- 2 -
On Sunday, Rani woke up a little earlier than her routine. The sky was clear. The weather was pleasant. Mild coolness was energising the body and mind. The eagerness to meet Alok was evident from her springy gait and expressions. If someone had been around, the joy in Rani’s heart would not have remained hidden from him / her. She could not have conversation to her heart’s content with Alok during the wedding ceremony, but today she was going to get an opportunity to spend uninterrupted time with him.
After getting free from her morning routine, she had prepared 2-3 dishes even before Lachhmi’s arrival, the aroma of which could be felt not only in the kitchen but in the entire house. Lachhmi knew that Rani was very fond of hospitality. Whenever some guest was expected, Rani would prepare dishes in the morning itself. That is why, as soon as she came, she said, “Madam Ji, today the whole house is filled with the food aroma, is any guest coming?”
Rani was desperate to share the joy of her heart with someone. She did not even think that it was her maid who had asked the question. In her overwhelmed state of mind, she replied, “Yes, my childhood friend is coming today. I met him at the wedding on Monday.”
“Madam Ji, you mean, you met your friend for the first time since childhood?”
“Yes, we met after about 40-45 years.”
“How did you recognise each other after such a long time, Madam Ji?”
“I was chatting with my friends when he came along and recognised me. It seems there’s not much change in my appearances from the one when I was in my twenties.”
Rani rejoiced in her heart at this statement of herself.
Going towards the bedroom, Lachhmi said, “Madam Ji, come inside for a moment, please.”
“Why, what’s the matter?”
“Madam Ji, please do come,” Lachhmi cajoled her.
Since she had been working with Rani for a long time, Lachhmi sometimes behaved in an informal manner. Therefore, Rani did not mind her words and went into the bedroom despite not wanting to. Meanwhile, Lachhmi took out the photo-frame of their wedding and made Rani stand in front of the dressing table. She put the photo-frame in front of her and said, “Look Madam Ji, there’s not much difference visible between you as bride in the photo and your reflection in the mirror.”
Rani was pleased to see the comparison, but said with artificial anger, “Don’t be silly. Of late, you’ve started taking too much liberty. Come on, get on with the work. Clean up quickly. And yes, dust the sheets in all the bedrooms and spread them properly.”
“Madam Ji, don’t worry. I’ll complete every task as quickly as possible. What time should I come in the evening?”
“Don’t come in the evening. Maybe, we go for a walk somewhere.”
Saying ‘Ok,’ Lachhmi got busy with her work.
When Lachhmi left, Rani freshened up and wore red bordered cream colour Saree (Traditional Indian dress worn by women) and applied light make up. It was half past ten. There was still about one hour for Alok to arrive. She sat in the lawn for some time and started reading the newspaper, but soon got up. Even though it was the beginning of December and mornings and evenings were cold, still the sunshine was not bearable during the day. Rani thought of watching TV for some time but instead decided in favour of sitting outside and waiting for Alok. So, she pulled the chair in the Veranda and started waiting for Alok while reading the newspaper.
At 11:30, Alok’ car stopped outside the gate of the house. Rani quickly got up from her chair and ran towards the main gate. There was Alok in front of her, bouquet of fresh roses in his hands. While giving bouquet to Rani and looking at her from toe to head, he said:
“Na kajre ki dhar, na motiyon ke haar,
Na koi kiya singaar, phir bhi kitani sunder ho!”
(Neither kohl in the eyes, nor any pearl-necklace,
Nor any embellishment, yet looking so beautiful!)
Generally even a beautiful body starts getting dull with the advancing age. Just as there is an exception to every rule of nature, similarly even at this stage of life, the beauty of Rani’s face had not diminished. This was the first time in Rani’s life that a man had praised her in such a manner. Rani’s heart swelled up with Alok’s praise. The happiness of her heart showed on her face. While taking the bouquet, she could only say, “What kind of beauty at this stage of age?”
“There can be beauty at every stage of life. At this age, decent attire imparts dignity to the personality and makes it beautiful. You’re beautiful otherwise, too.”
“I’ll not insult your praise by saying ‘thank you’. You’re also looking very graceful in Kurta and Pajama (Traditional Indian dress) of Khadi (Hand woven cloth) silk.”
“I find these clothes more comfortable, that’s why I prefer this dress if there’s no formal occasion.”
