Crutchman

By Ashok Pal

For some, he was a four-legged animal while for others; he was a dog without a tail. For most people, he was a man who walked with the help of crutches. But for himself,he was a “Crutchman” whose extraordinary power was his “will power”. Welcome to the world of Akash – who, in spite of his disability, strives hard with the help of his two friends, Darsh and Nakul to create his own destiny. Darsh had fallen for a girl whom he had met on a blind date while Nakul’s eyes were set on a married woman. Although each one of them had their own issues to deal with, their viewpoint towards one thing was common: and that was finding a JOB – which they believed stood for ‘Joker of Boss’.Will their crazy business ideas help them conquer the world? Or will they succumb to the pressure of betrayal, corruption and hardship that comes their way while chasing their dreams?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Notion Press
• Release date: Jan 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9789384878009

Book preview

Ashok Pal

Notion Press

5 Muthu Kalathy Street, Triplicane,

Chennai - 600 005

First Published by Notion Press 2015

Copyright © Ashok Pal 2015

All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 978-93-84878-00-9

This book has been published in good faith that the work of the author is original. All efforts have been taken to make the material error-free. However, the author and the publisher disclaim the responsibility.

No part of this book may be used, reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Dedicated to my family and friends

I

Acknowledgements

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It would be unfair on my part to take the entire credit for the product that you are holding in your hand. Hence I would like to thank all of them who made this possible, and in particular:

God – my friend, my foe. Thank you God, for choosing a life for me that has been so adventurous till now. If it wasn’t for you I would have been living the same dull life like any other ordinary human being.

Urmila Pal – my wife who was the first reader of the draft. Although she was shocked by some of the incidents in the book, she motivated me to complete the novel.

My parents and my brother Pramod Pal, who have always supported me and were always there for me whenever I needed them.

The entire team at Notion Press for being so professional and friendly throughout the process.

Vinay Gunavante for designing such a beautiful cover page.

Kirthi Jayakumar for helping me out with the editing of the manuscript.

Disha Shah, Remya Nair, Sabareesh, and RamSagar Pal, who read the manuscript and gave me their honest comments.

And lastly to all those people who always underestimated me and made me realize that I was good for nothing. If it wasn’t for them I would have never fought so hard in order to prove myself and in the process would have never discovered the potential hidden inside me.

Contents

Title

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Start Reading

Nakul Speaks

Darsh Speaks

Akash Speaks

It was a chilly winter day. A heavy blanket of frost had settled on the grass and the cold morning fog lingered in the air. The cold was strong enough to chill bones. Trees had once again been stripped off their leaves. They stood tall and naked with their leaves scattered at the base of their trunks like wounded soldiers on a battlefield. Not a bird chirped. The bone-chilling cold was because of the thick blanket of fog which had covered up the sun. All of Banaras was covered in layers of woollens. Marketplaces across the city registered a drop in footfall as people gave shopping a miss.

It was the first time that I was visiting Banaras in winter. Although it was my native place, I was born and brought up in Mumbai. I hardly visited, and even if I had to, it was mostly during my summer vacations. But today, I was there for my girlfriend Soniya. It was her birthday and I wanted to celebrate it by being there with her for the entire day. I had even booked a room in a hotel. Initially, it was difficult to get a room for an unmarried couple, but then it was India - where money spoke louder than rules and regulations. I placed some extra money along with the bill amount on the manager’s table and he was happy to help me out with what I wanted. After the booking was done, I sent a message with the hotel details to Soniya and went to check out my room.

I was very tired as I had travelled all the way from Mumbai to Banaras by train and that too in the general compartment. I had a seat on which I could only sit and remain in that position for the next 24 hours. I had not slept the entire day, so I decided to rest. It was 8 o’ clock in the morning and Soniya had told me that she would be there only by 11:00. I had three hours to rest. I slid under the blanket and went off to sleep.

I woke up when I heard someone knocking on my door. Rubbing my eyes, I opened the door. It was Soniya. She wore a sleeveless Kurta and a Punjabi Salwar. On top of it was a woollen sweater. She looked very beautiful. Her high heeled sandals were driving me crazy, and her skin colour and perfect body were adding fuel to the fire that was burning inside me. It was the first time that we were meeting at a place - just the two of us alone. Seeing her, all the sleep had vanished from my eyes. I threw my hands around her and hugged her tightly. I just held her and tried to feel her but she pushed me back with a wicked smile, You don’t want me to come inside? she stared at me.

I took her inside and we sat on a couch. She got up and sat on my lap, and I hugged her tight. I just let her be there. Once she had settled down, I reached for a pillow and hit her.

I think you don’t miss me nowadays! You don’t even pick my calls!

Yes! I don’t! she replied, without looking at me.

Oh, really? Then what are you doing here? I hit her again with a pillow.

She got up from my lap and sat on the bed. Don’t come close to me. That’s your punishment for beating me with a pillow!

