Final Freedom (Sesh Mukti)

The music was low. Light was dim. The bodies were moving together slowly in sync with the music. There is no smoke in this pub as smoking has been banned in public places several months ago. There are people sitting on far tables having an eye on the Dance Floor.

Romita can relax today.



Romita can relax today. She works in a BPO of a reputed company as a "Customer Relationship Manager (CRM)". Romita is 29 around 165 cm tall and has a very attractive build. A few extra pounds but that remains hidden under the business suit she wears at workplace. Her face is sharp and her complexion is a bit on the darker side, but overall she possesses a "sexy" look and she used to enjoy the adoration in the mens eyes while moving past her even in the last summer. Nowadays her boss wants her to entertain him someday and even wants her to go with him abroad. She has to manage this very coolly and professioally. She knows that handling these situations has a lot to do with her career. She has always managed. Though sometimes situation went out of control and she had to find another job for her.



"I had the same dream again."
"So, the same dream ... you mean a lot of hands ...?" Dr. Mrs. Gupta inquired.
"Yes. All men. They are throwing me ... squeezing me ... and punishing me." Romita answered.
"And what was your reaction?"
"I was weeping .. shivering in shame and horror... and woke up."
"Are you taking the medicines I prescribed?" Dr. Gupta asked.
"Yes, always ... or may be I am missing some of them."
"Are you consuming alcoholic drinks everyday?"
"Yes ... I mean no madam. Trying to be normal these days."
"This is our third sitting in these four weeks. The things will certainly improve."

Things cannot improve she knows. She is lonely in this world. Her frustration in this loneliness is increasing rapidly with time. So is her illness.

She is left alone in this world by her parents for the last three years. They passed away in an accident, precisely, a plane crash. She is a passed out from a reputed ladies college at Kolkata and after working five years for other companies, she has joined this company as a Senior CRM. During these years of successful career she has never had a steady relationship with any man. She tried to have a sustained relationship with somebody who really cares for her. But she was fooled thrice by men. She tried to keep friendship with women. She found them pretty selfish and mostly boring. All of the girls around her always are busy with their career, their boy friends, their shopping, their styles and their gossips. So, Romita is left all alone almost all the time. She tried Orkut but that also didn't help. Everybody, specially men want to meet her and to have her. She is all alone even on net.

Romita came back to her appartment at around 9 PM. Tomorrow is Saturday. According to Dr. Mrs. Gupta's advice, she should stay home now, call some friends and go to sleep early. She is not supposed to booze. She actually become very forgetful and missing the medicine frequently. She took up the cell, tried to call Manisha. Manisha workes for another call centre at Sector V, she is Romita's school mate.

"Hey. Where are you? Not coming to have dinner with me? "
"No, ... I am at the 'devils own'... with whom? You guess... No. Not coming now. Why don't you come over here?" replied Manisha.
"Thanks. I cannot sorry. Bye."

Soon after talking to Manisha, Romita took out her car and drove towards "Someplace Else", a renowned pub at central Kolkata. Nowadays Romita comes here regularly on weekends. She only boozed several times while in College, that also with some of her friends on special occasions like Duga Puja or Dipawali. But nowadays she is taking sleeping pills regularly and comes to booze here often.

The guys sitting in the table beside hers are sipping on their drinks keeping an eye on her. She cannot take the eyes keep gazing at her all the time, licking with their eyes. She forgot from when she has started hating men. At first she was exploited by her own private tutor. He took chance and after enjoying Romita, he left for the states. He was an engineering student of Jadavpur University and a known face to one of the colleagues of Romita's father. When that guy left, Romita was sitting for her (10+2) exam and she could not do well from the mental shock she received.

Romita went for college and had to change her subject to commerce though her parents wanted her to study with science . Actually, she was not getting any chance with the science option in the ladies college she preferred to join. Romita met Sumanta in a few months.

Sumanta was around three years senior than her and was an elder brother of one of her friends Sunetra. Sumanta was studying for his M.Sc. (PG in science) in Presidency College and became politically involved. Romita liked Sumanta for his idealistic philosophy towards life. She fell in love. They used to meet at Coffee House, Nandan and Ntional Library. They both were very open in views and several times got involved sexually and even went out together for small excursions with their mutual friends.

It was a summer afternoon when they met at Nandan.
"I got a job at a BPO concern at Sector V. It is an American concern." said Romita.
"So, you are joining?" Sumanta asked.
"Yes. Of course. Who should loose this chance? If you got one what should you do?"
"I shall not join that... how can I work for the concern which is from USA or UK, the capitalists, who rule the world. For them only we have poverty all over the world."
"That's bullshit. My father is working for one such concern. So, he is also helping the capitalists to spread poverty round the world and exploiting them? That's what you mean to say?"

The topic went hot. Very hot and at last they found that they are quarreling for the first time. And finally that arguing continued till she joined the job and that ended their relationship. Romita lost faith in men once again.

May be it all started when Sagnik said no. She met Sagnik at Sector V. She worked for a BPO while Sagnik was a Project Maanger for another company. They met at "Cafe Coffee Day".

"May I join madam?" Romita looked up and found Sagnik for the first time. It was a pleasant afternoon at autumn. The "Durga Puja" was nearby. Romita had an evening shift and was having coffee with two other female co-workers. Sagnik was known to Sulagna, one of her co-workers. Again Romita started a relationship and this time she was very cautious. Everything went well only before the day she came to know that, as she works for a BPO, the family of Sagnik has rejected her for marriage and Sagnik is going to marry some other girl of choice of his family. "A girl from call centre... No, never. They are all characterless. They stay all night outside... you cannot marry such a girl. No way." That is what everybody from Sagnik's family commented.


It's not going to change. Everybody wants to have her for one night or two. No one is going to understand her pains, befriend her in her loneliness. Care when she needs real care. Nobody will take care when she will be ill or old. She is getting older. She needs someone to care for her. No one is there to say "Romi, we are here for you." as her parent's used to say. Romita felt that she needs a long holiday. The real freedom to some place far away where she can not be seen by anybody. No man's eyes will lick her as she feels everyday. She needs to be free. She cannot take the eyes keep gazing at her all the time, even in her sleep. She cannot let a lot of men playing with her lives any more.

This is 1 AM now. She parked the car at the parking place alloted to her company so, noone objected. Romita started climbing up to the 15th floor of this building. One of the highest buildings at Sector V. Her office is here in 6th, 7th and 8th floor. So, no one stopped her at this hour at night. She has her ID on. She reached for the 15th floor with ease. She badly needs some air.Though the AC is on she felt perspiration. No one can get to the terrace. But there is a side window. She opened that. Looked at the night lights of Kolkata all around. She needed more air to fill up her lungs...so, she took a step forward in air. Now she is falling free ... she is being free.