Tomboy and Jerrygirl third

TOMBOY AND JERRYGIRL

THIRD

The sun dipped into the western horizon. The clouds had lost their scarlet and were beginning to disperse. It would be a clear night. The birds and beasts were returning to their haunts. A low breeze was sweeping through the trees. The undergrowth lay as still as a rock at sea, the waves doing their best to beat at it, and possibly, trying to tear away the rock.
In the midst of this stillness, there came a low whispering from somewhere, the whispering of soft, soothing and well-meant words. Anyone hearing the whispering would feel the world was at ease, as if in the vast flow of the universe, there was no obstruction, no deviation, as if the leaves in the soft breeze that brought the words to the listener were an integral part of the world, without which the world would seem hollow and desolate. It seemed as if all elements of the universe were answering to a perfect harmony, tuned into perfect notes that were supple and pure.  
Those words, so faintly audible, would fill the hearts of a listener with compassion, joy and remorse, with love, patience and modesty; would fill him with all the tender feelings that exist. The whisperings seemed ceaseless, boundless, everyone who listened could hear it, wherever they might be.
Those words lifted the burden of sorrow, of anger, hatred and jealousy, all the hard feelings expressed so easily, from the world. Those softly spoken and silently heard expressions were all that mattered. They were the source of life, the bringer of sanctity. They were the pattern, rhythm and flow that wound through everyone’s lives and made them one. They were the single common factor residing in everyone. They were the reason behind the smiles of so many people. They were the secret of Merryland.   

This story is a piece from the history of Merryland. It relates to the time before the Brothers invaded Merryland, when Tomboy and Jerrygirl were alive.
In those days back then, when Tomboy was very young, Jerrygirl did not live in Merryland. She lived in a neighbouring country called ‘sow-sow Empire’. This story is about the union of Tomboy and Jerrygirl and how their friendship- one of the greatest and most-prized relations in the world- came about.

It was a dark day in ‘sow-sow Empire.’ The citizenry were tentative about coming out to the fields. The darkness was because of the low-hanging clouds. They covered every bit of the sky and thundered ominously. However, people did go to their fields, for in the ‘sow-sow Empire’, nothing mattered as much as farming. The whole population had taken to farming. All animals were domesticated and used in different farming techniques. There was only one biannual festival in this empire- The Harvest Festival. Everything that happened in every town had something to do with the growing of crops. Crops were worshipped, crops were eaten, crops were used as fuel, and crops were worn. If you stopped a cart on its way, it would either be carrying harvested grain or seeds. Since the crops were at peace, everyone was at peace. Only the king was not at peace. There was one thing that gnawed away at the King’s peace. That was why he used to pace the long lawns between his rice fields all day long plucking at his long beard.

