THE POWER OF LOVE...

Whenever i get gloomy with the state of the world ,i think of the arrivals gate at the airport.Everybody's general opinion seems to be that we live in a world of hatred and greed,but i dont see that ...seems to me that love is everywhere,often its not particularly dignified or newsworthy ,but its always there ...fathers and sons,mothers and daughters,husbands and wives ,boyfriends and girlfriends,old friends...When the planes hit the twin towers as far as i know none of the messages that people sent frm on board were those of hate or revenge..they were messages of love ...if u look at it,i've got this feeling that love actually is all around....Here i begin my collection of timeless stories,each standin out from the other....All about how lives changed on 1 single day-Valentine's day

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My first story ,is that of a husband and wife,Karan,45 and Kiran ,43..Both are engineers,both succesful in their own professions ,workin hard and on manegerial posts in their respective companies,earning well and living a luxurious,if not extravagent,life....They have a 16 yr old son,Rohit,at the threshold of maturity and enjoyin his life,both academically and socially.
Karan and Kiran were both particularly good looking and smart,and stood out from the crowd wherever they went..In their 20 yrs of marriage,they have seen many ups and downs ,and have got through them workin out every bit of their relationship together,always agreeing on a common solution whenever they found themselves standing at the crossroads,and it wudn't be wrong to say that they both have never failed to realize the significance of this life ,this dream that theyr'e living...have come across many a stop signs ,many a ditches along the road,but have always kept moving ahead...Both had never imagined that they'll come this far,and now as they find themselves at the threshold of old age ,both feel that time has flown really fast...

Rohit,sice a very young age ,has been a complete spolied brat ,splurting the money of his parents in almost every thing he has ever wished and desired,and somehow his extraordinary I.Q. and presence of mind has made it possible for him to score well at school, and give his parents and teachers no reason to complain at all.Like his parents ,he also has extraordinarily beautiful features and is the apple of every girl's eyes his school,and therefore ,seen with different girl every other time,and sometimes even more than one.Naturally,he was also the one most hated in his guys group ,as everybody burned with jealousy,stunned to see how someone can be so lucky to have it all...

Karan and Kiran,unexpectedly have started to have a lotta things outta place lately...their work schedules have been keeping them a lot busier than they have ever been ,and they ,together with Rohit ,haven't been able to catch up as a family since quite a lot of time...Everybody seems to be knowing that they are running too fast and haven't been caring about stuff,but they also hope that it will definitely make their lives better by the day..Since Karan was promoted to the post of CEO,he has been leaving home early and comin back late,and as a result ,Kiran has also been working more to ward off loneliness..Rohit ,meanwhile,has been indulging in a lot of partying ,alchol and drugs ,and now even his academic record is plunging to new depths..Both have had a lot of arguments since the past few months,with Kiran worried about their marriage and Karan ,worried more about his career,which he thought was important so that they could live in luxury as they have been and so that they could provide Rohit with everything that he wanted...Somehow,both were correct in their own respects ,it was just that tthis time they failed to see things from each other's perspectives and reach a compromise,adjusting their lives to suit the other...and in this hustle ,bustle they had somehow forgotten that they are more than just 2 people sharing the same bed...

Its 14 of Feb tomorrow,Valentines' Day and coincidentally ,their marriage anniversary too...They knew that they needed this weekend to spent some time with each other and get things back on track...But ,unfortunately for them ,Rohit had been caught in a quarrel ,completely drunk at a club the other day,and they both ,for once had unanimously decided that grounding him was the only possible solution at this point of time..The situation ,also had made them realize that they haven't been responsible parents to their only child ,and havn't paid enough attention to what he really needed from them -love and care..Uptil now ,they had though they were doing their job well by being able to provide Rohit with everything he asked for ,and not stopping him frm taking his own decisions...They had come this far without realizing that they can lose their only son some day if they went on like this...they now thought they would probably give more attention to this issue once they get back from their weekend getaway and having grounded their son,they thought it perfectly safe to make off ...

Karan(watchin TV):hey do u think we're being a bit hard on Rohit by keepin him home..i mean,we've never done it earlier ,have we??
Kiran:Honey,u know its for his own good...if only we could keep him away frm all the bad influences ,and in a sterile environment ,he'll probably be able to work it out by himself!!
Karan:Yeah,i hope so...but don't u think we need to spend some more time as a family??
Kiran:Yaa(that's what i've been trying to tell ya since eternity..it took ur son to become an alcholic to realize this fact!!)
Karan:Hmmm...so i think we should call him downstairs to watch TV with us..
Kiran:Thats ur idea of spending time together,huh???
Karan:Y not,see as it is he hates watchin all these primetime soaps...it'll be punishment enough for him!!!
Kiran(throwing a cushion at him):Hahaha....ur'e one bad guy,i tell you!!!
Karan:I guess u've to be a bad guy to be a good father!!(teasingly)By the way ,if i'm such a bad guy,y dont u be my bad girl tonite!!

