Hey Guys!
Sky thundered as rain pattered down lush hills, drowning into the ever thirsty valley. The stream flew, fierce as a tigress, silvery under the cloud covered moon reflecting its glory. Standing at the edge of the cliff, he overlooked crystal blue waterfall gushing fiercely down into a little lake at its foot which now overflew.
Such was life, a season would parch the lake to aridity and another would fill it with immeasurable waters; mirth would more often than not pour into one's glass but predominantly its emptiness was overwhelming.
Irony of the fact was that his life had been going through a similar blooming season of joy; his glass was overflowing with mirth when he had suddenly been plunged back deep into that abyss and made to face that, which he dreaded the most. A chapter of his life that he had torn and hid underneath dreams of a distant sleep, a page that was dusted under speckles of time had unfolded and come haunting back.
"Maan sir"
He heard her.
She stood right behind him, pressing her hand on his shoulder, showing that she was there, standing behind him to support him, to smile at him reassuringly whenever he would look behind. He closed his eyes, feeling contented to have at least one soul in this world who cared for him, most importantly who was there for him.
Turning around, he found her smile and lips of his curved on their own accord like a reflex. Those eyes of hers shone like beads under the night light of moon. Such depths, expressing themselves in her eyes which made him fall back thinking he could free fall in those eyes and never hit bottom.
It felt so good to be held by someone in times of distress, that moment when someone held your hand and said 'It's Okay";
That feeling of someone standing beside you'.
It was priceless for a person like him who had spent his life at the altar of loneliness, who had been his own critic and the motivation too. Who had been his own solace and tormentor too. But now he knew he wouldn't let her go. He wouldn't leave her behind.
"You left these behind"
She said opening her fist, bringing him out of the trance which he swooned in her eyes.
Her fingers uncurled to a collection of marbles. Green, glassy, translucent marbles shone away on her outstretched palm.
He instantly looked away in anger, not wanting to see those awful beads. The little green things were torture to his already battered self, his realization of loss.
"Why did you get them?"
He seethed and she could see his expressions change from anger to pain to anguish to all that she couldn't decipher.
Angrily grabbing them from her hand he stretched his arm to throw them as far as he could; to plunge the awful things down into a bottomless valley so that they would never return to haunt him again, ever. But she caught him in time.
"Why are you doing this? Why don't you face it for once sir? I have only seen you disturbed since the day we came to Mussourie and today you didn't even enter that cottage you had so determinately fought for?"
She questioned in a harsher tone.
She knew he had been fighting this case for years now, to acquire that lone cottage situated at the foothill. It was an old, worn out house at the outskirts, no estate values attached, Maan had hired the best lawyers to acquire the place. Why? She had no idea but she knew in her heart that this had got to do something with his past, the enigmatic time of his life of which no one knew. The path no one had dare tread, not even him.
"Why?"
This time she asked firmly.
"Because I can't"
He shouted his pitch higher than that of the gushing waters in the neighboring waterfall. Helplessness was audible in his voice.
"I can't' You get that"
He shouted seething in rage.
Another person at her end would have quivered and cried at his pouring rage and red eyes but she was not another person. She had seen him smile when the world said he couldn't, she had bore his anger when he lost his cool-which was very often; she had seen the child in him when he pouted and had seen the savior in him when he protected'..
She had seen the moods of Maan Singh Khurana and now no amount of anger scared her.
"I know I am no one to intrude into this matter but I know that this place is somewhere connected to you personally. Please share it sir, share your pain like you have always shared mine."
She told her boss who had lately come to mean much more than that to her.
"No not today"
He pleaded.
"If it's not today, then never it is"
She paused for a moment before continuing
"Face it Maan sir, I am here with you, forever."
She assured him.
He blinked away those hot tears that had blurred his vision for a second, trying to gather every ounce of courage to go through that era which he had left long behind or so he thought.
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The wheels of the school bus rolled as its little passengers talked and jumped, giggling excitedly. Today was Friday, their favorite day.
