Memoir - G.S. College

"You were before my eyes for two years, and yet I failed to see your troubles. As a teacher, I feel it is a terrible failure. I failed to see the difficulty of my student." 

These words still echo in my ear after 6 and a half years. The words which were never spoken to me by any teacher, the words of care, the words of regret, the words of Rafiq Sir. He said these words to me when I returned to G. S. College back in January 2016. After my sudden departure from G. S. College. 

[August 2013]

It was the first day of graduation for me and I still couldn't pass the gate of the college after standing there, thinking, worried, and feeling nervous for the last 15 minutes. I never had a good time in my school life. It was always a difficult place for me. I hated academic places since childhood, felt like a cage and this college, this graduation thing was just another upgraded version of that cage and I was quite hesitant to enter it. 

'Are you just gonna stand there or want to attain your lectures too?' said a gatekeeper. 

I didn't say a word and felt obligated to cross the college gate, thinking that I don't have any other choice. I won't get the life that I dream about. 

Inhaling deep into my lungs, I determined to go through this and took steps and stopped not until I reached the classroom. I was late already and a tall young man in his early thirties was seating on the teacher's chair, having his attention on some book that was before him and the students tried to talk with each other in whispers. 

'Hello, Mr Thorat. Grab your seat.' said the professor. I didn't know that professor's name but he knew mine, I recollected that he was there while I was submitting my admission form, where he had come to know about my name and the class I was enrolling for. Now I understood that he was my class teacher. 

After enough waiting, he started his lecture and taught some Economics that Morning of August. I caught up soon with his pedagogy. I must say that I immediately liked it throughout the first month. He had glanced at me many times, finding me on my usual backbench seat, sitting quietly and grasping quickly. I had asked him many questions off-lectures and he always wondered why didn't I ask such good questions while being in class. I was hesitant to ask questions before my classmates and worried about their comments and judgements about me. 

The only time I dared to answer in class was when it was an English lecture. I was quite overwhelmed to see the number of students there was in the English session. In that crowded, a smartly dressed professor entered, and spoke in his clear and witty sense with all the students. His wry sarcasm was mostly not understood by students and I felt quite sad but didn't bother much about it. But this Professor's lectures I truly liked. I bothered to answer questions in his session and soon that brought me to his attention, but what truly caught his attention was me reading an English book on the college campus. This English professor was pleasantly surprised to see one of his students holds a similar interest. Reading books was a deep passion of this witty-English professor. Pretty soon I found another favourite teacher in G. S. Who knew that 2 and half years later I'd weep before him, revealing who I wanted to be. 

[January 2016]

"You were before my eyes for two years, and yet I failed to see your troubles. As a teacher, I feel it is a terrible failure. I failed to see the difficulty of my student." said Rafiq sir when he listened to my reasons. "Don't give up Mr Thorat, don't give up on your academics and yourself. I am there for you." 

His words had filled immense motivation in me but I was not sure if I can truly achieve anything in life. 

"Piyush?!" uttered my English professor as he saw me on college campus after one year. 

Rafiq sir chuckled, "May God save you from Thakur sir." 

The next moment I was sitting before my former English professor Prithviraj Thakur. His eyes were full of questions and judging by his facial expressions, he seemed confused that all this for what? 

"I want to be a writer and a music composer. Writer for sure. That's who I want to be. And I feel suffocated in a place like this. I can't set my heart and mind on my studies. This education thing feels so heavy."

"Then leave it, but what is this being suicidal for such a thing? Does this suit a young man like you?" said Thakur sir.

"And then be what? In order to earn a livelihood, one must pursue academics, even if he's meant for it or not." 

"You can be what you dream about," he said quite confidently. "Just because these fellow classmates of yours are getting good marks than you, you think they are better than you? Oh, you fool. Know your worth. You have a different and rare passion than the rest of your classmates. They are only doing what someone told them to do, while you have some courage to try to do what you really love."

"But I don't know even if I try to write whether I'd be a good writer." I was weak and miserable. 

"Then be a bad one, but don't kill yourself trying to become what you are not." These words always echoed in my ears. 

