The Tattoo (867 words)

It was a great surprise for Ashwin to run into Vinay, his school buddy, after nearly a decade at a marketing conference in Bangalore. They had studied together for six years in Chennai and were close friends, but Vinay moved to another city after school while Ashwin remained in Chennai. Over time, they lost touch, but fate brought them together again. The morning session of the conference had just ended, and as they broke for lunch, Ashwin and Vinay sat at a corner table to catch up.

“Hey Ashwin, you haven’t changed much but look a little chubbier!” Vinay chuckled. “You were always the ‘fat boy.’ But seriously, you look great and cheerful. You must be happily married with kids by now. I see from your card that you’re in a good position. Tell me what’s been going on since we last saw each other.”

Ashwin smiled. “Yes, by God’s grace, life’s been good. I have a wonderful wife, two kids—a boy and a girl—a stable job, and an apartment. Life is smooth. My parents are still in the village. You probably know I did my MTech. But enough about me—you were always the smarter one! Now, it’s your turn. What’s been happening with you?” he said, laughing.

“Don’t flatter me!” Vinay replied. “I did my management diploma at IIM and landed a good position with a fat salary. I’m based in Mumbai but travel a lot for work. My parents are here in Bangalore. There’s not much else to say—life has become somewhat routine.”

“You haven’t mentioned your family,” Ashwin said, leaning forward. “What’s your wife doing? How many kids do you have? You travel often, so you must visit next time you’re in Chennai.”

Vinay’s face suddenly changed, his smile fading. “No, I’m not married,” he said quietly.

Ashwin was surprised. “What? You’re around 33 or 34, right? Is there any particular reason you’re still single? If I remember correctly, you only had one elder brother.”

“That’s a long story,” Vinay replied with a sigh. “When’s your flight? Do you have some time?”

“Of course, I drove here, so I can spare a couple of hours,” Ashwin said, curious. “Tell me, why are you still single? Is there someone in your life?”

“It’s noisy here. Let’s move to the garden. It’ll be quieter,” Vinay suggested.

They found a quiet spot outside with two bottles of beer. After taking a few sips, Vinay began slowly.

“Ashwin, I’m pretty unlucky when it comes to love. I was in love with a girl in college in Mumbai. She was brilliant—top of the class—and we had this healthy competition to outdo the other. She was well-mannered, and I adored her. She loved me too, but she always kept clear boundaries. We planned to marry once we were settled in our careers.” He paused and rolled up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo of the letter "V" in black ink.

“Her name also started with V, like mine. We both got these tattoos as part of a promise to wait for each other. She was hesitant at first, worried about raising questions, so she got a tiny ‘V’ tattooed on the back of her calf. It’s so small it could pass off as a mole unless you looked closely.”

“That’s sweet and romantic,” Ashwin said, intrigued. “But what happened? Why didn’t you two marry?”

Vinay sighed deeply. “Be patient, I’m getting there. After two years, she told her parents about us, and her father hit the roof. He couldn’t accept someone from a different caste. She tried everything—pleading, crying—but her father wouldn’t budge. I suggested she leave home, but she refused. She didn’t want to marry against her parents’ wishes. She asked me to forgive her and released me from our promise.”

Ashwin was silent momentarily, then asked softly, “What happened to her? Do you still keep in touch?”

Vinay shook his head. “No, that was the last time we spoke. She cut off all contact and begged me not to contact her. I’ll never forget her tear-filled face as she walked away. Later, I heard from a mutual friend that she had married someone her parents approved of.”

Ashwin frowned. “That’s unlucky, Vinay. She should have courageously walked away, but some people can’t. Still, there’s no point dwelling on it now. She’s probably moved on. You should too—you need to find someone.”

After returning to Chennai, Ashwin soon got caught up in his routine and Vinay’s story slipped from his mind. One weekend, he and his wife Visalakshi went to Mahabalipuram, walking along the beach and visiting the local sites. It was an exhausting but enjoyable day.

Later that night, as they lay in bed, Visalakshi winced and said, “Ashwin, my legs—especially my calf muscles—are really aching. Could you massage the calf muscle and apply Iodex balm? It’s unbearable.”

“Of course, my dear,” Ashwin said, reaching for the spray. As he lifted her nightgown and started massaging, his hand lingered for a moment longer when he noticed a tiny tattoo—a letter "V"—on the back and top of her calf, as she lay with her eyes closed.