Indeed, it was a dark day in ‘sow-sow Empire.’ Jerrygirl, with her curly black locks, her dark visage and muscular but soft arms, moved towards her fields. For once, she looked up and saw the rumbling black clouds, thick and sturdy. She saw the long path that lay before her and she was overcome with fatigue. It would be just another long day of tilling and ploughing the land, a long and wet day. She dragged her feet as she moved unwillingly, almost forcibly. The pebbles flew in different directions as she kicked them.
Jerrygirl had no family. She was utterly alone. She led a solitary life, ate alone, slept alone and worked alone. Perhaps that was the reason why most of her farmer neighbours tried to keep her company all the while. She admired their efforts, but she knew deep down in her heart that it was all just a formality. For the sake of display, she, too, put on a gratifying appearance.                
The rain came down in pellets. Jerrygirl let out a deep groan. She hated getting wet. Though she knew it was not acceptable, she quickly took shelter in a horse’s stable. She was already wet by the time she reached the shelter. Shivering, she sat down against a wall of the stable. She made sure she was well-concealed from the road. If anyone passing noticed her, it would cause her much embarrassment and she would have to proceed towards her fields.
The sound of horses’ hooves was louder than the rain. Jerrygirl crept inside the stable. She didn’t want to plough. She was not meant to be a farm hand.
“Looks like someone is skipping her duty,” said a voice without. Jerrygirl couldn’t see the speaker. She didn’t recognize his voice. “Can I join you? It is raining really hard,” the voice said over the sound of the rain. Jerrygirl saw him now. He was peeping through a hole. Jerrygirl nodded.
The horse came in first. Jerrygirl noticed at once that the beast was not from sow-sow Empire. None of the horses there was dressed in that fashion. An alien, Jerrygirl thought. Then entered the boy, he was tall, fairly well-dressed and had a smile on his face. “Hello, I am Tomboy. I’m from Merryland.” “I’m Jerrygirl,” she replied. There was a small pause. “From?” he asked, unsaddling his horse. “Sow-sow Empire,” she said. Tomboy paused and glanced behind at Jerrygirl, “And I thought everybody here worshipped land. You should be in your fields. What are you doing here?”
“None of your business. What are you doing here?” she retorted.
“I’m here to meet the king,” he replied, still smiling. He resumed his task of unsaddling the horse while Jerrygirl began to twine hay around her wrist. He patted his horse’s neck and made it to sit, and asked, “Don’t you know you could be punished for neglecting your duty?” “I don’t like farming. I’m not meant for it,” she replied. “People around here are not meant to say that,” he stated. He rubbed the horse’s nose and began stretching down himself.
“I thought you were here to meet the king,” Jerrygirl said sarcastically. “So I am. Only the King is busy in his fields at the moment,” he said, using the horse as a cushion to his back. “So, what do you like besides not farming?” he asked. “I like horses,” she replied. “I don’t own one,” she explained. “That’s sad, they are lovely creatures,” Tomboy said. “I like them more for what they signify,” she said, as if in a dream. Tomboy was suddenly interested. He sat up and asked eagerly, “What do they signify?”
 “Freedom.”

The clouds split up and sunlight poured in. It was time for a shift. People would now be returning to their homes for some rest. Jerrygirl still sat fitfully in the stable. Tomboy was gone. Oh, what a life I have got! I wish my parents were alive! Jerrygirl screamed in her mind. Thinking about her parents, she began to sob. Tears came down one by one and she didn’t care to wipe them. She was all alone in this stable. She was all alone in sow-sow Empire. She was all alone with all the people in the world. She twisted the hay around her wrist until her blood stopped flowing. She was now crying aloud. She heard someone scraping the straw away in front of her. She looked up. In a vague and blurry glance through her watery eyes, she could make out the image of a person whom she took to be Tomboy.
“Hey, you are back, Tomboy.”
“No, but you are going to meet him soon. The King has summoned you to his palace,” said the blurred person.
This somehow didn’t make sense to Jerrygirl. “The king has sent for me? Why?” she asked. “I think it is the doing of Tomboy,” the person replied.
A repulsive feeling surged into Jerrygirl. She had thought Tomboy was a friend. As this news cleared her mind, Jerrygirl could suddenly see more clearly. “You are... the King’s very own... messenger,” she muttered. I am in for big trouble, she told herself. “Can I ride with you? I don’t have a horse.”
The messenger nodded.       

It was the first time that Jerrygirl was riding with a male. The messenger was looking the sort of a person who goes about his business hour after hour. What a waste of a horse, Jerrygirl thought. The messenger was in his golden robe, wearing a red cape and black head gear. Jerrygirl hadn’t ever seen such attire so closely. All she had seen was the ragged clothing of the common people. What a waste of a robe, she thought. Jerrygirl was soon tired of the ride. The horse kept on trotting at one pace showing no intention of speeding up. The messenger didn’t even spur the horse to go faster. Besides, he was absolutely silent all through the journey, answering only with a nod to Jerrygirl’s questions. What a waste of a messenger, she thought.

