UNTIL THEN

“Should you leave today?” Anwesha asked, looking at her drink.

“I have to,” Mallik replied. “You know I have to.”

“How much time have we got?” She asked, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Twenty minutes, till the taxi comes,” he answered, pushing the drink down his throat. “Before today, how long has it been since we have even said a hello, An?”

“Three years,” she smiled. “Three long years. But I don’t blame you. We had to part ways, didn’t we?”

“That question itself makes me feel guilty. But I had to go. I had a job waiting for me on the clock, that’s why I never said a goodbye. I had to go.”

“Like today,” she replied casually. “And I waited, for days and months for you to call. A single message could’ve saved me. I was willing to wait for you; but you didn’t.”

“Should we part ways like this today?” he asked, looking at her. The light of the bar lamp made her even more beautiful.

“Well, it’s better than the last time,” she said, finally meeting his gaze. Grey and cold, like a stone. “Let’s change the subject.”

“How is your husband?” he asked.

“Rich, and on tour all the time. But this time, I have a gift for him. A divorce notice.”

“You have to do what is right,” he stopped trying to find the right word.

“Remember the time we painted the walls of the stadium with our modern art? God we were wild,” she spoke up, changing the topic.

“I went to see it the other day. It’s still there,” he said, thinking of the good old days. “And the time when we bunked classes to go for a movie.”

“Each and every release. It was important to see the first show on the first day.”

“And the time when Jay and the team and we went that forest in the outskirts...” he stopped abruptly. He remember, how his friend called out for him, being forced down on the river by the forces of nature.

“Could anyone forget that?” 

Mallik noticed his taxi pull over.

“Call me when you get there,” Anwesha told him, ordering another drink.

“I will. Isn’t it too early for a beer?”

“It’s never too early. Goodbye Mallik.”

He waved his hands as he pulled away from her hands. The drink had started to taste different for her. A bit salty perhaps. Every time she saw his stone cold eyes, she got petrified. Jay had the same eyes too. Jay, the man who held her when Mallik left her under the mistletoe. Jay, her loving only brother.

“Madam, are you okay?” The bartender asked the woman in grey hair.

“I’m fine,” Anwesha replied. “Why do you ask?”

“You were talking to yourself minutes ago, and now...”

“Get back to your business,” she said with a bittersweet smile. 
Staring at the drink, she started to conversation with Mallik; the man she let go off her hands twenty eight years ago.

"DEVELOPED INDIA"

From steam engines to monorail; from parchments to E-mails, We have witnessed some of the finest inventions ever made by mankind. Civilisation has taken us to peaks of development. We live in a country where the flag holds three colours and a centre that holds the whole culture. Known for the birth of finest scientists like Aaryabhatta, India is also known for the efforts that has been put forward to make what is now by such personalities. 

“Developed India” is an unsung dream of all Indians. In a land where procrastination and imagination go hand in hand, people are united over few topics; one amongst them is ‘development.’ One of the milestones of development in India was when Green Revolution was achieved. We have come a long way now since then. The literacy rate has tremendously increased and most of the reputed positions in Multi National Companies are occupied by Indians. Turning the knob of the radio to get the right frequency in early morning are now just stories. The media and communication sector of India has jumped hoops, making ninety percent of it digitalised and controlled by satellites. The farmers are protected now more than ever by the government, and India has been rated as one of the most important tourist places. Famous for one of the seven wonders ‘Taj Mahal,’ our country is also rich with great infrastructure and tourist spots. 

India has also made herself self-sufficient with food grains by attaining Green Revolution. It has also been declared to stop the import of machinery to be used in space craft as a plan has been proposed to manufacture them in India itself. The Information Technology sector is one of the major pillars of Indian economy.  Being rich in energy resources and power plants, our country is capable of growing to greater heights. 

Another highlight of our country is the down to earth people that provide services as well as assistance while being in high positions. It is a well known story of how Smriti Irani, one of the most reputed ministers, helped native people living abroad when they were stuck in lack of transportation facilities. Many such personalities bring a glow to the country’s status, making every citizen to say that they belong to one such nation. 

A golden feather for our country’s development is that we have an airport that runs completely on solar panels in the heart of Kochi, Kerala. With a woman leading the project, a fully solar powered airport is one of a kind, saving a large scale of electricity by using natural resources. 
While there are many things to rave about, there are certain factors that are still hushed down but the stark truth. While our country is growing in infrastructure and information technology, basic utilities such as hygiene and good mean of transport is still a dream to be fulfilled. In a three minute long video showing different restrooms around the world, a video that went viral; India’s condition was one of the worst. Six million children die before they reach five in a year, and Eighty percent of the cause is unhygienic conditions. No proper restroom facilities are available in India though there were many built but they seem to be of least concern in the eyes of Government. 

While we have railway facilities and has celebrated its anniversaries and claiming we have one of the best in the world, the darker side of it is never taken much into consideration. The tracks are always littered, the restrooms reek almost all the time, no proper doors are seen and the seats are as old as our country’s independence. 

Another downside is the road conditions. In rural areas, there are not even proper roads, and in the city areas, pits and improper curves take life. Over one million people die per year due to road accidents, and some of the cases even go unreported. While other countries have underground drainage system to avoid leak and diseases, our country’s drainage system is still on the road, often leaking and spreading diseases. Plans were brought to fix the system, which has only messed up the system more. 

Though we have plenty of water supply, it is a lesser known fact that majority of it is hard water, which is not good for bathing and washing. In Karnataka, more than fifty percent of water is hard water, making people to depend upon mineral water for taking showers. Proper rain water catchment system is absent, and purification of water is not taken care of well. 

India also faces a large deal of ‘Power cuts’ as part of electricity conservation. The power lines are exposed, which can be damaged in a rain or in a lightning. Rather than providing an underground power line system which is far safer and reliable, we keep on craving for exposed power line system. In the case of electricity too, many of the villages are facing darkness in the midst of the night. Proper electricity transmission is failed here. 

Hunger and poverty still persists in some part of India, mainly villages and small towns. Mid-day meal programme put forward by the government used to be efficient until people started to loot healthy grains and replace it with spoilt ones. 

Though we pretend to see the unjust practices of the government, we all know that corruption is a major factor that is affecting our country’s growth. Instead of investing in infrastructure, education, basic needs and much more, a hefty amount goes into the pocket of ministers and government workers. Officers also bribe people for providing them with facilities.

To negate this takes effort, but that effort could bring us glory, by changing our country’s title “developing” to “developed.”Government can play a crucial role in all the forth mentioned cases by taking strict actions and providing necessary facilities. By spending time on focusing on what is not there than what is there is the important thing. Most of the people living in rural areas are not aware of what is good and what is not. Proper awareness can bring them to light and to the present. In the case of educational system, children should be introduced to the present technology, as it can provide information more than a person can. The basic needs of people should be provided first and foremost, and providing clean restrooms should be taken care of. Electric supply and water supply should be more prompt and should be upgraded to the latest technology. There is no corruption-free country, but we can make our country less corrupted than any other. 

Though there are milestones to be achieved and millions of miles to travel, we can surely say that the pace of development is getting closer to success. With the investment of young minds and their pure talent and by taking in the deserved ones, India can manage to make even the impossible possible. It is only a matter of time, effort and economy; and of all three India is well equipped. It is said to be better late than never. But it should also be taken to note that ‘late’ doesn’t seem to be in infinity.