AYI 2135 - Chapter 3

Vinay returned to work after one week. When he reached the shed, the chassis has been built completely and his colleagues were busy attaching all accessories. The completed chassis with the attached engine along with the petrol tank has cleared the test ride and it waited for the attachment of seats, doors and windows. Vinay started to attach the front seats from the morning he joined duty.

"Hi, Vinay, Are you back to work?" Vikram called him.

"Yes." Vinay replied back with a cheer in his tone. "This bus looks great. Isn't it?" With admiration in his voice, Vinay looked at Vikram.

"This is the tenth bus you are working after you joined as an apprentice. What is there to admire." Vikram replied back Vinay with a chuckle.

Without replying Vikram, Vinay continued with his work. After fixing the front seats, Vinay joined Vikram to check if the floors are joined together properly. In the next ten days, they finished attaching seats, windows and doors.

In the next week, the painting session started. As the doctor advised Vinay not to work in the welding section at least for six months, he started to work along with Vikram in the assembling section.

Every day before he started to work, Vinay fondly touched all the seats in the bus. He will sit at the steps of the bus and would touch the doors with love. His entire heart filled with love for Saranya sent its vibration all around him. Vinay will go into a deep trance of love and feel that he lived in the floors of the bus along with Saranya, and every space inside the bus has watched his vibrant love for Saranya.

Vinay started to work on the chassis of the bus just two months before his marriage. Before starting to build the chassis, the management people at his factory checked for some auspicious day to begin the work. After conducting the usual poojas, they commenced their work. Whatever it may be, they all strongly believed that the building work must start after a New Moon day.

Vinay's native town has weavers as the maximum population. Every house had a handloom weaver that can be operated manually. Vinay had seen people preparing the thread for weaving the sarees and other materials. Every New Moon day, they will not run the handloom. One day when Vinay asked his friend's father why it is so, he replied to him that it is not auspicious to weave a cloth on a New Moon day. The thread that is used to weave a cloth on a New Moon day will not be blessed and it is not auspicious to wear the clothes woven on that day. They followed this practice with much attention and also believed they should never start a work on New Moon day also.

Vinay has read in books about ship building. While building a ship also, they took care to start the work on an auspicious day. The ship that started or completed building on an inauspicious day carry the curse with it and it will never cross the waters safely. Vinay has also read about ill fated ships that met with accidents or disappeared in the middle of the sea. People believed that it was due to the curse incurred by starting to build on an inauspicious day.

Vinay has developed a liking for the bus. Even after it went for registration, he kept on checking where it went and in which bus depot it got deployed. Curiously, he checked every thing and felt happy to know details about his favorite bus. One day when he learned that his friend Vel has been deputed for that bus on the first day, he felt cheerful and happy.

Vinay went to meet Vel and see him working on his favorite bus. So, Vinay went to the bus depot to greet him.

"Hi, Vinay, You are here at this time. No work today." Vel asked his friend with surprise.

"I came to meet you only." Vinay climbed into the bus and looked around. Vinay can feel a rise in his emotional level and his eyes brimmed with tears of happiness.

Where are those thoughts

which would link you with me!

Where are those dreams

which would link you with me!

Where is the link

which would link you with me!

where are those twilight rays

far above the bright horizon

which would link you with me!

The link which linked you with me

Has it lost its identity?

Every hour dies that link

and resurrects itself in another -

A link with the nature's link

may strengthen your link with me

for that link lingers for ever.

Vinay can link everything to something that is destined. Seeing Vinay in such a state, Vel exclaimed. "Hi, what happened? Why are you so emotional?" Vinay did not answer his question. Shaking Vel's right hand, he added, "All the best." When Vinay narrated the whole thing about the bus and how he got attached to it, Vel could not reply back. Vinay has been like this right from his school days. Small things that escaped from the eyes of other people, mattered much to him, and he gave importance to such things only. Vinay always use to tell Vel that in life only small things count much than bigger things. Vel can relate that to the present situation and his heart softened towards Vinay wondering how he can be like this at a young age. Even during college days Vinay wrote and recited beautiful Tamil poems in all cultural gatherings. Some times Vel has helped Vinay by reciting and recording the poems in a cassette. Without any background music, Vel brought life to Vinay's poems. His voice mesmerized the listeners and made them to ask once more.
To be continued....