The messenger dropped her before the palace and disappeared inside. A little while later, the king’s chamber opened and a pair of feet came outside. “I tripped, fell and hurt myself. I twisted an ankle and saw”- Jerrygirl halted abruptly. The King’s chamber had opened all right but it wasn’t- as Jerrygirl had anticipated- the King who stepped out. It was Tomboy. “You!” she exclaimed. Tomboy gave a slight bow approvingly. “I took you to be a friend!” she snapped. “It is okay, Jerrygirl. You aren’t all that wrong. Follow me.” Tomboy started towards the exit of the castle. “But the King wants to see me,” Jerrygirl said. “Oh no! It was I who sent for you. I have talked to the King and we have both agreed that you should come and live in Merryland henceforth,” Tomboy said casually.
“You didn’t”-
“Yes I did.”
“It means that I am granted freedom?”
“Yes, in Merryland.”

Who didn’t want to go to Merryland, the land where everyone was happy? Jerrygirl was thrilled to hear the news. It was the most that one could desire in a lifetime. She was suddenly struck with the enormity of it all. The very ambassador of Merryland had pleaded for her freedom. She didn’t realise when she had started whistling with joy.
“Here is your freedom,” said Tomboy leading a huge white male horse towards Jerrygirl. Jerrygirl screamed in delight and sprang onto the horse. “Oh! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!” Jerrygirl started crying in joy. Tears ran down her cheek for the second time that day. “What happened to, I took you to be a friend?” asked Tomboy, playfully. But Jerrygirl had taken off. She had never ridden a horse alone. She rode like the wind, swift and smooth.
By the time they were entering Merryland, the sun had touched the horizon. Jerrygirl was overjoyed to see the splendid palace. It was a half-circle in shape and mammoth in size. For once, she closed her eyes and let the last of the sun’s rays fade away from her face; for once she let the soft breeze blow against her locks and disperse them; for once she let the horse find its own way and enjoyed the feelimg of sitting on its back which was so alive, so throbbing with life. The energy seemed to be radiating out of everything, reflecting upon everything. She felt a thrill like never before. She felt she could never be sad again.
As she was feeling so many emotions at once, suddenly the memory of her parents surged up before her. However, and astonishingly, she did not feel sad. Instead, she relished the memory and when she had had the full effect of it, she let it go very gently as a dew drop falls from a sharp leaf.
She was swaying in her elation, when Tomboy abruptly spoke, “We are here! How do you feel?” Jerrygirl realized she had kept her eyes closed since the time they entered into Merryland. She now opened them slowly, ready to see the Land of the Smiling Faces.

The world stood still. Tomboy was immovable. Even Jerrygirl stood rooted to the spot as if held back by some charm. They were standing on the edge of a grove and looking out towards the sea. The waves routinely came and pecked at the shore. Occasionally, a sea-bird could be seen flying low over the waters. The waters stretched into the horizon and touched the starry sky. The moon had just risen over the waters. The water was clear enough to reflect the moon. It seemed as if someone had painted an exact copy of the moon on the gentle waters. The sands lay still as if in wait for something to happen. Or perhaps they were sleeping, the kind of sleep only a contented person can afford. Jerrygirl felt she was a part of this picturesque scene. She could not separate herself or Tomboy from what she saw. This scene defined them- pure beauty and refined bliss.
By and by, Jerrygirl realized that someone was trying to speak to her in whispers. She was perplexed because Tomboy clearly wasn’t the speaker and there was nobody else with them. “Uh, who is it?” she whispered back into the air. She could not understand the reply. It was vague and soft. “Please be louder,” Jerrygirl asked. She felt the urge to know what the whispers were speaking. The whispers died away. The soft sound of the waves returned. “What just happened?” Jerrygirl asked Tomboy. “Listen harder,” Tomboy whispered back. Jerrygirl questioned “Can you also-” Tomboy nodded.
Jerrygirl followed Tomboy’s lead and closed her eyes. This time she listened hard, obliterating all other thoughts that came to her mind. She longed for those soul-fulfilling whispers to come back to her. She pleaded in her mind to the magical soul who emitted those whispers. She could still hear the noise made by the waves. She wanted to wipe everything out but the whispers. Then she heard them again- the softly-spoken words of wisdom that filled the hollow in everyone’s soul. This time she let the whispers take control of her. She let go of everything, and sailed with the flow of the words. The whispers told her so much. She never knew that there was such power in the world. All she had ever known was sorrow and toil. She was now so connected to the world that she understood the reason behind everything that happened. Now she realized why the world was created, why there were people, mountains, rivers and deserts. Now she came to know the true meaning of the world.
Jerrygirl felt lightened. It seemed as if all her cares in the world had suddenly vanished. Her fields in sow-sow Empire that were her sole means of sustenance suddenly held no value. She was now free as a horse, to go anywhere it liked. She knew no sorrow, no feeling of vengeance, and no despair. All she knew was that she was in the world to live her life to the fullest and to spread the joy to everyone.         
She felt she was one of the people of Merryland, vibrating with energy. She could feel the chain of energy that wound through everyone and made them one.
Jerrygirl opened her eyes, a wide smile on her lips. Her eyes had gained a new sparkle and her skin was alive with life. She looked at Tomboy and shouted out with all her joy, “Thank you, Merryland!”

