A belated love story, part 10 ... 
June 16th, 2002; I was simply sitting at home for months without a job in the house that my father had rented in the City of Battles.
But that was going to change soon. I had returned after attending an interview. I was about to change clothes when the land lord's son called me from down stairs, "Sudip Bhaiya...Native land se phone hai (Brother Sudip.... there is call from Native land) "
I was under the impression that it might be a relative calling us; but I started to wonder... they all have our new phone number. 1We had given our land lord's phone number to our relatives earlier when we did not have a phone connection... but that was way back the year 1999...
So I jogged down the stairs to receive the call. Long distance calls were still expensive and I was still dressed for an interview.
I picked up he phone to hear a female voice.
"Hello", I spoke over the phone.
"Hello... is this Sudip?", said the female voice.
"Bingo! This is he... you found me ... but who is this?"
"This is Alice from the Native land. "
"What...? ", I could not believe what I was hearing, "Alice...?", in a different reality I would have jumped with joy but I knew standing infront of other people is not a good place to talk, "Okay, Alice, please take down this number..."
"Whose number is this?"
"Just note it down please..", I gave her our residence phone number, "You made an STD2 call... why did not hang up and call again after few minutes? I would have came down by that time. Ok Now please hang up and dial the number that I gave you now."
I hung up and ran back up to my room.
I did not have to wait for even two minutes when the phone rang.
"Yes Alice, talk ... I am listening."
"How are you Sudip...? I never got chance to speak to you for all these years."
I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Why on earth she so gentle?, "Well how are you? You could have spoken to me if you had called... I gave you all my numbers.( but not the residence number since I did not want to speak with her any more) "
"Believe me... I found your number today itself. But why you never came to Native land all these years?"
She is lying.
I continued, "Ha ha ha (it was a sarcastic laugh indeed) I was there in Native land in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. But I never felt like meeting you... Things you said and did... hurt me... not again... Well... are you married?"
"No, what about you?", She did not comment on the other things I said.
"No...! By the way, what happened to those proposals you father was hunting for? They did not arrive or they did not last?", I was stern this time.
"Why are you talking to me like this?.... and my parents are pressurizing me to get married..."
"I just asked you a question ... by the way go ahead... get married.."
"What? You do not want to continue with the relationship any more...", she was astonished, "Why? Did you find some one else? Are in love with some one?"
"Nope!"
"The what about 'us'?"
"There is no us, Alice! You killed 'us'... you also said if you get a good proposal for marriage... you will accept it. These were your very words..."
She screamed over the phone, "... You .... well if you say so... may be I said such thing.."
"Hey... hey... hey!!", I shouted back, " don't you f***ing scream at me! If you wish to scream; just &#$! off... I have no idea why are you calling me today?", I never let my aggression down,"Have you seen a scooter 4 Alice? I am not that spare tyre that is carried on the back... do you hear me?", I yelled 5.
"I waited five years, Sudip...", she was about to weep.
"And I worshipped you for exactly five god damned years...", I regained my cool, "Alice... we were never meant for each other.... Go get married and be happy!"
"You too be happy!", she said and we ended the call with that.
That was the last contact I had with Alice. I do not know where she is nor do I want to. I never tried to contact her ever.
She too did the same.
*********
Three of my friends inspired me to write this saga down. My creativity was sparked during conversation with them. They are, Avishek Chatterjee, Abhijit Sarkar and Ronald Stevenson.
If Alice or any other member of her family is reading this. Please be aware that this saga is a description of my life.
1. We had land line by then. Cell phones were still very expensive and not very popular.
2. STD stands for Subscriber's trunk dialing, (inter city calls), rates were sky high in those days.
3. Image credit: http://www.communityalliance.orgn.htm
4. Indian Scooter:
5. The video below best describes my emotions.
Report a dead link/ video here
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