A Beautiful Stranger
This world has its share of lovers and in every corner I could see a love story brewing or ending. I call these lovers Arjuns and Arohis. For me every lover has only one name. These names that sounds so great together. I sometimes feel I walk around too many Arjuns and Arohis. There is a reason why every lover was an Arjun and Arohi for me. No, I am not one of them. I am not an Arjun but I wish I was.
She is etched in my memory as a beautiful work of art in the archways of a palace. A memory so sweetly painful. To say she is nothing to me. A stranger. A beautiful stranger. As graceful as the swift movement of a cool breeze. I was new to the big city where I felt I am oddly placed. A word wrongly placed in a sentence. So oddly placed that I saw everything around me in black and white. Like I am living in a 50's movie, devoid of any color. So dull and depressing was my life that her first step into my life I had to blink several times. She was the only color I saw in my life but a color that so was not mine. The first time I saw her it was winter. Winter in a foreign country is more depressing and negative than usual. Amidst this black and white world which was wrapped in heavy woolen coats and shawls I saw her for the first time. Clad in an olive green sari with a simple grey shawl on one shoulder she stepped into the metro train. Among these pale faces that hardly get any sunshine I found her golden brown skin so fresh. It seemed as she had a sun of her own. She was the red of tropic. Her skin was so glowing in this dull weather but her eyes had the dimness of sadness in them. A look of melancholy was hidden behind those kohl rimmed walls. I felt that dark wall was there to prevent the tears from shedding. A dam of security. A wall of emotions. And I continued to stare at her for the rest of her journey. Somewhere around the suburbs she got off leaving a sweet memory in my heart. I thought I would never see her again in my life but I was wrong. I met her the next day. She boarded the train from the station as the previous day and got off where she got off before. I watched her repeat the same for many months. Her mysterious way of coming and going had me by hooks. I wanted to be part of that memory, that mystery.
That day I saw her board the train. That time around she was wrapped in a red sari with a golden mixed grey shawl on her right shoulder. The graceful way in which she moved and sat opposite to me I was so bowled over. As usual she took out a book from the tiny parcel she always carried and started reading it. On the cover of every book I would see the same name written in neat slanting letters. Arohi. I took it to be her name. Her subject of reading varied like the color of her saris. Sometimes it was light breezy romantic novels while other times it was heavy philosophical ones. So mixed was her taste that I presumed she was as complex as her choice of books. There were certain gestures of her that would catch anyone's attention. While reading she always used to gather her open hairs into her right shoulder where they lay in different lengths, some strands framing her face. She had long wavy hair that flowed like a dark black river. A shiny black river. With moving train's speed the strands of hair framing her face flew across her eyes blocking her view. But she never showed a tiny emotion of upset instead she moved the strands away with much care and love. Sometimes while reading she chewed her lower lip as in she was nearing a very interesting turn of story. Whilst the breeze moved the strands of hair I could see the tiny diamond earring shining on her ear. A star hidden in a dark night. Her nose twitched showing she was not interested in the current events of the story. But slowly a sly smile would creep up the corners of her mouth. And then her nose ring shone. Complementing her shining nose ring and diamond earring her eyes would shine too. The orbs inside the kohl rimmed walls seemed black from afar but somehow I was sure it was honey brown in color. Her neck and wrists were always empty which made me often imagine how breath taking she would look if there was the beauty of black beads of mangalsutra and the red line of sindoor. She would have looked like an angel from up above. The way her skin glowed I was sure apart from her kohl there was no make-up on her which was a novelty for me. Everything about her was so perfect but it was etched in a disorganized way inside me. I couldn't remember anything the way it was.
