DC Reflections - 57 - Page 2

Originally posted by: Ipoona

057

Nahin ... voh yehan nahin hai ...

Once again, out of nowhere, right in the middle of hectic preparations, a gust of wind ... an unnamed feeling ... an uncanny certainty of her presence ... She is here ... She cannot be ... Nahin ... It has been days ... She is gone ... Hamesha kay liya ... She is in Lucknow ... Hadn't he sworn not more than a few hours ago to never think of her ... He shakes himself out of his momentary trance ...

Khushi stands at the door, bearing sweet, sugary delights, looking resplendent in a red and gold churidar ... Her Jhumkas dangle in nervous apprehension, gut churning worry furrows her brow ... uneasy distress peeking through in her widened eyes ... Her anguish ... her vulnerability making her look heart breakingly beautiful. She senses his presence but still mumbles a prayer to Devi Maiya ... Seeking courage ... Raksha karna ... Hoping he will not be home ...

This feeling ... an acute awareness ... an intagible cetritude ... it comes to him in waves ... advancing and receding ...

Two men, arms aloft carrying curtains on a rod ... walk the girls in ... veiled from all ... as if carrying them in on a palanquin ... The Doli has come ... The brides are home ... They pass each other, mere feet away ... obscured by the gauzy curtains ... He pauses again ... She is here ... but doesn't see her and is distracted by someone seeking direction ... His stern voice warns some poor sod of his imminent dismissal ... He doesn't like galatiya or galti karnay valay log ... The poor fellow hadn't even done anything yet !!!

Aur humari Khushi say galtian toh bahut hoti hai ... Her very presence here is a galati or so she depressingly believes ... Mortified at thoughts of a similar dressing down, Khushi's belled feet take wings and she scurries to the kitchen ... That sound ... Her Payal ... She is here ... Snap out of it ... Raizada ... I mean it wasn't even right at some nebulous feelings kinda crap ... but now are you saying you are hearing things too ???

Khushi is wandering the halls looking for, lately the bane of her life, the store room ... She stands, a lost, unwilling, unwitting scarlet temptress ... Framed by two people, splitting their perfect, monochromed, purposefully matched life. A guileless, faultless inoccent at the edge of a maze ... not aware of the dark sinful web she is being led into ...

She is lost in this huge bhool bhuliya ... Wandering cluelessly in and out of rooms ... in and out of lives ... The innocent Dhulan or the Scarlet temptress ... Completely ignorant of all, but him ... And he seems to be following her ... Always a few steps behind, strangely navigating her ... propelling her ... Into harms way and then right there to pull her out ...

Another poor fellow getting his head chewed up over the phone ... Does this man ever let up ???

She dives behind the nearest curtains ... Unknowingly crossing a forbidden threshold ... Hiding herself in plain sight ... thinly veiled behind hazy curtains. Unintentionally ... obliviously propelled into a compromising position ... Prelude to a story unfolding ...

His purposeful brisk stride breaks an arms length away ... Like a heat seeking missile ... He senses her presence ... Once again, no ambiguity, no vagueness ... She is here ... She leans forward to peek at him ... His eyes begin to glance sideway ...

Seems like this game of hide and seek will not be over this soon ... It will take them months and months of missed steps ... misunderstandings ... careless lapses to find each other ... but always never too far away ... Hidden behind thin veils ... fake facades ... thinly erected barriers ... Searching, Finding ... Supressing, Surrendering ... Moving, dancing ... around each other ... always bound by the unsaid promise ... by their ajeeb divine bond ... Unable to let go ...

His phone call interrupts the signal and the magic spell is dimmed ... but only for the moment ... The chase is on ... only seconds later ... Khushi finally ends up where she was always meant to be ... In his room. She frantically looks around for a place to hide ... nerveously mumbling Hum Dilli vapis iss kay liya thodi aay thay ... Khushi ... Tum sirf issi kay liya vapis aai ho ... Looking around she ducks behind the Chaise ... Not the best spot ... The closet ...

He stides in ... without preamble ... phone to ear ... heads to his closet and reaches in, searching inattentively for his coat ... Khushi tries to scrunch away from his probing hand ...mortified ... finally handing him the coat ...

Still conversing on the phone ... Coat in hand ... he shuts the closet door ...

????

What was that ??? Did someone hand him his coat ??? She is here ??? In the closet ??? Are you out your mind Raizada !!! He rolls his eyes ... He has officially lost it ... and walks to the door ... A small shriek ...

