*Stay faithful to the stories in your head.


* Fiction writing is great. You can make up almost anything.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Rosy Love


Ram Kewal was probably the oldest serving member of the college. He had been the college gardener from time immemorial. Generations came and went, the faculty changed, principals changed, but Ram Kewal and his magnificent garden stayed on and on forever.His heart and soul lay in the garden. He had magic fingers and could coax the roses to grow out of even sand. The college garden was always filled with roses – summer, winter, monsoon, spring - the roses just bloomed all year round. It was indeed magical.Ram Kewal knew of his special ability, and also knew that in each of the rose he actually planted a bit of his soul. Hence he guarded the flowers very zealously. Working day and night, no one knew if he ever left the garden.All for the sake of his beloved roses, Ram Kewal studied the soil, the weather reports, the behaviour of the ants rather closely….and in recent years, he watched the month of February rather concernedly.14th February was always circled in red on his calendar - he hated that day. The students would try and sneak into the garden, and pluck the roses. Ram Kewal had tried everything to stop them, but to no avail. It tore his heart to see such gross injustice.This year, he stood in front of the garden with a huge laathi in hand. Soon enough those impudent brats came along. Seeing Ram Kewal in such a ferocious mood, they didn’t dare approach him.However, they lingered near the garden gate for a while, and when it was clear, Ram Kewal wouldn’t relent, they shuffled on.
One of them muttered, “Arrey 14th toh pyar ka diwas hai – you should give us some roses in the name of love”.
Ram Kewal squinted and replied to himself “ Mein apney pyar ko hi toh bacha raha hoon”

15 comments:

... said...

best short story I read in recent future.... - Thats called good english.

we-the-helping-hands said...

Mein apney pyar ko hi toh bacha raha hoon
so sweet :)

GSV said...

...planted a bit of his soul...

yes..that is true love

:)Q

GSV said...

'Q' was my typing lisp..:D
arrey sach mein i tried to type just ':)'

:):):)

Aarat said...

Good story... a different angle to look at this day from very common one...
In Gujarati there is one phrase, which compares such type of induced mass thinking to the herd of sheep... All the sheep follows the one heading so blindly that if the first one falls in a pit all of them have to do the same... :-)
So you don't belong to that category and your thinking is out-of-the-box...

Unknown said...

Nice one.
I just thought, what if Ram Kewal was moved by the power of love to sacrifice his own for the sake of those kids coming to him?

NonsSens said...

Sagar - Thanks....but souldn't it read as "read in the recent past (instead of future???)
(Also this gets out the fact yo dont really read too many stories :-))

Sari - Actually I sympathize with Ram K - poor chap - imagine others eyeing his love!!!! Obviously he'll be very zealous about it.

GSV - So soul planting = true love :P
...And "typing lisp"?????? isnt this what I said a while back.....so aap bhi lisp karney lagey - not a good thing ;-)
(Tell me - do u emember & memorize everything I write hmmm??)

Aarat - Hey every writer wud love to "think out of the box" - thanx buddy for the compliment :-)

Abhi - I think Ram K wudn't be moved to "sacrifice"....arrey he feels his is "true love" - whereas the kid's attachment to the flowers is "lust" :-))
No Ram K cannot sacrifice his love to lust!!!!

NonsSens said...

"Inspiration" behind this story came from a report I read in the newspaper yesterday....
it seems the VC's garden in Delhi Univ is regularly plundered on 14th Feb. The students just sneak in & pluck flowers to give to their sweethearts on Val Day.
So this year, security has been increased & the gardeners have been asked to keep extra vigil.

ruSh.Me said...

arey,,,,,u should have read the vows of Mumbai university VC.....same.....his lovely collection of roses get depleted or rather snatched....every valentine's eve!!! Poor mali and the VC..!!!

Unknown said...

nonsens:
i dont know if its sacrificing love for lust...
everyone (even if the child is 15-16) thinks that his or her love or lust whatever is the truest and purest form. Besides, a stance like this shows pre-conceived notions. I am not very comfortable with the idea of sitting in judgment on others.

Yours etc.

Unknown said...

I agree with abhishek on the point that we can't be judgemental. i personally don't believe in valentine' day as i don't believe you should show love or appreciation to your loved ones only on one day and i also don't like the idea of plucking flowers. they look most beautiful in their natural habitabitat. but i do believe that even a guy or girl in love at 14-15 believes that his or love is true and is forever. just because we did not believe so at their age does not change the fact that true love can happen at any time or age. we can't point blankly say that their felings at that age is lust and not love.

NonsSens said...

Dabba - Let me write here what I wrote to Abhishek after reading his comments -

Hey.....that was what the mali thinks......not me. Thats why he's not allowing the kids to take the flowers.....its quite like the Giant & children fairy tale....this giant doesn't allow any child in his garden - so only winter reigns there. Then one day some children slip in & take fruits - the giant is angry - but realizes that with the children spring has entered his garden. He converts & alows children to play in his garden.
RamKewal could be the mordern giant - or maybe he isnt - who knows....this is just making a story out of a report I read in the papers.
What would you do if you were Ram Kewal???

BTW, if I were RamK - I'd pluck out a couple of flowers myself (the ones which are slightly waning) & sell them to the kids - making a pact that they dont enter the garden & plunder, and I'll sell them flowers at a slightly cheaper rate than the market ....have I spoken like a true accountant?

NonsSens said...

And Dabba dont talk abt our times (14-15 yr olds) - forgotten Becker & Steve Waugh or what :-))

Unknown said...

boss, hello, koi lotade mere beete hue din. Agreed with your view regarding ram kewal's rose but was not satisfied with Rk's view abot "Lust". anyways if i was rk i would for Vday only, go in for rose farming commercially. Sell the roses and make money.
And as "Dabba" stand outside and advice rk to put down the pact with the boys on paper and make it legal and charge all of them like a true lawyer. idea kisi aur ka profit mera .

richa said...

u have so many comments i feel jealous!! my blog is so viraana!! like the VC's garden :(