Dawn at Midnight.
Book 1: Transmigration. Chapter 4: Console bleeding heart
Mourning ceremony was to be held after thirteen days so I had to stay there for next fortnight. ChotoMa went for her school; she said to me that she would visit every day afternoon before she goes home.
Kalyani also visited our house as she resides in the same village as mine.
One evening I and Kalyani was walking in the back side of the house, beside the pond.
Kalyani asked me about him---“Paree, where is Abhimanyu? Have you told him the news of demise of Bodo Boudi? He should come?”
I looked at her, what I should say to her, I could not understand. Should I tell her the truth or console myself by telling her that he would come. But how could he come when he didn’t know about the demise of Bodo Boudi?
I said to her---“If I make a STD call from your house, will you mind?”
I knew Suprotim Da’s residence telephone number.
She shook her head---“Why? Where is he that you have to call STD?”
“He has gone to Delhi for job. He is very busy so I think he will be unable to come.” While I said those words to her, I looked down so as not to look at Kalyani’s face. I was the worst liar in the whole world.
She was surprised to know that he went away---“But …… at least he should come now? At least he should think about you as what was going on?”
How could I tell her, as what all was going inside my chest?
We walked till the mango tree and stopped there. I touched the trunk and tried to feel his touch.
Kalyani smiled at me and asked---“Missing him?” She hugged me.
I gave her a faint smile and hid the pain gurgling inside my chest.
She nudged my chin---“Ok come on. Let’s us call him.”
I said to her---“I don’t know his number?”
She looked at me with big surprised eyes---“WHAT? He has gone away and you haven’t his number? Has he not called you?”
---“No I mean, he might have called ChotoMa and Babu. May be I was in the college during that time.”
She didn’t believe me as what I said. She held me by hand and pushed my chin up. My sight was hazy by then.
“You are hiding something. Your eyes doesn’t depict the pain of separation only, there is something more that you are not telling me. What is that?” She touched my cheek.
Her touch made me go meek in my heart and I sobbed out---“He will come for me right?”
I sat under the tree and she sat beside on the ground. She took my face between her palms and asked as what had happened to us?
With choked voice, I said to her---“ChotoMa smelled our relation and he was banished from his own house. I feel guilty for all this.”
She asked---“How and when all this happened? You have not told me a single word all this time?”
---“Always there was a pair of prying eyes hovering around me, how could I?”
---“You could have called me from outside, when you go to college.”
---“I thought why to bother you.”
She wiped my tears with her thumbs---“So am I not your friend?”
She pulled me up from the ground---“Do you want to goto Delhi and leave your house forever?”
I was taken aback by her words, was she asking me to be desperate and leave ChotoMa and Babu?
I wiped my face with the back of my hand and looked at her---“No, I can’t leave my ChotoMa and Babu. They have done lot for me. They have fought for my studies and I can’t at least make their heads stoop in front of the society in shame, just for me.”
I took a deep breath and said---“He will surely come. He has to come. I know. The society and families knows only the tinker of money. He will struggle and fight against this society and will sweep me away from all my miseries. But I can’t leave my house or my family in any sense.”
She hugged me tightly---“Hope that he comes back. I really envy you two. I really envy your faith and his struggle.”
She asked me to walk along with her to her house.
We walked along the narrow path between the fields and by the pond she asked me---“Do you want to call Suprotim Da’s home?”
I nodded in accordance.
When we entered our house, I observed that ChotoMa was there discussing something with my mom and other elders.
She saw me enter the house with Kalyani. My heart skipped few paces faster in some unknown fear that ChotoMa would probably ask Kalyani about details of our relation or she would ask something more drastic.
We, Kalyani and I, both looked at each other’s face. She winked at me and signed me to keep quiet, if any questions are asked by ChotoMa, she would handle.
Instead ChotoMa smiled sweetly at her and asked---“How are you?”
She nodded her head to say that she was fine.
---“I think you will be a better person to take care of her, since you are friends from childhood.”
We both were very much relieved to hear those words from ChotoMa. A huge boulder came off our chest and we both smiled at each other.
ChotoMa then asked Kalyani---“Why don’t you take her with you to your home? I think if she stays here the demise of Parvati will haunt her every moment. If she stays with you then she would probably feel relieved for some time.”
I felt a deep urge to hug my ChotoMa with all my strength as she said those words to me.
She looked at my mom---“Am I telling something wrong? If she stays with her then it won’t be a problem for you I suppose?”
My mom answered and smiled at me---“She is your daughter now.”
We walked out of our house.
That night we called Suprotim Da’s home in New Delhi, but alas none answered the phone. For the rest of the days till I was in my native place and with Kalyani, we called his house. Every time the phone rang, but no one answered.
The day, I was to come back to my house at DumDum with ChotoMa.
Dushtu came to me and said---“Next time when you will come, please bring Abhi Uncle along with you. I have not heard his stories for a long time.”
I smiled at him and nodded---“Sure I will call him and tell him to come.”
I consoled my heart that my thief would come one day and free his fairy from the ivory cage. He would sweep her feet away to the mountains. Just it was a matter of time.