He sat at his favorite window seat overlooking fruit orchards and busy bushy fields pass by. Someone showed him marbles and he forgot everything. He loved marbles and they could make him forget the world for once. Moreover, he was an absentminded boy, all knew.
He was jerked back out of his marble admiring session when the bus rolled in through the huge gates of his school, screeching to a halt in the porch. All boys descended down, running away into school alley through the pebbled pathway. He got down and they passed the dining room where the boarders were still at breakfast. They were served beans with bread and he didn't realize who but someone from behind screamed
" ever boring 'beanie-bready'...Mac I ate pasta! Boo"
And some others followed suit, teasing them.
He shook his head walking towards his classroom. Today's day would be easier to go through for the weekend was to come. Fridays always were happy he thought. He would enjoy the day with his mother.
The first period was English and he didn't know when he dozed off while Miss. Sheryl went on with her 'Verbs and Prepositions.' Surprisingly, Miss. Sheryl didn't scold him for sleeping or harass him by asking difficult questions instead she asked his partner to only wake him up. The next period was Math and that went by easily.
He had his lunch with other boarders as their recess flew by chattering and clanking cutlery. Mackie sir served him a portion of teacher's pudding. He was a sensitive boy all knew.
He knew the time to go back home was nearer. He would wait for this day throughout the week. It would be his best day, Friday. His mother would be standing at the door, waving at him and he would be awarded with a delicious slice of piping hot apple pie as soon as he would wash. They didn't have to cook on Fridays and could do gardening together. While his mother would pot saplings, he would water them meticulously. His mother's kitchen garden had bloomed with their efforts. He was so happy he would be tending their plants but he had forgotten exactly when he had watered them last. He was an absentminded boy, never mind.
The next periods of History and Geography passed without much effort. He could decipher why there were different seasons and how earth rotated around the sun after the Geography class. He was excited to go home because he would tell his mother about why there was day and night and how do seasons change. He felt so proud to know it all!
No sooner did the bell rang than the children stuffed their already packed bags with leftover paper planes and chip-chops, grabbing their water bottles. All except the borders ran yelling and cheering since they were to only go back to their dormitory rooms.
Instead of taking the bus, he walked with Adi, Yash and Rhys. Plucking a grass leaf he nibbled on it as Yash dribbled his water down the banked road side form his half open bottle. Rhys was going to the town cinema to see a film while Adi was off to picnic with his first cousins. Yash was going to go for a late night ice cream with his parents.
He didn't realize when they reached the forking while talking away. Seeing the shortcut to his home, he ducked under the railing bidding a bye to his friends.
"See yaa on Monday"
He shouted over his shoulder, hopping down the narrow road. He heard one of them say
"But he doesn't live'"
Before someone silenced him and they left their way whispering.
He was now walking briskly; almost running impatiently for the weekend time was here. He expected to see the big roof top of his house from a distance and a pine tree standing tall behind it. His mother would be waiting at the entrance amidst those white curtains dancing over the windows in the wind. His plants would welcome him as his garden would emit sweet muddy evening smell, tantalizing his nostrils. He just ran to embrace it all.
Now he saw the dark roof of the house and the pine nut tree behind. He was walking towards it but something inside him threatened to stop him, squeezing something deep down. 'Don't go' a voice inside him echoed but still he couldn't help walk.
He walked down slowly and his stomach knotted in a rediscovered shock as he saw closed dusted doors of his house, no mother standing there, the fencing around his garden broken and all his plants drooping. There was no sweet smell of mud but the odor of burning litter in pits as smoke enveloped the area.
It was then that he remembered that his mother had died and he was not staying here but up the hill at his Grandma's since a week. He took out the marbles from his pant pockets and could see them blur against his vision as his eyes filled with fresh tears. Rage busted through him at the sight of green glassy beads winking up at him, taunting him mercilessly.
How could he forget?
