Gone By (52 page)

“I never knew you’re a good dancer” I passed a compliment.

“Thanks..so were you” she was slightly exhausted.

“I want to write again” she demanded.

“What made you so fascinated about this story”.

“You” she said.

“Alright I’m at your service” I smiled out.

She opened my diary again.

“So you have no plan to move out today”.

“Yeah! I just want to write for you” she said softly looking in my eyes.

I waited for seconds and recalled back the line I had stopped. She was staring at me until I spoke the next lines.

So, I walked back with my million pieces of heart back to my institution. The next morning I had shuffled to meet Peter for new business proposal. He was quiet impressed with the information I gathered. Life changed nothing between us but engaged ourselves in our professional life. Money was no more a problem. We could make out our own pocket money. When the summer arrived, we had to prepare for our semester exam. I avoided thinking about Anannya although I knew she would stay always in my mind. Someone whom I won’t be able to forget all through my life. Someone who gave me a concrete memory to remember. She has become like a dream to me which had become very few percent chance to happen in real life. It’s almost going to be two years  and I know nothing about her now. No idea what she must have been doing. Although I knew she wouldn’t want me to see again. And I wouldn’t do that to make her feel worst. So, I was preparing for my summer semester now. Just a month to go with the exams. Perhaps I would return back to home again when the exams are over.

Summer was always the best time I had at home. Not because it was hot nor I could stay in air conditioning room but I could meet up every relatives I wanted to. Because that’s the period of time where everyone is on holiday. Summer in Satara was absolutely burning. It melted our skin like the wax candle where our colour did used to change into black. So, the best place I could do was to come back home. Like always Dad reserves a task for me. Every vacation I went home Dad’s library never stopped to expand. He even started to give advertisement on papers. He wanted to fulfil his dream creating one of the most prolific library in the town. Mom always did gave her helping hand to my Dad. Sometimes I see them working together in Dad’s library I feel great. I have a wonderful Parents in the entire world. Being the only Son I had kept a big dream for them. Always wanted to see them happy. After retirement Dad gave his whole life in framing a library which was his dreams. I always missed them. His library, Mom and Dad, sometime debating against each other. It’s when I return home that’s the best part of their lives I could give to them. And I’m still waiting to give something bigger.  My parents always appreciated me in whatever I did. They are my real life inspiration and I’m born for them. I never knew at some point of my life I would fall in love. It changed me and here I’m today with a new vision of my life. Even the wounds of my heart I have transformed into something constructive.  All I could just go on with my life now with regrets and loss I had earlier. I regret that I loved a girl very much more than anything else who had never thought the same way. That girl was nobody else it was her, Anannya. To be honest I can’t stay without taking her name. Although I know she is only a fractured memory to me now.

“I don’t know how you could say such feelings after years later when she’s gone from  your life” Isha interrupted.

“I don’t know that love is still alive in my heart and I do still think about her sometime” I said.

She shrugged and stood up from the chair. Came closer to me.

“How important am I in your life” she asked.

“A new era and a new beginning you have given me and I don’t want you to go away from me”.

She shuffled back to chair and sat holding the diary open.

“Do you trust me”.

“More than myself” I replied.

She looked at me and smiled.

“Well, begin with your narration we ought to complete by today” she insisted me. I cleared out my tongue and began with the narration.

I never saw Anannya anymore till today. Sometime it came up in my mind, I would want to see her but I couldn’t neither she did thought about me anymore. We were almost like unknown now. Just with the flow of life I kept going on. Yes, that gallery of friends circle I still lack. Peter was the only one I had. Perhaps I could never match with other people. I never tried to understand that reason why. I lacked certain skill of that. Till today, I’m an introvert and I don’t have that talent to make friends with all. Just the dreams are my world. My home, my Parents and Dad’s Library are the greatest part of my life. I still ponder someday I’ll meet my new angel who would never tear me into pieces. That day I would smile again like before. I would feel like the king of this world while she would be my new queen.

It was the summer holidays I had gone for a vacation back to home. My Dad talked a lot about his Library. He was very proud of that. Finally he could make something from his dreams and he fulfilled it. Now, he is the owner of two storey library building with all kinds of genre books available. Mom also turned herself as Librarian as Dad’s assistant. The whole day they open the library where students always spent their time. I also add myself into them spending some time with the students who would love to read books. Issuing books, that what’s I had been doing through the whole of summer vacation. I really felt great working with Dad and Mom. They are rich now and great. They have the best knowledge ever could give to people. I spent reading books anytime I would be free from any Dad’s work.

