With hundreds of birds chirping and composing a pleasant noise, a cool gentle breeze kissing the soul, and the morning insolation giving a warm massage – it’s a beautiful Sunday morning here in the community park. The Sun has risen up waving ‘hello’ to all the creatures of the world, the Moon all set to pack up and go on rest and, the plants & trees dancing like a novice in the gentle breeze.
That’s a relaxed morning scene of the most-visited community
park in the city, located in the lap of nature away from the shrills of the city. The
environment around is so peaceful that it feels like health and delight are
dissolved in the air. One corner of the park, mostly with the people having
wrinkles on their skin, performing the ‘asana’ which indeed has latent benefits for
the spectators also. A flood of laughter originating from that specific corner
of the park and submerging everyone coming in its way.
.
.
.
“H o l a M i s t e r,
G o o d m o r n i n g!”
As I was immersed in cherishing nature’s blessing around,
a soft voice caught my ears. I reduced the pace of my walk, turned back, and
found a pretty girl with a not-so-unfamiliar face standing behind, stretching her
legs. Her yoga attire making her look more appealing and sensational. Sweat drops
on her face appear like sprinkled dew drops on rose. Having already completed 10
brisk rounds of the 400-meter garden, my stamina, and breath were already abusing
me badly. My brain and memory were too exhausted that they were not in a
state to re-open the ‘earlier-closed-chapters’ of life. But…one thing which
boosted my stamina, dried all my sweat, and brought all my senses in control; was
a darling locket, hanging down her neck and kissing her cleavage. Alas, this
was all enough to remind me in a modicum of second - who this pretty girl was,
what brought her here and, why did she initiate a conversation in the first
place?
******
{Two years ago}
“Roohi, I will be late tonight. You please
have dinner and sleep.” I texted her at 8’ in the night.
“We had some plans for today Anant, that’s not fair. You always spoil!” Her reply popped.
“I know, I know...I am really sorry for that. But it’s
something really urgent here in the office. We’ll plan it for tomorrow for sure. I
love you. Bye!” I texted on a concluding note.
“Thts f9. Tc. Bye. And no…you don’t!” (That’s how she replies every time
she’s not happy with me.)
.
.
.
Ending the ‘lovely’ meeting with one of the most valuable
clients of ‘mine’ with a final handshake, I bid adieu to the client and
promised to meet again very soon. Before leaving the room, I
looked down the window; It was a beautiful night out there with dark clouds in
sky and strong winds blowing.
As I reached close to my car in the parking of ‘hotel’, I found
I have left the car keys in the room only. ”Oh, God!!! Roohi will kill me today. It’s already
very late.” I uttered
in despair.
As I turned back with quick steps towards the main gate of
hotel…
“Anant Sir, your keys!” Room attendant Raja bhaiya called me from the window of room no
169.
“Aaha…thank you so much Raja bhaiya. I owe you two cigarettes”.
He gave me a wink and threw the keys over me.
Bang!!!
I dropped them down as expected.
(Before lifting them up, I
looked around swiftly and wished no one around would have seen such excellent dropped catch.)
.
.
.
“Amazing fielding skills young man. You must have been the
best fielder in your college's cricket team na!” An almost unfamiliar voice caught my ears.
Bells of ‘f*ck happened’ started ringing in my ears. I somehow lifted
the keys up and turned back to see the fortunate person, who just had witnessed
some impeccable fielding skills.
.
.
.
“Whoa!!! Riya---” I went dumbstruck.
“What yar Anant, even I could catch this” Riya said in a mocking tone.
I gave her a side hug and asked in a zealous tone -
“So glad to see you after this long Riya…how are you doing, where are you
nowadays…and yeah, what are you doing here at this time?”
“All good…all good Anant. Had to meet a client. Just done
with the meeting. Posted here in April only.”
(Incessantly talking for hours, standing there in parking only, we
really lost the track of time.)
.
.
“What! It’s 2 AM Anant.” Riya said amazed.
“Haha…nice joke?” I said.
“Hello Mister, I used to joke in college only. Since the day
you---”
“Come, I’ll drop you. Where's your place Riya?” I interrupted.
(After a minute of ‘no, yes, oh come on, haha, don’t do
formality na, etc.)
.
.
“Ohkayyyy! Rose Valley, Bangalore Road” She said in a firm
tone.
(I looked at her and smiled.)