I left the college promising him and Rafiq sir that I'd behave nicely. I was the guy who was known for his fluent English, a quiet, long hair boy. Strangely failed in English and Economics subjects. Subjects of his two favourite teachers in G.S. After that meeting with my two former Professors, former because I had left the college, because I had given up the academics but stood up again, and determined to myself that I won't show my face to Thakur sir or Rafiq sir until I become something. That was January 2016. 

[January 2022]

"Hello, Thakur Sir." I greeted my Mr Anderson. I always thought of him as Mr Anderson to my Charlie, it is a reference for "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." This was the first book that I had gifted Thakur sir, for his Birthday. I gift him one book on his birthday, it's a tradition. This time I had a very unique book to gift him, two months prior to his birthday. 

"Piyush, it's good to see you." He was delighted. After the introduction with the new Principal and seeing him as a proud teacher, how he talked fondly about old memories of his student. Soon we went to the English Department where we both had our last conversation. 

"So, finally I see you after all these years," said Thakur sir. "You had taken that vow, hadn't you? To not show me your face until you become something.

"Yeah...and here I am today, sitting next to you." I took out a book from my bag to gift him. He was so glad to see this book. "Sir," I was a bit emotional and proud. "I got the job in a reputed MNC and also this student of yours has fulfilled his dream of becoming an author. I present you my second novel."

Thakur sir was so happy. He observed the book like a precious treasure. "I wonder when would I write one?" 

I chuckled. "Soon, I presume." 

"And here you have already written two. So proud of you."

"All it took 6 years." I reminisced for a moment. "I wish Rafiq sir could see this book too and see that I haven't given up and now doing a job in a really good place." 

That made even Thakur sir sentimental. We lost Rafiq sir back in January 2018 due to a Cardiac arrest. He was in his mid-thirties. "Wherever he is Piyush, I am sure, he's proud of you. And happy that you did it."  

I nodded and didn't say much. I miss Rafiq sir and I also know that his blessings are with me. Today I am an author of two English novels, but I found two preceptors out of four in G. S. who shaped my dream of writing. And I am glad that I was a student of this institution. I got myself, teachers, for a lifetime. 

 

PH - Chapter 02 - Responsibilities

'Good Morning, Son.' said a woman on phone. 

'Hey, mom. How are you?' answered Yatartha. 

'I'm good. I was just finishing my tea and thought to call you. Today you wouldn't be busy with your work, would you?' 

'Sunday, hmm. I didn't have work even yesterday.' 

'I know. But, I assumed you were out somewhere, seeing the pictures you had sent me.' 

'Yes. A book store in South Bombay.'

'Undoubtedly you must have bought yourself a book.' there was a bit of nag in his mother's tone. 

'Ha-ha. You can't rebuke me for spending money on books. Your son has started to earn now. Finally.' said Yatarth proudly. After all the hurdles he had gone through, it was his time to live the life of his own accord. 

'Yes. You have and it makes me so relieved now.' said his mother. 

'I know. I can take care of you now mother. You and my stupid younger brother. How's Omnkar?'

'He's gone out with Yogi to play cricket.' answered his mother. 

'I am so jealous of him. He gets to play cricket and I feel stuck with this life. Here in Mumbai where could I get the things which I had before?' Yatarth was a bit sad, missing the taste of his past. 

'Yatarth, you can't hold on to yesterday and live your today. Something new must be there for you to experience. Find that.' 

'Mom!!! Okay... I got it...I just mean that I miss what I had...I miss playing on the ground. I miss being there at home, watching TV, reading books...and food. Your food, mom. I miss that every time when I have to eat outside.'

'Now you understand the value of my cooking, enh, Yatarth?!' said his mother, teasing him mildly. 'Otherwise, when at home, you'd always complain about what I cooked. Would always be wanting something else and now...

'And now I miss it all. Please stop giving me a hard time mother. I get it, I should have listened to you.' Yatartha was feeling embarrassed. 

'Well, I did tell you, you would miss my food.' nagged his mother and laughed heartily.

