A phone friend

I heard phone (land line) ringing while I was climbing up the stairs. Yes , it was ringing at my home.I entered, and picked up the receiver- Hello! Hello! any body there....
"Hello"- finally a male voice replied.
"Whom do you want to talk"- I asked.
"You Only"-he said.
It was shocking for me. As far as I know I was the ugliest in my sisters. I had never talked to any boy, always studied in a girls school. No interaction with boys. I was most tomboyish. Rather I noticed my face first time on my mother's insistence , surely a complain that I never took care of my self. So who could be calling me??? Well, i felt a sweet sensation also. But was very much afraid of my Hitler father- very short tempered, highly influential person.I could only reply-"wrong number".
But the it rang again, and this time this voice addressed me with my pet name." don't put the phone down. I know whom am I talking to, and It is the Right number and Right person too."
Now I was bombed. Not because I knew who is on the other side but with the thought that I should be ready for any kind of reactions from my father, if he ever comes to know. I knew it for sure without any query, my father will come to a conclusion that I know this boy, and I have given him my number.
Well best at this moment was to tell him to Shut Up. so I did. I also banged the phone. But it rang again.Again the same voice " I just want to talk to you for a while. It should not be a problem".By this time my mom was standing behind me, well both of us were trying to understand one thing-Who is he? My mom asked me same question and I tried to reply her with best of my conviction that I donot know. I must acknowledge my mom's understanding attitude. She agreed.
Just a few seconds down, phone started ringing again. Now I requested my mom to receive the call and ask this person to not to call again. My mom did the same.Person on the other end just listened to what my mom said, without any reaction or response.Finally it stopped ringing.

As far I remember, it was a weekend and there was an ODI between India and Pakistan. Though I am not that keen follower of cricket, but watching it to accompany my father. Right at 13:05 phone started ringing. It was exact time, when I return back from my school. Well I had forgotten the relation between phone ringing and this timing. But was reminded by the voice " Hello". How are you doing? I believe this is right time to talk to you" On weekends, my father avoids receiving any call, so obviously I was there to answer. " Wrong number" I said, and abruptly banged the phone. I could hear my heart beat because of the fear, that what will happen if this boy again starts the way he did last time. It was my father sitting next to me, not my mother, who will trust me without any further doubt.
For next few minutes phone never made any sound. I was relaxed. It was lunch break for the cricketers and a nature call for my father, which left me alone in the room. I was enjoying some advertisements, the phone started ringing again. I was almost sure, that it is a call for my father. I picked up the receiver and replied casually " Hello".
" Now you are going to tell me the score of the team , in detail. If not,I will keep calling untill you talk to me" he threatened me. I was sacred, and i started answering all his question related to the ODI. He happily told me that he just wanted to hear my voice for a few minutes. It makes him feel good. So it shall not be problem.It could be pleasureable romantic moment for any other girl of sweet sixteen, but not for me as I never knew who he was? and was seriously disinterested in boys for any reason.
My father came back to his position by that time. I didnot tell this to anyone, not to my two elder sister, nor to ma. In corner of my heart I knew, that he will stop calling, may not call again. But what!!! It was right 13:05 , i was climbing stairs, and phone was ringing. Me and one of my elder sister entered together, but as usual I picked up the phone. "Hello" " how was school, today?'Were you expecting me to call? he started without any pause. Fear was slowly getting lighter. I was enjoying somebody's undivided attention. I started talking to him. My first question was very obvious " what is your name? or who you are? how do you know me?
"I am an admirer, I love your voice, if you can trust me."He replied. As per my knowledge, me and my eldest sister had almost same voice, for sure there is nothing so great about it. I laughed and replied, "so that is why you are talking to me.You have never seen me, I am not at all beautiful or attractive. Once you see me, you will change your opinion. and stop wasting your money and time."
"From where this beauty...seeing things came between you and me. I said I admire your voice, I like the way you talk. Am I clear now." He said
"This was some thing new..." and I kept arguing with him while trying to understand the reason of his call and persistence. We kept arguing for good 15 minutes and finally my mom came with a strict command to keep the phone back. So I did, abruptly.But again he called up and told me very softly, we can talk for few minutes , and that is satisfying for him. I was shocked.
Next day onwards, my mom made a strict rule that I shall not receive any call. I had no reaction, as I never knew who he was, did not have any INTEREST and ATTACHMENT; two very crucial factors for any relation. But the caller had both. He started calling right at 13:05 and kept calling every ten minutes, till the time I answered his call.It was 15:30, my mom wanted to sleep peacefully without any further phone bell ringing in the home. He was on the line, very patiently, he advised me to receive his calls religiously, as he makes them. I was amused. I told him honestly my reason of receiving his call. What ever the reason, he was more than happy to talk to me. What we discussed god knows, but it took good 30 minutes. That day my eldest sister came to know about this call and caller story, which she never believed.Next day my sister came back early from college, just to receive his call. As we planned, my eldest sis and I have similar voice. She picked up the phone. Voice from other side" Please hand over to your sister. I know she is there. I will talk to you, but first I want to talk to her. " This was a shock for my sister,not only he could make out the difference, but also she was beauty queen of her college.She was not used of such treatment. After lots of arguing from both side, my sister came to conclusion that he is none other, but some of my friend. Well this was not the truth.Anyway, I did not talk to him. Every time phone rang, my sister was replying back. He used to keep the phone back. It kept on going till 22:00,but now it was time for my father to be home. Nobody would dare to play around with his temper, so I was pushed to pick up the phone. Same old reaction I got, "will it matter to you If we talk for few minutes, it makes me happy. I cannot do anything, untill I listen to your voice."
It went on for months, everyday he will call up right at 13:05 and i used to talk to him. I just wonder now, how did I have such an unwanted relation? A relation with no attachment, with no commitments and no expectation from both the parties. We used to discuss so many things from politics to fashion, from colors to nature, he also tried to talk to me about romantic novels and movies. Very interestingly, we never talked about anything personal, neither I asked, nor he did. It went on for continuous three years, he used to call everyday, including weekends. We used to talk for some times for few minutes sometime for hours... I stopped asking about his identity, as it never mattered to me.He never told about himself.
Isn't it amazing, I really lived a very interesting and unusual relation at a very young age. Now I love that experience, I adore that detached attachment. I still do not know who he is? neither I want to know. I learnt quite a few things from this unknown man in my life: pleasing and smooth talking, lot many unknown topics/ areas of information, best how to remain detach being so much attached and attracted to some body.This attraction and attachment was not there from my side, but it was deep rooted on the other side. As for sure there was some reason that he only wanted to talk to me only- I consider it was liking and adoration... and I am not wrong.