And they entered the house. Rani made Alok sit in the drawing room. The curtains on the drawing room’s east-facing door and glass-window matched the textured paint on the opposite wall and with the design of the false ceiling. The colours were creating a pleasant atmosphere rather than stinging the eyes. When Rani returned with water to drink, Alok could not help praise the decoration of the drawing room and the paintings on the south-facing wall, “The tasteful decoration of the house is beautifully defining your personality.”
This time Rani remained silent and did not say anything.
While Alok was drinking water, Rani started the conversation in a formal manner and said, “Alok, I called you on the next day of the wedding because I wanted to apologise to you for Ramesh Ji’s strange behaviour, but the conversation turned in such a way that the matter of apology couldn’t be completed.”
Although Alok had found Ramesh’s behaviour obnoxious, but maintaining etiquette and reassuring Rani, he said, “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Rani. I was a complete stranger to Ramesh Ji, so, it was natural for him to be formal in his behaviour. There was nothing offensive on his part. Every person has his own nature. No matter how hard you try, you can’t change it. Well, leave these things, give me some tea etc.”
“Sorry, as soon as the conversation started, I didn’t remember that you had come from outside and considering the weather, I should have asked for tea earlier. Okay, tell me, would you like tea or coffee?”
“Anything ....”
“Not anything, do tell me, what do you like the most ?”
“Okay, make coffee.”
Within ten minutes, Rani brought Idli-Sambhar (South Indian dish) which she had prepared in the morning, alongwith coffee. Sambhar being heated in the microwave and coffee freshly made, steam was rising from both the items. Alok took a long breath as if to absorb the flavour of coffee and Sambhar through his nostrils. As soon as Rani placed the tray on the table, Alok got up and placed one Idli each on the plates and started pouring Sambhar into the bowls.
Seeing Alok doing this, Rani said, “Just wait, I’ll serve.”
“Why, can’t I serve? Arre, it feels good to work together. You prepared all this, I’ll serve it. It’ll make the food tastier.”
“Okay, you do it.”
“Rani, may I say something?”
“Yes please.”
“You’re no longer the Rani of the yonder times.”
“How is that?”
“Ever since I’ve come, you’re saying ‘Aap’, Aap’ (Respectful way of addressing). I’m noticing that you’re still entangled in the formalities. Friendship can’t survive just being formal. Well, if we count years, more than half of our life is behind us and we’re no longer the Rani and Alok of our childhood, yet we can address each other the same way as we used to do in our childhood. It’ll feel good that even though time has bye-passed us, we’re still the same.”
“Okay Baba (Expression when one concedes request of the other).”
“That’s the spirit.”
Then they leisurely enjoyed Idli-Sambhar and coffee.
Rani, “Alok, you told me about Rashmi’s death. Did she have some serious health problem?”
Whenever the issue of Rashmi’s death comes up, Alok gets emotional. When Rani raised the topic of Rashmi’s death, his mood changed, yet he told as casually as possible, “Rashmi had cancer. By the time we found out, it was, too, late. We got the best of treatment, but nothing worked. Within two months, her golden body turned into ashes.”
By the time conversation was over, Rani felt Alok’s uneasiness. So, she paused for a while and then asked, “The marriage of your son and daughter must have taken place while Rashmi was alive?”
“Yes, Rashmi left us after three months of our daughter’s marriage.”
“Have you become Dada (Grandpa), Nana (Maternal Grandpa)?”
“Yes, I’ve become Dada as well as Nana. I’ve a grand-daughter and my daughter was blessed with a son just two months ago. I came back from Australia fifteen days ago. My Dohta (Daughter’s son) is very cute.”
“And granddaughter....”
“She’s six years old. She’s very intelligent, rather more intelligent than necessary at her age. In fact, today’s children have started becoming more mature than their age. If we compare our childhood with today’s children, we used to be just idiots in our childhood.”
“The exposure that the children are getting today couldn’t even be imagined in our times.”
“Your children ...?”
“I’ve two daughters. Both of them are married in business families. They’re happy and contented in their respective families. The elder one has a ten year old son and a four year old daughter. The younger’s daughter will be one year old in March. … You’ve returned from Australia a few days ago after staying with the children, so, don’t you feel very lonely?”
