May 2021
‘Dad! There is a Mohan on the line’ my younger son said handing over me my mobile.
I couldn’t figure out precisely which Mohan it was since there are quite a good number of Mohan’s on my friends’ list.
‘Hello, Vinay!’
I recognised it was my university classmate Mohan who is working as a Lecturer in English in Kakinada.
‘I have been selected as one of the members on the committee constituted for preparing the E-content for English Online Classes’ he said jubilantly.
‘Really big news! Congratulations.’
‘Thank you, but I need your help in this regard. Can we meet this Sunday at your home?”
‘What kind of help?’ my voice, a little hesitant.
“Whatever…! Not a big deal actually. It will be a cakewalk for you. You have to help me in preparing E-content for English online classes’
‘Oh, sure! Just make a call before you start at Kakinada”
‘Thank you. We will be meeting this Sunday.’
*
Mohan came to our flat by 4 pm on Sunday. Kakinada to Rajahmundry is hardly an hour drive by car.
Since he is completely at sea with the latest technological advancements in the teaching profession, he has asked me to help him in this regard. I have readily given my consent as am somewhat an adept at using technology that is required to prepare E-content.
While having tea and snacks, we discussed his selection as one of E-content developers.
‘Who else is there on the committee of E-content developers?’ I said to him in a casual tone.
‘Ajay Kumar, Naveen Gupta, Neeraja Reddy…..”
‘Hey, stop. Neeraja? Which Neeraja?’
‘How many Neerajas do you know?’ he said with a mischievous smile, ‘Some Neeraja from Hyderabad, I don’t know exactly’
“How does she look?’ I said inquisitively
“Like a human being!” he roared with laughter admiring his own joke.
‘Shut up! Be serious’
‘I didn’t observe carefully. You know, I’m not that sort.’
‘Nor am I”
‘Ok, Vinay, our committee will be meeting again after two weeks. I will definitely take her number then, just for your sake’
He left for Kakinada an hour later. While relaxing on the hanging basket chair in the balcony, I recollected an incident during my stay in Telangana almost fifteen years ago *
May 2006
I checked her out from the corner of my eye, wondering how could an uninspiring and unexciting answer scripts’ valuation centre witness such an angelic entity. It was beyond anyone’s wildest dream that a ravishing beauty would come to perform the most tedious activity of the teaching profession i.e., evaluation of answer scripts. It was like Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif immersing in the drudgery of accounting at a local grocery store in their most provocative and dazzling outfits.
She was insanely gorgeous. She was wearing a simple cotton orange salwar kameej with a green dupatta which made her look modest yet modern. Her jhumkas glorified her already adorable face. I noticed how appealing she looked sans cosmetics. She hooked her sunglasses onto her kurti’s neck. She sat cross legged on the chair holding an English novel with the left hand while keeping the right fist under her chin. The posture would instantly make any guy go berserk. Her wide eyes reflected wisdom. The grace in her style was just unparalleled.
Her waist-length hair made her look like a diva who endorses Dove shampoo ad in a husky voice whispering about the secret of her beautiful hair. She must be around twenty-five. Her height would be roughly 5 feet 7 inches. I was sure she could easily clinch the deal for a brand ambassador for the perfect physique of a woman.
I went close to her and wished,
‘Hi’
She looked at me with a smile.
I introduced myself to her.
“I am Vinay’
‘Hi! I’m Neeraja’, she greeted me back. ‘English?’ her eyes sparkled with a curiosity to know whether I am also an English lecturer.
‘Yeah’
‘I’m afraid I haven’t come across you till today. It really sounds strange.’
‘Yeah, I too feel the same.’ I spoke. ‘What is that novel you are reading now? Really great!’
‘What’s really great? The novel itself or reading a novel?’ she burst into laughter. ‘Hey, just kidding. By the way, it is ‘Cloud Atlas’ by David Mitchell’, she said with a contrite expression in her eyes.
‘I said ‘really great’ in the sense that you can find time even to read a novel in the hectic schedule’
‘Hectic? Don’t be so finicky while doing evaluation. You can understand what kind of student he or she is just by reading a paragraph or two.’ She looked at me like a teacher for class two who admonishes a child for copying from the black board too slowly.
‘What you said is absolutely true. But I’m helpless. It’s like an obsession. By the way, what’s the novel about?’
‘You want me to narrate the story right now?’ she said teasingly with a twinkle in her eyes.
Ragging would never be a crime; moreover, it could turn into a blessing in disguise if at all it’s done by her. I laughed at my own thought.
‘I mean the theme of the novel in brief’
‘Just started reading. Have no idea so far. Will let you know tomorrow’
‘It’s ok’
I looked at my watch. ‘Gosh! It will be late today,’ I screamed mildly.
‘OK Neeraja, I am lagging behind in my work. Actually, I’m doing yesterday’s papers. I will see you tomorrow’
‘Bye!’ she said with a beautiful smile while closing her novel and keeping it into her hand bag.
*
‘What dude? What’s the matter? Are you trying to impress her?’ said my fellow examiner in a playful tone.
