Sheela ki Jawani

April 2020

Mohan was looking into his office files in his bed room and he heard a song from his daughter kalyani’s room. The song was the greatest hit of its time.

“Sheela ki jawani” was the song and mohan entered the room asking “Dear, How do you get to know about these old songs”

“Dad, I always like good songs……don’t care whether they are new or old.” Kalyani spoke and that song helped mohan sail back 11 years to his college 2^nd year.

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July 2009

Three guys were walking in the college ground as slowly as they can. Three guys had very similar looks with very minor difference in their heights and color texture. The Moon was brightly up lighting up one side of their dark faces. The first button of all their shirts was unbuttoned and that means……. Ya, I get your mind and of course they are from the mechanical department. All three were silent for the last few minutes.

“Mama, why did we take mechanical Engineering da?” Mohan was the first to talk.

“Our second year classes are going to begin from tomorrow and why do you think of this now?” Arun spoke and turned to Praveen

“Maybe we took this course just because all the heroes in the tamil movies are Mechanical Engineers.”Praveen told and others started laughing.

“I want to tell one thing and I want your full concentration…….” Praveen told and others made gestures to show that they were listening.

“I spoke with one of my friend in GCE,salem and he told that there is a transfer from their college to ours.” Praveen stopped to check whether they were listening and continued again.

“The name of the girl getting transferred is Kalyani and she is into mechanical department” Praveen told kicking a small stone in a fashion of kicking a football.

“A girl to our department….. I think last time we had a girl in our department was in 2005” Arun spoke with more energy now.

“Ya. Since then for the last three years, it was only boys.” Mohan also spoke with more energy.

“Any other details” Arun asked Praveen.

“No da. We were in a chat and he told that there is transfer & the name is kalyani” Praveen told the others.

“Why don’t you ask him other details …” Mohan was disappointed with only these details.

“I liked the curiosity inside me after hearing to that and I want that to continue at least till tomorrow da…… so I acted as though I showed less interest in that matter.” Praveen spoke with shyness now.

“Ya. True……..This is a great feeling” Mohan told as they reached the auditorium entrance and decided to go to bed.

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The next morning mohan was sitting in his bed laughing to himself…….His roommates came to him (Arun and Praveen) and asked “Machi, Whats the matter da.”

“Machi, I had a dream da. ‘Sheela ka jawani’ song da……….. I was akshay and the new ‘kalyani ’was Katrina da” Mohan told with still a smile in his face.

“How was she looking da?” Arun asked him while Praveen hit him hard on his head saying “It is just a dream and he has not seen her like all of us da….. Get up guys……it is getting late”

“Ya ……enough of the wait and lets go & face the reality” Mohan told and jumped from his bed.

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Classes started and it was almost two periods over and no one turned up to the class. The three were sitting in the same bench and looked at each other for every five minutes. The wait was getting longer.

By 11:30, when the classes were going on, a fat, dark boy who looked like the tamil comedian ‘senthil’ in his 20’s came in. The professor collected some paper from him and referred it. Then he spoke which was a great shock to all of us

“You have a new classmate and he is from GCE, salem. He is a student of transfer for his merit and his name is KALYANARAMAN”

All three gave a look of shock at each other and in few seconds all started laughing. In few minutes, Arun and Praveen laughed at mohan saying “your Katrina is so beautiful da……..”

Mohan felt really disappointed in one way and at the same time shyness for all that he had in his dream and what happen at the room. All those feelings together gave him a loud laugh which made all his classmates look at him including the ‘KALYANI’ [sorry ‘KALYANARAMAN’]

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“Papa, why are you laughing?” his 7 year old daughter asked him. He hugged her and told “I also like this song very much and happy about you listening to old songs too”

Arun spoke from behind him “We know the reason for your liking towards this song…….”

Mohan turned and found his college day friends Arun and Praveen standing behind him. He hugged them all and now Praveen spoke “We also know the reason behind your daughter’s name”

“Papa, what is the reason?” She asked with an innocent voice when all gave a weird look at each other and started to laugh…….. Thinking of the KALYANARAMAN – KALYANI - & - Sheela ki jawani………