“She cannot be trusted. She is an outsider. How do you know she will not spill the beans?”
“Oh, c’mon! I thought the secret was for everyone. Remember what you used to say? Anyone who listens can hear it.”
“I meant it in another way. This is different. A total alien has come to know about our secret. We had kept it so well-guarded and now-”
“You said they were meant for the right people!”
Tomboy and Godcent were in the midst of a heated discussion in Godcent’s chamber.
“Yes, but we cannot be sure that this girl is the right person. You only knew her for one day,” Godcent replied calmly.
“I think you are too afraid of our secret now. What can the enemy do even if Jerrygirl tells them?” Tomboy demanded.
“You know very well that our country is not at all guarded. What if the enemy, thinking that our secret can only be heard in Merryland, decides to attack us? We will have to cower before them,” Godcent said, not losing his composure.
“I know Jerrygirl will never do-”
“For all that we know, Jerrygirl could very well be on her way to sow-sow Empire right now.”
Tomboy shook his head. “I am afraid you are thinking too much and realizing too little,” he said.
The King seemingly took slight offence at the remark but he hid it very well.
“All right, do as you wish. But keep an eye on that girl.”

Jerrygirl, a spy? Impossible! Tomboy mused. I can’t believe that the King can even think of something like that. So thinking, Tomboy moved towards his house which was adjacent to Jerrygirl’s house. Before he stepped inside, something told him he should go and have a peep inside Jerrygirl’s room just to make sure that she was there. I will prove that the King is wrong. Jerrygirl will be sleeping and there will be no harm, he thought, advancing towards Jerrygirl’s house. But when he stepped on Jerrygirl’s threshold, he stopped. What am I doing? He asked himself. Someone who knows the secret of Merryland cannot betray it because he will be above the wrong feelings that exist. How can I forget that Jerrygirl cannot betray our secret unless she thinks the betrayal will do good? Tomboy retraced his steps. I know Jerrygirl doesn’t find anything good in giving away the secret to sow-sow Empire. Tomboy concluded.

Early next morning, Tomboy was woken up by the sound of scurrying feet outside the window. He wondered what had happened so early in the morning. He got up and went outside to see people running helter-skelter. He stopped a short and timid person and asked him, “What is the chaos all about?” “We are at war with sow-sow Empire, Tomboy! Nothing can save us!” he screamed fervently and went his way. What? Tomboy’s jaw dropped. He sprinted towards Jerrygirl’s house and found it empty. Oh no! The secret! I have plunged my own country into war!
Tomboy rushed to his horse, woke the beast from its slumber and galloped towards the King’s palace. There, he found that the people were garnering as many weapons as possible. “Tomboy, it’s great to see you! The King has ordered that we get ready in case the enemy attacks us!” said a lady. “Where is the enemy?” he asked. “Just outside our southern borders. They demand to see the King at once.”
“And where is he?” Tomboy asked, horrified.
“On his way to meet the enemy.”
“Alone?” Tomboy demanded.
“Mm-hmm” the lady nodded. “He went alone and asked us to get ready in the meantime.”
Tomboy turned his horse round and headed south.     