.
.
As we turned towards the car, it started to rain heavily. I hadn’t seen raining cats and dogs in Mysore, in May
before. It was so heavy that until we reached the car mere 50 meters away, we
were already half-wet. We rushed into the car, took a deep sigh of relief, and
closed the door with a bang in vexation.
.
.
“Here…” I handed her the towel which was fortunately
there on the back seat.
“Thank you, Anant.”
“Shall we go?” I asked
“No. We gonna spend the whole night here, in-car only.” She said with a poker face.
“Oh, that’ll be fun,” I said in a mocking tone.
“Let’s go na baba, was just joking,” she said sternly with a lovely smile.
.
.
.
As we were moving fast on the lonely roads of the city, I realized
that my Mysore looks even more beautiful at night. With the raindrops falling
hard on the glass and wiper trying its level best to make the view clear, I
lost so much in that very moment that I really forgot Riya was sitting aside.
“Hey, Riy---”
“I missed you every single day Anant. I still miss you.” Riya said abruptly in a despairing tone.
.
.
.
It was graveyard silence in the car for a couple of minutes. All
I could hear was a weeping sound.
“Riya, please don’t bring this all again. Please! We both
had decided it mutually right?! Please don’t do this.” I said in a caring tone.
(Neither of us uttered a word for the next 15 minutes)
.
.
.
To break the killing silence...without taking her permission I stopped the car on a ‘chai-tapri’.
I knew we both were late, it was already 3’ in the morning. I looked at her and
she me. After around 4 long years, we had looked at each other like we once used
to for hours. She put her hand over mine on the gear lever and that very moment,
a tiny drop of tear fell off my eye. I really wanted to hug her tight but, just…didn’t.
.
.
“Han bhaiya ji chay loge? Ekdam bdhiya garam banaya hu.” The tea-seller asked pointing two glasses over us finally breaking the awkward silence.
“Where nothing works, tea works,” Riya murmured in a disheartening tone.
“Ji bhaiya, de dijiye. Par bas ek hi dijiyega.” She said to him, and almost broke.
.
.
We definitely could have finished it in 10 sips. But,
neither of us actually wanted to. Coz we know…
(45 minutes and 100 sips later)
“Lijiye bhaiya, thank you. Tea was very good.” Riya said, handing him a ten-rupee
note. Her kindness and courtesy towards the people of lower strata were still
the same as they were four years back.
.
.
For the next 30 minutes, neither of us could say a word.
There was noisy silence in the car. The rain had stopped, few early morning
fitness enthusiasts had started their routine fitness walking and jogging on
roads.
I took the final turn to enter Rose Valley.
“Which side Riya?” I asked with a heavy heart.
No response.
I looked at her, and…the world just paused for a moment, for
me, I just…saw the ‘heaven on earth’ - Riya was dozed off. Years passed,
but her distinct way of sleeping with her cheek resting on her left hand wasn’t
changed. I lost into the plethora of memories when she once sleeping in my
arms, had told me the reason behind sleeping in this position.
“Riya, we are here.” I said raising my volume.
.
.
.
She opened her eyes, looked at me one last time, tightly held
my hand for a moment, opened the door, and went. No bye, nothing!
******
(Driving 20 km and half an hour later)
When I saw the hawker distributing newspaper on road, I came
to realize it’s 5' in the morning. I knew Roohi will definitely go furious at me. I
parked the car in the garage and pressed the doorbell. She opened the gate after
few minutes.
.
.
.
“I am so sorry Roohi” I hugged her tight and mumbled.
“It’s fine Anant, I have become used to it now. By
the way, how was your meeting?” Roohi asked.
For a moment I went blank, somehow took my senses in control, and replied “Oh…it was fine. We had a meeting with an important client.
Their flight got delayed. The meeting just got over at 4’”
She said nothing but just nodded.
.
.
.
.
.
Fed up with my lies, Roohi left me one day. She didn't fight or indulge in an argument and, just went. She left nothing behind, but a long handwritten note.
******
{Two years later - present day}
“H o l a M i s t e
r, G o o d m o r n i n g!”
After two long years, we accidentally* met in the community park
this fortunate morning, it became a routine and about a week later, Roohi finally shifted to my place anew.
But, was it a coincidence or prior planning that brought us
together all again?
The answer lies in the note, Roohi left while leaving...
