A love story
This story is based in Mumbai, my favourite city. Though it’s not the Mumbai that I know about. It’s when Mumbai was Bombay, where the road on Marine drive didnt exist as the sea shore almost hit the buildings still standing there. Where the parsis ruled Bombay, with their cute Parsi colonies. When the pace of living was slower, when the Biharis,Muslims,Hindus lived in complete harmony and brotherhood. When life wasn’t about winning some kind of race but more about enjoying the ride. Bombay where Rajesh Khanna roamed on the Juhu beach singing ,”zindagi kaisi hai paheli hai”. God! I sometimes wish I was a time traveller.
Anthony was a navy man. He was tall, fair, with a beard almost 6 foot in height and looked good in anything he wore. He was living in Bombay with his aunt and was working on land in the naval force then as well as giving exams for a promotion. He was charming, and had his way with women. He was a smooth talker and street smart. He wasn’t rich and his budget a month was 5 rupees. His family that lived in Poona had nothing to give him, he knew he had to survive on his own so he did, in the best way he could.
At the age of 21 Anthony was dating Anne, who worked in an advertising agency Colaba. She was an absolute bombshell. Just like Anthony she wasnt too serious about relationships it was a perfect match. They had fun, watched movies,got drunk and danced together. Anthony was happy, but then he saw Kaira and his world changed forever.
Kaira!! She was a beautiful, simple and a small town girl. Her father was in the administrative services so she finished her education studying in all different places, mostly small towns. She always travelled first class and was very protected. She would never go out with a guy if not in a group. She wanted to get independent and break free from her comfort zone so she came down to bombay as soon as she finished her college. She as luck would have it got a job in the same advertising agency as Anne and also became friends with her. She found Anne ‘chalu’ and
she made it a point to not hang out with her much and keep things professional.
Anthony would always go to meet Anne in her office. Just like usual he was chatting with Anne when Kaira walked past by. Anthony looked at her and couldn’t stop staring at her since. Kaira had worn a yellow chiffon saree, her long hair untied were flowing, and her eyes wore a thin line of kajal. Anthony couldn’t help himself as he blurted out a ‘wow’ aloud. Kaira heard it and ignored him completely. He asked Anne about Kaira. Anne gave him the details and also immediately told him that she would never go out with men alone.
The sight of kaira would just not let him sleep. He knew there was something special about her. He made a plan he asked Anne to invite Kaira for a movie and tell her that it was with a group of friends. When Anne asked Kaira, her first response was a definite no. She told Anne that she couldn’t because she would not be allowed in her hostel after 9 in the night. Anne promised her that they would be back before that. After a lot of convincing on Annes part Kaira accepted.
Anthony and Anne with some other friends picked kaira up in a taxi. Kaira wore a pink floral dress and looked ravishing. They watched the movie and Anthony watched Kaira. Kaira was aware of this, a woman knows when a man is staring!.. She smiled to herself. She wasn’t used to this kind of attention, she liked Anthony. He was funny,charming and always made her comfortable. Though she made sure that he would never know about it.
After their first movie adventure, Anthony kept finding ways to meet kaira, but always in a group. He realised he had to build up courage and ask her out on a date. After picking up the phone and calling her 10 times and banging the phone down as soon as he heard her voice, he finally on the 11th attempt asked her out for a movie. The phone on the other side went silent for almost 30 seconds, they were the longest 30 seconds of Anthony’s life. Kaira finally said,” I will tell you on Wednesday I am a little busy.”
Anthony had to wait for a full 4 days before hearing her answer. He didn’t sleep for all the 4 nights, waiting for wednesday. There was another thing that he was worried about , Anne. What about her? Anne had gone to kerala to visit her parents. Anthony was an honest guy with a good heart. He had to write to Anne. He wrote her a long letter telling her about how he felt about Kaira and that he realised he loved her. He knew though Anne would be upset at first, but both of them knew that they were better friends than lovers. They really liked each other but never really felt love!
It was 10 am when the phone rang. Anthony picked up, it was Kaira. She said, “well, I am free in the evening if you want to go?” Anthony started jumping and dancing much to the amusement of the other silently working officers. It was a YES! He told her he would pick her up at 6. They met at 6, kaira though a little shy and awkward slowly started relaxing. She really was happy when he was around. In the movie interval he got her a hamburger. The hamburger was wrapped in a tissue paper. Anthony had written ,” kaira I really like you.” on it. Kaira turned red and held Anthony’s hand. That one gesture sealed their future together.
