Stories

The biggest task was not to initiate the conversation, but to control the urge, an unknown urge to hug her. Perhaps I had lost all my senses. She waited for me a few seconds and then called the waiter. A teenager rushed towards her across the room. How could anyone remain unresponsive? Her voice was so sweet that it could melt even the heart of a criminal. She sensed my nervousness and ordered for two cups of coffee. The waiter noted down the order and went back. Now there were three of us - She, I and my nervousness. I was musing over to initiate the chat, but she signalled me to kee quiet and started suffling through her purse. God knows what girls carry in their purses! But it was a pen, made by Perrie Cardin company. 'You are a writer na,' she said. 'That's why I brought this pen for you. Now you are bound to write about me.' I could not resist her. And I asked her to tell me about herself.

Doctors’ perspiring faces remorsefully exchanged glances in the ICU of a government hospital as they could not save, Arjun. One amongst them said sorry covering the face of the corpse. Arjun was shifted last evening by his friends from his village dispensary to the city government hospital. His condition was critically wretched. His own family members had beaten him in wrath just because he was in love with a girl of his own village and from a lower caste. In protecting their honour, they turned brutal to their own blood and thrashed him to death. Now Arjun was no more but Gauri was still alive, however, turned mad as she could not bear the loss of her soul mate. She was not in her senses behaving in eccentric ways. Her family too was indifferent. They no longer cared for her inclination to starve herself to death. Wrapped into ragged clothes, Gauri usually roamed in the entire village and in the outskirts too in search of Arjun. Her name was eliminated from the school and she was left to taste the dirt of the moors. One year passed and no perceptible change could be witness in Gauri’s behaviour. Neither anyone was concerned to see her improving.

Government appointed school teachers to participate in the population census and posted them in different villages to execute the task. Kesav Sharma, a city bred young teacher, was transferred to Gauri’s village for one week. Arrangements for his stay were done in the school premises as summer vacations were going on and school was officially closed. It was not too far from Gauri’s home. She sometimes in the morning played there in sand making houses. It was Sunday evening when Kesav arrived in the village. On Monday morning, he was ready to commence the census job he was appointed to. Bhim Singh, the school peon, was to accompany him for assistance. Survey was started from the outskirts. It was very tiresome for Kesav to knock at each door, to ask questions about the family members and to counter their eccentric responses. He was fatigued badly. On Tuesday, Bhim Singh advised Kesav to begin with the surrounding houses since he was not in a habit to walk long distances. After one or two days he would become habitual of it and then the rest of the village could easily be covered.

Along with Bhim Singh on his right side, Kesav was standing before the gate of Gauri’s house. They knocked and were answered by her mother. Gauri herself was on the roof at that time and was gazing at Kesav dumbstruck. After gathering relevant information and making entries in the register, Kesav moved towards the next house in the street. Gauri came down hurriedly and started following them from one house to another. Till the evening she kept on following them. Whenever Kesav looked at her, she began to grin. Witnessing curiosity on his face, Bhim Singh informed Kesav that she was a mad girl and usually behaved in such unusual manner. There was no need to worry about that. But on the next day, Gauri was standing before the school gate waiting desperately to see the school teacher. Kesav ignored her and remained engaged in visiting other part of the village from morning to evening. She was there too following them from one door to another.

But on Thursday there were perceptible changes in Gauri’s clothes, hairs and the way she was gazing at Kesav. She was looking much like a normal human being without bearing any trace of insanity on her part. And now her act of following him consistently from last three days began to disturb Kesav. While returning back to the school premises in the evening, Kesav inquired from Bhim Singh about Gauri and the reason behind her insanity. Bhim Singh related the story of Gauri and Arjun’s love, the incident of Arjun’s murder by his own family and the fatal consequences of his loss resulting in her insanity. This pathetic tale of love and loss filled Kesav’s heart with sympathy for the girl. Next day his behaviour was sympathetic to her. He did not chide her for following him. But he was ignorant that his presence was assisting Gauri to regain her lost normal consciousness. And on the fifth day she came running and hugged him from behind. It was a kind of jolt for Kesav. He instantly released himself from her grip and pushed her away. She had scared him today and now he was no more sympathetic to her. He scolded her and even raised his hand to slap but then halted. Gauri was gazing at him with her big gleaming eyes with amiability. First time Kesav noticed her beauty. She was in green colour suit-salwar hanging her dupatta on to her shoulder. Her hairs were not dishevelled but neatly tied into a bun. She had a whitish complexion, however possessing an aura of attractiveness. For few seconds Kesav was not able to take his eyes off from her face. From any damn angle she was not looking insane. Kesav could still feel the reverberations of her touch on his body. And their eye contact was broken by Bhim Singh’s coarse voice. This made her run away carrying tears in eyes.

