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Ola AKG readers,
Next update below - Rikara in Verona!
I hope you like it.
Aankhon ki Gustakhiyaan - Season VI - In Italy
Part 5
Shakespeare'
That's what Divya Ma had told Omkara, on persistent probing from him regarding: Gauri's favourite author/ book/ subject a while ago, when he was putting together ideas for their trip.
Divya Ma was very proud of her literary achievements. Covering coursework from 5th grade to A levels Gauri had shown deep interest in literature, both English and Hindi, recently passing with flying colours. Her coursework covered some titles from Shakespeare such as The Merchant of Venice' and Julius Caesar' and some titles from Munshi Premchand. Gauri had studied, in fact devoured them with equal interest.
A creative person since she was child, Gauri had grown up making mata chunri, embroidering, sewing, stitching, and so it didn't come as a surprise to Divya Ma that she also had this affinity for literature. Nor had it come as a surprise to Omkara, after having witnessed her art work when they they were in Berlin. Ever since he began to understand Gauri, he knew, she was a girl with reality and fantasy in equal proportions. She believed in happiness, fairy tales, and stories. And what was Gauri if not a bit of drama queen, he reckoned. That's why he was giving her his own version of one, their story.
The trip to various cities in Italy was planned, partly because he wanted to show her his inspirations, in Florence, Siena and Rome but also the settings, the cities for some of Shakespeare's inspirations. They had spent some good many days in Rome as there is so much to see and absorb there and now they were in Verona.
Verona, a beautiful little city, with its own street market, narrow cobbled lanes interspersed with squares; situated on the banks of Adige river with hills on either side, it was also picturesque. Known for its literary fame, art and architecture, it had its own Colosseum just like Rome and this evening Omkara had a surprise for Gauri. She had been sulking even since they had a fight in Rome and was moody because it was that time of the month. Deprived and needy, Omkara couldn't wait for this phase to end and was praying today was the last day.
After lunch, he had asked her to get ready in this new gown he has purchased for her from the boutiques of fashionable Verona. It was a mauve chiffon gown with grey and black motifs. It hung loose on her, giving small peek into her beautiful chest, just like the sculptures she had seen in all those antiquity museums in Rome. At the waist, she had secured it with a belt made of satin mauve, pleated. She had tied her hair in a messy bun and matched the ensemble with gladiator sandals, another purchase from one of the market stalls. Omkara complimented her look with a dapper three piece suit and bow proper black tie. She had half guessed where they were going, from all the trouble he had taken to dress up.
He escorted her into the grand lobby of the Palazzo Victoria where they were staying, they waited for their ride. Gauri couldn't believe her eyes when she was taken to a horse-drawn carriage and seated, princess style with Omkara beside her. They got a grand tour of the city, had dinner at the finest restaurant and then got dropped off outside the Colosseum. Gauri was awe-struck by the stage set and the lighting when they were taken to the front VIP seats. It was grand, colossal almost; she had never seen a play at that scale before. Yes, in Bareilly she herself was responsible for staging Ram Leela every year during Dushhera with her bachcha party, but that just could not compare with this. The stage itself was the size of the huge chowk in Bareily. The decoration just out of this world, she was lost in her thoughts checking things out, when a vendor gave her a programme for the evening after Omkara paid for it.
A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Gauri almost jumped with joy after she read what they were here to see, it was one of the stories she really liked, light- hearted as compared to some of other Shakespeare's work. With the backdrop of a wedding, the play had everything from bride and groom, fairies, magic, lovers and actors, everything playing out in moonlight in a forest. What's not to like, Gauri told Omkara. The set was pristine, decorated with trees, leaves, plants, a forest was recreated, the dresses exquisite and the madness, euphoric. The entire time, Gauri was holding onto Omkara jumping up and down in her chair thoroughly enjoying the show and Omkara was enjoying the view of his happy chiraiyaa, capturing this image in his mind, an image which couldn't be replaced by any other image in the world.
Exhausted after the three hour long play, they went to sleep as soon as they lay in their bed in the hotel that night. The next day, after breakfast, they explored the city on foot, from across the river, Castle vechchio, a few churches steeped in history, some musuems, walking across squares, they ended up at Casa Giueletta (known as the abode of the famous Juliet!). Yes, the Juliet from Shakespeare's famous play Romeo and Juliet, the story of two young star-crossed lovers.