“It would be wrong if I say ‘no’. But, gradually life is returning to its normal routine. Still, the truth of life is that the company of the children is as important for a person as daily food for his / her survival. This time I stayed in Australia for about three months. I didn’t realise how time flew away. When I went to Australia for the first time, Rashmi was also with me. I must say one thing that other countries are very good to visit just for sight-seeing, but when it comes spending life, our own country is the best. Life there’s mechanical. If you want to go to a friend or a relative to spend some leisure time, it’s not possible without fixing a time in advance.”
“It’s fine right now. Ultimately you’ll have to stay with the children….”
“In my heart of hearts, I want not to be uprooted as long as my breath lasts. A person becomes redundant by being cut off from his environment. The air and water of the place where he lives, its customs, ways of living and eating, the ups and downs of nature, even the historical background of such a place, become integral part of his life
knowingly or unknowingly. It seems impossible for one to imagine a life away from them. That’s why, people of our age and older don’t want to be uprooted from their native place, no matter how much material facilities their children abroad are ready to provide them. Staying connected to the origin has its own charm and joy. There’s a saying - ‘Jo sukh Chhajje de chubare, oh Balakh na Bukhare’ (East or west, home is the best).”
“Have you a servant at home?”
“I don’t like to be completely dependent on anyone. Not only can I do all my work myself, but I often prefer to do it. That’s why, I’ve employed a maid instead of a full time servant. She comes in the morning, sweeps and cooks food. She also washes clothes once a week. The evening meal is managed from a Tandoor (Oven made of clay usually embedded in the earth or drum), owner of which is running it for many years in the vacant plot adjacent to my house. Tandoor owner prepares one or two Sabzis (Vegetable dishes), Dal and Kadhi (Dish prepared mainly with gram-flour). He bakes hot Chapattis as and when required. Once or twice a week, I get invited for dinner by some friend. Sometimes I prepare light food myself at home. I’m fond of cooking. If you ever come to Patiala, I’ll serve you the food cooked by myself.”
“It’ll be my privilege to enjoy the same. I’ll try to come soon.”
Rani’s eyes fell on the wall-clock. It was two o’clock. She said, “Engrossed in conversation, I lost the track of time. It’s already two o’clock. It’s time to eat. Are you ready or do you want to wait some more?”
“Let’s eat. One should adhere to the eating time. A little variation in meal time is fine but, too much delay can make even good food harmful for health.”
“Just wait for 5-7 minutes. Only the chapattis have to be baked, I had prepared everything else in the morning itself.”
Saying this, Rani turned towards the kitchen. How long would it have taken to bake chapattis for two persons! Rani returned and asked, “Alok, would you like to have lunch on the table or sitting on the bed?”
“I like to eat while sitting cross-legged, so, it would be better on the bed.”
While eating, they kept talking in between. Talks were formal. Alok felt that Rani wanted to share her childhood memories, but was confused as to how and where to start. Sensing her state of mind, he said, “Rani, you must be remembering, during the summer nights in childhood, when moonlight was spread all around in the sky, and we - you, Pradeep, Vinay, Rama and I - used to sit cross-legged in a circle on the platform in front of our house and play ‘Geete’ (Small marble balls)!”
Once Alok took the initiative, Rani’s hesitation melted away and her childhood days came alive before her eyes. She said excitedly, “Arre, how can those memories be forgotten! Those childhood memories are not lines drawn on water that any wave could wash them away. Those are present in every pore of my body and mind and will remain my legacy till my last breath.”
Rani paused for a few moments as if to remember something. Then she said, “You must not have forgotten our flying of kites on your roof on holidays! The common wall between the upper roofs of our houses was very low. I used to easily jump over the wall and reach your rooftop. Sometimes, on hearing the sound of song from your room, I used to come straight even to your room. You used to study while listening to the programmes of film songs broadcast by Vividh Bharati or All India Radio playing on the transistor kept near you. Once when I had asked whether you study or listen to songs, you had said that while studying you did not even know which song was playing, you felt more concentration by just being in a musical environment. This statement of yours seemed very strange at that time. Following you, I also tried to study by creating that kind of environment, but I couldn’t concentrate due to the noise of songs. Not at that time, but later on I understood that the basic temperament of every person is different. It’s rightly said in Punjabi, ‘Kise nu maah swadi, te kise nu maah vaadi’ (What’s delicious for someone, may be sour for others / Not everything suits everyone). When exams were near, I would often come to your room with aunty’s permission for help to solve maths’ questions. You were topper in maths and I a tail-ender. With your help, I also got good marks in Maths. Those days of childhood laughter and mirth were really very lovely and fantastic. Some poet must have written these lines after going through the similar experiences:
Koi lauta de mere bachpan ke vo din
Jab sirf mein thi aur mera bachpan tha
Na koi gum tha aur na koi ulajhan thi
Jahan zindagi khel khel mein aage badhati thi
Jahan pata na chalta tha kab raat hui aur kab din!”
