Part
9
'One kiss, my
bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night,
But I shall be back with the yellow gold before
the morning light;
Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me
through the day,
Then look for me by moonlight,
Watch for me by moonlight,
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should
bar the way.'
~ The Highway
Man by Alfred Noyes
The day
of the wedding dawned. Shambavi Roy's
wedding was a grand affair. NK was
thrilled with the color and pomp of a traditional Bengali wedding and as usual
got some magnificent shots.
Iyer uncle
was happy to see NK. He introduced him
as a computer wizard to his friends and beamed at him. Maya looked enchanting in her saree worn in
Bengali style. NK's fingers itched to touch
her and his heart longed to kiss her, but with the teeming crowd, he had no
luck getting her alone to himself all day. His eyes followed her every move,
her every expression all day as if he were bound by a spell.
Finally, towards afternoon he spied her
walking towards the store room where they had all the sweet meats and other
items, which were to be sent with the bride and her entourage at the time of 'Bidai'(farewell),
stored.
Maya
gasped and her scream stuck in her throat as a pair of strong arms pulled her
into the store room and clasped a firm hand over her mouth cutting off any
sound that she would make. Her heart
pounded with fear, as she tried to turn around and see clearly in the dark
store room.
"Shhh, it's me. Don't shout, I am going to take my hand off
your mouth" whispered NK in her ears setting off a trail of goose bumps on her
neck.
Maya turned and pouted in mock
anger. "Nandu, tum bilkul shaitan ho
samje? (You are the devil incarnate), I almost had a heart attack when you
grabbed me".
"I had no other choice
Maya. Here you are looking absolutely
gorgeous in this outfit. You have been
sashaying around all day egging me on with your soulful doe eyes and now you
complain as if you had no part in enticing me.
A guy has to get his due" wheedled NK reaching to curl her hair around
his finger. Maya shivered in delight and
her heart beat quickened.
"Nandu, anyone
can walk in on us" she said breathlessly as he drew her closer, without tearing
his eyes away from her's. His male smell
enveloped her senses crowding out all sane thought from her head.
"Well, that will just give us a chance to
come out in the open and declare our love to all, what say my love?" NK crooned
nuzzling her cheek and nipping at her ears. His palm stroking her bare
midriff, set off a million electric pulses across her skin.
Maya sighed and lovingly fingered
the cleft on his chin "this cleft chin of yours has been driving me crazy in my
dreams" she confessed as her eyes glazed in desire and she planted a soft kiss
on the object of her insomnia.
A throaty
growl escaped NK, his eyes darkened to coals and his gut tightened. He drew her to him roughly and his mouth
descended to nip at her bare shoulder.
Maya grasped his shoulders as a thrill shot through her frame. NK continued to rain kisses along her conch
shaped neck and savored the sensitive texture of her skin at the base of her
throat. Liquid heat coursed through his veins and seeped into Maya, setting
her senses on fire.
As she surrendered to his insistent lips, an unmistakable
moan of pleasure broke out of her throat, that sent NK's pulses hammering. Suddenly, the kiss deepened taking on a sense
of urgency. A hunger that he never knew
existed pierced through his body, as he plundered her mouth.
Maya's slender form bent to accommodate NK's
every demand. She raised her trembling
fingers to graze his cheek and neck before tangling them in his hair as she
whispered his name shakily. Something
about the shake in her voice made it through to NK's mind, rising above the thundering
beat of his pulse and roar of blood in his head. She was trembling, he realized.
Appalled at himself, he slowly pulled back
and looked into her face. He had almost swallowed her whole he thought. Her
face was flushed, her eyes glazed, lips swollen and trembling like a leaf in
the wind. NK, pressed a soft kiss on her
lips and whispered, "I am sorry I scared you."
"Scared me?" she replied in
breathless surprise. "You dazzled me
Nandu, you staggered me, but you did not scare me".
NK hugged her tight and held her a moment
longer breathing in her smell, his nose buried in her bountiful curls, giving
them both a chance to calm down and cool off.
Much later that night NK made his
way down the hallway towards the balcony where he knew Iyer uncle would be lounging. He needed to talk to him tonight, for he was
returning back to Delhi early next morning.
NK was on cloud nine, he was in love with the girl of his dreams and she
returned it in equal measure; His concept of a business plan had received positive
feedback from his buddy as well as his cousin Nannav. Nannav's word was gospel for him although he
had never accepted it openly, choosing instead to irk him with his hare-brained
comments. For the first time in his life
he had a feeling that he knew what direction he wanted to take his life forward
in; Now, if only this streak of luck held out and Iyer uncle blessed their relationship,
his path ahead would be strewn with roses, he mused.
As he
reached closer to the balcony, NK halted in his tracks; He had just heard
Maya's stricken voice saying, "Appa! I
thought you liked him!"
NK's heart
crashed to his stomach and his feet turned into lead. He stood rooted to the
spot staring at Maya and her dad who were lost in conversation, unaware that
they had a spectator in him.