Tomboy did not pause or hesitate on seeing the enemy’s camp. He went straight for the entrance. “Halt there! Who are you?” the guard hailed him. “I am Tomboy, a messenger from Merryland. I have a message for my King,” Tomboy replied. “He is busy in conversation with our King at the moment. I am afraid you will have to wait,” the guard said.
“I am afraid I can’t!” Tomboy said.
“No, boy, have some manners and be patient,” the guard said shrugging his shoulders.
“Look, do you want a war?” Tomboy asked.
“No, but who doesn’t want to win over the great Merryland? Besides, why do you speak? It was you who abducted Jerrygirl from our country. All this turmoil was caused by you!” The guard retorted, enraged.
“Yes, I did so, but where is she now?” Tomboy asked.
 “Why, you still have her, don’t you? Or have you scalped her already?” the guard asked.
Tomboy was astonished. So, Jerrygirl was still in Merryland. Her absence from sow-sow Empire had brought the King here. But what was so special about her that her absence dragged the whole army out here?
“I have sent a man to the King. Let him return and I will grant you entrance.”
The man came and whispered to the guard. “All right, the King says you can go in.”

Tomboy entered the chamber hastily. Godcent was sitting in a matter-of-fact way and the King of sow-sow Empire was plucking at his beard. “Tomboy!” the Emperor exclaimed. “Pray have a seat,” the host offered. Tomboy sat down beside Godcent. He passed a questioning look at Godcent. Godcent only smiled. “Can we begin from the start, please?” the Emperor asked him.
“Very gladly, sir.” Tomboy replied. “The day I was sent to you, sir- with the royal message that needs no mention here- I met Jerrygirl. As you might very well remember, it rained considerable that day. I found her in a stable beside the road. As it is not usual to see a person from sow-sow Empire shirking duty, I naturally began questioning her and we entered into a conversation. As I remember, she was quite guarded at first and didn’t want me to intrude in her privacy. However, as I was about to leave, she told me something that made a very deep impression on me.” Tomboy shifted in his seat and continued, “She told me that what she loved most were horses because horses signify freedom. Throughout my journey to your palace, I kept musing at the absurdity of it all. Here was a person from sow-sow Empire, who was fed up of farming. I came to the conclusion that this was a singular person, and so out of place. I don’t know why, but I took it upon me to find her the right place, Merryland.”
“You could have talked to me about it. Why did you take her away so stealthily?” the Emperor asked.
“That day you didn’t have a good disposition. I thought it would do no good to talk about so small a matter when you had so many other things occupying your mind.”
The Emperor shook his head and asked “You went wrong right there, my friend. Do you want to know what was and has been occupying my mind for a very long time?”
“Yes, indeed,” said Tomboy.
“Jerrygirl, she has been occupying my mind of late. I had come to know about her unnatural behaviour a long time ago. It was then that it struck me that we were about to see an evolution in the mindset of my people. I realized that, slowly, all the traditions would die away and the people would once again be free to do whatever they liked. This idea appealed to me a lot. In many ways, I was able to connect with Jerrygirl and her actions.”
“You mean you encouraged it?” Tomboy asked, intruding.
“In a way, yes. I mean, if today all the people of sow-sow Empire decide to forgo the culture and go for something new, it would well please me. I don’t say it wouldn’t sadden me to see the long followed traditions die away. But looking at today’s conditions, I think it is time we relinquished those absurd ideas and strove to make our country a better one. That is why I had been studying Jerrygirl’s actions closely through secret means and finding out what impact it was having on the other people,” the Emperor explained. “That was when I suddenly got to know that she was abducted by you and taken away to Merryland. This sudden obtrusion brought all my plans to a halt and so here am I, to take Jerrygirl back to where she belongs!” the Emperor ended.
“I knew Jerrygirl had something special in her from the moment I set eyes on her but I never knew you were... er... experimenting with her.” Tomboy said asking pardon. “So, as I was saying, I had this strange urge to give Jerrygirl what she wanted. So I... I... I took the messenger’s robe, his horse and asked Jerrygirl to come to the palace posed as the messenger. I asked her to wait outside. Meanwhile, I changed and then came to her saying that I had already talked to the King- that is, you- regarding your freedom and that you had agreed. This was the sequence of events because of which you came under the impression that I had abducted Jerrygirl...”