I knew she wanted me to put some extra effort to pacify her, so I got up and sat next to her. Holding her hands I told her how much I missed her. She began to cool down. Looking into my eyes she said, I want to tell you something very important about our future.

Although her words were resonating in my ears, my mind was elsewhere. I brushed my lips against hers and muttered in a low voice into her ears. I love you, sweetheart. She tried to get away from me but I pulled her back and started kissing her. Gently, I began exploring her. I got lost in my kiss. I quickly removed her sweater and moved my right hand behind her back, slipping it inside her Kurta.

Don’t spoil my dress! she pushed me back on the bed.

I was not one who would back down so easily. I came to the edge of the bed, grabbed her by her waist and pushed her back, flat onto the bed. She tried to get up. But I put my whole body weight over her and held her hands tightly. She tried to free herself from my grip but I was too strong for her. I looked at her beautiful lips and started kissing them. Then I kissed on her neck. I could sense that she had stopped moving by then and had probably given up the fight. I kissed her on the stomach, then her breasts. It felt like lightning had passed through my body. As I lay my ear on her chest, I heard her heartbeats. I could feel the warmth of her body. I felt like I could hear her love beating for me beneath her ribcage. I kissed her more passionately. Then slowly, hugging her tightly in my arms, I kissed her cheek. I could feel her inhale, and then shudder with an exhale. Something wasn’t right, that breath was too shuddery, I thought to myself.

I looked up straight into her eyes. I could see a tear in the corner of her eyes. It ran down the bridge of her nose. I wiped it away with my thumb and looked deep into her eyes. I could see pain hidden behind them.

I am sorry, sweetheart, I apologized.

She shook her head looking away from me.

What’s wrong, sweetheart? I asked her with a puzzled look in my eyes.

Is it me? I asked her, my voice cracking at the thought of the possibility.

I just don’t feel it anymore, she whispered. Tears spilled from her eyes as she was not able to look at me anymore. I kissed away the first few tears.

I just don’t feel it anymore? What do you mean? What do you want to say? Do you mean to say that I am not good any longer, for your love? I turned her face towards me and waited for her reply.

No! You are the apple of my eye! She smiled and kissed me on my cheek.

Then what is the problem? The message Soniya was trying to convey seemed like Greek to me.

She began to cry. I took her head in my arms and held her close to my chest, holding her to my heart, hoping that she would feel my love for her. I held her in my arms as tightly as possible. The thought of losing her was running through my mind over and over.

What happened? Is everything alright? I asked.

Yes, she moaned.

Then why are you crying? Tell me!

I am getting married. She let out a long sigh of despair as her eyes were flooded with tears.

No sooner had I heard that, than everything went blank before my eyes. My body froze. It was something I was not prepared for. I pushed her back in disbelief.

What, are you mad? I know… You are kidding, right?

No. She shook her head with her eyes averted, still not ready to meet mine.

Stop it. I don’t like it! I was getting furious by her behaviour.

I am serious! she replied, trying to avoid eye contact.

I couldn’t believe my ears, so I took hold of her face and looked into her eyes. I could see the bitter truth - I never wanted to think of this even in my dreams.

But you told me that we were going to get married! Why have you changed your mind all of a sudden? I know that your mother must be forcing you, but don’t worry about her! I will convince her. Trust me!

No! It’s my decision to get married! I had never expected this from her. It felt like someone had jabbed a knife into my heart and I was bleeding from the inside.

Why are you doing this? Where did I go wrong? I may be incomplete in my body construction, but there is a complete construction of love for you in my heart! I need an explanation. Tell me the truth and I promise that you will never see your name in my eyes again. My voice was getting louder and louder with each word I spoke. You love me, I know it. Come on! Look into my eyes and tell me that you don’t love me anymore!

I held her face, forcing her to look into my eyes. She turned her face sideways without saying anything. I became mute seeing that. Everything seemed to have come to a standstill. My heart had begun to beat at double pace. I could hear the sound of the fan rotating above our heads. It felt as if even it waited in excitement for Soniya’s reply.

Reluctantly, Soniya looked into my eyes, I don’t love you anymore, Akash...

Time had frozen. There was pin drop silence in the room. I glared at her in anger. Her head was bent downwards. It was tough for me to digest how heaven had turned into hell in minutes.

That means you were fooling me all this time! If you don’t love me, what the hell are you doing with me on this bed? I banged my fist on the table beside the bed.

You are wrong, Akash. I never cheated you! She looked at me with innocence on her face.

Then why are you here with me?

I am here with you because I thought this was the only time when I could tell you my feelings. Even you can understand the reason behind what I am saying! She put her hands on my shoulders.

Reason? What reason? I pushed her hands away from my shoulders. My temper was rising with every word she spoke.

Akash, there is a huge difference between spending one night with you in bed and spending an entire lifetime with you!

What do you mean by that? You want to say that I am handicapped and I can’t do anything in life? You know me very well! I may be a handicapped person, but I can do everything on my own!

