Love Story of the South

Chapter 1  INTRODUCTION

Today i joined a new company, as the previous one is firing people as mutual fund industry new norms are created. the company is laying off its most senior employees as they cant pay for their salary. i had just joined the company 6 month back awaiting my confirmation,i am called in the meeting room,my team lead is sitting in front of me. he said i don't need to come to work from tomorrow. the 15 days that are pending of the month. i will be payed and all the assistance required for leave to get on with the interview for the new job will be given.

Today out of all the mess ready to start the career fresh. the new company has its own building,there are 7 floors and the 8th ifloor is the canteen. my reporting manager is cool person. i have been assigned a colleague to assign me task. my colleague wears a cap in spite of so much humidity. i guess he has hair loss problem,better not to ask him to offend him. He seems to be a nice guy,name is Ajit. he is the only one i know now. i have no desk allocated yet.

So i am Sapna,i am new to office.i have no work assigned yet. I am just passing my time browsing the net and reading some .net concepts. My dream in life is to be the most paid developer. After all what does a human work for 😉. Have the best package so you can own your home,car and family. And my family is a small one.i always dreamed of a join family. The one that is showed on daily soap,like the saas kabhi bahu thi types😂.

I like living care free.i like the decisions to be fast, hate the slow pace life. As the dailogue by vidya balan "hum ek baar jite hai tho dubara kyu sochna" 

Now comes the work assignment after two days of relaxation.i am introducted to a new collegue venkatesh in office,he seems to be the most talkative guy in office.His was a very good flirt but it didnt work with me. His single liner and praises didnt affect me a bit. He was half bald may be in the mid of is 40th i thought. I was to smart to fall for his praises. I was getting the KT for the task to do,sitting at the adjacent seat next to him.

Someone just came from no where asked me to get up. He was rude as ever. Asked me to get up. No politness nothing just asked me to move.Now i have to sit on a small cupboard kept to keep laptop. From my inner self acquising the person who made me to get up. I peaked to his screen to check what he was doing. Now my temper again rised,bloody hell he made me get up to make his fake rent bills for tax exemption. My half mind was fixed to him,he made me get up from the seat,i was doing important task. Was the rent agreements important than office work?? My other half mind was fixed on the KT by venkatesh. He was a nice person,helpful to but very talkative. But my mind was raging with anger. How can a person be so impolite? 

I had completed my KT and was back to my work on my computer. I saw a beautiful looking girl who sat behind me,she was milk whitè in complexation,she was more talkative than me and she did know every one in office. I was stunned by her persence. Apart from being a girl, i mean, i am straight in short,but her presence was such that it could go unnoticed.

The milk white complexion girl just came to talk to me. Asked me whether i was new. She introduced her self as Sai. Sai has a boy sitting next to her. His name was Aditya. When you look at Aditya you feel marriage material very sophesticated gentleman. And besides Aditya sits Gajanan and besides gajanan sits Mangesh. This was the team responsible for client calls and support.

After being friends with sia she introduce me to the rest of her team member. Sia was a friendly girl full of life. Without her being around, office would be so boring.As days passed by i became friendly with all the team members of sai.

Chapter 2   Rewards And Recoginition

As day passed by there comes companies first quarter. Its early in the morning i come to office. I am waiting for venkatesh to come to office. Venkatesh shift times were different from mine, its from 1 to 10 in the night.May be senior and client calls might be there. Important people come late to office i thought, I am still new to office. So dont know much about office shifts.

I waited patiently till afternoon to see venkatesh in the afternoon. I was struck with my work.i have never worked with webservices before. I was the API and Mvc person in my last organisation. I did come to know about navision technology here. I did now about core .net but never worked on it.

So venkatesh is in office.i did go to meet him.the adjecent seat was occupied.i was happy to sit on the laptop cupboard made, i sneaked into his pc but.i can see microsoft Ui. 

Hi i said to the person adjacent to venkatesh.he said nothing in return ,just gave me a blank look.i asked him does he work for .net and whether he is a software developer he said no ,i work for Crm. Whats that i enquired. He said, he makes the erp modules in crm by writing scripts. He is consultant in microsoft products he replied. Venkatesh was quite all the while when i talked to him. 

Venkatesh in his usual self said he is the best crm consultant and he is the most hard working person in the company. He is the managers pet in office. So he has so much attitude. I looked at him i saw his depressed faced.i just sensed may be he is married. Marriage turns your whole world upside down. May be he is the victim of the same fate. I asked venkatesh is he married. I forgot to ask the person i talked so much and hated so much to ask his name. He was the same person who made me get up from his chair. Inspite of the fact that i was new to office. Anyways past is past. I asked him his name. He said his name is Swamy. Swamy was wheatish in his complextion with shinny jet black hair they fall on his face now and then he was setting his hair by the side. Like the girls do in ads. He was moving his hands in his hair and setting it sides wards as he had a side partition. I asked swamy is he married, swamy replied i am father of two kids. I thought in my mind. May be he must be married at a young age. So he might be a father. In mumbai the marriage is postponed for career and settlement. I asked swamy i want to see his kids and wife. Swamy laughed out loud. He said my wife has a normal phone so he doesnt have the picture of kids and wife.he recently took this phone as he was using an outdated phone before as he is not rich like mumbai people.