“... So I am sorry I lied to you,” concluded Tomboy. After relating everything to the King, he had been asked to do the same to Jerrygirl. “You know what, Tomboy?” Jerrygirl asked, “I will never forget this lie of yours. It is the best lie you ever told! It helped me gain my freedom!”
Tomboy sighed in relief. The worst that he had feared was gone.
The Emperor of sow-sow Empire addressed Jerrygirl, “Which place do you choose finally?”
Jerrygirl answered, looking out of the window towards Merryland, “Though I’ll never forget the time I have spent in my own country- which will always be my native- I shall definitely choose the Land of The Smiling Faces.”    
 
    

         
    
     

The man who would not go down

The enemy’s marching ahead.
My country is foiled.
There is succor in the air tonight
And I am standing alone with a gun in my hand.
There is a sea of the dead;
There is water till my neck;
There is a bullet in my head,
And I refuse to go down.
Only my breath can be heard
And somewhere in the distance,
The sound of a bunch of boots marching around.
I wish they’d come near-
The dead only lessen my fear,
The pain is not an impediment
As I am here
With the name on my tongue,
With the spirit in my soul
Of a glory that long ago died
Which was by a lone soldier revived-
I want to see those faces here
And look into their eyes
To watch my flame of ambition ignite.
The enemy is marching away,
My armor is tearing away,
I have got no ally to say
That I am not going down.
Though the lights may be out
I can see my destiny lit
I can see the old single soldier
Fighting to the hilt.
And I can see me in his place,
Ready to die to save
A Cause that is withering away.
Yet, I am afraid of death
Because, like the old soldier’s,
I can’t see my Cause die with me.
As they remember the lone soldier,
Let them remember me,
As the man of steel who would not,
In the worst of storms, go down.
Let them remember me,
As the last soldier who went down,
And came back again.
 