Yatartha could hear her heartily laughter on the phone. He felt so good seeing his mother like this. After ages, the sun was shining back on them. In the aftermath of his father's death due to Covid, the family was totally shattered. But it was Omkar, the youngest of them all, who held the family together and looked after Yatarth, his elder brother and their mother. The severe financial crises they had to go through were alleviated with the new job Yatarth got, and just recently even Omkar had got himself a job as Math Teacher. 

Yet the crises were not completely over but they had something to proudly survive on it. Hoping together that tomorrow would be better. After the death of his father, all those three ever looked at each other and found the reason to live and carry on with life. They all missed Mr Patil but no one ever talked about him, fearing that this will make them weak. They would miss him even more and would weep in his memories, his absence was haunting them, even Yatarth who had a troubled relationship with his father. Growing up as a disappointing child, from whom nothing could be expected was today how bravely battling his own fears and trying to take care of his family. 

Yatartha felt overwhelmed and the memory of his family had brought tears in his eyes. He battled his weakness and tried to keep his voice strong. 'Just be like this mother. Happy. It feels great to see you smiling and happy.'

'Yathu.' she said so gently and kindly like he wasn't a 29 years old grown-up boy but a little kid who grew up looking into the sparkling eyes of his mother. 

'Yes mom.' his response was like little child who'd trying to act like a grown-up. 

'I am okay. I have been okay. You don't have to worry about me. Both of you have become so protective of me after the demise of your father.' 

'How could we not, mother?' Yatharth felt annoyed, why can't his mother understand them. 

'Yathu, death is the final part of life.' his mother tried to reason with him. 

'I hate it. He didn't prepare us for his death. A father should prepare his sons for his death, he left suddenly. I hate him for that. I hate it how Omnkar had to shoulder the responsibility of the house, while I...who is his elder brother was still pursuing his education. I despised myself mother, when I couldn't do anything for the family. I should be taking care of Omnkar, but.... but...'  

'He takes care of you.' said his mother gently. 

'Yeah.' grunted Yatarth. 

'We both are absolutely fine Yatarth, it is you for whom we both are so worried.' said his mother. 

'Me?' Yatarth was confused. 'Why?'

'Because you are too much consumed taking care of the family, paying off the debt as soon as possible that you are missing out so many other things in your life.'

'I don't have the luxury of other things mother, I have the burden of responsibilities. I need to make our family debt-free, renovate our house, and buy necessary stuff at home, a good TV, and other equipment. And I must have enough money to give you the best medical help. Only then I'd be a little relieved. Because when we had lost that man, it felt like our home lost its roof but we are to ever lose you, our home would lose its soul.' said Yatarth falling weak after every word.

'Yathu.' his mother remained strong as a lioness, as she already was, trying to ask her cub to look up straight into the face of his life. 'I know you care for us, especially for Omkar. I know you care for him, more than you care for me. Always been so protective of your little brother.' she tried to tease Yatarth there for how he and Omkar both spent most of their childhood fighting each other, and yet anything happens to him, Yatarth would feel wounded. 

'Mom, stop that.' 

'Alright. Look Yathu, you are 29 now...'

'So?' he asked vehemently. 

'Be calm, would you?' asked Mrs Patil. After heeding his silence she went on, 'At this point in life, you start focusing on your life too.'

'I am most focused on my life mom, what else do you want me to do? I am living my dream of becoming a writer, doing a job in a reputed MNC, taking care of you, like what else is left there now?'

'A person in your life who would take care of you.' answered his mother gently. 

That subdued him for a moment. 'Why would I need anyone in my life when I have you, Omkar and that idiot Hrishi.' Yatartha was annoyed. 

'Oh that poor boy Hrishi, how long your best friend would have to endure you Yathu?' asked his mother. 

'For the lifetime, duh!' 

'In the coming year or years he'd be married, his priorities would be changed, then what would you do?'

That suddenly stroke deep-rooted fear in Yatartha. 'Pramila Patil, my bitter-sweet mother, would you please stop scaring me? He's the only support your son got here in this new city.'

'So why don't you find another one?' suggested his mother. 

'What do you mean? Where can I get another best friend here? Besides this dumbass Hrishi is good for nothing...'

'So go out, meet other people, make acquaintance. Get involved with new people. Basically, act your age son.' 