"Maya,
chellam (my dear), I think Nandu is a very nice boy, educated, rich, and kind. All of these are traits he was born with or
into. His dad must indeed be an amazing
man to have had the will to grow from rags to riches and provide wealth for his
son. However, my child, every man needs
to have a fire within him, to build and achieve a goal in life. It does not matter how big or small a goal it
is. The important thing is that he has the attitude to forge ahead and make
something of himself. I want to see that
in Nandu before I can make up my mind.
It would crush me if you ended up married to an aimless wanderer who
cannot choose which direction he wanted to take in life. I cannot bear to see you undergo what your amma
(Mom) went through, he said wiping a tear.
Maya wrung her hands in anguish, unshed tears in her eyes blinding her
as she turned. "Nandu" she gasped rushing forward to hug him, her face shattering at his stunned expression
and motionless stance.
NK felt as if he
were facing his worst fear in the face.
This was the name less dread that had been haunting him. Iyer uncle had not only seen it but voiced
it- 'the fear that he would remain an aimless wanderer all his life'. He squeezed Maya's arm briefly and
disengaging himself turned on the spot to return to his room.
The
rosy visions he had painted in his head came crashing down, as NK paced the
floor of his room. He could not even
shed tears at the unbelievable heart wrenching agony he felt. The sad part was he agreed with Iyer uncle. Yes, his ego had hurt to hear the truth so
bluntly from another's lips but, it was the truth. That was the image he had created for himself;
the irony was it was being thrown at his face when at last he had found his
dream and had a concrete plan to pursue and achieve it.
Maya's stricken face flashed to his mind, His
own dad's face full of unspoken concerns swam in front of his eyes and Nannav's
words echoed in his ears. Finally, worn
out by his own exertions he slumped on his knees on to the floor, his head hung
in desperation.
"Nandu,
my boy" called a gentle voice touching his head lightly. NK lifted his head wearily to see Iyer uncle
bending over him. "Come let's take a stroll" he said leading NK out.
"I am sorry you had to hear my words the way
you did, but I would have told you the same under any circumstances. Don't get me wrong, I like you a lot. But first I have to tell you a story, my
story.
I prided myself in being a
versatile generalist, a fast learner of anything I set my mind to. I was born into a well to do family and so
could indulge in whatever I wanted to do, without having to worry about
reaching any conclusive goal.
Maya's mom, my dear wife Sumitra
was a very patient woman and never spoke of her fears and insecurities aloud,
but I was aware of them and did nothing about them. When she was pregnant with Maya, she finally
voiced her concerns. Sumitra wanted our
offspring to have a role model in his/her father, and had implored me to settle
down and build a career, a life, and put down roots. I agreed to please her but put no real effort
into it. That was the last thing she had
ever asked of me, for she passed away bringing forth my Maya into this world. I had found my direction for the sake of
Maya, but alas too late for my Sumi to rejoice."
Iyer uncle was overcome by emotion and choked
on the last part. NK's soft heart melted
and tears flowed down his cheeks unbidden.
"My Maya is in love with you.
I'll not stand between the two of you, at the same time I'll not lie by
saying I did not mean what I said about wanting to see you build something. The rest is up to the two of you." He
finished.
NK was
stunned. He stood motionless as he
absorbed everything. His heart was
overcome with fondness for the man, a father whose heart ached for his daughter
and wished her happiness, who stood thus baring his heart in front of him. He hugged the elderly man who had just
delivered a message of steel wrapped in silk; something his own dad could not
get across to him in all his years of parenting.
"Uncle, I had already set in motion some
ideas and plans. I cannot dream of
building a future with Maya knowing that I am hurting her existing loving
relationship with you. Give me six
months, and I'll seek your permission to marry her, having achieved what I have
resolved in my mind to attain" swore NK with renewed energy and
earnestness. Iyer uncle's face lit up
like the sun and he returned NK's hug, blessing him wholeheartedly.
NK bid
a painful farewell to Maya early next morning.
She had slipped into his room in the wee hours of dawn. He filled her in on his conversation and the promise
he had made to her father.
"Nandu" she
said her lips quivering and a tear rolling down her cheek. NK swooped down to kiss the tear drop. She looked like a vulnerable little creature,
ready to break into pieces at the slightest blow. Maya's long delicate fingers stroked his
cheek and the cleft on his chin her eyes taking on a lost look.
NK kissed her lips in a silent outpouring of
love, while Maya melted and molded herself
into his masculine form shuddering at the thought of the impending separation.
Slowly recovering himself and
pulling apart NK said, "Maya, I would need to focus all my energy and attention
on this project I have in mind. That
means we cannot meet for the next five or six months. I am doing this for us, and need your
support. We can stay in touch via phone
calls and internet. Will you do this for
me?"
She hugged him, fiercely
nodding.
"Trust me. Wait for me. I'll accomplish what I have set out to do,
come hell or high water. Just remember
that. Well before the six months are
out, you will be with me, and united by the blessings of your appa and my
parents, we will dance by the light of the moon. But now Maya I have to leave; If I kiss you
again, heaven help me, I will lose my will to do so" said NK as he gently broke their embrace and with a parting smile
strode out of his room, towards the taxi bound for the airport without a
backward glance.
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