A cup of tea

What a day it was... A day spent with a cup of tea and an armchair. I leaned behind as far as I could go and sighed lightly. I was impressed by the tea, so rejuvenating, so calming... The touch of the liquid on my tongue triggered the sensation of utmost bliss to ripple through my body. I thanked God for making tea-leaves and, after an afterthought; I added a thanks for making those people who make such tea out of those tea leaves. Even the floral designs on the saucer caught my attention and I was amused. I was amused by the twisting stem of the flower on the saucer. I brought my eyes down to the level of the saucer and looked at it sideways. The pattern couldn’t be more unblemished. I could just imagine the designer inserting his last touches to the beautiful pattern. Now that I gave a thought to it, it was perfect, wholesome. There was nothing astray about the whole thing. The artwork was brilliant and the result was outstanding. I was seeing through one eye now. On the edges of my view, I saw my father entering.
I looked over the saucer with the beautiful floral designs and saw him, tall, with little hair and with his usual stern look. “What’ve you been up to?” That is his usual question. I anticipated it coming even before half of him had entered my office and I answered back loudly, “I have been going over the numbers since morning! I can’t bear them anymore. I beg you; dismiss one of us from here! We don’t make a good pair.” I began complaining. Though I didn’t even half-mean my words I knew that they would produce the desired effect and my father would leave me at peace, sadly under the misconception that I was unwillingly doing numbers!
“Enough with those numbers! Come with me to my office, someone is here to see you!” my father instructed me. “No numbers?” I asked, deflated. “No.” He gave me a wide grin. I was fuming inside and he was grinning at me. It was the first time in my life that I wanted to lead a solitary life with my friends- numbers and here I was being deprived of this singular opportunity. I mean, how many youngsters of sixteen in this country of billions would be willing to sit with numbers under a fan in a smouldering afternoon? It is a pathetic fact that there is no room for daring people in this country.
Suddenly, my curiosity overcame my grief and I desperately wanted to know who had come to meet me. I took longer strides than my father and reached his office well twenty-nine steps ahead of him. I gazed through the looking glass. At first I could not recognize the face of the person, though he looked familiar. While I dived into the archives of my mind, I unconsciously stepped in and the person noticed me. What helped me find him in the archives was his reaction on seeing me. My search results were shocking indeed. What added to my shock was that I was standing in front of the person. While I inwardly cursed my subconscious muscular movements, I tried to consciously sneak out of the room.
Ill-fate was too hard on me that day, I think, for as soon as I started stepping out of the room, my father completed his extra twenty-nine steps and bid me go back inside and greet the person.
He was my ex-girl friend’s father. A big mistake, I tell you, a humongous one, mammoth, I must say, but a mistake in good earnest. Yes, I admit proposing to that girl was a big mistake. Though had you asked me regarding it while I was still with her, I would have said that that was the best thing I ever did. But, you know, perspectives change with time and here I was looking at the whole matter through an entirely new window.
Speaking about windows, I had a sudden and urgent urge to get some fresh air. The stench in that small cell was getting on my nerves. I must admit I deliberately took as much time as I could muster in my small sojourn to open the window.
Sooner than I had anticipated, the three of us were sitting at my father’s desk and waiting for each other to begin. Coincidentally, all the three of us began together, apologized together and ultimately ended up waiting for each other to begin again.
“Your son is after my daughter,” began the gentleman. And here it begins all over again, I thought. I settled myself comfortably for it was going to be a long discussion about the moral principles to be bound upon me hence and I was not ready- on account of my clear conscience- to give up my freedoms and erstwhile principles so easily. My father turned to me, a quizzical expression on his face. The least I could do was to answer him similarly. I returned a quizzical expression to my father. We both gave a quizzical expression to the gentleman. The gentleman faltered at this, but explained further, “I have unquestionable evidence that, in spite of repeated warnings, your son is still trying to contact my daughter.”
A lie. Full, blatant and shameless. Spoken as if without a care, just blurted into the air, not worrying about the consequences of such grave implications. Here we are to talk about ethics, and my opposition begins with an unethical lie, I mused. Why in the world would I want to speak to my ex girl friend? She was somebody I was dying to forget about and here this gentleman came barging in claiming I was doing the right opposite of it. The mid portion of my little finger of my right hand was fidgeting as if it wanted to wrap itself around the gentleman’s throat.
“Who are you? Who is your daughter? My son has nothing to do with her!” My father, usually a very calm person I must assert, would not tolerate any kind of silly joke. “Don’t fool yourself! Your son is misbehaving under your nose and you know nothing about it!” the gentleman seemed to be deadly against me. He was a man in his forties, and I was in my teens. He had a slight beard, and I was plain cheek. He was wearing a buttoned shirt and I was in my favourite t-shirt. He was slightly bald and I had a full set of hair. This was unfair competition. They say the older you are, the more experience you have. They are right. I say the younger you are, the more tactful you are. I was about to prove myself right.