On that evening Kesav was informed by Bhim Singh that there was a remarkable resemblance in his face and the image of Gauri’s dead lover, Arjun. This revelation cleared all confusion and things were knitted together to furnish the answer why she had been following him for last five days. This made Kesav a little scared too. He did not want to be in any kind of mess due to a semi insane girl, as he thought her to be now. It caused him to keep away from her notice as much as possible.

It was Saturday. The census work was over by the evening. He wrapped up all his documents and asked Bhim Singh to get him into the bus for the city. As he was approaching towards the bus stand, Gauri rushed there and held his hand. Kesav was taken aback. To add his surprise, first time Gauri opened her mouth and words tumbled down from her mouth. Don’t leave me again, she said, you know very well how much I love you. I am no more insane. Take me with you. This made Kesav scared to be wedged by an obsessed girl who determined to accompany him. He snatched her hand away. By the time the bus had arrived on the stand. He almost ran and got into it. Gauri was running after him, calling him by the name of Arjun. The bus was started and wheels began to move towards the city. Unexpectedly Gauri came in the front. The driver pushed breaks instantly but by the time wheels had run over her face. The bus was halted. Passengers got down seeing who had met with accident. Kesav was perspiring badly. With a great effort his feet moved to take him off the bus. The sight of Gauri’s blood stained body and crushed face made him restless and he could no more bear it. People indifferently shifted her corpse by the side of the road. No one grieved over her accidental death. For all of them she was an insane girl who caused herself killed. But with Kesav it was different. He knew that she was no more insane. And in chasing him, she had met her death. He was responsible for her such terrible end. He was a murderer. He caused her death. These thoughts kept on disturbing him throughout the journey.

After reaching home, Kesav remained depressed for 15 days. He lost his appetite and his guilt consciousness continued eating up his desire to live. Suffering from depression, bulimia and withdrawal, Kesav one fatal evening was found dead in his bed.

His guilty soul floated in the air and marched in direction of a constellation of bright lights. After a constant journey of 312 hours according to our time and of 312 nano seconds of the universal time, it reached a palace made of light. The other two souls, of Arjun and Gauri, were waiting for him at the gate. Crossing a transparent fire wall, they regained their human reflections. On asking why they were waiting for each other, Arjun’s reflection replied that a soul with a strong longing was not allowed to face God. His soul was longing for Gauri and hers for Kesav. But Kesav’s soul was without longing merely seeking certain answers to be furnished by God. Hence, only he could lead them inside.

Their names were announced and were asked to come in the front for the trial. God was happy to witness that such devotion still existed on earth. But none of them could be offered heaven or salvation. A new birth on earth in human form was awarded to them. They were asked to tell their wishes that they wanted to be fulfilled in the next birth. Arjun was the first to reveal. He wanted to be united with Gauri for the complete life he would be awarded this time. But Kesav’s wish was also the same. How could Gauri be united to both of them in the one and the same life? Hence, the decision was left on the Gauri to whom she wanted to be united. For her both had equal place. If Arjun’s love was so intense that its loss rendered her insane, then Kesav’s love was so remedial that it had made her resurrect. They both died for her. Therefore she belonged to both of them. Now God was to decide how to fulfil their wishes. After musing over the situation it was declared that all the three would be born at the same time and would get a chance to encounter each other once in their life span. They will be blessed to retain the knowledge of their previous birth. Hence, the couple who will recognize each other first would be worthy of union. All agreed on this celestial decision.

On the next week their souls were released from the palace of light to be conceived by their chosen mothers. After nine months both boys were born in the same maternity hospital of a city. But the girl foetus was aborted. She was not allowed to take birth by her parents. Now from last 18 years both boys have been in search for her to be getting united. But this search seems futile now. And surely after death their souls will not be allowed to enter the palace of light because of intense longing that they are transporting with them.

Marriage

Marriage is the most painful decision which one takes with a happy heart. That’s what I feel after observing the screwed up faces of post-marital couples and the all excited and euphoric smiles of pre-marital beau and blonde. If we talk about India and Indian cultural heritage, the institution of marriage is primordial, having its roots in the Vedic time. Then gradually time changed, people changed and so changed the norms and modes of marriage. We see in Ramayana, bride exclusively has the right to choose her groom. We see in Mahabharta, a bride is shared by five husbands. And in this way, standards of marriage keep on transforming.

Every relationship needs an emotional bonding, a sense of commitment. We cannot escape the responsibility on the excuse of being practical. Hence, let’s fall in love, let’s struggle to search our Mr/Miss Right and let’s convince our families to arrange our love marriage. Later on, when you would find yourself in the embrace of your soul mate, at every critical moment of life, each time you would thank the moment of your marriage and that moment would prove to be the moment of your resurrection. Thus, marriage is suicide for those who commit it and mode of resurrection for those who live it with emotional intimacy.