Relations- To fullfill or empty ?

After being on the earth for more than three decades, very often this question comes to mind. Why we need people around us ? To support, to love, to confide, to debate, even to fight... there are several reasons than these ones. It is not always that one can relate with another, but one meets people whom he/she can easily relate, and we get into relation ships. Though there are several kinds of relationships, I can categorize them as:Relation which you cannot choose, so to say you are born with. Relations which you make unknowingly, and yes there are relation which you make knowingly. Which one these are long lasting? or fulfilling or demanding?
The very first my relation which I remember started when I was born-my mother and father.My mother a simple just literate woman from remote village of India. A woman who was born with a golden spoon. She is ninth in her siblings. Tall, dusky very attractive, not so educated yet composed.She came from a family of landlords,had uncounted servants, brought up in a haveli with thirty six rooms.
I clearly remember going to my Nanaji's home and than visiting his fields. He used tell us look as far as you can see the horizon, its all our land. Daughter of this landlord was married to man who had a small home, a man from a small town but with high ambitions. Yes, I am referring to my father- a man with sharp vision and sharper brain. A man just with education up till matriculation, yet made a niche for himself in a highly intellectual field- media. newspaper, journalists, editors, management, and the top industrialist of the country.
I just think about these two individuals who came from different backgrounds altogether- getting married, having family and than giving them future.Very first time, this thought came to me when I was about to get married. And when I choose my life partner- from a different culture, language and region. What shocked me was the economical strata difference of my parents, at the time of their marriage. If I could translate the difference between the two it would be 1:10,000.Still my mother never ever made it any issue in her life. She never complained about the lack of finances. I still cannot figure out the reason of her content nature. Especially, after understanding the impact of vast difference of economical strata. But what I clearly remember is all Nakharas of my father... his unending demands and unbearable tantrums. His complains - that my mom is not that educated, she cannot socialise in his highly educated society.
A woman who has lived in a 36 rooms haveli, being always served by uncounted servants used to do all house hold menial tasks just to please her husband... She was also accused of giving birth to three daughters.What kind of relation is this ??? Can we call it fullfilling?