‘Sorry! Not an iota of that thought. When you look at a beautiful scenery, how would you react? When you see a cute toddler, what will you do? It is just like that. I don’t have any ill feelings. Trust me.’
‘So, you say you have aesthetic sense,’ said my friend laughing heartily.
‘Exactly dear! Thank you for understanding my real intention!’ I said with a candid tone.
“Then what did you mean by atrocious?’ my friend said.
‘I was actually talking about evaluation! What a humdrum for English lecturers! It’s really a punishment for us to do such a mundane work for over a month!” I said remorsefully.
My heart yearned to spend some more time with the lady with a novel but my long pending work scared me instead. She could enjoy reading a novel because she had finished her work. I could not do at the cost of my duty. It reminded me of Robert Frost’s poem which would very much suit my predicament.
The woods are lovely dark and deep
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before I sleep.
Frost discusses sense of duty versus sense of beauty in the poem. My situation was no different here. I wanted to talk to that electrifying enchantress for a few minutes more, but my work had hindered my ambition.
*
August 2021
My friend, Mohan sent me Neeraja’s phone number a week later. He also messaged me that she wanted to talk to me as she had some doubts as regards to typing phonetic symbols in MS Word.
I saved her number and checked her Whatsapp DP. She looked stunningly beautiful even after fifteen years ago.
‘Hi!’ I messaged.
‘Are you Neeraja?”
I excitedly waited for blue ticks. But they were left gray till late evening suggesting she is not big on Whatsapp or probably other social media.
‘Aha! May I know about you?’ her reply came almost after six hours.
‘I am Vinay. Fifteen years ago, we met at a spot valuation centre in Hyderabad.’
‘ Sorry! I don’t remember to have seen you’, she messaged again.
Needless to say, mine is certainly not a Hritik Roshan personality to be remembered even after fifteen years. Moreover, I talked to her only once.
She was happy that I remembered her even after a long hiatus. She was curious to know what might be the reason for my exceptional memory.
I didn’t want to beat around the bush. I told her very frankly that it was her ultra-modern hi-fi look which is rarely found among teaching community.
‘Was I so outrageous then?’ 😒 She also added an emoji of an unamused face.
‘Did I sound like that? Not outrageous, you were… pardon; you are outstanding …then and now!’
‘Thank you! By the way, how are you going to help me regarding phonetics?’
I understood she wanted to divert the topic. I explained to her the different ways to type phonetic symbols.
*
A month later…
Neeraja kept an elegant throw-back photo on her status. I gave her a compliment. She didn’t respond. Whenever she posted a photo on her status, I was readily giving her a compliment. Indeed, they were very gentle, positive and pleasant compliments always. But she never reacted. Silence was her only answer. Then I asked her why she was silent on my compliments.
‘Why should I? Even today, I don’t remember you. I like compliments when they are given by the members of my family and friends’
‘They are compliments, not any hurting comments. Why don’t you take in a lighter vein? They are just harmless.’
‘Harmless or hearty – whatever! Let me enjoy my privacy and also freedom to choose the persons whom I can trust and feel comfortable with. I don’t want any compliments from strangers. Yes, you heard it right. STRANGERS! If you can’t resist yourself from giving compliments- reserve them for your wife, children and friends’
I was shell-shocked.
‘Mr. Vinay! I appreciate someone who admires my intellect not my body. Do you know Rajanee, the writer?’ said Neeraja
‘Which Rajanee? The one who writes on Rostrum Diaries, a digital platform for creative writers? Yes, I know”, I said.
‘She is none other than me’, she said.
‘What? Ra Ja Nee is Nee Ra Jaa?’ I said, surprised.
‘Yes, Rajanee is my pseudonym’, she said.
‘Interesting! Do you notice? They are anagrams too… words formed by the same letters. RA JA NEE …. NEE RA JA,’ I said.
‘Of course! They are!’ she said nonchalantly and continued ‘You know Mr Vinay; I have die-hard fans on Rostrum Diaries! I receive numerous compliments from them – for my intellect and creativity but not for my figure. There is a Yavin who is the best critic of mine. His judicious reviews help me improve as a writer. If possible, try to be one. That suits your age and profession’, she said as if she was giving a harangue.
‘YAVIN? Is it too a pseudonym like Rajanee?’ I enquired curiously.
‘I don’t know,’ she said sloppily.
‘Sounds like an anagram of something else too?’ I was still curious to know.
‘I don’t care whatsoever! I am just awestruck by his sensible reviews. Read them once and you will know how to give a sincere compliment to someone’s intrinsic talents. People like you are found dime-a-dozen everywhere. Act your age and rank. Man! You have to grow up. Good bye,’ she concluded her harangue.
She didn’t hesitate even for a second to curtail the call.
I kept silent for a long time. I was dumbstruck with admiration at her plain-speaking, sincere honesty and rectitude.
But the million-dollar question that kept me amusing was….
‘Will she ever realise that her best critic’s name YAVIN could not only be the pseudonym but also an anagram of someone else who has probably admired her physique rather than intellect?’