That day she seemed more upset than usual. Her angst filled eyes seemed more lonely than usual. She reeked of lost hopes that day. So tired she seemed as if she just finished fighting a battle. But then also she tried never to lose that hidden smile she always had. On reaching her station I saw her get up and pick up her parcel after dropping her book in. In her usual elegant, graceful manner she exited. Just before the doors closed I felt like following her and I did. I may seem a stalker but I couldn't bear the mystery any longer. I followed her watching her wrapping her sari around her body and fixing her shawl. Her one hand still held the parcel and she moved forward with determined steps. She moved along the pale faces and dull attires. I wondered why I always felt this place to be so dull even in this autumn season. I knew the answer was a little shameful. I had my prejudices like every other person. I considered my traditions and the colors of my land more exciting and interesting than others. Only few people are able to break away from such false prejudices and I was so disgracefully not one of them. Nevertheless I followed her around. Coming out from the station she moved along a packed alley and then turned left to a less packed street. She didn't slow down instead her pace increased. She waved to a group of children playing nearby and they bowed in response. I saw a happy smile making its way on her face. How she glowed while smiling. No one could look so stunning while smiling. She truly was an angel. She then turned right and then I could see where she was going. A little ahead I could see a beautiful park with long white benches. Golden brown leaves were falling announcing the arrival of the handsome autumn. She moved along those golden leaves like a shining star touching every other tree she passed. Her long fingers stroked the hard trees and caught the falling leaves in them. Some leaves she kissed and let it go their way in the wind and she let some to fall down. She moved forward and left me wondering how long would she go? I watched her slowly settling herself down on a white bench on the far side. I followed her suit but made sure I was not in her view. I never wanted to intrude her privacy or at least not let her know I was.
I stood there and watched her stroke something on the bench. I could see it was a scratching on the bench. A painful memory or a sweet pain? I was confused. And then I heard her whisper faintly but I knew I could have heard it from a thousand miles.
I miss you Arjun...
So much pain and distress was radiating from those words that I knew I could have heard it. My heart pinched but it was not more than the pain etched on her face pronouncing his name. I didn't know who he was but knew he was very precious to her. I could see she was trembling, her hands shaking and soft sobs erupting from her lips. Her lips so full and big pouted in her cry and they trembled. I couldn't see her like that, I couldn't see anyone like that but I knew I couldn't be part of her reconciling. I was a stranger. Then all of a sudden I saw her wiping her tears away and giving a big smile and I looked around to see what made her happy. There was no one. I again looked at her and saw her stroking the scratching on the bench. I now had a hunch that it might be his name. She was smiling now and was recounting something as if he was sitting next to her and listening to her. Maybe he was. I saw her smile through her tears and go on about something. I walked back and settled myself on a bench a few feet away. I couldn't leave her alone. She was so engrossed in his memory, she never knew I was there. I sat there watching her talking to some invisible lover of hers.
While I sat there watching her I wondered why she comes to this particular place. May be they met for the first time here. Maybe they spent their quality time here. Maybe they confessed their love here. May be they bid good bye here. Maybe all these happened here. Maybe this was their haven. Maybe this was their little hamlet. The trees were their family, the wind was their friend and the birds were their kin. They were nature and were a part of it. They were everywhere in here. I, a stranger to their lives could even see the love they emitted. The warmth and safeness of their love still circled this atmosphere. This was her place and I was invading it. That felt so wrong. I got up and turned around to go back leaving the beautiful stranger with her Arjun. I reached the boundaries of the park and took a look back at her. She was still there and going on about what she was talking. She laughed, smiled, pouted and then smiled again. Seeing her like that my lips too broke into a smile. Turning around I walked briskly to the station sure of the fact that this mystery girl was safe where she was now. There was no safer place for her than that. I took a deep breath and continued my journey...
i really don't know how it turned out... it was disturbing me since yesterday night so i penned it down... i know its ending is not so perfect but i couldn't seem to find any other ending... i really love open and imperfect endings so i wrote it... the place i described in this os is completely my imagination... i really don't know if there is a place like that... and i hope i don't hurt anyone with certain description of mine... i was just trying to see arjun and arohi's love through the eyes of a stranger... do leave your precious comments...
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