And had their story not begun like that, thought Omkara, against his better judgement, he had given a very hard time to Gauri in the beginning by not trusting her. Their love story did not even need family rivalry like the Montagues and the Capulets; he was enough to be the villain in his own story. Had it not been the love and persistence of Gauri, they would never be together, and wasn't he grateful to God for that. Now, he was setting the record straight, fulfilling his promise to her of lifelong love and devotion.
So why do you like literature so much? And Shakespeare?' Omkara wanted to learn more and more about his love, he wanted know her like he should and they were making great progress in that area from past year.
I like stories. When I was little, I didn't get time to study; I was making mata chunris at night and selling them in the daytime. My friends went to school, and came and told me of all these stories they read about. Their parents read stories to them at night, but my father was no more and my mom was ill most of the time. That is why I took interest in God's stories, mythology, Shiva-Parvati were my idols/ heroes. I created and performed ram-leela with my kid friends every year. When DivyaMa introduced me to Shakespeare, and I could read, I just couldn't stop myself from reading up most of his work, one by one. There is always hope in his stories, even in the ones with tragic ends. And he etches the characters in so much detail that I felt I could live the stories. And then there is mystery in some, the thrill of what's next.' Gauri explained. Everyone knew her to be a chatter-box and she had no problems expressing herself even in the past. She was glad Omkara asked the question, she wanted to tell him all.
Omkara was touched. He gave her a side hug as they kept walking and kissed her on the head. Looking at a thoughtful Omkara, Gauri tried to distract him, and showed him Juliet's balcony, from where she professed her love to Romeo. He visited her at night, underneath the balcony. It wasn't proven of course, that Juliet even existed, but this house had certainly been the inspiration for Shakespeare's description of the Capulet household. They did a tour around the house, Gauri stood in Juliet's balcony and Omkara captured her in his camera after throwing her numerous flying kisses.
His Juliet!. It was turning out to be a memorable day.
Little did they know that the night would be even more surprising?
That evening, after resting their tired muscles in the shower they had ordered room service. Omkara switched on the TV, innocently, only to be surprised.
Palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss' the voices echoed in the background.
Romeo and Juliet starring Leonardo and Claire Danes was on! He very well knew, what was coming later in the movie having seen it after bunking classes as a teenager, he was an artist in the making after all, even then. So he switched channels.
Wait, Om, I want to watch, its Romeo and Juliet' chided Gauri, taking away the remote from him. She had no clue of course. They are so innocent, see Om, a palm's touch is a kiss. This is how I will kiss you from now' she teased her hubby.
Omkara wasn't complaining, sooner or later she will get to know more nuances of love-making, and this would be a good place to start. Why not? He smirked.
Taking advantage of the situation and innocence of his wifey, he said,
Hmm. So you will follow the love lessons from the movie, yes, since they are so innocent?' he quipped.
Yes. Why not?' Gauri had no clue what was coming and she wanted to tease him some more.
Omkara smirked some more.
And Gauri's state was to be seen, when in a few scenes later, Romeo had climbed up Juliet's balcony and they were making love in her bedroom, stark naked! Instantly, Gauri was embarrassed and aroused at the same time, she wanted to get lost in the moment, but she was also shy of her hubby sitting right next to her. She hid her face behind the pillow and started looking for the remote, only to find his hubby get to it first.
He didn't let her change the channel of course and Gauri was red like a tomato, embarrassed, looking to drown in the nearest little bowl of water she could find. Yes, they were intimate now and had done the deed many times, but this explicit!
Gauri' Omkara teased her some more,' kya hua?' he acted all innocent.
Are you sleepy baby? Let's sleep.' He carried on.' And yes, remember that you wanted to follow the two lovers from the movie' Omkara moved closer to her.
She threw the pillow she was holding at him, and blushing profusely ran to the balcony, Omkara followed suite and caught her when she got there laughing. She buried her head in his chest and he caressed her hair taking her into a tight embrace, smiling at the antics of his tiny wife. They stood in the balcony, entangled; her head resting on his chest, the moon shone bright, its reflections covered the river in a silvery sheen, as beautiful as the story of these two star-crossed lovers who had found a way to each other somehow, despite everything.
Love is a smoke and is made with the fume of sighs'
(Romeo & Juliet Act 1, Scene 1)
Wiliam Shakespeare.
END
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2 more parts to go and this Season of AkG will be complete.
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