story seven

                        Myriad shades of Beauty

‘A thing of Beauty is Joy forever.’ These few words by Keats encompass a Universe into itself. Although people have tried creating many loopholes into it, it’s essence has been kept well protected by Nature and via many spontaneous reactions. The blooming of buds, chirping of birds, streams clashing ferociously against the ever- static and gigantic boulders, the tinkling of bangles, the innocence of eyes, those sparkling tears of joy, a mother’s scolding, a father’s pride, a lover’s kisses, a friend’s hugs- each and every moment and feeling is itself a creation and hides latent beauty into itself!

It’s a great pity that we Human’s who are supposedly believed to be the most evolved species,fail to understand and grasp these moments, but the few who does so, Life is always like a hot cup of coffee for them. Hot yet soothing. For what is Life without pain! Pain burns us, it tries purifying our souls so that we burn and shine. Those who evolve in the process are like charcoals transforming into Diamonds and those who don’t get destroyed into ashes.

Life is hard but living is harder. More so when people around try to push you back, deter you, and when the backlash comes from those who we consider as our own. How strange it is to be strangers to those people we had once loved! For souls once ripped never returns back to its original form. There always remain the marks of stitches and cracks in between.

“ But Sir, it’s already time for me to leave! How can I complete the assignment by tomorrow?” Mihir urged.

“Yes I fully understand but you are the only one I can rely upon. Please help me out. Had it not been so urgent, I wouldn’t have bothered you like this! Our clientage has definitely turned our lives into a havoc!” the manager replied trying to sound as concerned as possible.

Mihir sighed. “Okay, Will try my best”, and by saying this he hung up.

And there he was sitting all alone in the small cubicle of his office trying to calm himself down. It was Sunday and he had already done an over- time. And then out of the blue, he was pushed into this wretched assignment completing deadline.

“ Maybe I’ ll have my share of beer someday else! But What about Eliza? I had promised to take her to a local pub and seriously I can’t afford another breakup!” he said to himself and to the walls which were as dim as his mood.

“Hello Eliza, Mihir here. I am sorry but I can’t turn up today. I have again been burdened with an assignment. I am so sorry sweetheart!” he apologized.

“It’s absolutely fine, Love, I understand! You take your time. And keep me updated, in case you find some hot damsel offering you a cup of tea”, she answered teasingly!

Mihir couldn’t help laughing out loud. “ You are a gem! Goodbye, will catch up later”.

The echo of his strong laughter reverberated and for a while he gorged himself into thinking about the day he had first met her. Last year…. London!

He had gone on a business trip when out of the blue he had come across her almost unexpectedly. And then as the days passed by , conversations deepened and they started dating. The hardest part was parting off, he returning back to India but again she surprised her. She followed him to his country, to his city, landed up with a job and hence they were together again.

She was like a sudden drizzle in his barren life, the fresh drops of dew to cherish his lips, the blanket to his cold body and the guardian of his soul. Yes! She was his soul-mate. And she defined a woman to it’s peak. So strong yet fragile, serene yet ferocious, protective yet understanding. She was his gift. But she was a foreigner! An English-woman. Not much of a concern for him though, for he loved her. But people around always try creating a fuss out of everything and his was not an exception. His friends teased him for picking up a foreigner. Those light –headed fellows tried warning and hammering into his head that she is not someone to be trusted upon,they judged her not by her thoughts but by her short dresses, they mistook her friendly nature as an open invitation, they misjudged her frankness and more so they questioned her dignity!

Almost shaking out off his reverie, he closed his eyes and for a few moments tried feeling her infectious smile. Damn! She’s beautiful and I love her.

The next few days were as hectic as it could have been and one fine day, he was able to meet her up. He went up straight to her apartment trying to surprise her but she won over him this time too. In turn, she had arranged for a candle light dinner for both of them, they danced upon the soft tunes of the music and then cuddling each other, both got satiated. That day, they made Love. To him, she was a wild hue trying to paint his life with bright colors and sketching her imprints upon his coarse base.

“How could you make out that I was turning up?” he asked sounding a bit confused.

“Sixth sense”, she said, winking and planting a soft kiss upon his drenched lips.

“Don’t misunderstand me anyday, Mihir. I know about the perceptions your friends hold regarding me. But trust me, I have always loved you more than anything. I am not concerned about their thoughts. I don’t even give a shit about them but I would expect you to have full faith upon me. Never shatter me, Mihir! I’ll die.” She said, tears rolling down the corners of her eyes.

He kissed and tried soothing her down, “I won’t. I promise I won’t. And there’s no girl more appropriate for me than you are.” They hugged. And with those words, their souls became united, for it’s easy to unite a body but immensely difficult for the souls to unite. And these marks never fade away. It’s something which even time cannot heal. Those remain as permanent marks. A painful scratch or a love bite, it remains there embedded. Sometimes lying dormant, a few times kept latent deliberately. And these markings show their true colors with blood oozing out from their cracks, whenever kept fallow.

