Sunny was just a playful
twelve year old studying in the sixth grade of a reputed school in Madras. Even
as a young boy Sunny was passionate about arts and spent more time with books
and music while neglecting his textbooks.
His interest in music
had made his parents put Sunny in a classical choir at their neighbourhood
church which the entire family attended and Sunny would go there regularly for
practice and also to the actual Church Services on Sundays. Practice sessions
were between six to eight in the evenings on Tuesdays and Fridays while actual
Church services were from seven thirty to ten in the mornings and six to seven
thirty in the evenings on Sundays.
Sunny was very
diligent and would attend practice sessions without fail. Whenever he left for
practice and returned Sunny could feel the gaze of hidden eyes from the window
of the corner house at the end of his street. Though he could not find out who
was watching him he knew for sure that someone was gazing upon him. Soon his
neighbour's children informed him that there lived a girl of his age named
Sunanda in that house.
One day while playing
with his neighbour's kids, Sunanda dropped by since his neighbour's daughter
was Sunanda’s classmate and Sunny set his eyes on her for the first time when
they were formally introduced to each other by his neighbour’s daughter. Sunny
was too young to understand the significance of love at first sight but he
found himself strangely attracted to Sunanda. I can tell you that certainly
sparks did fly and Sunny could not avert his eyes from her.
Sunanda too seemed to
find a kindred spirit in Sunny and soon they became the best of friends and whenever Sunny
went past her house on his way to choir practice or Church service, Sunanda
would look out the window and wave to him. On his return from practice he would
find Sunanda waiting near the gate of her house and he would stop and talk for
awhile before going home. This became a regular ritual and on days when Sunny
did not have practice or did not have to go to church Sunanda would drop by at
Sunny’s neighbour's house and they would meet up there as they played the games
that kids of their age used to play in those days.
Sunny and Sunanda
remained best of friends for over two years and hid nothing from each other.
Sometimes Sunny’s choir would sing at weddings and would be gifted money by the
bridal family. Sunny would use the money to buy Sunanda gifts but the best gift
that Sunanda always treasured was the few flowers that Sunny would pick up from
those used for the marriage decorations and bring for her.
That summer Sunny
appeared for his eighth grade exams in April of 1972 and Sunny’s Mom forced
Sunny to study hard. She did not allow him to even go to his choir practice.
This frustrated Sunanda and unable to be without seeing Sunny she picked up a
few hard boiled candies and went upto Sunny’s door and rang the bell. Sunny’s
Mom who opened the door was surprised by the young girl who wanted to meet
Sunny.
You must remember
that this happened in the early nineteen seventies and in those days a boy and
girl being friendly was frowned upon by the elders. Sunanda glibly said,
“Aunty, it is my Birthday and I want to give Sunny some sweets”. Sunny’s Mom
called Sunny. Sunny knowing that Sunanda was lying for her Birthday was only in
July went to meet her and in the pretext of wishing her spent a few minutes
with her.
That summer of 1972
was the best that Sunny ever spent and he and Sunanda were together for most of
the time. She began to visit Sunny’s house regularly on some pretext or the
other and Sunny’s Mom didn’t know what to do. Whenever, Sunny crossed Sunanda’s
house they would stand near the gate and talk for long hours. It was during one
such meeting that Sunanda told Sunny that she wanted to tell him something but
hesitated and told him that she would tell him the next evening.
Sunny was excited for
he felt that Sunanda was about to proclaim her love for him. The next evening
Sunny rushed to Sunanda’s house but found the gate locked. His neighbours later
told him that Sunanda’s father had incurred a loss in his business and had declared
insolvency in a court of law for non-repayment of loans. His father had fled
the town leaving behind his wife and daughter. Nobody knew where poor Sunanda
and her mother went.
Sunny searched and searched
far and wide but could never find Sunanda ever again.
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