So here it goes...The final part of this story. :D :D
Happy Reading! :D :D
Dark Bedouin- Part-3
Two months now and I am still searching for her; day and night, night and day. She is not in Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Hamilton and Victoria. Sigh, the search list is going long. I am starting to lose my patience now. Well, I was never patient; still...my age and health is not helping me. But I know; I will find her here. All thanks to my random guess. Well, I don't know if I am right; but a messy guess will do no harm. It's been ages since I visited this place! The warm air and defined smell of this sand- I cannot get this smell or feel anywhere in this world, except for Mumbai. I am back to my pavilion. So much has changed in the years; lifestyle, people, culture...so much! Well, I still remember Ishani saying to me that she would only stay in Mumbai in her retirement life and it was that statement of hers that I have come here. The breeze is now getting cooler now and I missed this breeze for so many years. The crowd is still the biggest asset of the Juhu and the rush is still prevalent at the place. Gosh, people have forgotten the mere courtesy of apologizing today! Ouch, stop pushing me!
I quickly sauntered through the place and reached a calmer place now; I should have come here before going to the other side of the beach. This area is for people like us- senior citizens. I now saw a number of people walking and sitting through the benches, while some moving in and out hastily. Everyone was of my age or older than mine. I slowly sieved through the place, hoping that I would find someone who I know personally when I realised that I hit someone with my Tynor. Oh Poor! She is also old! I quickly helped her in getting up though my face never met hers; I was ashamed to do so. Just two minutes ago, I was blaming the younger generation that they did not have the courtesy to apologize and now, I pushed someone; though unintentionally. I slowly whispered a sorry to her and finally she was now standing erect, though her limbs were limped. I then quickly turned over, waking hastily when I realized that the lady was still standing in the same position. Thankfully, it was evening and I looked at her shadow- it was a similar one. Did she want any help in walking? Should I turn? Or should I not?
After the four minute battle between by heart and brain, I chose my heart, yet again. I slowly turned towards her, making sure that she wasn't disturbed by my Tynor when I looked her face. I gave her a scrutinizing look before I realized that it was none other than she herself. My guess wasn't wrong. I glanced at her once again- weary eyes, wrinkled skin, white speckled hair, dry lips, weak physique. Along with these, I noticed the glistened pair of eyes conversing with that of mine silently, her lips quivering as usual. Her lips generally shudder only if she felt guilty for anything. Is she guilty now? She looks the same even at this instant, but only thinner and weaker. What had happened in the four decades? Why is she in Mumbai now? My questions flew through my mind as usual when I heard her sniff. Coming out from my reverie, I now looked at her before she left the place in hush as I followed her through the sands of the beach, my mind now focussed only on her.
"Ishani!" My voice finally cracked out, my feet directly moving towards her when I caught hold of her hand in a tense fashion, when I realized that my heart was beating faster than usual. Is it because I saw her? Or is it because I ran through the beach? Whatever may be the case, I touched her now after so many years and one thing remains the same- the tenderness. Her hands are still tender though they have gone weaker with years. I slowly turned her towards me; my eyes welled up when she looked at me with the same, fierce red eyes. Damn, it is for real. She is in front of me and looking at me with the same eyes. I quickly took my hands off hers and stuttered, "How-how have you-you been?" That was a pretty easy question to answer; I thought when I heard her soft whisper, "Same old."
What did she mean by same old? Is she happy then? That's a shock...well, surprise, actually. She slowly now took a seat, keeping the bag of fruits beside her, her hair, still obstructing her face, just like the way it used to, during our childhood. So, she was ready to talk with me now and that goes without saying, actually. Without wasting my time, I swiftly congregated my steps and walked along, sitting beside her. An outlandish silence arose between the two of us and I am finding it hard to break it now. Okay, let me open the delicate side now, "How is your partner?" Even calling him by the tag of Ishani's husband annoys me.
Her eyes became cold and dry by now and she looked at me the same way and asked me, "How are you, Ranveer?" She avoided my question. Why? I asked her a simple question. Anyway, at least, she had the courtesy to ask something now.
"Your unfaithful servant is weak, but he is doing well, Ishani," I said, my heart still paining with hearing or saying that tag which Ishani bestowed upon me. She looked at me vacantly.
"What about your children and grand-children, Ishani?" Okay, I have to be practical. I cannot ask such questions, or can I? She gave me a blank look again. What does it mean now? Does she have any or not? God, make her answer at least one of my questions.