“Or is he hiding something from me?” My father turned to me and raised an eyebrow. Did I just say my father was a calm person? I gave the most innocent look I could summon and shook my head violently. “What girl are you talking about, gentleman?” I asked the person. I had over-stressed on ‘gentleman’ and the gentleman replied, overstressing on ‘child’, “You know very well who I am talking about, child!”
“Do I?” I asked myself and sat back, acting as if I was in a super exhausting task of trying to locate what, where and how this girl has played any role in my life. “What was her name again?” I asked, interrupting myself in my mission. “I didn’t mention her name,” the gentleman said gently. I sat back again, returning to the haunted mansions in my mind. My father sat watching the both of us trying to ascertain what was actually happening. I had started liking this new game.
Tea was brought in. They brought my old cup and saucer for me. The gentleman refused the tea politely. “Ah!” I exclaimed, clicking my fingers. Both my father and the gentleman turned to look at me. Frightened, I quickly nodded my head and murmured, “No, no.” “Your son seems to have trouble remembering my daughter,” the gentleman said to my father sardonically. “So it seems,” answered my father plainly.
In the inner portions of my mind, I was secretly cursing the hot tea, cursing the floral designs that seemed so irrelevant to the situation. Why did God have to make tea-leaves? I started abhorring the liquid which lay so calmly in front of me. I didn’t drink it any more.
“Are you talking about the girl who had been after me for the last fourteen months or so?” I asked. Now it was the turn for the gentleman to ponder. He dropped his head on his chest and began thinking hard. My father was silently drinking his tea. I surreptitiously asked him who the hell this gentleman was. My father shook his head unknowingly. I nodded understandingly. The gentleman turned his head wondrously. “No,” he answered finally. “Uh, wait,” he cut himself short. There was an odd silence after that. I deliberately yawned thrice, looked at my watch twice and ruffled my hairs quadruple times during that interval. “Yes, I think she is the one,” the man declared finally.
“Then I am afraid your daughter has been misbehaving under your nose and you are doing nothing about it,” I said quickly. “No, wait. She is the one you are talking about but you are the one who is after her, she isn’t after you.” The gentleman declared solemnly, as if he was announcing the final decision on the case of my life. “Who told you that?” I question sharply, piercing the man’s confidence and ease with the glare in my eyes. The man, for once, removed eye contact from me and turned to my father, apparently taken aback. “Nobody” the man mouthed. “Hah!” I exclaimed, as if the case was closed.
The truth is that nobody was after nobody. We were just into each other, my girl friend and me. Then, suddenly, one day she gave me the break. The surface reason was that I was affecting her science studies and the deeper reason was that she had found a new boy friend.
However, such things are not to be articulated aloud. “You don’t know the truth behind it all, man. Your daughter has been after me for so long. At first, we were good friends. Suddenly one day, she went all lovey-dovey and I was influenced at first but being well brought up, later I stopped talking to her.” I glanced sideways at my father trying to gorge his reaction. Till now, he was on my side. I actually didn’t know where I was headed. “She didn’t give up on me. We continued as friends but she would bring up the topic of love intermittently and I refused her each time. She would keep on persuading me, trying to procure a yes out of me.”
“But I have seen you with her! I even warned you not to talk to her anymore,” the gentleman said.
This was true. One fine evening, when everything was fine between me and her, this Mr. Gentleman had intruded in our privacy. I was afraid of him, as every noble boy friend should be afraid of his girl friend’s father. That’s why I blurted out all my addresses honestly when he asked for them. So here he was, sitting right opposite me in my father’s office, on a chair owned by my father, and refusing the tea owned by my father.           
“That day she called me up! She was all teary on the phone, begging me to meet her! I don’t know what problem she had, she wouldn’t tell me. Being a good friend, I decided I should go and meet. Then you showed up from nowhere and began demanding details. I was surprised and afraid at the same time, so I gave you my father’s office address.” I was literally shouting now. My father eyed me angrily and indicated I should soften.
“Then one day, she left me alone. She had found someone else, I believe. I didn’t talk to her after that.” I finished. The gentleman didn’t seem to believe his ears. I wondered what was going on in my father’s mind.
“If she had left you alone, why did you call her yesterday?” the gentleman asked maliciously, as if playing his last cards. I owned the ace in this hand. Truthfully, and removing all doubt, I could swear on each and every person on the earth that I hadn’t called her the previous day. Unethical, unethical, unethical, my brain was creating a ruckus. Liar, unethical, atrocious, demeaning, everything but a gentleman! My little finger was twitching again and-
Then it dawned on me. It lifted me from the chaos, the cacophony of confusion and bewilderment and placed me somewhere higher, away from the utter ignorance, neglect and dismay into a world where there was only victory, joy and utter bliss. The sweet bliss of revenge.
 For those of you who haven’t figured it out yet, it was her new boy friend who had been talking to her the previous day and this unearthly gentleman here had mistaken her new boy friend for me.
I relaxed; all limbs loose and easy. “The tea is so good!” I exclaimed to my father. My father frowned. I sipped once again and slipped deeper in my seat. My ease unnerved the gentleman.
At last, I played my ace, and victory was mine.
“Don’t tell it to mom. She might not like it and might spread the news. Then this gentleman’s reputation will be at stake.” I said to my father after the gentleman was gone, livid with his daughter’s ill-manners.