The love that reigned

                                      

The lingering light was obliterated by the rapidly falling night. The once salmon and purple sky transformed into a vast expanse of jet-black that engulfed the small hill-station of Shimla. A canopy of luminous stars materialized amongst the ocean of blackness. Some were dull merely flickering into existence every now and then, but there was an adequate amount of shimmering stars to illuminate the dark, moonless night. The sky was so dark, it was as if someone had thrown a moth-eaten blanket over the earth, and the stars looked like little holes that had been eaten away by the insects. The lake glistened, mirroring the dazzling ensemble of glittering stars and the luminescence from the restaurants and designer boutiques that lined the broad walk. The faint wind brushed against the water’s surface, the ripples ruffled the stillness of the surface, and shattered the reflection of the harbour. The woods always looked different at night. Everything had an unfamiliar slant to it. As if the daytime trees and flowers and stones had gone to bed and sent slightly more ominous versions of them to take their places. The bitter, cold winds blew biting into my sinews.

 I sat there beside the window writing down my fragile broken scoops of memoirs – some of happiness, and some of grief on the blank pages of my diary. The wind brushed against the pages. The pages trendily waved showing forth their euphoric joy. And there it was - that page dated 12/12/2010.  It had a few scribbles which read “Love you Grandpa” and there on the corner of the page was pasted a casual photo of me feeding a cake to grandpa on his birthday. I murmured, “Miss you grandpa!” and a frail drop of tear rolled down my cheeks to fall on that page. A sudden gust of wind and the inkpot turned turtle, eclipsing all the sweet memoirs. A bizarre apprehension of fear crept into my mind. My heart started beating faster. And suddenly the phone rang, piercing the uncanny silence of the house. I could hear the noise of the phone’s receiver striking against the floor which suddenly transformed into feeble sobs and sniffles.

I stepped out of my room. The drawing- room seemed colder than ever. The burning fire seemed to radiate cold waves. There was my mom sitting on the sofa crying. I stepped forward with cold legs. The room seemed to loom up menacingly.

“What’s the matter mom? Why are you crying?” I asked in a hesitant manner.

Her reply stunned me.

“Grandpa’s not good Avanti… He has been admitted to the hospital…. He..he.. had a heart attack!” mom said in a shivering voice and finally broke into sobs. Those mom’s words pierced me like a thousand bullets. I got a chill down my spine. My body too cold to compete and win against the brutal wind outside.

I thought to myself, ‘Nature itself had previously informed me of this catastrophe!’

I cried, cried and yet again cried. Nothing could prevent me from crying that night.

 

Dad decided to leave for Delhi the next morning along with us to attend to Grandpa and Grandma. We boarded the first train next morning.

As the train rolled, I went beyond my customary practice of praising the gorgeous creation of God – Nature from window seat. I thought, exclaimed and cried.  I reminisced how he used to gift me a red rose every time we met and would say in his signature voice,” You look prettier than the last time my love, I would have married you had I been younger!” I would smile having been captivated by his flamboyant and charming personality.

I distinctly remember the day we had last met. That day, as the steam rose from the coffee mug clutched in my weary hands, he had come to me and sung my favourite song,” Tum paas aye.. iyu muskuraayein… tum ne na jaaane kiya sapne dikhayeein…” and had gifted me a bracelet in which it was engraved,” Love You dear!”

I had hugged him tightly and promised to return soon.

My reverie was suddenly interrupted as mom called me,” Come on Avanti, we need to go.”

We reached the hospital within an hour. I could see Grandma sitting there with no one to console her. Mom rushed to her and said,” Mom don’t be afraid, everything will be fine!” But who could fathom the emotions of a wife, a friend and a lover?

I sat beside her. She cried for the first time then. She had controlled her futile teardrops till then. Mom and dad went to talk to the doctor.

Grandma whispered,” You know Avanti, I and your grandpa had a love marriage?” I was surprised.” Even Your mother doesn’t know this...” She narrated how years ago grandpa had wooed her every day and had gifted her a box of sweet memories.  

“How romantic was their relation!” – I exclaimed.

“He used to wait every day in a park just for me, one day I told him to wait but I never went that day,  he had waited for 15 hours!” she said with a  teary smile and suddenly broke into innumerable sobs. She narrated how he had impressed her father for marriage and how he finally did it having been promoted to the position of a DSP. She went on to tell how every morning he helped her to arrange the pleats of her saree and her hair bun perfect before leaving for office. She described how he used various herbs to cure her during her illness.   She explained everything about HIM and HER.

I wondered, “Where can we find such intense love today?”

We then went to his room. He lay there silently. I went up to him to gift him a red rose and say,” You look so handsome, I want to marry …” I couldn’t finish my words as uncontrollable tears made me lose my calm. He sang in his beautiful voice,” Tum paas aye.. iyu muskuraayein… tum ne na jaaane kiya sapne dikhayeein…”

No. I couldn’t bear it anymore. I screamed and howled. Nature accompanied me as it rained torrentially – the first rainfall of the year! It was one of those occasions when even nature reflects a person’s agony. I couldn’t help but left the room to come out and cry harder. Mom and dad left after a while too. Grandma was left alone.

An hour passed. I controlled myself and went in again. The scene took me by surprise. I called for a doctor. My Grandma sat there with her head resting on Grandpa’s arms. I could see the E.C.G curves transforming into horizontal lines. I was in a dilemma. I wanted to talk to them but couldn’t. The doctor examined them and said, “They are both together now” followed by a small pause for him to say, “Forever.”

 For a moment I lost my conscious and fell on the floor.  I was back to my nerves only to hear the doctor’s last words, “… she had a massive stroke ...”

I shouted, “NO! “

The two lettered word was so loud that the people outside the room stopped in sudden surprise and a tray of equipments fell somewhere and everyone stood motionless. Grandma and Grandpa lay there frozen to suit the ambience.

~ Akash Dey