I felt very sorry for his plight, life is so difficult for some people. I asked him who all are in the village.he said my mother and father and wife and kids.

Venkatesh listened to all this and my concern and started laughing. He said go to Aditya and ask about swamy. He will be the right person to tell you the truth. I said ok and left.

I went to Aditya,and said, i wanted to ask you something, but promise me you wont laugh at me. He said ok, i asked him, Is swamy married? Aditya said congratulation your in love. I said with whom. He said with swamy. Now i could control and started laughing. Swamy he is a villager. Swamy never.

Sai was listening to all this and she was like these people are making fun of you and you didnt get,how can you be so innocent.

I was just puzzled. I said nothing. There was Rnr in the evening,i saw swamy. I felt very happy.i waved at him hi and gave the widest smile. He smiled back and just looked around to see  anyone looked at us. 

I could get my eyes off him,not because i loved him. Because he and venkatesh made a fool of me and i didnt get it.

Rnr got over. And all left. Went again to venkatesh desk and sat on swamy's seat. Swamy now sat on the cupboard of laptop. We three became friends. Venkatesh said he is disappointed with the awards. Swamy was the only one who deserved the award. Swamy said enough. I am not good to get awards. I cant even speak english properly, ajay does all the presentation.he does all my work. Ajay was swamy's project partner.

Chapter 3 Support or Development?

Today my manager called me for discussion in the conference room. Sia the support developer was already there with her team lead. My manager started jolting out to explain to me what is support?? He explained in the dept of his insite of the products the company deals with the integrations that take place in the site. The manager from the other team was quite,Sia too was seated quietly. As usual i cant keep quite. My mind  was in agitation. I spoke, i told my manager. I wont do the support profile. I will like to be a developer. I wont like to do troubleshoot, i requested him i dont want to do the role. But he said i will get to learn, i will get to develop. My words were of no use. Now i was under Sias team lead. Sias team lead looked like a very strict lady. Looking at her reminded me of mohabateins Amitabh Bachan dailogue, 

"Parampara,Pratishtha,Anushasan.Yeh iss Gurukul ke teen stambh hai,Yeh woh aadarsh hain jinse hum aapka aane waala kal banaate hain". I sat besides Sia and started taking kt for the new role assigned. But deep inside i wanted be out of support. But as the saying goes by shahrukh khan in Om Shanti Om, "Kehte hain ki…agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaaho to puri kayanat usey tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai” . The same thing happened with me. There was a new mail in my inbox. The Navision Lead wants a new development to be done on urgent bases. Now i am on cloud nine. No more support. 

I went to the ERP team to meet the them. The first person i came in contact was Amita, she was a tall girl,the girl fit to be a model. She spoke in a very helpful manner. She explained the requirement to me. Till then i saw a well dressed lady passed by. She looked very beautiful. The first thought was, she is a foreigner. She was very presentable, could not stop observing the way she carried her self so confidently. I thought in my mind, should have the most admirable personality like her. I got back to my work with amita. There was a tall,dark,handsome boy sitting just opposite her. He looked completely engrossed in his work. I had no work with him so didnt disturb him. The team seem to be busy.

I got back to my work. Then ajit the cap guy in our office. It was his last week to leave the organization. So i was appointed his replacement. Then i got all the navision projects handled by him. So now ajit introduces me to the tall, dark, handsome of the nav team, his name is manan. He was happy go lucky. He was the most humble person i met. And he had a best friend sitting just behind him Vikal. The love and bonding between vikal and manan was exceptional. Vikal brought tiffin for manan. Dont know he really brought or not. But manan enjoyed eating his tiffin. And vikal hided his tiffin in the same place where manan can see. I saw the most brotherly love in them both. So now  i  am offically the part of ERP team. Most important i am in a team.

Chapter 4  Its April

As usual office was going on. I used to sit on the cupboard and talk to venkatesh and swamy for hours together. Finding or getting issues. But deep inside i dont know why. I used to like just checking out swamy. What did he wear and what suit him, the best delite was seeing him smile. Now i had been so comfortable with swamy, felt he is my friend from quite a long time. So once i just passed by him from behind the chair and just poked my finger on his funny bone. He was suprised and started laughing and he was shocked too. He had that weakness of feeling tickles.i loved to just poke my fingers and make him feel tickles. When he laughed it felt the best feeling. To just get the glimse of him smiling.