(Someone may bring back my childhood days
When there was only me and my childhood
Neither any sorrow nor any confusion was there
Where life progressed as a game
Where it was not known
When it was night and when it was day.)
Taking Rani’s excitement in his stride and remembering childhood days, Alok said, “And you must not have forgotten the day, when I hugged and kissed you as soon as you jumped over the wall. It had happened so suddenly that you were stunned, you got yourself free from my hug and jumped back over the wall and went down. That feeling still persists deep in my subconscious. But at that time, I was frightened lest you should tell all this to aunty. When nothing happened for a long time, I came back to my room and sat down to study. But there was still fear lurking in some corner of my mind. Next day was Sunday. I was reluctantly standing on the terrace holding the kite. Suddenly I saw that you were jumping over the wall. As soon as you came, you hugged me. Not a single word was spoken by you, yet your silence and behaviour took away all my fears. And then when you said, ‘Let’s fly kite’, my mind started soaring in the sky even before we started flying kite.”
Among the emotional feelings in human relationships, the feeling of love is supreme. This feeling appears in different forms in different relationships and in different situations in human life. Among young people, who are on the threshold of puberty and in some cases even before that, love for the opposite sex starts manifesting, and radical changes take place in the direction of their life-course and in their mental condition. When the feeling of love first germinates in a person’s mind, the strings of the mental strum start strumming. Its heat remains till the last breath of the life of a person, especially in a girl/woman. Memories of love are sweeter than the love itself. In such a situation, the earthly and physical existence of the love object remains constantly in the heart in one or other form of memory. Its depth may not be visible, because in a way, it has become a part of the subconscious, but it is not possible to deny its existence. Whenever favourable conditions emerge, it does not take long to re-surface.
Rani was thrilled to hear from Alok about that special incident of her childhood, which had germinated a feeling of love for the first time in her heart. Splash of memories of love came up, but she said just this, “You’re so lost in the web of memories that your hands have stopped eating.”
“Your reference to the web of memories reminds me of these lines of my poet friend Mukesh Gambhir:
Teri aur se
Chali aane wali hawayen bhi
Ulfat ki khushboo ko saath lati hain
Aur dheeme se
Mere kanon mein kah jati hain
Ki aaj bhi
Umar ke is aakhiri mod par
Karta hai koi mera intezar.”
(Even the winds coming from your direction
Bring along fragrance of love
And slowly
Whisper in my ears
That even today
At this last stage of age
Someone waits for me.)
“Wow, very nice! It’s great to hear this from you. First, finish eating, then we’ll talk at leisure.”
And then they remained silent until the meal was over.
Alok, “Rani, the food was very tasty. I’ve eaten a little more than was necessary while talking.”
“Although you haven’t eaten much, still if you feel that you’ve eaten a little more, then skip the dinner.”
“Now I’ll definitely skip the dinner . One should eat only so much as energises the body but doesn’t cause laziness. Now I’m feeling a little uncomfortable.”
“Take tea or coffee, you’ll feel good.”
“I won’t take anything right now. I don’t take tea, coffee etc. till an hour after eating. If you drink tea or coffee immediately after meals, the process of digestion of food gets faster, due to which the sugar level in the body rises and if insulin is not produced in that proportion, the chances of getting diabetes increase.”
“Alok, do you remember, when Papa was transferred to Jalandhar, we had sworn never to forget each other?”
“Of course, I vividly remember all that! How can I forget those things? You had promised that you would write a letter on reaching Jalandhar. I kept waiting for your letter for 2-3 months. I used to wait for the postman every day but to no avail. I didn’t have your address. Had it been so, my letter would have been in your hands! At last I gave up waiting. I convinced myself that you had forgotten me. I became introvert. Study was my sole pastime.”
