STORY 16 :Dakshina & Girish Jul 05 2023

The universe speaks to us in whispers and subtle coincidences. Girish always checked his mail every morning before leaving home; that day, he did not. His lecturer never missed any class; that day, he cancelled his morning lecture. Unaware of this change, Girish came to class, but his classmates were nowhere to be seen. He thought of contacting his other friends to fill the unexpected void before his next lecture, but they were all attending their respective classes. He finally called an old friend from primary school who had just joined the university. The latter was in the common room where a party was going on. She asked Girish to come and join her. When Girish arrived, his friend introduced him to her classmates, among whom was Dakshina. Girish met Dakshina. 

Dakshina had just joined the university, and this was the first event she was attending. When her friend introduced her to Girish, she immediately felt at ease with him, as if they had known each other for ages. Dakshina is normally quite shy and can barely talk to strangers, but on that day, she felt like she could stay there and talk to Girish for hours. In fact, she was so at ease with him that she started talking and laughing louder than usual, as if trying to get him to give attention to her. For Girish, Dakshina appeared so beautiful and perfect at that moment; he remembers thinking that, with all the noise in the auditorium, she was like perfection in chaos.

Girsh and Dakshina soon came across each other again in the university compound, and from being acquaintances, they became friends. Girish proposed to help Dakshina with her homework, and they added each other on Facebook. From then on, they were in regular touch. When at the university, they would meet in the common room or study together at the library. They would also attend university parties together and find themselves dancing even after all their friends had left. From being friends, they progressed to being each other's confidants; each time one of them had an issue, they would automatically turn to the other for their perspective and support. People around them would see Girish and Dakshina always together and tell him that they were soulmates. Even Girish's long-time primary school friend, who had played a pivotal role in introducing him to Dakshina, and knew both of them, would tell him they were made for each other. This got Girish to ask himself questions about the nature of his feelings for Dakshina. However, one day, Girish saw Dakshina sitting together with another guy and understood that she already had someone in her life. He chose to remain friends with her.

Dakshina had connected with someone on Facebook a short time before joining the university, where she met Girish. She had been in a relationship with him since then. She slowly realized that they did not align on many things, but she anyway tried to make the relationship work. On her birthday, her boyfriend presented her with a hastily wrapped pack of tea as a gift, indicating a lack of understanding and appreciation for their relationship. This left her feeling deeply disappointed, reinforcing her sense of being overlooked and unappreciated. Dakshina grew up in a small family; her father had only one sister, her mother had one brother. She had always been a reserved girl who did not easily open up to others. She seldom used to laugh and never felt special or deserving of being treated like a princess. Now in a relationship with a boyfriend lacking in romance and affection, she was led to believe that the grand gestures and sweeping romance shown in movies do not exist in real life.

Meanwhile, Girish had also started going out with other girls, but none of his relationships worked. He was brought up in a modest family with his many cousins living in the same house. His grandfather was a labourer, and his father was a carpenter. There was no television in their home, and he spent his childhood days playing bared foot in the streets and going swimming in the river. His simple upbringing nurtured within Girish a deep appreciation for life's small gestures of attention and care. However, the partners he met embraced a different perspective of life, prioritizing materialistic pursuits, shopping sprees, indulgent meals, and extravagant outings. One of his girlfriends, devoid of understanding and sensitivity, belittled him by callously throwing the gift he had made for her in the bin. Girish was left feeling unworthy and undeserving of love. 

Girish and Dakshina supported each other as they navigated the tumultuous waters of their respective relationships. They found a much needed understanding in each other. As their bond grew stronger, they looked forward more and more to spending time together. At times, Dakshina would be leaving Reduit and would phone Girish to ask him where he was. He would tell her that he was at Bagatelle, and she would come down from the bus and meet him at Bagatelle to have lunch together or go for a leisurely walk. It often happened that Girish's girlfriend would call him and find that he was with Dakshina, helping her choose earrings. Similarly, when Dakshina's boyfriend would reach out to her, she would be alongside Girish, helping him choose a pair of shoes. These seemingly innocent acts of friendship made Dakshina's boyfriend uneasy. He did not have the kind of connection with Dakshina that she had with Girish. This became a cause of insecurity for him, and he told Dakshina that Girish was having a bad influence on her and was probably using black magic on her.

When Girish completed his studies, he had to choose a gown for the graduation ceremony. He was not being able to make up his mind and told his mum: "Dakshina will know what colour will suit me." His mum replied: "Why her? Why is her opinion so important to you?" This stopped him on his track and got him to wonder why indeed was Dakshina's opinion so important to him.

