Gone By (37 page)

I paused for seconds to gather my thoughts. Even my eyes were locked into her eyes. My lips pressed for minutes and I could realise she demanded something from my mouth. A kiss, no perhaps not. She wanted to hear the words from my heart.

“You know I missed you very much this long year. How I built my days without you, its took my whole body strength and I always thought of you” I said softly.

She put her palm on my cheek, her eyes faintly moistened.

“It’s the same goes for me here. I waited for your message every day and the very moment I get, it brought cheers to my life” she gently removed her soft palm.

Our legs were still plunged into the chilled river water.

“You know it’s miracle, how we began to fall for each other and then we were apart for a year and so here now” I said. She struggled to smile for seconds.

“It’s a destiny..what do you think” she said.

“I don’t know” my eye brow raised high.

“You know you’re still the same, that same shy little boy”.

“Oh! C’mon Anannya..I’ve changed..I’m different now. I sing, I dance, I play...I’m smart, hot, sexy”.

She laughed for a while like I cracked a joke. But I didn’t mind for I knew she was just playing a fun of me.

“Alright..I agree you’ve changed. Would you show me your singing talent” she said.

“Yeah! You want me to sing”.

“I want to hear”.

For seconds I thought what would be the best to make her feel the exotic environment different. I stood upright on the ground. I could feel the soft grass my feet were pressing.

“C’mon give me your hand”.

She was still seated with her legs in the water.

“What you want me to do”.

“Just give me your hand”.

“Oh! C’mon don’t do..this is public place” she said with little fear and shyness on her face.

I waited no longer to persuade her and grasped her hand. She stood upright on the ground. So close to me, I could feel her breath in and out from her nostril.

“What you doing” she demanded again.

“I am going to make you dance”.

“Don’t do that..it’s public place”.

“I don’t care..I’m singing and we are dancing”.

I pulled her more closer to me. Placed my left hand on her hip and the other holding her hand. I began to sing, while my dancing steps began to move. Anannya added up to my every steps. I made her turn around holding my finger tips. We were peacefully dancing all across the available space. At some point we missed out dancing moves but we carried on and my voice never stopped to sing. People around us began to gather. While we were unaware about it. So, unconsciously we were lost in our world that we couldn’t realize the outside world. When my song ended. I could hear claps from all around. I turned my head round and round and could see people surrounded us. They began to clap louder, some blew whistle. Some even shouted that was awesome. Many appreciated our dance and blessed us as a lovely couple.

Gradually the
crowd began to fade away. Anannya stood in shyness beside me.

“So embarrassing” she said.

“I loved it... it was awesome”.

We began to laugh at each other.

“I never knew you’re so talented”.

“I told you I’ve changed”.

“C’mon let’s eat something” said Anannya pulling my hand.

We walked together at nearby restaurant.

“I swear I’ll never forget this moment” she said blushing out smile on her face.

“You look beautiful” adding my steps along with her.

“Thanks” she said calmly.

“Where did you learn all this stuffs” she asked.

“They are not stuff, don’t call them stuff”.

“Sorry..I mean the dance, the song”.

“I learned it by myself” boasting proudly.

“I appreciate that” she said casually like she did not want to.

“What..you think I’m lying”.

“No..I said I appreciate. Now stop baffling out in this silly matter”.

We were near to a restaurant.

“Can you imagine we were so crazy, danced in a public place” she laughed.

“I wish I could tape it”.

“No..that wouldn’t be so appropriate”.

She was holding my hand still and pushed a glass door. We took one table and settled. I began to flip the menu book. I took a glance at the beverage group. She too was busy rolling through the menu card. I asked a bottle of beer at first.

“Do you take beer” she asked.

“Yeah! Would you?”.

“No..my body doesn’t supports any such kind of drinks”.

“That’s good..you shouldn’t try. Maybe you can take some chilled coke”.

She nodded “That will do”.

She was seated before my eyes. I was staring at her constantly.

“Why you staring at me so deep” she wanted to know.

“I don’t know....It’s after one year you’re right before my eyes. Let me have the chance to see you like I have been missing you all through my life”.

She rolled her eyes and looked down sharply on the table surface. She was slightly nervous. Indeed, she felt shy  to look at me. We were served with our orders. Nothing more we could begin between ourselves but to handle our spoon and fork.

By now we were out of the restaurant, heading towards a small park to spent the rest of the day. While on the other hand I had to return back to my college. I had to know the time, maybe I wanted to spent more with her but time did began to resist me. I couldn’t able to suggest myself what would I do. She was very happy seeing me after one year. So was I. Parting at such moment would really crumple me on my knees. But I had no choice with the limited time I had in my hand. We were in the park by now. Took a serene spot to settle the beats of our heart. We were seated beside one another. That time was unknowingly different from the rest. I began to feel the oneness once again between us. Shared lots of talk which came from the core of each one’s heart. That same feelings and emotions once again began to dwell between us. The closeness of being one crawled in. I began to feel the relief of my heart ache which I had been enduring since one year. And here today she’s just beside me. I afforded to break the silence between us.

“Hey! I got
to say something to you”.

“What happen” she intended to know.

“Maybe I shall have to leave by today”.

“Can’t you stay some more hours” she demanded. I nodded.

“Why do you have to go so early” it sounded like she wanted me to stay back.

“I’ll keep coming every Sunday” holding my breath in my chest. She intently gazed at me.