Rani got disturbed on hearing this. Till now she was sitting cross-legged without moving. She put the second leg down in place of the first and again cross-legged. To clarify her position, she started saying, “Alok, I’m really sorry that I didn’t fulfil my promise. I’ll never be able to forgive myself for the pain caused to you due to my foolishness. But, if you look at the situation from my perspective, you’ll definitely forgive me. For a long time after going to Jalandhar, I wasn’t comfortable in the changed circumstances. Earlier we used to meet every day and now there was no chance at all of meeting you. Many a time I thought about writing a letter to you, but my hands stopped when I thought of the consequences. At the most, your letter would have come in response. Could the letters have filled the void of separation from you? No! There was no hope at that time that we would ever be transferred back to Bathinda. Being a girl, there was no way that I could ever meet you. Thinking all this, I didn’t write to you. I suppressed my longings. I didn’t like meeting anyone. Time kept passing and when after 5-6 years, one day Papa came home and told that we had been transferred to Bathinda, the hope buried deep in my heart was awakened.
“One day after coming to Bathinda, Rama met me in the market. From her, I learnt that you guys kept a cow at home. Even though the house in Ganesh Nagar where we lived, was very far from your house, still I started coming to your house to get Lassi (Buttermilk). I hoped I would be able to meet you on this pretext. When I visited your house for the first time I asked aunty about you. She said, ‘He’s reading upstairs, go and meet him.’ But I was going through that phase of age at that time when most of the girls hesitate to meet boys in the presence of elders. So, I told her that I was in a hurry and went back. A few days later when I came to your house again for taking Lassi, you were in the living room reading a magazine. You were alone that day. I handed over the utensil to you. You silently took that and went inside. Oh, how badly I had wished to talk to you, but when you handed me back the utensil full of Lassi, I went back dejected.”
“It’s true that at that time I felt bad when I didn’t get your letter. But today when I think about it, I realise that you were right. How long could we’ve maintained correspondence when there was no chance of meeting? After you went to Jalandhar, I started feeling lost in myself. I would hardly meet anyone. I busied myself in studies. Due to this state of mind, I was not able to talk to you when you came to take Lassi while I was alone at home. Now I request you to get over this feeling of guilt that you had not kept your promise. Look at the miracle of destiny! When we passed through entire life in despair, suddenly it brought us together.”
Due to the above conversation, the situation had become serious. With the intention to reduce the seriousness, Rani asked, “Alok, you must have fallen in love with someone in college or university?”
“The truth is this Rani, if you believe it to be true, that after you left for Jalandhar and till Rashmi came into my life, I couldn’t even think of falling in love with any other girl.”
“After so many years you recognised me and came to meet me when I asked just once, how can I not accept your words as true and why will I not believe you?…. Now it’s going to be 4 o’clock. It has been a while we took our lunch, should I prepare tea now?”
“Yes, now tea can be taken.”
After taking tea, Rani said, “Alok, you were saying that you still haven’t forgotten the feeling of the first kiss. After I attained consciousness, it was your kiss that introduced me to the ‘male touch’ for the first time. What a touch it was! My whole body was tingling as if there was an electric current. There was a strange feeling just as one of hypnotism that thrilled every pore of my being. After a long time, today the opportunity has come to refresh that feeling, would you like to do it?”
Rani’s invitation thrilled Alok. Still there was hesitation in his mind at the level of morality. So, he counter questioned, “Would it be appropriate to do so?”
“Alok, I don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong. I’ll definitely express my feelings to you, and then you can decide. During college time, I had read in Meera’s biography that when she was only four years old, a saint staying in the palace, impressed by her esoteric wisdom, gifted her his Thakur Ji (Lord Krishan’s statue), and Meera named him ‘Girdhar’ (One of the several names of Lord Krishan). After that ‘Girdhar’ became Meera’s life-spirit. Once a wedding procession was passing in front of the palace. Seeing the groom in the procession, Meera stubbornly asked her mother, ‘Who’s my groom?’ Then her mother had said in an evasive tone that your groom is your Girdhar Gopal (Also a name of Lord Krishan), who else? After that Meera had fixed Girdhar as her husband forever in her mind. In the same way, from the day of our first kiss, the seed of your love was sown in the soil of my mind and I had made you as mine.