After a few days Anthony called up back home. He told his mother that he was going to get a girl with him. When he told kaira about his plans, kaira panicked. She said she couldn’t come with him just like that. She had to talk to her father, if they approved only then would she come. Anthony told her she had a day to get her permissions and that he would be waiting at the station for her. The train would leave at 5. 10 in the evening. If she didn’t make it he would take it as a no from her family.
The next day Anthony reached the station at 5. Kaira wasn’t there. It was 5.07 and the first honk of the train when it sunk in that kaira was not going to come, he held his head in his hands and sat on his seat. The train began to move that’s when he heard, kaira shouting his name. She was running, smiling,crying all at the same time! Anthony pulled the chain got down and hugged her and lifted her up. They both were together now, forever. The people on the station started clapping, cheering and whistling! That’s how Anthony finally took Kaira home. That’s how Anthony found his Kaira!
This story is real. They both are as much in love as when they were 40 years younger. They are also my 60 year old friends. They fight,cuddle, make up ,get drunk and go nuts together, and it’s an absolute joy to see them when they do. Anthony still has that tissue paper with kaira’s name on it safely kept in his dairy. They also have their first photo taken together dancing in the Bombay rain, framed.
We belong to the instant make up and instant break up generation. We keep our ambitions before our heart. We suffer through broken relationships, commitment phobias, and divorces, we believe more in lust less in love and we believe in moving on very quickly. But that’s not entirely true, is it? We all want to believe in love we all want a Anthony- kaira love story. We want to find our true companion. Even as we ,move along with our broken hearts we are hoping that we will finally find someone who would mend it, fill it up with love. The more we potray we are practical, the more we know we are emotional. We have I think just stopped thinking with our hearts and relying only on our brains. Let’s give our hearts a chance and may be we would see our Anthony or Kaira waiting. Let’s try believing in love again!!
Sent from my iPad
This story is based in Mumbai, my favourite city. Though it’s not the Mumbai that I know about. It’s when Mumbai was Bombay, where the road on Marine drive didnt exist as the sea shore almost hit the buildings still standing there. Where the parsis ruled Bombay, with their cute Parsi colonies. When the pace of living was slower, when the Biharis,Muslims,Hindus lived in complete harmony and brotherhood. When life wasn’t about winning some kind of race but more about enjoying the ride. Bombay where Rajesh Khanna roamed on the Juhu beach singing ,”zindagi kaisi hai paheli hai”. God! I sometimes wish I was a time traveller.
Anthony was a navy man. He was tall, fair, with a beard almost 6 foot in height and looked good in anything he wore. He was living in Bombay with his aunt and was working on land in the naval force then as well as giving exams for a promotion. He was charming, and had his way with women. He was a smooth talker and street smart. He wasn’t rich and his budget a month was 5 rupees. His family that lived in Poona had nothing to give him, he knew he had to survive on his own so he did, in the best way he could.
At the age of 21 Anthony was dating Anne, who worked in an advertising agency Colaba. She was an absolute bombshell. Just like Anthony she wasnt too serious about relationships it was a perfect match. They had fun, watched movies,got drunk and danced together. Anthony was happy, but then he saw Kaira and his world changed forever.
Kaira!! She was a beautiful, simple and a small town girl. Her father was in the administrative services so she finished her education studying in all different places, mostly small towns. She always travelled first class and was very protected. She would never go out with a guy if not in a group. She wanted to get independent and break free from her comfort zone so she came down to bombay as soon as she finished her college. She as luck would have it got a job in the same advertising agency as Anne and also became friends with her. She found Anne ‘chalu’ and
she made it a point to not hang out with her much and keep things professional.
Anthony would always go to meet Anne in her office. Just like usual he was chatting with Anne when Kaira walked past by. Anthony looked at her and couldn’t stop staring at her since. Kaira had worn a yellow chiffon saree, her long hair untied were flowing, and her eyes wore a thin line of kajal. Anthony couldn’t help himself as he blurted out a ‘wow’ aloud. Kaira heard it and ignored him completely. He asked Anne about Kaira. Anne gave him the details and also immediately told him that she would never go out with men alone.