Both of them kiss,and Kiran was kinda releived to see the guy she had fallen in love with back by her side....maybe,or maybe not...She couldn't figure out....Karan went upstairs to call Rohit ,only to see him tryin to break out through the window!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Karan:You kiddin me,Rohit...
Rohit:Dad,actually....ummm......i waz jus.........i'm sorry dad....
Karan:U know what ,come here,we gotta talk.Tell me exactly wats goin on with u and trust me fr every word u say...
Rohit:Nothin Dad,i'm perfectly fine,its jus...its jus these guys at the party the other day who started all the mess..nd i just got carried away,and i'm sorry for lettin u down...
Karan:No cmon now ,that's not wat i'm talkin abt...temme jus y have u started drinking and stuff...i mean u never used to do such things before...
Rohit:ummmm....dad frankly speakin...its abt this girl ,i dont know but somehow i feel i just can't get enough of her...and we've been spendin a lot of time together...i've been with many girls and everybody knows it,but still there's something different about her that makes me go week in the knees...and just about a few days ago,i told her everythin,but strangely since then she hasn't talked to me....i just couldn't gather myself up after that...
Karan:Hmmm....seems like my little boy has fallen in love ...but now that u've already done everythin that u could,i just want to tell u that it isn't u who lost anything out of this...its only her who's lost the one who loved her more than anybody else....So just dont think about it too much
Rohit:Yeah dad,i guess ur'e probably right ,thats kinda comforting.I regret i didnt talk to u earlier...
Karan:Its ok,honey...But u know ,there's so much happening these days ,i dont get time to talk to u and Kiran...and probably beacuse of that our marriage is kinda falling apart....
Rohit:(in tears)Why dad,this was never supposed to happen ,we were so happy....wer'e not that family Dad...
Karan:No no i understand boy ,its just that every family has got its issues ,this is ours,and i promise you ,together we would work it out soon...And i have to do somethin special for Kiran this anniversary....
Rohit:Dad,can i help??

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------At night in bed,Karan told Kiran about all that had happened ,and whatever Rohit had told him...

Kiran:Honey,i think we should probably stay with Rohit this weekend...i dont think we deserve a good anniversary any longer...
Karan:Ohk,i guess i'll cancel the booking....gudnite honey....

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14TH FEB:

Karan(with a boquet in his hands):Hey here u are,i've been looking for this beautiful woman all over the place...Happy anniversary honey,and a happy Valentines Day...
Kiran:Happy anniversary honey,but i dont find anything happy about today....
Karan:Oh cmon honey i have a wonderful plan,wer'e goin to the Orchids tonite for dinner...
Kiran:What about Rohit??
Karan:Oh,dont worry ,i've hired this bodyguard for the nightand he's gonna take good care of our boy...
Kiran:A bodyguard???Gimme a break...
Karan:Oh cmon ,its just for tonight thats it,and i know Rohit would understand it perfectly well...dont worry honey we need this break desperately...trust me...now c'mon we'll leave at 7...i have some work,will be back by then....
Kiran(exasperated):Work??Today,too.....

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Karan:Hey honey,i'm back!!heyy,look at you ,u look absolutely beautiful...seems like ur'e getting younger by the day!!
Kiran:oh,thanx!!But i waz always the same,amybe u just failed to notice...And ur'e late
Karan:awww,c'mon honey,i'm so frickin sorry...newayz ,we better be goin if we want to catch up wid d bookin at d hotel on time.By the way,howz Rohit doin??
Kiran:Seems to be doing fyn...has been playin video games since the morning,so it doesn't seem like he's in a moodto go out anywhere today...
Karan:Hey,here's the man ...the bodyguard...Hey mr.,so u know what u have to do right??
Bodyuard:i think so sir..
Karan:Good,but just remember ,dont hang around him too much lest he gets irritated.I've told him that ur'e the security gueard ,ok??
Bodyguard:Affirmative,sir!!
Karan:Honey,lets make a move then...

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At the hotel ,they take their booked seat ...the environment's perfect fr a romantic getaway on valentines day,what with a band playin cool soothing love songs ,and the whole place decorated with heart-shaped balloons and stuff,and fortune cookies to begin with-but for them ,there was still something missing,something that didn't quite bring this day to look like their first date...Is it supposed to be their last one??Karan is determined,because he had realized his mistakes,but somehow ,Kiran feels that he would never be able to get over his obsession for work ...