'I am acting to my age.' 

'How? Working five days a week and spending your weekend reading books and washing clothes?'  asked his mother. 

'That's how people of my age live.' 

Now his mother was getting agitated. 'People at your age are having babies.' 

'Oh, here we go again. Mother, I told you I don't want to get married.' 

His mother remained quiet for a moment and said, 'Where am I asking you to get married instantly. I am just saying try to talk with girls, mix with them, in college you didn't at least someone in your company? You youngsters these days find a partner in the same organization you work for, that Despande's son had found his better half in the same company he was working at.' 

'Mom, first of all, I hate office romance, so don't even think for a second that if a girl came into my life in future, she'd be from the same company I am working for. I keep my work life and personal life to opposite edges.'

'Okay, calm down. It was just a suggestion.' 

'Fair enough. But you and Omkar are my priority in my life. I live my life for you two.'

'And I am suggesting you get yourself a person whom you can call or claim as yours only.'

He wished for the second he could tell his mother that he had found that one person whom he called his until that very person exiled him from her life for another person.  

'Mother, I understand that you wish to see your children getting married and have their families. And there is nothing wrong in that, it's just, try to understand that it's not for me anymore. I can't afford it. Marriage is a great responsibility which I can't shoulder. And even if I get married, my focus would be diverted, it won't be on you and Omkar.' 

'You don't have to worry about us. You don't have to make us the mission of your life. Just live your life, find yourself a sweetheart. Who would be there for you.' his mother tried to reason him. 

'Why? You people won't be there for me?' asked Yatartha. 

'Oh dear god, what am I to do of this stupid boy?' Mrs Patil was annoyed and felt helpless. 

'Nothing. Just let me be. Damn the marriage mother, I can't even afford a relationship. It would be a liability, and already managing expenses has become so challenging in this salary.' 

'Not every relationship is like that Yatartha. Some girls just want someone to love them.' 

'And those girls lived in your era mother, today having a relationship is the source of expense. Dinners, parties, outings, gifts, stupid and unnecessary expenses. I can't afford myself a good food here, from where would I buy good dinner for that creature sitting next to me?'

'Fine. You put financials before everything.' 

'I am just being practical.' answered Yatartha. 'You should understand mother, at today's time I won't find a woman like you, who would stand by her husband in difficult times, loving him the same through all the circumstances. In today's time, relations and people quickly change.' 

Mrs Patil remained quiet for a moment and then asked, 'Do you even intend to get married ever?'

'Mother, I want you to seriously take my answer. Recently I was thinking about it, because I knew once I am done with my PG, and join to the new job, the next thing you shall think for me is marriage. And I have taken a decision that I don't want to get married, ever.'

Pramila sighed, and said, 'Okay. It's not that I am surprised, it was something that I thought you would say to me.' she paused for a moment and said, 'There was a time when you were happy, there was a time when you were with someone, and after that person is gone from your life, your life had suddenly become so colourless.' 

'Mom, just get Omkar married in the next couple of years. You shall not be deprived of the life you deserve. Just make sure that he would find himself a good girl to marry. I doubt his choice, he's smart in all activities but a complete dumb into such things.' 

'He isn't.' Mrs Patil said it quite confidently. 

'Ah, utter confidence on your favourite son.'  

'Yes.' confirmed his mother. 'You know what your little brother said to me the other day?' 

'What?' wondered Yatartha. 

'He came suddenly and sat beside me and said that "Mother, you don't have to worry about me. I know marriage is a very important affair, which must be handled carefully. But getting married to someone won't affect your importance, you'd always be the most important woman in my life.' Pramila sounded so proud and happy about how her beloved son still holding her as his utmost priority. 

That even made Yatarth happy and relieved. He mulled over his circumstances and the role he have to play to shoulder his responsibilities. 

'And I am also hopeful that maybe not one, but someday in future, after a year or two, or who knows even in coming weeks, my other son would find someone who shall take care of him.' 

This time Yatartha didn't get mad and just laughed it out. 

'And where would I find the kind of a girl that I shall like?' 

'Maybe at the place of a thousand stories.' 