I just one day tossed my phone on swamy's head and i saw his manager observing me. I just smiled and he smiled back. He said i thought you did that to venkatesh as swamy was known to be the no nonsense person. 

It was my birthday month and i was very excited that i am not alone now. I have friends around. My full time in office was with venkatesh and swamy. Once swamy had brought lemon rice for tiffin,venkatesh had insisted me always that i should taste how swamy makes the most yummiest lemon rice. I never took anything seriously,because they always joke.

But today in rush i just left from office.i was in the metro. My phone buzzed and i saw venkatesh called,he asked me where i was i said in metro. He said i forgot to take swamy's tiffin. Actually it had completely sliped my mind. The next day i told sorry to swamy to forget his tiffin.

Swamy insisted instead of eating alone i should join him and his team. I said ok. But as usual they were all boy's so didnt join them. Then i saw swamys just checking his ticket status on web. I asked him where he is going.he said he is going home for ugadi,sankranti for the maharastian and the new year too.i was upset, as now there will be no one with me. Venkatesh too was going on the same day but his train was late. Swamy had early train at 6pm tommorow and venkatesh had it at 8pm.it was 5th april today and swamy was going home. Since morning i was upset. I just waited for the clock to strike 1pm so that swamy is in office. Because at 2pm they go for lunch.so again i cant talk to him.i went to his desk. As usual he was busy in his work.he said,he has a meeting at 5pm.

I said ok.i will meet you before you leave.it was 5.30pm i did go to venkatesh. Swamy was not found any where around. Venkatesh said he is in meeting. Disappointed i came back to my desk.

Then i was busy in my work. Swamy didnt have my number nor did i feel the need to ask.i just hoped he reaches safely. But dont know what happened my phone beeped. It was a message. From unknown no saying "i have left office, sorry i am not there on your birthday.wish you a happy birthday" .

I just remembered sias words that venkatesh is flirt so dont reply.its him only.so i just said thanks.and travel safely in response.

I didnt know what to do so i went to venkatesh.i asked him.have you messaged me. He said no.swamy took your number from me to message you. Now i didnt know what to talk. Venkatesh said swamy likes you. That the only reason he has taken your number.

I again knew venkatesh is joking.so i said you only reply to him and message him. He said ok.so i gave him my phone and said you only talk.Now it venkatesh turn to leave office. As he has a train. Venkatesh gave me the phone back. I saw a message pop.it said has venkatesh left.i reply yes just now.i have just come down of the building to say bye to him. The conversation was on and on. I got addicted to the text messaging.i asked the stranger. Where he reached? I too left office and was travelling.so i just messaged i just left for home. Did you have dinner. Did you get the train.i was getting all the answers.

The he started you know swamy right? I said yes.he said you know why his eyes are red??i said may be because of continously he watched the Computer. The reply came,he is a drunked. Now i dont know why but i got very angry. I asked sia for swamys number. To cross verify is this really swamy. Sia and swamy were not good friends she was friends with ajay who was swamys collegue. She got his number from him. I verified. To my comfort both the numbers were same. So this was swamy only. Now i started the fun. I said you cant be swamy. Swamy never talks to me in office. How can he be talking now. You cant say anything about swamy. He cant be drunked.i know your venkatesh and you again playing with me.please stop it. We are just collegues and will talk in office. I know your talking to me from an unknown number.

He said i took your number to wish you happy birthday as i could not meet you.

Trust me i got late to leave so could not meet you to say by. I am swamy only. You dont know who is talking too you. And you are talking from so long.

I just smiled.because before venkatesh and swamy were talking to each other. But swamy thought it was me in the beginning😂

Chapter 5  Happy Marathi new year

Happy marathi new year to you,happy pongal to you,i replied. Noo noo its ugadi for me not pongal. Ugadi is the most grand festival in andhra. When will you reach i inquired, tommorow night came the reply,it will take me 1 day to go home. So what special for tommorow.i said its my nephews mundan cremony he is 1year now. It auspcious day so for the ceremony there need of any muhratam.

We talked the entire night because he promised to talk to me after reaching home.

He asked me "Will you marry me?". I didnt know at that moment what to say. I could just thing practically why it was not possible. Because i was not soo much attached to him and he might be just infactuation. So answering that question became difficult. But my heart felt to say tht i should say a yes. But i had an experience from previous office one collegue had proposed me and he had also proposed to my other three friends. So trusting issues are always there. So again i just asked sia about swamy. Wheather swamy was a good person or not. She was older in the organization. So she might know about him. If swamy internally might be a flirt than names can spoil in office. And i didnt want to be the gossip topic around. 

I could not sleep the entire night thinking about swamys question. How can he ask me for marriage. I am really good or is this again some sort of joke. I didnt even know much about swamy. I just did know he came from a very poor family background. And there was more to it which he didnot reveal.

