I saw this Marathi play today and it was a beautiful depiction of the young minds, how they play a role at their peak and how it all seems stupid in the end. These things, if not nipped in the bud, would destroy the youth’s life completely. I personally loved the play.
There is a Kulkarni family of a man, his brother and his wife Neena living in a house. Neena is of 50’s and they have a son who is sent to a military school. A new family comes to stay near their house as their neighbors and they are a family of three consisting of a man, his wife and a young boy in his late teens. When the boy comes to live in his new room, his window overlooks the Kulkarni’s house and the boy calls Neena as "Didi" very sweetly and since then, the develop a beautiful relationship. Like a younger brother, Mayuresh used to visit the Kulkarni’s often. He was extremely innocent boy. His Didi was his best friend, elder advisor, mother, sister and everything. Mayuresh used to bring his college problems, his experiences, his everything to Neena and she, like a mother, used to caress him, love him, and they built a beautiful relationship.
As it was Neena’s birthday few days later, Mayuresh asked her what she wanted as a gift. Since he couldn’t find anything beautiful than her. She said that she loved flowers and on her birthday, he surprised her with beautiful scented flowers of prajakta which were her favorite. Since everyone else was out in the garden celebrating her birthday, Mayuresh held Neena’s hand in his, and he refused to let her go. He held her hand at his heart and signaled the dreaded.
Neena was horribly shocked at her relationship being misinterpreted. That boy was almost her son’s age and he had started thinking in a wrong way. Firstly, at his reaction, she shouted. When people came, she changed the topic and saved him, thinking he was out of his senses and would come back soon. She told him never to come to their house again.
Mayuresh did not turn up for few days and after a week or so, he came when she was alone at home and said that he thought over everything a lot and he had decided that he loves her and he wanted to marry her. And he was going to arrange for Neena and her husband’s divorce and then, marry her. Neena, after hearing all this, was horrified. He told her that she wasn’t his didi, but she was his lover. She could not believe what was happening. He told her to say yes to him. She refused whatsoever. He then, took out a gun from his pocket, showed her the gun and threatened her. Since someone came at the door, the scene was closed over there. But this incident left Neena shocked. She called her friend and decided to tell her husband. Her husband and his brother were as shocked. They decided to tell Mayuresh’s parents about it. Since the father was not free, the mother came to their house. The mother, after hearing the allegations on her son, was furious and backfired Neena saying she gave her son wrong signals and that is why he fell for you. Neena was shocked after hearing this. Her pure heart could not bear to her such things about her. She was broken, shattered. Later, the boy’s father was called. The father was shocked and when a threat was given that media would be told about this, the father promised that their boy would never visit the Kulkarni’s again.
Neena was worried about the boy. The boy, if not treated properly, would start with bad habits or ruin his life in some way because of his stupidity. The boy was stern. He said he was in true love and would do anything to get Neena. He was grounded at home by his parents and was put on medication, but the boy would not co-operate.
Neena, dressed in beautiful saree, called the boy at home one day. She said, come home, I want to talk to you. The boy got scared. He was wondering what was wrong. He came to her house. As he sat over there, Neena spoke. She said, she never told him, but she too was in love with him. She said she was very scared. She dreaded the calamities. She told him to celebrate this night with some alcohol. He refused, saying he didn’t drink. She said, she was going to give herself totally to him, because the night was a wonderful night. She reminded how he once came to their place and was wet and she gave him a cup of hot coffee, and he had tears in his eyes. She wanted to hug him then. And she clenched him in her arms like a lover. Mayuresh shot back. He pushed her away. He said, why are we doing this? This is wrong! Neena asked him, "why, we are going to marry right?" Mayuresh was going mad. Neena asked him, "this is the Neena you wanted right? You would be my husband right?" Mayuresh said, no.. this is not the Neena I wanted. I wanted the Neena who put her hand on my head. Who waited for me to come from college. Who cared about me like a mother. And in his words, he found the answer. Neena smiled at him and said, "see how stupid your being. It is your age to fall for things. Any woman who comes close to you in that age, guys would fall in love with her. Be in ANYONE. But it’s the feeling, its not love" Mayuresh started crying. Neena told him, "the first time u came to live here, u called me "Didi" from that window. Please call me that again! " Mayuresh, profusely crying uttered the heavenly words "Didi". they both smiled and hugged.
It was amazing to see the similarity in real life stories and what was shown. Yes, many boys and girls we see do such stuff. They feel that they really love someone, but they are in an impulse. Its an age when we are armed with roses and kisses, searching for an enemy to use it on. And anyone we find first, we shoot it out. We are in a living dream. We love someone without thinking. Out heart beats fast, there are Goosebumps on us, our internal self dances with oneself and the feeling is amazing. We carry it on, calling it the most dangerous word, LOVE. Yes, we do come out of that living dream. Earlier, the better. If it takes a longer time to come out, we end up totally destroying our life. If such love is denied, people think it fashionable to get drunk, chain smoke and do drugs to add to the agony at the man’s biggest enemy, THE EGO getting hurt.
Few things I would like to spread around.
1. When you love someone, please take the advice of some elderly person. Definitely, most times parents would be against it. But someone, who is elder to you, cares about you and is mature and caring. Because however mature we are, in love, we tend to lose all our senses. To love someone and live with that person, u don’t just need love. You need the correct wavelength, intellectual level, emotional quotient and other qualities to match. An intelligent boy and a dumb girl or vice versa will have extreme problems in their relationship no matter how much they were in love before.
2. THINK. And think again. And oh, for me, think ONCE AGAIN.
3. Accept denial.
If you have the guts to love someone, have the guts to accept that person’s decision and their denial. Life comes with ups and downs, and learn to accept it the way it is. DO NOT ASSUME THE OTHER PERSON LOVES U if he/she has said no.
4. Do not ruin your life because someone denied you. That wont get you your love back. That will only prevent further love from coming to you.
5. If any friend of yours or anyone tells u sincerely and caringly, that you need a psychiatrist, please visit one. Because when one needs a psychiatrist, he never feels the need of it. He only shouts at people for thinking he is mad. Not just mad people need the psychiatrist but also emotionally disturbed people need them. To get them on right track. So PLEASE trust your loved ones and visit the doctor if they feel you should.
6. Love at a proper age. When you are 21 years old, you have enough mental, emotional and hormonal stability by then which allows you to think rationally and chose your life partner.
7. Lastly, DO NOT RUIN THIS BEAUTIFUL LIFE just because some puppy love of yours denied you, or broke your heart. The world, our life, has much more to offer us.