Yes, I know! But you are not getting my point! She insisted that I listen to her.

What point? I grabbed her shoulders hard with my hands. I wanted to get rid of all the frustration that was building inside me. I felt like I was being cheated. The main reason behind my anger was not that she was leaving me but maybe because she was forcing me to face the truth, the bitter truth which I always ran away from. And that truth was my disability.

You are hurting me Akash, leave me! She looked straight into my eyes.

I left her shoulders. I turned my head away. By then, my eyes had welled up. I tried to control myself, but was not able to.

I know you love me a lot. You are very nice as a person and I won’t get a better guy than you. She hugged me from behind.

Then why do you want to leave me? I turned around and looked at her eagerly, waiting for an explanation.

After a few minutes of silence she asked, Imagine we get married and within a few years of our marriage, I get pregnant and at some unearthly hour, I get labour pains. It is an emergency and you have to take me to the hospital. What will you do?

I will take you to the hospital! I gave her a straightforward answer with a puzzled look on my face. I was not sure as to what she wanted to prove.

How, Akash? Can you lift me and take me? She questioned me.

I was shaken up as I had never thought of that possibility.

No, I can’t carry you, I said with a heavy heart. But I will call my brother or mother or father, or whoever is there at that time in the house for help. Trust me! I held both her hands, wanting to show her how much I cared for her.

Okay. I trust you. But imagine there is no one in the house except you and me. Then what will you do?

I will call our neighbours! I replied avoiding eye contact with her.

Hmm, okay. What if the neighbours are not there? What if they aren’t willing to help? What if they can’t help? She glared at me.

My throat had dried up by then as I had started to feel the heat. I had no answer for that. I was struggling to find one. That was my last chance. I didn’t want to lose her. I didn’t want her to feel that I wouldn’t be able to take care of her because of my disability. Without thinking, I replied, Friends. I will call my friends.

Friends, Akash? I will be your wife, not your neighbour’s, family’s or friends’. Don’t feel bad, but any woman in this world would always expect her husband to be the one whom she can approach first whenever she is in difficulty. Here, I will always have to depend on someone else! She held my face in her hands and forced me to look at her.

I love you, I can do anything for you, trust me! I laid my head on her shoulder and started crying. I realized the point she was trying to prove. Though she loved me, she was not ready to shoulder the burden of my disability.

I love you too, she whispered back. But you are not trying to understand, baby. I have to look towards securing my future. You are very good and I know you deserve all the love in this world. But somehow my heart is not willing to take the responsibility. I am not able to set my mind on our future. You always want to see me happy, right? she asked.

I didn’t reply. I was helpless. My mind searched for a way to convince her that I was the perfect one for her and that I would keep her happy and safe despite my disability. But I struggled to find them.

You always want to see me happy, right Akash? she asked me again.

Yes, I nodded. I didn’t have the guts to look at her.

But, Akash, if I am there with you but am still not happy, then what’s the use of getting married? she debated.

I was mature enough to understand what she was trying to say. But, sometimes your heart just overpowers your mind and you are just not willing to face reality. Sometimes, love is just not enough to spend a successful life with someone. I wondered how I couldn’t have seen this coming, wondering if she had been feeling it the whole time. I was adamant in my belief that even now she loved me a lot.

You need money? I will give you lots of money! I said angrily.

How? By asking your parents? She looked at me with anger.

I understood that it was unfair to force someone to be in a relationship when they had already decided to move on. For the next couple of minutes, no one spoke. I could feel the tension in the air. In no time at all, the romance just evaporated.

What do you want from me? I broke the silence with my voice cracking from all the crying.

I don’t know. She Looked exhausted.

What do you want? I raised my voice.

For you to be happy! she replied truthfully.

For me to be happy, I’d have to be with you, and that means you’d be unhappy, and that wouldn’t be fair, I replied with my own truthful answer.

She sighed. She was tearing up again.

You said earlier that you have decided to get married and your family has already chosen the lucky guy for you. So that means I have only one option left with me and that is to forget you. So you want me to forget you, right? I asked although I did not want it to be true.

Yes, she shook her head.

I had to accept the bitter truth. Tears started rolling down my cheeks. I had no alternatives left with me.

When are you getting married? What does he do? I asked her this after a long pause, while looking at the ring that I had tried to hide beneath one of the pillows. I had planned to give her the ring as a symbol of our love. I had saved money to buy it for her. Being a student, I got money only for my monthly expenses. I skipped lunch for the past four months to buy the ring. But before I could surprise her, my heart was already broken into pieces.

Five months later, and he is businessman, she replied, avoiding my gaze again.

I cleared my throat. I have five months left, then, to impress you again!

With a fake smile, I pushed her shoulders back. She said nothing. It was quite clear from her side that our relationship had come to an end. For the next half-an-hour, no

Reviews for Crutchman

[urmila · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great story!!!!!! A must read for everyone..and yes even I do believe that "JOB" = Joker of Boss :) !!!!!!!!!!!