The sight of kaira would just not let him sleep. He knew there was something special about her. He made a plan he asked Anne to invite Kaira for a movie and tell her that it was with a group of friends. When Anne asked Kaira, her first response was a definite no. She told Anne that she couldn’t because she would not be allowed in her hostel after 9 in the night. Anne promised her that they would be back before that. After a lot of convincing on Annes part Kaira accepted.
Anthony and Anne with some other friends picked kaira up in a taxi. Kaira wore a pink floral dress and looked ravishing. They watched the movie and Anthony watched Kaira. Kaira was aware of this, a woman knows when a man is staring!.. She smiled to herself. She wasn’t used to this kind of attention, she liked Anthony. He was funny,charming and always made her comfortable. Though she made sure that he would never know about it.
After their first movie adventure, Anthony kept finding ways to meet kaira, but always in a group. He realised he had to build up courage and ask her out on a date. After picking up the phone and calling her 10 times and banging the phone down as soon as he heard her voice, he finally on the 11th attempt asked her out for a movie. The phone on the other side went silent for almost 30 seconds, they were the longest 30 seconds of Anthony’s life. Kaira finally said,” I will tell you on Wednesday I am a little busy.”
Anthony had to wait for a full 4 days before hearing her answer. He didn’t sleep for all the 4 nights, waiting for wednesday. There was another thing that he was worried about , Anne. What about her? Anne had gone to kerala to visit her parents. Anthony was an honest guy with a good heart. He had to write to Anne. He wrote her a long letter telling her about how he felt about Kaira and that he realised he loved her. He knew though Anne would be upset at first, but both of them knew that they were better friends than lovers. They really liked each other but never really felt love!
It was 10 am when the phone rang. Anthony picked up, it was Kaira. She said, “well, I am free in the evening if you want to go?” Anthony started jumping and dancing much to the amusement of the other silently working officers. It was a YES! He told her he would pick her up at 6. They met at 6, kaira though a little shy and awkward slowly started relaxing. She really was happy when he was around. In the movie interval he got her a hamburger. The hamburger was wrapped in a tissue paper. Anthony had written ,” kaira I really like you.” on it. Kaira turned red and held Anthony’s hand. That one gesture sealed their future together.
After a few days Anthony called up back home. He told his mother that he was going to get a girl with him. When he told kaira about his plans, kaira panicked. She said she couldn’t come with him just like that. She had to talk to her father, if they approved only then would she come. Anthony told her she had a day to get her permissions and that he would be waiting at the station for her. The train would leave at 5. 10 in the evening. If she didn’t make it he would take it as a no from her family.
The next day Anthony reached the station at 5. Kaira wasn’t there. It was 5.07 and the first honk of the train when it sunk in that kaira was not going to come, he held his head in his hands and sat on his seat. The train began to move that’s when he heard, kaira shouting his name. She was running, smiling,crying all at the same time! Anthony pulled the chain got down and hugged her and lifted her up. They both were together now, forever. The people on the station started clapping, cheering and whistling! That’s how Anthony finally took Kaira home. That’s how Anthony found his Kaira!
This story is real. They both are as much in love as when they were 40 years younger. They are also my 60 year old friends. They fight,cuddle, make up ,get drunk and go nuts together, and it’s an absolute joy to see them when they do. Anthony still has that tissue paper with kaira’s name on it safely kept in his dairy. They also have their first photo taken together dancing in the Bombay rain, framed.
We belong to the instant make up and instant break up generation. We keep our ambitions before our heart. We suffer through broken relationships, commitment phobias, and divorces, we believe more in lust less in love and we believe in moving on very quickly. But that’s not entirely true, is it? We all want to believe in love we all want a Anthony- kaira love story. We want to find our true companion. Even as we ,move along with our broken hearts we are hoping that we will finally find someone who would mend it, fill it up with love. The more we potray we are practical, the more we know we are emotional. We have I think just stopped thinking with our hearts and relying only on our brains. Let’s give our hearts a chance and may be we would see our Anthony or Kaira waiting. Let’s try believing in love again!!
Sent from my iPad
Aditi Mutatkar 