 

 

PH - Chapter 01 - A Book Store

'Let's go guys. Show some enthusiasm.' said Yatarth as he was waiting on his two former classmates. 

Both Prateek and Rahul were gasping. Neither of them had walked this much as they both had to walk today, from CSMT to Flora Fountain square. This summer afternoon in Mumbai was killing both of them, but Yatartha, however, was quite excited. For him this was a short walk of one and a half kilometres, exploring the gothic architecture of British times, leading his way to the book store which his former English professor had told him about. 

'Bhai, how far is it?' asked Prateek with a dull voice. For him, the excitement and enthusiasm were gone after a few meters of walk in this burning afternoon. Rahul had finished the remaining half of the water bottle. He didn't have the energy to even talk. 

'GPS says it's a minute away.' Yatartha, was too eager to reach the destination than considering the state of his friends. No weariness was seen on his face but only utter excitement to finally reach out to the place of thousand stories. He walked ahead in the direction of the GPS. 

Rahul and Prateek both gave helpless looks to each other and drooped for the last one-minute walk, to the place neither of them was interested to visit. 

'Finally. This is it.' 

'Kitaab-Khana!' exclaimed Yatarth with utter satisfaction of finally reaching out to this place where dreamt to visit once he shift to Mumbai. 

'This is it?' asked Rahul.

'Yeah, let's go inside.' and Yatarth was already at the door of this book store. 

'Finally.' exclaimed Rahul with great relief. 

Yatartha entered first in the bookstore and was so amazed to see the place at first glance. 

'Welcome Sir.' said the doorman. 

Yatartha exchanged a smile and was about to walk straight to the bookshelves. 

'Sir, would you please make the entry of your name into the register?' requested the doorman. 

Yatartha noted down his name and number and quickly turned to the bookshelves, followed by Prateek and Rahul. 

'This is what heaven looks like, Rahul.' uttered Yatarth, totally getting consumed by the place filled with thousands of books. Millions of characters, and thousands of different worlds, and Yatarth wanted to experience all of them in his lifetime, yet he knew that even a lifetime is not enough to experience them all. "So many books, so little time." he recollected Frank Zappa's quote. 

'Now what?' asked Rahul. 

'Now we explore different worlds.' answered Yatartha. 

'You mean, you would explore the different worlds.' said Prateek. 

Yatartha only smiled and started to look at the category of the books. The wooden shelves and the colourful books had mesmerized Yatarth completely. While Rahul was so happy to see some stools near bookshelves, which were kept for the readers. He instantly grabbed one and sat over it. Took a deep breath and rested for a while. 

Yatartha was hardly fighting the urge to buy all those books when he would be able to finish them all, he didn't know nor he cared about that, all he wanted to do was to have all of those books. 

'Someday.' He whispered. The dream of having his own book collection, a whole floor with bookshelves and the best books from all over the world. That was his dream, having his own personal library. But the limitation of lack of money had still not brought his dream to fruition. "One book at a time." he said to himself. 

Then he looked around how people were busy looking at books and discussing them with their friends, some would even sit near the bookshelf and start reading their favourite books. Some elderly people would be discussing historic or cultural books. 

People from all age groups, with different categories of books, exploring different authors and different worlds and yet they all looked just like him, and yet all this was happening at one place, this beautiful book store in South Bombay. 

Looking at all those people Yatarth finally felt like he found some people like him.  His own kind. And that made him truly happy. A smile stretched his cheeks with this happy thought.

As he was glancing around, his eyes stopped at Prateek. He was noticing some books. Yatartha walked at him and noticed the label on the bookshelf. 

'Manga!' uttered Yatartha. Manga is graphical novels or books from Japan. 'Do you like Manga?' he asked Prateek.  

'Just exploring.' he answered calmly. 'Have you found anything interesting yet?'

Yatartha exhaled, 'Well, honestly, I haven't seen anything yet. I am just too overwhelmed to see so many books. 'I just wish I was rich enough to buy all these books.'

'Books are expensive commodities.' said Prateek.

Seeing us discussing something even Rahul had stood up from that small stool and had joined us. He was shooting a video of that book store over his mobile phone. He showed them that video. 

