the auditorium, “The best employee of the year 2016 goes to … Kirti Menon!!!”
Suddenly  Kirti felt relaxed. She realised that she was not a door mat, she was a successful woman, she had the power to overcome all her weakness and now onwards she will live on her own terms and conditions. She walked up like a lioness to the stage to receive the award.
She came home to see all her friends and relatives already there for the celebration.
As she touched her parent’s feet she said,” Please forgive me, I was wrong, its not generation gap, its experience gap. You were correct. Actually you were correct all the time. Yash is my past now.”
Next week, at the airport, Kirti hugged her parents and said,” I am not only carrying your blessings with me but also carrying the biggest lesson of my life that don’t be an emotional fool.”
As the airbus soared higher, her parents closed their eyes to pray for their darling daughter, to pray for their little angel, to pray for the apple of their eye.