Nayna

Waves of love, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal lap through the lives of two women as they grow up from a shared childhood and youth to married adulthood in diverging circumstances.

“Wet ‘n’ Wild” was written in bright silver letters on the black, round tube with the magical red at the top shining through the plastic cap covering it. Some were only allowed to look at it, some could touch it. Very few got to hold it, even remove the plastic cap. Only Nayna had got to turn the bottom and see the red part come out more. No one was allowed to touch it to their lips.

“Ali told me that no one else must touch the red part. The color is for my lips only,” Naju had announced, very proudly, when she showed the lipstick her husband, Ali, had brought for her from Dubai.

Ali was a khalasi on a ship. Every year he returned to the village for a few months when the rains came. He wore new T-shirts, foreign jeans, and Adidas shoes. Even though he was not good-looking, everyone said Naju was lucky he married her. The most beautiful girl in the whole village, now with the wet ‘n’ wild red lips.

Nayna was happy for her friend. The two of them had played and talked and laughed together as children. They had spent a lifetime of many beautiful afternoons sharing their hopes and dreams and secrets.

Her Jatin did not bring gifts when he came home every week from Gandhinagar. But he was tall and looked very good in his uniform. He was in charge of the keys for the whole, big office every night. No one could go inside without his permission. He did not make a lot of money, but it was a big job.

“One day, I even stopped the Accounts Manager. He wanted to go inside at ten o’clock at night. I said ‘No, sir. You need permission.’ He was very angry and complained but the General Manager said I was right.”

“Can we go to the mela?” Nayna asked as she draped her dupatta back over her head and adjusted her ghaghra.

“I have some work,” Jatin replied.

“But you have a holiday!” Nayna pouted.

“I told you I have some work.” Jatin said gently as he stood up. “Don’t ask so many questions. Make sure my uniform is washed and clean.”

Nayna picked up the uniform and started walking to the well. They said the well had been dug in the old days after the rains did not come for many years. She and Naju had played on its steps when they were children. There was no water now even though the rains came each year. They said the water would only come when the tears stopped falling.

She had bought a new Nirma soap. If she was careful, the red lipstick marks would come off from the uniform shirt.

Nayna was not going to tell anyone, never let Ali know. Naju was a good friend.