She now whispered, "I- I am sorry, Ranveer," and her voice went mute. I now heard only the sniffs and looked at the stream of tears which flowed through her cheeks. I saw her with a strange sting when she bounced into my rib-cage, her hands clutching my heavy shirt. She is guilt-ridden. I let her cry in my arms for the next few minutes when it, as a final point, turned out to be an hour. One hour and she is still crying, her hands only clutching my shirt harder and harder. Well, she spoke some incomprehensive words now and I am still fathoming it of what they were.
She finally pushed herself back from my embrace when I noticed her eyes: they were enflamed. I gazed at her, my eyes getting wet seeing hers as she let out a huge breathe. It was warm and dry. She slowly came back to reality when I braved myself to ask her the question, even though it was embarrassing.
"Ish-Ishani, what were you whispering at me some time back? I am sorry; I guess did not get them right." Shit, what did I ask her? Would she feel bad again? Wrong timing, as usual.
No, not at all! She in fact, smiled at me tiredly and said, "I am a cheap lady, Ranveer," Darnn! What did she just say? And why was she?
"And why, Ishani?" I asked her hastily when she blinked, "I had cursed you back with such dishonest words and today, I am feeling disgusted. The words which I used were...really harsh and I never realized that until a few days after my marriage.
"What do you mean?" I asked, my words just a reflection of my thoughts now. "Did Chirag do something to you?" my voice turned harsh when she laughed sarcastically, "What are you going to do now, Ranveer? Punch him up? I am sure, you cannot do that."
"Why? Why? I can and I will. How dare...how dare does he..." I spewed words when she touched my upper arm and chuckled, "Ranveer, c'mon. You are not the same twenty-three year old Ranveer now. Try to be sensible."
Crap, I keep forgetting my age! "What did he do to you, Ishani?" I tried to be practical this time and it worked.
"Chirag, that...that bloody bitch," she started. My! My old Ishani is back! I chuckled for myself and listened to her story now.
"Both of us got married and it was intimate affair, you know. I did not invite anyone except for our family members. Both of us planned to settle in Vancouver and things were fine until then. But the real problem started when he started to show his true colours in front of me. He was drunk every day and he used to beat me every other day for no reason," she now showed the scars of her wounds now. The ruthless animal! How dare he!
"I then divorced him after three months and came back to Mumbai," she finished her two minute synopsis of the forty year old story. Only girls can do that. I still wonder, how can they finish a forty year old story in two minutes? "Well, how did you come here?" she asked me now.
"In search of you, darling," I wanted to say, but then, I had finished my sentence minus the last word. I am still scared of her. I cannot confess it to her again. My heart cannot hold that.
"In search of me? Why? And how did you know that I was in Mumbai?"
"Well, seeing you for one time was my farewell wish, Ishani. And I still remember you saying to me that your retirement will only be in Mumbai and not anywhere else in the world."
"Hmm." she dragged now, looking at me with her rubicund eyes. She looked gloomy, that was for sure.
She sat silently for the next fifteen minutes now, looking at me and smiling awkwardly though her eyes were still puffed up. Slowly turning completely towards me and making me conscious, she whispered, "I want to ask something to you, shall I?"
"Go ahead," I replied back, admiring her beauty even today when she snapped back, "Are you married?"
"Huh?" What sort of a question was that now? "N-No, I never married, I am single," I winked and bragged, chuckling when she smiled faintly before saying, "So, I have to say something to you now."
"And what?"
"I love you, Ranveer." Okay, what should I do now? Forget everything and accept her?
"But don't worry, I won't ask you to marry me," she chuckled, "It's-it's just-just that I-I wanted to say it to you. I've waited long."
Okay, so how should I react now? Laugh, shout, hug, reject, scold, retort? But I did none in these. Instead, I blushed furiously when I was caught off-guard. God, how much ever I try to be angry at her, I fail the same number of times. She might have thought me to be a jerk, lurch, unfaithful servant. But for me, she was and will remain my queen. She quickly managed to hug me once again and whispered, "And I know, you love me too," she broke herself from the embrace when I flushed at her, searching for replies. But then, she snapped back saying, "You never changed, Ranveer. It was me who changed. You smell the same even today!" she chuckled once again and I flushed, all again! I didn't know that girls have the ability to make boys blush!
Should I forgive her?
I should. She is my precious.
"I love you too, Ishani. But please, don't call me unfaithful again. It hurts," I said honestly before she replied, "Never, till my death."
"And I won't let you die."
Done! Constructive Criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for typos :D :D
Hope you guys found it worth spending your time. Because, I just wrote this whole TS with half a mind. Like, I did not know whether you people would accept it or not. It was just my line of thought.
Until we meet next...
Edited by Bloomfield - 9 years ago