'Nice!' exclaimed Yatartha. 'Send this one on what's app.'

'Are you not on Snapchat?' asked Rahul. 

'No. Nor will I.' He smiled and picked out a Manga from the shelf. Tokyo-Ghoul. Yatartha had some Manga series on his mind to add toon his collection but kept quiet about it and put the copy back on the shelf. 

'What the heck.' said Prateek in an amusement. 

'What happened?' wondered Rahul. Yatartha looked quietly at him. 

'Look at this.' said Prateek and showed the page of the book he was holding. 

'You're reading in the wrong direct????' He and both of them were very confused. Yatartha thought this might be some author's trick or a joke. 

Prateek tiled the book and opened it in a reverse way and yet he didn't seem to find the right direction to read that book. Feeling annoyed he put the book back on the shelf. 'Stupid book.' 

Yatartha felt so amused and he pressed his lips to suppress his laugh. 

'What kind of authors write these books?' he said. 

'Ask him, he'd know it better.' hinted Rahul. 

Yatartha answered instantly, 'Weird ones.'

'Aren't all the authors are bit weird?' asked Prateek. 

'Some just take pleasure in inflicting suffering onto readers.' answered Yatarth quietly. Rahul wasn't even interested in such talks, he didn't care about reading books. His attention was already diverted to some other alluring things: Girls. 

'Didn't think that this place could turn this beautiful.' said Rahul stealing a peek at random girls at a book store whose attention was all on books. 

'I already have a tiny fluffy bear in my life.' answered Prateek. He didn't care to check out other girls. Yatartha found it curious, how there was a time when he saw his classmate flirted with every girl until he finally got into a relationship with Sanika. He felt proud and good about it but didn't say anything. 

'Rather, it should be enticing to Yatarth.' hinted Prateek, and that brought Rahul's attention too. 

'Exactly. It only seems right.' added Rahul. 

They were all checking out various shelves and conversing simultaneously. 

'What are you idiots hinting exactly?' asked Yatarth, though he had guessed it. 

'That maybe now you have finally come to the place where you'd find your type of girl. College wasn't for you, but this would definitely be.' said Rahul with a cunning smile on his face.  

'The romance category books are on that side.' said Yatarth sarcastically. 

'Don't be an arse, Yatartha. Didn't you ever feel the need for a company of a woman?' asked Prateek. 

'All men felt that at some point in their lives.' answered Yatartha. 

'I hate his such big dialogues, he can't even come out of his bookish world.' Rahul said annoyingly. 

'Maybe he just wants to keep it secret from us.' Prateek nagged. 

'Crime and Punishment.' Yatartha picked out a red book from the shelf. 

'Love is the crime and the punishment is pain.' said Rahul.

'But that's not what this book is about.'

'So buying yourself this one?' asked Prateek. 

'Well, no. I would get myself a copy of Penguin Classic.' answered Yatartha. 

'What's the difference?' wondered Rahul. 

'Penguin Classic is a different publisher, Vintage is different.' cleared Yatartha. 

'What difference does that make, the inside text of the story would still be the same.' argued Rahul.

Yatartha chuckled. 'Nice articulation, right there Rahul. But it's still not the same for me. I want to have a collection of books, which should look identical in nature or printing.' Yatartha picked up a "War and Peace" copy of Penguin Classics from the other shelf, 'Now look at this, this fine black cover copy. Put it together with other copies of the same publication house, and you get the pattern.' 

Rahul had a weird and unbelievable expression on his face. 'Seriously, dude?' he was processing that reasoning for a moment. 'You need a pattern in that too? How meticulously are you gonna look.' 

'Too meticulously.' said Yatartha and smiled, feeling amused with himself. And his attention went to the coffee shop within this book store. He saw some rich people were having coffee there and talking about books, the classics, and new releases. He didn't dare to enter that area as he thought he won't be able to afford it and diverted his attention to other books. 

'Damn it, there is more upstairs.' said Rahul. 

'Shall we go there too?' wondered Prateek if Yatarth was still done with this or not. And looking at Yatarth how he is getting lost with books of Hemingway, Tolstoy, Faulkner, Fitzgerald and many more, they thought he doesn't want to leave this place soon, while they had started to get little bored.' 