Pehle hee din se hum dil mein thaan chuke hein
Tere bun ke tujhe apna maan chuke hein.
(I’ve had my heart set from the day one
Having become yours, I’ve accepted you as my own.)
“But unfortunately, due to unfavourable circumstances, I couldn’t marry you and Ramesh Ji became my husband. I had married to fulfill worldly customs, but the bud of love in the garden of my heart could never blossom into a flower. There was never a relationship like that of winter and snow between us; rather we remained like sunshine and rain. Marriage is not only a union of two bodies but is also a union of two souls. Ramesh ji became the master of my body but you remained in my heart and mind. Coming together of bodies or getting the right to body doesn’t mean getting access to the heart of person or becoming an integral part of that person, and for such an achievement, blossoming of love in the mind is the first condition. It’s not necessary that all this should happen according to the social customs and rules. This is influenced and governed by the individual’s personal interests and state of mind. A person has to compromise several times in life, but love blossoms for someone in the heart only once and its intensity remains till the last breath. I’ve stated what all is there in my mind, now you decide what’s right or what your heart testifies to do.”
“You’ve put me in a dilemma, Rani. I had never thought that you would cherish the memories of the childhood so deeply.”
“Alok, it’s a fact that a woman keeps her first love in her heart till the last moments of her life, she can’t forget it. But, it’s also true that the inner strength required for confession of this fact is very rare.”
Alok was in a dilemma after listening to Rani’s feelings. He kept thinking for a few moments. He felt that not to accept the invitation coming from Rani’s heart would be an insult to her. At the same time, he remembered the comment made by Agyeya (A renowned Hindi litterateur) in his novel ‘Nadi ke Dweep’ (Islands of River) – ‘If a woman asks, the man doesn’t have the right to say ‘no’, demand is against modesty - beyond the propriety and impropriety of the demand …..’. Considering all this, he got up from the bed and spread his arms. Rani also got up from the bed and fell into Alok’s outstretched arms. He embraced her in his arms and lightly placed his lips on her lips. 5-7 minutes passed in this posture. At last Rani said, “Let’s us straighten our backs for a while.”
Then Alok freed her from his arms and lay down on the bed. Rani stood in front of the dressing table and kept looking at her lips kissed by Alok as if to imbibe the memories of these moments forever. Alok was looking at her without blinking an eyelid but he did not think it proper to disturb her. The touch of a person of the opposite sex with whom you are in love, whether in memory or in reality, gives a special kind of feeling.
After a few moments, Rani turned and said while going out of the room, “I’m going to change.”
When she came back, she was wearing a salwar suit (Traditional Indian dress worn by women).
Alok, “Salwar suit also suits you very well.”
“It’s all because of your love-gaze. Usually I wear salwar suits only. Anyway, salwar suit is more comfortable in winters.”
Saying this, she lay down next to Alok. They were so engrossed in loving memories that they did not even realise when it was 7 o’clock. Rani got up and said, “Alok, today you’ve fulfilled my desire that I had been yearning for a long time. I never knew that someone else’s breath could penetrate into one’s own veins. For the first time in my life, I’ve come to know what’s that relationship which slowly and gradually gets woven into the breath, gets absorbed in every pore of the body. I’ve travelled a long distance in life, but this feeling has happened for the first time.’ After pausing for a while she asked, “Now tell me, will you like omelette or should I make something else?”
“Firstly, I would like to go now. Secondly, you’ve been busy working since morning, you must be tired. And as far as the omelette is concerned, let me tell you that it has been 15-20 years since I gave up eggs.”
Rani implored, “Alok, we’ve met after such a long time, please stay with me. Ramesh Ji will return only tomorrow by afternoon. And what you said about being tired, the truth is that after meeting you, there’s no question of being tired, because when you work for someone close and dear to you, you don’t get tired.”
On hearing this, Alok dropped the idea of going back and said, “If it was so and you think it right, and then let’s go to the market. We’ll roam around and have something light to eat and drink there.”
“Whatever you like. Let’s go to the market. We’ll hang around and enjoy. Wait a minute. You’re not wearing any woollen; let me bring a sweater for you. It must be cold outside!”
Within a short while, Rani changed her clothes and brought a sweater for Alok. On the way, Alok said, “Rani, if there’s a temple nearby, let’s go there.”