I just said a polite no. Saying i was a maharastrian and he is south. I dont know his language. Will his family accept me. He said his parents will accept. I was delighted. But the entire time i was thinking about him. What will he eat for breakfast? how will he travel? Venkatesh once said four bus are required once he gets down from the train.

I was just thinking about him. He was my special swamy. Felt i wish i could travel with him.it would so much fun. I had seen all the dreams to marry him. And decides what swamy will wear for the marriage. I saw the youtube vedio of naga chaitanya and samantha and decided my swamy should look so handsome. Swamy once said i still remember when he was born he was white as milk and lips were pink. And i laughed as i had not heard joke like that before. Because swamy was wheatesh in colour. He had good eyebrows and thick hair his features were good. Only his eyes used to get red in evening,morning they were fine. His nose was straight and pointed. I used to tell him give me your nose its very nice.

As swamy was in village it got really boring in office. Once i was talking to swamy and his phone came off. I contacted venkatesh he gave me swamys other number. But then i felt if i call him how can he pick up if he is at home. In village it might not be a modern culture girls talk to boy. And also the fact that the village is very remote. I thought may be some network issues are on. But i called at 11pm in the night both the numbers are off. 

I tried sleeping but i was not getting any sleep. Because swamy said he will go to shri kalahasti temple. Thats his favoriate place. I always thought to myself. One day with swamy will visit the temple. My half the time used to go building castles in air regarding ou wedding regarding all the fun we have in the village. He will teach me farming. I will cook for him, why me?? He can cook for me. He used to get lemon rice for me. We used to exchange our tiffin in office. He always brought rice or sometimes dosa. He cooked really well. In life sometimes how much ever you cook. You like the food cooked by the other person. It was 2am in night now i was impatient. I called the number.it was switched off. And that is the time i realised. I am in love with the village boy. His absence played a important role in my life. Was just waiting for his message. Then i dont know when in night i slept.

As usual it was holiday i woke up late. I saw his good morning message. I ignored him all the while. Now i was very angry. The whole day i didnt speak to him. But then i called him in the night . He picked and said he was busy. I said dont ever talk to me. Now i was very angry. He called me many times but i didnt pick up. After all the feminist in me protested noo. Because his male ego had to be scattered.

After i was cool i spoke to him. I told him i was waiting for his message. But there was no revert the entire night. He said his phone discharged. So he could not reply. He apolized. I asked him how do you wear lungi,like a saree is it wrapped round. He promised to give me demo in the night after everyone sleeps. 

In village people sleep early. So demo begins at 11 pm sharp😂

Chapter 6 Lungi dance @11pm

As usual waiting for swamy live performance. He said he will do the lungi demo. The clock struck 11 pm but there was no vedio call. So was disappointed. I messaged swamy. He replied his mom and dad are awake and talking to him. I thought aaj koi show nahi hoga. I will see swamy wearing the lungi live. But i was very excited because it was swamy. He is shy how will he do the demo.he will go round and round as saree is wore.i had so many imaginations in my mind. The lungi get struck on the chair or something then either he falls or the lungi. I could think of all the useless stuff in my mind. I am very bad at imagining the worst that could take place.

It was 12. I got a call from swamy. He was wearing a lungi before only. Now i was very disappointed. But as we say the show must go on. He started with opening his lungi. The lungi was stitched by the corners,it was like a big cloth whoese edges are stitched so he just tugged it to one side of the waise and moved the other end to the side and just tugged the end on the either side. The lungi demo was over.

It was so short. I had so many creepy thoughts in my mind. Bollywood movies gives you lot of imagination in reality nothing of that sort happen. The demo was short live. It was exactly the same way as a men tugs the towel after bath. Only the towels edges are not sewed together to form the round of lungi😔.

My excitment was short lived. But all my anger had disappered. I just felt at that moment i want to hug swamy tight. And pull the lungi and not give him back😂. Imagination can make you go from one planet to other. I felt like kissing him hell lots because i missed him. Than the regular chatting season were on. Then i inquired what will he get for me from the village. He said prasadam. I said i want gift. He said take me. I said ok, you wrap in gift and come to my place. And in the night will hug you and sleep you tight.

The new love was just budding between us in the night. The romance crept as the night started getting darker. The dept of love and mischieve kept creeping.

We made the promise to stay together. To hug and sleep every night as he is my gift.

I could not wait to hug him tight once he is back to office. I missed him badly now. Office seem like the most boring place to be without laughter or without fun. I used to keep myself busy in office. But it was no success. Every night used to chat late after every one at home would sleep and i could vedio call him and see him. 

It had been everyday routine to see him on the vedio call. For me he was the most handsome guy. I loved the way he smiled. He had the most cutest smile. He was mine thats all that i had known. 

That one week without him was the longest i could have. But i know he will be back.

---------to be continued