Book 1: Transmigration. Chapter 4: Console bleeding heart
Mourning ceremony was to be held after thirteen days so I had to stay there for next fortnight. ChotoMa went for her school; she said to me that she would visit every day afternoon before she goes home.
Kalyani also visited our house as she resides in the same village as mine.
One evening I and Kalyani was walking in the back side of the house, beside the pond.
Kalyani asked me about him---“Paree, where is Abhimanyu? Have you told him the news of demise of Bodo Boudi? He should come?”
I looked at her, what I should say to her, I could not understand. Should I tell her the truth or console myself by telling her that he would come. But how could he come when he didn’t know about the demise of Bodo Boudi?
I said to her---“If I make a STD call from your house, will you mind?”
I knew Suprotim Da’s residence telephone number.
She shook her head---“Why? Where is he that you have to call STD?”
“He has gone to Delhi for job. He is very busy so I think he will be unable to come.” While I said those words to her, I looked down so as not to look at Kalyani’s face. I was the worst liar in the whole world.
She was surprised to know that he went away---“But …… at least he should come now? At least he should think about you as what was going on?”
How could I tell her, as what all was going inside my chest?
We walked till the mango tree and stopped there. I touched the trunk and tried to feel his touch.
Kalyani smiled at me and asked---“Missing him?” She hugged me.
I gave her a faint smile and hid the pain gurgling inside my chest.
She nudged my chin---“Ok come on. Let’s us call him.”
I said to her---“I don’t know his number?”
She looked at me with big surprised eyes---“WHAT? He has gone away and you haven’t his number? Has he not called you?”
---“No I mean, he might have called ChotoMa and Babu. May be I was in the college during that time.”
She didn’t believe me as what I said. She held me by hand and pushed my chin up. My sight was hazy by then.
“You are hiding something. Your eyes doesn’t depict the pain of separation only, there is something more that you are not telling me. What is that?” She touched my cheek.
Her touch made me go meek in my heart and I sobbed out---“He will come for me right?”
I sat under the tree and she sat beside on the ground. She took my face between her palms and asked as what had happened to us?
With choked voice, I said to her---“ChotoMa smelled our relation and he was banished from his own house. I feel guilty for all this.”
She asked---“How and when all this happened? You have not told me a single word all this time?”
---“Always there was a pair of prying eyes hovering around me, how could I?”
---“You could have called me from outside, when you go to college.”
---“I thought why to bother you.”
She wiped my tears with her thumbs---“So am I not your friend?”
She pulled me up from the ground---“Do you want to goto Delhi and leave your house forever?”
I was taken aback by her words, was she asking me to be desperate and leave ChotoMa and Babu?
I wiped my face with the back of my hand and looked at her---“No, I can’t leave my ChotoMa and Babu. They have done lot for me. They have fought for my studies and I can’t at least make their heads stoop in front of the society in shame, just for me.”
I took a deep breath and said---“He will surely come. He has to come. I know. The society and families knows only the tinker of money. He will struggle and fight against this society and will sweep me away from all my miseries. But I can’t leave my house or my family in any sense.”
She hugged me tightly---“Hope that he comes back. I really envy you two. I really envy your faith and his struggle.”
She asked me to walk along with her to her house.
We walked along the narrow path between the fields and by the pond she asked me---“Do you want to call Suprotim Da’s home?”
I nodded in accordance.
When we entered our house, I observed that ChotoMa was there discussing something with my mom and other elders.
She saw me enter the house with Kalyani. My heart skipped few paces faster in some unknown fear that ChotoMa would probably ask Kalyani about details of our relation or she would ask something more drastic.
We, Kalyani and I, both looked at each other’s face. She winked at me and signed me to keep quiet, if any questions are asked by ChotoMa, she would handle.
Instead ChotoMa smiled sweetly at her and asked---“How are you?”
She nodded her head to say that she was fine.
---“I think you will be a better person to take care of her, since you are friends from childhood.”
We both were very much relieved to hear those words from ChotoMa. A huge boulder came off our chest and we both smiled at each other.
ChotoMa then asked Kalyani---“Why don’t you take her with you to your home? I think if she stays here the demise of Parvati will haunt her every moment. If she stays with you then she would probably feel relieved for some time.”
I felt a deep urge to hug my ChotoMa with all my strength as she said those words to me.
She looked at my mom---“Am I telling something wrong? If she stays with her then it won’t be a problem for you I suppose?”
My mom answered and smiled at me---“She is your daughter now.”
We walked out of our house.
That night we called Suprotim Da’s home in New Delhi, but alas none answered the phone. For the rest of the days till I was in my native place and with Kalyani, we called his house. Every time the phone rang, but no one answered.
The day, I was to come back to my house at DumDum with ChotoMa.
Dushtu came to me and said---“Next time when you will come, please bring Abhi Uncle along with you. I have not heard his stories for a long time.”
I smiled at him and nodded---“Sure I will call him and tell him to come.”
I consoled my heart that my thief would come one day and free his fairy from the ivory cage. He would sweep her feet away to the mountains. Just it was a matter of time.