Karan:So,what does your fortune cookie say??
Kiran:Well,it says -"You will realize something important today"!!Wat does urz say?/
Karan:hmm,Mine is a little tempting...it says-"You'll spend the night with a princess charming-the girl of your dreams"!!
Kiran:Oh,so who's this girl then??
Karan:Nah,i dont wanna disclose my dirrrtyyy secrets!!
Kiran:Ughh!!
Karan:Hehe,so ,what do we do after dinner,huh??
Kiran:Dunno about that ,but first we've got to talk...
Karan:Talk about what??
Kiran:U know it,and i've been thinkin about it a lot...Where exactly are we going karan??We don't have even a single minute of the day for each other,and more so for our only son??Wer'e running after money blindly but have we lost that love somewhere on the path??Our family is kind falling apart...
Karan:No ,no,honey,its not like that...u know i have this job since 10 yrs now,and its taken a lot for me to get to this high post that i'm now in..And obviously ,my responsiblities have increased...
Kiran:But dont u have responsiblities toward me and Rohit???
Karan:yes, i know it perfectly well,but u know ,at this age ,i dont think i have the energy of looking for a new job and starting all over again.Ofcourse,right now i may be too busy,but its not going to be like this always...there'll be time when i'll be free,and then ,i promise ,we'll all go out for a long vacation...and dont u dream about going on a cruise someday..i'll make sure ur dream comes true...
Kiran:But i dont think...

The phone rings suddenly ,Karan picks it up,and after just about 10 seconds he hangs up

Kiran:What was it??Ur'e getting business calls even when ur'e out with ur wife??
Karan:No,kiran...it was that budyguard,says Rohit managed to slipout of the house ,while he was attending to nature's call...C'mon we've gotta be going...I'm so sorry i never meant to ruin this night...but we have to do this...

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They get to their car as fast as they can and as Kiran wonders where theyr'e gonna find their son,Karan drives so confidently that he seems to know exactly where to look,as if he knew almost every secret hideout possible for his son,and even the most probable one...Kiran is too tensed too say a word,but she just hopes her son is fine,wherever he is,and the only thought that crosses her mind is-"oh,its gonna be a long night,another anniversary ruined...dunno if this marriage will see the light of the day.."Karan stops the car at a posh club at a place Kiran had never come before ,not even in her younger days...

Kiran:How do u know he's here???
Karan:I dont know,i'm just guessing...
Kiran(surprised while entering the club):But why is this place so dark and quite??Aren't clubs supposed to be ringing with activity??
Karan:ummm........

Suddenly ,the lights pop out ,blinding both of them for a second...and suddenly they hear a louad shout -"Happu anniversary !!!",and then they see it...a small crowd gathered on the floor,their close friends and family members,and in between ,stood Rohit..

Kiran(loking upto Karan and in tears):You planned all this???
Karan:yeah,sort of ,and i prefer the term orchestrated,but hey,cudn't have been possible without Rohit..it was all his idea!!(calling upto Rohit)Come here ,little boy...I love you honey...
Kiran(hugging both of them and still in tears):U know ,i never imagined this day would be so beautiful..and u guyz almost freaked me out with that story u made up back at the hotel...I love u both so much...
Rohit(takin the mike):Ok,so here we are,celebrating the marriage of my lovely mom and dad,and u should happy that they got married ,coz had they not ,they'd nt have had me,and then just think what all u people would have been missing out !!So i'm gonna take this moment to thank them both for everything,and apologize too...and the fact that their marriage survived someone like me...is truly inspiring..(accompanied by a unanimous laughter and applause)..So here's going out to Karan and Kiran....and now for the main attraction of the evening...I dont know how many of u know this ,but my dad is a pretty good bathroom singer!!!So he's gonna come up and delight us all with a beautiful song on this beautiful day!!
Kiran(flabbergasted):Honey,dont tell me ur'e gonna to do this
Karan:Honey,i....am gone!!!!

He sung beautifully ,and as he did so,Kiran talked to Rohit about things which she initially had felt apprehensive about and realized this beautiful connection which existed between them...everybody congratulated her and gave her presents and she couldn't have been happier..For the first time ,she realized that she had been seeing things only through her own perspective and now she kinda knew that she'd been wrong all along ...coz love never fades away....

Karan completed his project the following week,and got a week's break-he booked a place for them in the cruise.Kiran left her job and took up teaching in an elementary school so that she could spend more time with her son at this age of transition...Rohit started doing well in his studies and even managed to get into one of the best colleges...
And as they say,they lived happily ever after ....albeit with a few ditches on the road every now nd then ,but then they now had the confidence that nothing could break them apart...and ofcourse,Rohit was alwaz there with his amazing ideas when Karan needed help!!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If u read this space ,then plz do comment ,even if u hate this thing -i'd appreciate the brickbats too...it'll inspir me n help me improve my next story...Thnx....

Luv,

Ayush