They were getting along quite well when a sudden vengeful thought spoiled everything. Doubt . And it proved to be a burden on Mihir’s part this time for he failed to abide by his spoken words.

One fine day, Mihir turned up again to her house, this time pretty sure to surprise her and not fail. The door was kept open and from within came the voices of crackling laughter and music. He entered, doubtful about the guest and upon reaching her room, he saw a guy, swirling her all around in his arms to the tunes of the music and laughing, both oblivious to his presence. He walked straight across and without uttering a word switched off the music player. Both of them parted. The guy sniffing the oddness of the situation and also by observing Mihir’s expressions found it suitable to leave the room. Glancing at Eliza with understanding eyes, he gave her a nod and left.

“I never thought that you were such a bitch!” he muttered spewing out venom.

“ Wait Mihir, you are getting me wrong. There’s nothing as you are thinking. He’s just a friend. A childhood friend, and he had turned up to meet me.” She said getting it hard to digest that he called her a ‘bitch’.

“Enough of it. I don’t need an explanation. My friend’s were right. You don’t deserve my trust for you people sell your dignity. Such down-trodden of you! Pity. I would rather consider our affair as a nightmare.” He shouted, shivering with rage. Blinded by misunderstanding.

But she said nothing in reply. She stood there, standing empty, like a marred pillar and said nothing, facing the volley of accusations. Maybe she was too shocked to say anything. Only one thing protested. Her eyes- tears glistened her innocence but he was too blind to gather those pearls up from the violent raging sea.

And then he tormented out of the room, leaving her all alone amidst spews of venom and hatred.

Words… they can make or break a person. Such powerful a thing, Nature has provided to us, the human beings. Yet we know not, how to use them properly and enrich others.

Days passed by but Mihir received no calls from her. He had expected some explanations, a way for their reconciliation but it was all blank. After a day or two, he called her up, only to find out that she had changed her number. He called up to her office where he was told that she had resigned and returned back to London.

This came out as a shock to him. He had never expected that. He faltered. Leaving everything behind, he rushed to her apartment, only to find the doors locked.

Desperate, he started checking his mails when suddenly, her mail popped up. With trembling hands, as if he knew what was coming on his way, he opened the mail-

“Mihir,

I don’t know where to start. There’s so much to say and so much to be kept latent.

What you saw that day was just one facet of the coin. The guy you had seen that day was indeed a childhood friend of mine. Almost like a brother. We had spent times playing together, suckling from the same mother as I had lost mine days after I was born. While leaving for India, I had asked him to pay me a visit someday and he was too excited to meet you up. For I had never loved anyone as I have loved you. And that music was the same song we used to dance upon when felt happy. Relationships don’t change with nationalities, isn’t it? I take with me no grudge but a heavy heart which wished that you could understand me. I have never met your friends but I have met and trusted you. How hard it is for anyone, to live with a broken trust. Just a question for you before I leave. Would you have said the same thing had I been an Indian? I need no answer. Take care.

Eliza.”

He was stupefied.

“ How insensitive of me to have uttered such words. How could I not understand her . Pity! How could the kisses have not mattered. She did her best, left her country for me, tried adjusting, showered her dignity! And me! I blamed her, belittled her. More than that, I have broken my promise. How could I ?” he sobbed, his tears lying untamed out from the veils of his eyes. He had failed as a person, as a lover, as a man! And that too, for what? For she not being an Indian or because he had been blind-folded by patriarchy and blame game which had been hiding all along putting on a masquerade?!

He knew his answer and this time he decided not to fail. Neither as a person nor as a man! For dominance can’t compensate Love and respect any day. He packed his bags and left for London.....

Eliza in her usual petite and sober self sat deeply engrossed in thoughts, her eyes searching for some unknown answers which she wished were never answered, for some questions are better left untouched. Her soft feet lay dipped into the water of the pool, tickling them at intervals. She was about to break down when suddenly she felt a soft, understanding touch upon her shoulder. It was him. Her Mihir!

“Not again. They are precious, my pearl!”. He said.

Tears rolled down both their eyes, but this keeping the promise. The promise of not being a stranger to her feelings, the promise of not letting her down again, the promise of never ripping apart her soul.

She mumbled and before they could become comprehensible, he kissed her. She sobbed, wrapping him around in her arms, never to let him go. Before she could say anything, he whispered-“ I am sorry! I am really….”

“Speak no more! I know”, she said caressing him.

“How could you?” he asked pretending surprise.

“Sixth sense!” she said and then both broke into amiable laughter in each other’s arms. “ I know too.”, he smiled.

Six months later they got married. Patriarchy lost. Love won. Intolerance lost, a Man won. He lost, both of them won.

A bird puts great effort trying to build a nest, working day and night, picking up half broken twigs, hungry, just to see it’s family nestling in it and staying protected. And then suddenly a storm comes wiping out every twig of it's dreams. All that remains, is trying again and never losing hope. And surely it does so. And so can we………