This is crazy !!! A determined stride back to the closet ... Put an end to this complete nonsense ... She can't be here ... She can't be ... She can't be ... She can't be ...

She is here !!! In his room ... In his closet ... What The * !!!

She covers her face instantaneously with slim fingers, her lips moving in a soundless chant ... Devi Maiya ... Devi Maiya ... Devi Maiya ... Her tiny pearl bindi shining on her forehead ... She slowly reveals one wide, apprehensive, kajal rimmed eye ... and then the other ... Looking around ... equally shocked to discover that she is in a closet lined with his clothes ...

He grabs her by her upper arm as she climbs out ... His lost treasure ... found in the most unlikely place ... He will not let her go ... His breath is completely suspended ... His unbelieving eyes do not blink ... least she vanishes ... Words dissolve in his open mouth ... She is real ... She is here ... in his house ... in his room ... in his closet ... in his heart ... back in his life ... He cannot take his eyes off of her ... He will not trust his memory ever again ... She is more beautiful than he remembered ...

She too cannot stop staring ... Her hand that was trying to pry his hold off ... refuses to move ... Finally she frees herself and runs ... He is too slow ... Barely managing a fleeting touch of her trailing dupatta ...

Khushi !!! He orders ...

Khushi ??? He urges ...

Khushi ... He pleads ...

The party is in full swing ... He has been waiting to corner her ... She is by the pool, searching for napkins ... No pleasant or for that matter even an unpleasant greeting ... Just a direct accusation ... Tum nay toh kaha tha tum Lucknow chali jaogi ...Vapis loat kar nahi aaogi ... Aab kuon aai ho ???

As in ... You left ...You put me through hell !!! ... You left me ... You abandoned us ... You were gone ... You had said hamesha kay liya .. Do you even know what that means ??? And now you are back ... Only to want to leave ... What game is this ...

A scene so reminiscent of their first meeting ... She wants to leave ... He does not let her ... grabbing her by her arm to face him ... He wants answers ... She is not forthcoming ... Again she accuses him of badtamezze ... Again he insults her... Tum jasay loag ... Her Majboori ... Is she playing games ??? Why leave and come back ... He had been trying so goddamn hard to get his life back on track ... And now she is here ... But doesn't want to stay ...

He had hurled her pearls in disgust just this morning ... Disgust at himself for being such a lovelorn sap ... Hanging on to her pearls just because they were hers ... Had lain against her skin ... Something of hers ... That belongs to him ... He had tried to rid himself of any memories of her ... Her Saya ...

And now ... Another treasure ... A keepsake ... A physical reminder of her ... Not one he had snatched ... but one she leaves ... A silver payal, slightly dull with age, lies on his pool patio ... The same payal that had intimated him of her arrival earlier in the evening ... a part of her ... One of a pair ... from her ankles ... Now lies by his pool ... It belongs to him ...

His girlfriend is asking about this girl ... Chamkili... Forget her ... he mumbles to himself ... Even as his eyes refuse to leave the trinket ... She drags him away as he continues to stare ... Unable to move ... She is here ...

Originally posted by: Horizon

Ipoona, brilliant...that hide seek seeming every inch enthralling in your riveting write up.. your language fluid...

That underlined... such fantastic observation/ symbolism. Loved what you said about the payal the one which she leaves...

I officially have no words for you.. I am glad I asked you for this...thoroughly engrossing...this little comment is in no way a depiction of how your writing flowed.. but only a tiny thank you.

I went to India in sept, I missed the ones of that time.

Originally posted by: Arshics

While today it is his closet and she is the intruder, months later it would be hers as much as it is his.

While she hides in his closet, praying to be not found, later he would hide in the same closet, praying to be found.

She sat with terror and anxiety, and he sat in anticipation.

She created the memory and he revived it.

While earlier he had denied her effect on him, now he sought to demand an acknowledgement of the same.

Love that comes a full circle.

It was also interesting how she made a foray into his sanctum Santorum.

Her visit to RM, had her exploring the house and reaching till his room

On the second visit, she went a step closer to the pool side that was his haven

And this visit, the room and poolside already conquered, she makes her place in his closet - the most private of his spaces.

Sorry Ipoona, ArshiH, crazy work schedule and lot of traveling, and I have missed out on all the DCs.

Will be catching up over the week.

Originally posted by: Horizon

Hi Arshics, good to see you here after a while.

Loved all you had said.

You know, the excavation of this epi happened while we were discussing HIS enactment of her original act in the latest DC, ironically this reminded you of the same!