Momentarily the charm on her face faded away. All I had to make her the thing understand. She quietly kept her ears open to my words. She came more closer and rested her head on my shoulder. I rubbed my hand on her back, a sort of consolation I tried. The silence checked in. And the evening began to fall. We were still there seated in the same place. I could observe the evening sun set some far distance away from us. It’s rays shutting below the horizon. Gradually the park began to get crowded. Couples of older ages began to walk in. I glanced at my wrist watch, 5:00pm. I had to turn back to catch up bus for my return.

“I think I should leave” I said softly.

She set herself and shifted her head from my shoulder.

“Can’t you just stay one more hour” her voice ended faintly.

“I’ll be late”.

“I just don’t want you to go” her tone shook off.

I gently placed both my palm on her cheek.

“I’ll always be there. I’ll come to see you every Sunday. Don’t worry” I said softly.

My face almost touched her. So inch close we were I could feel the touch of our each other’s nose. Her eyes turned red, which hinted she wanted to burst into tears.

“Don’t make your tears fall..it will hurt me” I couldn’t be steady with my tone rather it shook off. “Look into my eyes” I demanded.

She slowly raised her head. She stood silent. I could just feel her heartbeat racing faster.

“You’re a brave girl..smart. Big girl don’t cry” with my consoling tone.

I curled my arm upon her shoulder and led a way towards her hostel building. She was completely soaked into my warm hug and our steps added together. Just few more yards away from her hostel, on the way she said nothing. Rather she was so pressed under my arm that she felt so secure. We stood right in front of her hostel gate. She loosened out from my tight embrace. I shuffled closer to her. Once again I took control of my palm and placed on her cheek. Being soft and calm, I gave her a kiss on her forehead. She felt the care and looked at my eyes for the last time. She then walked off. I stood watching her close until she was in. I waved my hand at her, she stood for seconds watching me going.

Twenty One

..........................

I gave a look at the time. I needed to sleep now. Moreover I had to wake up early the next morning. I closed my diary and stopped writing. For seconds I thought of messaging Isha but it sounded inappropriate at this late hour of the night. The watch ticked 1:00am the next day and I was still awake, compromising myself with the late night. Finally, I settled and found myself on my bed. Although I wasn’t in a mood to sleep, I had to compel myself until my eyes would set me free. So, I was finally drown in a dream.

When the day broke out I was already late. The alarm bell began to ring hard. Somehow it reached my ears and jerked me out of my sleep. That’s the worst thing that happened sleeping late. I suddenly jumped out of my bed and found myself upright on the floor. I hurried to refresh. Within no time I dressed up and got ready to move out to catch the bus.

“Oh! Shit I’m late” I murmured.

I began to walk faster. I caught a taxi to get me into the station. I hurriedly paid the fare and ran to catch the bus that was moving out for Goa. Just a luck, I had to stop the bus at the exit gate. So was I the last passenger to get into the bus. But many more seats were yet to be filled. I occupied one window seat. I thought of reminding to Isha and instantly made a call to her.

“Hey” piercing my tone hard.

“Hello” she said from the other end.

“Well, I’m coming”.

“I’ll wait for you” and hanged the phone.

With that short conversation, I resumed back to my older version. I sat quietly on my seat. The bus began to move out from the Satara city. Likewise I could remember those moments again. Everything began to flashback in my memory. Had Isha been sitting beside me I would have let her see the rest part of my story written in my diary. I found myself in the mist of clouded thoughts. The morning sun rays cracked in through the window. It fell on my face and dispersed all over my body. I tried to pull the curtain of the window. The bus was well equipped with all necessary things. I pulled the key of my seat and slid it’s back support at some angle. I leaned my back and rested with all my breath out. The day began to bloom out. The seat beside me still empty. The city behind passed away and finally the wheel geared it’s speed on the highway. Now the best thing I could do was either I close my eyes and go to sleep back else I start writing the story in my diary. That’s the only thing I could manage to think while travelling. Neither the interest of viewing out through the window nor reading of any magazine did diverted me.

Had shut my ear with a headphone, with all the tracks being played from an ipod. I was lost into the beats of music, leaning my back against its back support. For more than an hour I had been listening to all kinds of track from the ipod system. As the bus moved smoothly through its way, out of the window I could see clusters of birds flying high up in the sky. Whereas I was humming out with the song being played into my ears. I dribbled my hand to look for my diary inside the bag. Maybe I began to feel little unsettled with only music being played into my ears. I thought of continuing the story. So, I had the diary in my hand, music into ears and the speeding bus flying at its enormous speed. I flipped a page and my pen began to script.

Now that I gave a word to Anannya, would visit her every Sunday. So, every week that’s the only thing I would wait now. Everything began to grow efficiently between us. Days would end up in short and I would ponder the time I would spent every Sunday. Sometimes I would skip even the other days just to run and see her. Such was the appeal of our relationship, and I never wanted to fail it out. I began to feel more enthused as the days passed on. Now that I could perform things better, knowing the fact that she was the inspiration added in my life. I always maintained the love she needed. Gradually her smile began to bloom much deeper in her life. She seemed more happy and cheerful. And I wouldn’t miss to see that. With every new things that began to flow in our life I tried to keep up our relation more healthier. Sunday visiting was now a daily routine for me. That gleam on my face used to return as I would see her before my eyes. I never wanted to be the same, every time I struggled myself to be better in front of her eyes. She demanded all of my goods things and I would  serve her with best compliments of my life. She began to love me more and I began to fall intensely. Felt like we were the only lovers in the world, who had been in the hands of heaven.