“It’s a great idea. If the childhood friendship has flourished till this stage of age, we should definitely thank God.”
They offered Prasad in the temple and took blessing from the Pujari (Priest). Rani bent down and touched Alok’s feet and placed her hands on her forehead.
“Arre, what’re you doing?”
“Is there anything wrong in touching the feet of one’s God?”
Without delving into the matter further, they came down the stairs of the temple and headed towards the market. First, they ate Gol Gappas, and then did some shopping. Alok bought a Saree for Rani and she bought a woollen jacket and night-suit for him. They had a simple meal at a nice restaurant and came back.
Handing over the night-suit to Alok, Rani went to the other room. Half an hour passed and Rani was still in the other room. Alok started feeling bored watching TV. He got up and went to the other room. The room was open. He saw that Rani was almost ready in a bride’s attire. Alok was stunned to see her in this form. How much does a dress change a personality!
Seeing Alok standing at the door, Rani said, “You go, I’m coming soon.”
After some time, Rani came with the veil slightly drawn and sat next to Alok.
Alok asked with a questioning look, “What’s all this?”
“Today your visit has fulfilled my wish. Now accept me as your bride.”
“Let me capture this moment, this scene which is already imprinted on my heart, on my camera so that I could look at these memorable moments and scenes with these eyes in future, too.”
Alok clicked not just one but several photos. When he started switching off the mobile, Rani said, “You’ve taken photos of me alone, now take a selfie of both of us. That, too, will remain a memory.”
And fulfilling her wish, Alok took a selfie and switched off the mobile. After that he lovingly lifted her veil. He touched her chin with his fingers and started kissing her from forehead to the eyes, and took her in his arms. The night passed in love-talks; there was no sign of sleep. These were those moments when two mature beings were eager not to get just physical intimacy but feel spiritual intimacy and inner satisfaction by relying on childhood memories.
Before they went to sleep at night, the sky was full of stars. There were no signs of clouds anywhere. But sometime in the middle of the night, the weather changed. At around four o’clock, the lightening started flashing and clouds started thundering. Hearing the terrible thunder caused by the clouds colliding with each other, Rani immediately clung to Alok’s chest. After an hour, they got up and looked outside. It was raining heavily. There was no time to sleep now, so they got up from the bed and freshened up. Going towards the kitchen to prepare tea, Rani asked, “Alok, should I make butter toast with tea?”
“Don’t make butter toast so early in the morning? I’ll just have a biscuit with tea.”
Despite Alok’s refusal, Rani brought butter toast with tea. While they were sipping tea, the rain slowed down and almost stopped in a few minutes. Alok said, “Rani, I’ll like to leave now.”
Rani did not ask him to stay further. While seeing off Alok, she said, “Look Alok, there was not a single cloud in beginning of the night. I don’t know from where did the clouds appeared suddenly and rained abundantly to share the joy of our meeting. Today for the first time, I’ve experienced spiritual satisfaction. My heart is filled with thrill. It seems as if a garden of flowers has blossomed in the courtyard of my mind. I regret why did you meet me so late? My whole life till now has been like a desert. Now we’ll remain united even if living apart. We’ll try to meet at least once a month.”
Saying ‘Sure’, Alok sat in the car and drove away waiving his hand. Rani stood there and watched until the car, whose size appeared getting smaller and smaller, turned onto the road and disappeared.
The coldness in the weather had increased due to the rain and storm that lasted for 2-3 hours. Despite staying awake the whole night, there was no sign of sleeplessness in Rani’s eyes till Alok left, but after his departure, as there was no hurry for work, Rani came to the bedroom and hid herself under the quilt. She did not realise when the sleep overtook her in the warmth of the quilt. She woke up only on hearing the sound of the doorbell. She got up and opened the door. Lachhmi was waiting outside. Coming inside, she said, “Madam Ji, you always get up very early and finish all your work; but today you were sleeping till now? Are you not feeling well?”
There was no need to reveal the whole matter to the maid, but an answer had to be given. Rani said, “I’m fine. I woke up with the thundering sound of the clouds and storm. When I fell asleep again, I lost track of the time. Come on, no problem. Sahib (Sir) has not come yet. Even if the work gets done a little late, there’s no need to worry.”
*****