He angrily threw them away, scattering them into the garden.
A suspended second later there was only a faint echo of the clank as its sound drowned into the silence of night.
--------------------------------
He hated those marbles, he hated them for the sheer reason that they made him forget everything; even the fact that his mother had left him, that he was virtually alone in this world. He hated marbles.
"I hate them Geet. I hate these marbles"
He shouted looking at those tiny glassy beads in his hand. Reddened teary eyes gave him the look of that man possessed.
"Whyyy"
He yelled looking up at the skies, almost forgetting that Geet was standing with him.
"It's Okay Maan Sir. It's Okay."
She soothed him.
Then only did he realize her presence. Turning her side he saw her and surprisingly found himself feeling lighter, lighter than he had ever felt. He realized how much he wanted to embrace her and tell her what she had given him in those few moments, what she had meant to him. He had failed to tell his Mom how much he loved her but he wouldn't miss this chance with Geet.
"Will you come with me?"
He asked staring at her with his teary eyes. She didn't say a word, just nodded as if the question was immaterial.
--------------------------------
She found herself in front of that very cottage which he had left in anguish just an hour ago, the same cottage for which he had fought seven long years now and won today. She found them standing on that very land to which he was tied with the bitterest memories of his life. She felt him flinch standing there but the next moment he was in control; calm and composed.
Maan turned towards her, holding her by her shoulders to make her face him. She looked up at him.
"I had never planned it this way, but somehow we are stranded at this turn of life together."
He sighed
"Geet. I love you."
And a silent gush of wind caressed them as his words bathed her in its glory.
"My love may not be perfect, it might not be all that you may have expected; but I promise you it will be yours, forever."
Her eyes moistened and arms covered with goose bumps. He was saying what she had wanted to hear, she didn't know since when but she had imagined him saying this. Only she didn't know that her fantasy will one fine day come true.
"Maan"
She uttered his name unconsciously for the first time and his heart skipped a beat.
At that moment his heart knew how much he wanted to hear his name from her lips, how much he craved to hear his name from her throughout his life. She was in a trance, staring at his handsome face. Her eyes professed how much she had loved him, how much she had waited for this but never got a hint from his side. She heard him once again before she could speak.
"The world has snatched away all that I loved, all won battles while I lost every time, everyday. They may call me a winner today but you out of all people know I am anything but that."
He went down on his knee, holding her hand in his.
"I beseech you to lose your heart and make me victorious once and for all. Immortalize my victory, our victory. Be mine Geet."
He said looking straight up into her brown eyes.
A moment passed between the two as wind twirled around them, softly whispering of a new beginning.
"I am yours. Always."
She said as if on cue, bending down to him.
"You didn't hear me at the waterfall when I said I will always be there for you. Forever."
She whispered
And then he recollected the meaning of her simple words which he had overlooked in his grief. Now he saw through her subtle confession as his heart filled with immeasurable mirth.
Maan made her stand and cupped her face in his hands.
"You don't know what you have given me today Geet. You have given me my life back, at the same place that I had lost it years ago. I love you. I love you so much'."
He whispered as his nose touched hers.
She opened her eyes that had closed feeling him so close. Their eyes met again and hearts raced.
"Maan"
She said to him, this time confidently and rightfully rolling his name out of her tongue as if she was made to say his name and his name was meant to be said by her.
"Hmm"
He moaned, still nuzzling the contours of her face with the tip of his nose, taking in this moment that he was to cherish with her when they would grow old.
"Will you come with me?"
She asked him the same question and saw him startled for a split second.
She slowly turned her head towards the cottage entrance, showing him where she wanted to take him. For a moment she saw hesitation in his eyes but soon it was replaced by faith and love. Immeasurable love.
He nodded slowly, and smiled as she slipped her hand into his.
"Let's go home Maan"
Saying so, she held his hand and pulled him along into the cottage that they would make their home.
Hope I've made up for a hatrick of tragedies...
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