'We would go upstairs too, but let me find the book I want to buy.' said Yatarth, still sunken into books. 

'And which one is that?' asked Rahul in the hope if they help him find this book, they might be able to leave soon. 

'Tomb of Sand.' answered Yatartha. 

'Never heard of it.' said Rahul. 

'When have you heard of any book?' asked Prateek. 

'Never. I was just trying to show I'm interested.' 

'Dumbass.' 

'Yo, Prateek. Get my picture with a book.' said Rahul. He sat on a stool near a bookshelf and pretended to read a book. 

Prateek was ridiculously looking at his friend. 'Are you even reading it?'

'No. Just posing for it. Come on. Take a picture. And make sure it's good.' insisted Rahul. 

'One wasn't enough, I got another.' said Prateek in annoyance. 

Their photo shoot went on for a while, till then Yatarth had found 'Tomb of Sand.' a book that had recently won the Booker Prize. First Hindi novel to win the award. 

'Let's go, upstairs.' Yatartha said as he came to these two. 

'Found your book?' asked Rahul. 

Yatartha showed the one in his hand. 

'BC, that book is quite fat.' Rahul was surprised to see the size of the book. 'It would take me a lifetime to finish that one.'

'It's just 700 pages.' replied Yararth with a proud smile. 

'Just?' said Rahul and shook his head in disbelief. 

'Let's go upstairs.' said Prateek. He was the first one to head towards the stairs. 

As they were walking to the stairs, an employee of a book store stopped Yatartha. 

'I am sorry sir, but taking the books from the ground floor to upstairs isn't allowed.' said an employee. 

'Oh.' Yatarth felt a bit confused. 'But then what do I do with this book? I want to buy it and another employee who had helped me to find it told me that it's the last copy. If I put it back on the bookshelf, someone else might get the hold of this copy.' 

To which that employee gently laughed, 'I understand your worry, sir. But nothing to worry about. Just tell me, are you sure that you want to buy this book?'

'Yes.' answered Yatartha. 

'Then please follow me, sir.' and he took Yatarth to the counter of the book store. Meanwhile, Prateek and Rahul were looking at their friend from upstairs. 

'Gopal, would you please take the copy of this book and keep it under the reserved shelf? Sir would collect it once he returns from upstairs.'

'Sure, will do.' answered Gopal and then put the copy of that book on a shelf behind the bill counter. 

The employee looked at Yatartha, 'Sir, you can simply ask for your copy and they would bring it to you at the time of checking out.' 

He was a bit impressed with the arrangement at that book store. He just gently nodded and headed upstairs. There Rahul and Prateek were busy with their photo shoots. 

'Any problem?' asked Prateek. 

'Nothing. Just some rules, maybe. Nothing to worry about, let's explore this area of the store.'

And the upstairs part contained Marathi and Hindi books, some English too. A couple was also there, a boy was excitingly telling his girlfriend about the book that he was holding. 

'Look at that. How excited that boy is, that reminds me of Yatartha. He's probably single because he would talk with girls about books and they wouldn't be interested in books.'

'But here you might find someone who would share the same interest like you, Yatartha.' added Rahul. 

Meanwhile, Yatartha was just lost looking at that couple, how that boy was passionately talking with his girlfriend about the book, and how attentively she was listening to him. A flashback made him quiet and serious. 

He didn't say much and lingered there for a while and soon check out of that book store. Memories were attacking him again, something had triggered. 

'Are you okay?' asked Rahul. 

'Yeah. I am fine.' answered Yatartha. 

'You've got serious. If our jokes...'

'They didn't hurt me...it's something else...you don't have to worry about that, Rahul.' said Yatartha. 

'But I honestly feel that you would get someone of your type in a place like this. But for that, girlfriend you would have to frequently visit this bookstore, that too without us.'

Rahul laughed heartily. 'Otherwise, his love story would be over before it begins.' 

'Only if he allows himself to have one. But the question still remains would he come here again?'

Yatartha looked up at that couple once.

'Yes, I would come here again.' answered Yatartha.