Dakshina's engagement to her boyfriend had been set for February 2020. However, instead of being something she looked forward to, it gradually into a distressing ordeal for her. Instead of improving over time, her relationship with her boyfriend had gone from bad to worse. Dakshina felt in her heart that it was not going to work between them because they were not made for each other. She felt that she deserved a guy who really loved and cherished her and made her feel like she mattered. Summoning her courage, Dakshina made the decision to call off the engagement, recognizing that staying in a relationship devoid of true love would only perpetuate her own unhappiness. This decision created turmoil in the family, and her boyfriend took it badly. Girish was the only one who supported her as she went through that phase. They talked day and night on messenger, and he cheered her up. As a matter of fact, Girish was also nursing a heartbreak after yet another disastrous relationship. With Valentine's Day approaching, they both felt off mood. To dispel the gloomy feeling, they decided to go to Bagatelle on the eve of Valentine's Day. In the course of their wandering, Dakshina took Girish into a shop to buy him a crystal rose to help him attract the love he deserved. She could see he was suffering from his latest break-up and selflessly wanted to help him. When the lady in the shop saw Girish and Dakshina, she told them they looked good together, but they replied they were only friends. A few moments later, as Dakshina was leaving the shop, the lady tapped Girish gently on the shoulder and told him: "You don't need to look for love because it is already by your side."

Later that night, when Girish and Dakshina met online as had become their routine, they noticed a subtle shift in their conversation. An undertone of tension and possessiveness had crept into their once carefree and lighthearted exchanges. Their friendship had caught fire and was burning with love. Their hearts had been pierced by Cupid's bow. However, before they could quite understand what was happening to them, the country went into lockdown as a result of the Covid pandemic. They were not able to meet anymore. The government regulations permitted individuals to leave their homes only on specific days, according to the first letter of their family name. Once again, fate intervened in their favour. Surprisingly, their names shared the same initial alphabet. They, therefore, planned their outing to be able to meet at the supermarket. They yearned for a glimpse of each other. Yet, when they finally came face to face, they could not talk as they were both wearing a mask. They could only hold eye contact as they pushed their caddies. Girish looked at Dakshina and saw tears in her eyes rolling down her cheeks on her mask.
The poet Khalil Gibran says that before entering the sea, the river trembles with fear. She looks back at the path she has travelled, from the peaks of the mountains, the long winding road crossing forests and villages, and in front of her, she sees an ocean so vast that to enter there means to disappear forever. The tears in Dakshina's eyes were her ultimate act of surrender. It was a mixture of the deep unspoken feelings bursting out from all her pores, the intense longing to be together, the regret for the missed opportunities and the vulnerability of letting go. Their friendship had meant so much to them that they refused to see what was there all along. They needed someone from outside to give them a push. The realization was overwhelming. 

They never met the lady from the shop again.

Sometime later, when the lockdown was lifted, Girish went to meet Dakshina's parents, sat in front of her whole family and told them he loved her. Her parents asked him if he was sure, and he said he was. They knew it was true because the way Dakshina was with Girish was so different to how she was in the company of her previous boyfriend. Even though Girish was not working at that time, Dakshina's parents did not object to his demand because they could see he was determined, and no force in the world could stop them from being together. Girish had no house, no job, no car, but he loved Dakshina. It was the only thing that mattered. 

On Dakshina's birthday, Girish offered her a basket filled with things she liked. 8 years earlier, when her former boyfriend callously gave her a pack of tea in a gift wrapping, she was so down; Girish had then comforted her by assuring her that she deserved someone who understood her and would give her all the things she loved. And now that Girsh was her boyfriend, he filled a basket with chocolates, a teddy bear and personalized gifts chosen with the utmost care for her. Dakshina stood in awe, surprised that Girish knew exactly what would make her happy. He was a friend who knew the song in your heart and sang it back to you when she had forgotten the words. Through his effort and attention to detail, he made her realize that she should never settle for less than she deserves. 

On Girish's birthday, Dakshina, in turn, crafted a truly special gift for him. She meticulously designed and mounted a book giving A to Z reasons why she loved him. This made Girish emotional. His past relationships had made him feel undeserving of love, and he never thought that there might be 26 good reasons to love him. Moreover, by unknowingly putting the title A to Z, Dakshina brought back his long-forgotten childhood memories. When Girish was a small boy, whenever he was sad or disappointed, his grandfather would tell him that their family was unique. Their surname starts with an A and ends with a Z, just like the alphabet. In that moment of realization, Girish felt meeting Dakshina was not a coincidence but a beautifully orchestrated event by the universe itself to bring them together. He now longed to transmit the precious legacy of his unique family name to Dakshina.

Girish and Dakshina will unite their souls in marriage in November 2024 and enjoy the fruits of a friendship that they planted and watered, and that has blossomed into love.