It was one day I was helping Dad settling new books that arrived into the library.

“Do you have a girl friend” he asked suddenly.

I was holding a book placing into the shelves. What would I say I knew not.

“She broke up with me” I said with no hesitation.

“What was her name” Dad intended to know.

“Anannya” I said.

“That’s beautiful name” he said.

“Was she beautiful” Dad added.

“Yes Dad, Of course she was”  I said putting more number books into the shelf.

“Do you still love her”.

Dad never stopped questioning me about her.

“Yes I do” I pulled a ladder to reach the top rack of the shelf.

“You’re a man you got to catch her back..... never let her go” said Dad.

I slid down the ladder. He handed me more books to settle up there.

“Well, she got a boyfriend” as I climbed up the ladder.

“Are you ok” he said softly.

“I’m fine Dad”.

I slid down back to floor. Dad put his hand on my shoulder began to walked through the aisle of racks.

“You know your Mom was my love at first sight...and I never feared to say her. And look we are married for twenty two years”.

“But Dad she’s someone else’s now” I said with my eyes slightly depth in emotion.

“It’s alright let her go..some one better is waiting for you..be strong Son” he patted at my back and walked out of that room.

I stood watching till I could see him walked out of my sight. I never could think Dad would ask such thing to me. All through my vacation I had spent my whole time with him in the library. More like a friend he had become to me. Finally the time had come when I had to return back to my institution. I did enjoyed the vacation. Both Mom and Dad came to drop me to the airport. I was wrong this time Mom didn’t shed her tears instead she kissed me on my forehead. She was happy seeing me growing into big Man. Dad stood silence, he didn’t utter a single word.

“Hey Dad” I embraced him. He patted at my back.

“Be Strong and brave” he added.

Lastly I bid them good bye. I walked in to the boarding section of the airport zone. They waved me for the last time and stood watching me until I was out of their sight. Gradually I began to carry new memories in my head. With a thought in my mind I began to hunt for my new angel of my life. When the flight took off, I remembered what Dad had told. He was the best Man ever I knew, a Man of personality, something beyond I can’t say with the real principle of life he possessed. Although, I knew I will have someone all through my life to miss and that was Anannya.

“That’s all I have got” I said looking at Isha.

I could see the whole page of my diary was complete. Isha passed a brief smile gazing at me. She stood out of the chair and walked towards me.

“Congratulation, you’ve done it” she said.

I held her hand and knelt before her. I knew she was surprise with my act.

“I’m profoundly grateful to you. Your every contribution to this diary I shall remember all of my life. You’re an important part of it”.

She pulled me up and kissed me on my lips. The twilight shrunk down below the horizon. I was holding my diary while we continued to kiss each other with love.

Thirty

.............

It was the next day, indeed the last day we would be spending together in Goa. We were out into the city. That day we avoided to visit the beach instead Isha was interested to explore other places. Of course we would be spending the evening along the beach. That morning she had showed me her thesis. She had done lot with it. I had no words but how to give what she deserved for all that she has done to me. I was quiet impressed by her project on Indian culture study. We had visited Priya Malhotra, the historian again before we could be on our own. Isha had  offered her thankful gratitude for the kind of help she had provided to her.

Since it was the last day we had in our hand we were quiet hurry in things that came up on our way. She wanted to try everything that was available in Goa. From somewhere she heard it to be the most fun place in India. Not only that it could be the most romantic and exotic place in India. It was the half past twelve of the day. We were out into the street walking along it. We had few materials and plastic in our hands. She had bought lots of items which she would carry back to Houston. She wanted to gift to her mother from her motherland.

“Hey, I want to meet that Father in the church” she said.

“What Father you’re talking about”.

“Don’t you remember I got a marble statue of Jesus” she said looking at me.

We walked through a tunnel road leading to the other side of the town. I had no idea about that city. Neither I knew the name of that place except for the beach where we had been staying and the hotel. I was still a wanderer of nowhere. She was very desperate to go to church. We had to hire a cab.

“I did really forget about that statue you showed me last time in Mumbai...is it with you?” I squinted.

“No..I have offered to the church. It’s a rare piece of such kind”.

We headed towards the church. The cab was on its way while we were only the passengers.

“I want to know one thing” said Isha settling her hair which were being disturbed by breeze that blew in through the window.

“Yeah!! proceed to ask”.

“Were you really kidnapped?...Don’t joke”.

“Am I ?..... Well, to be honest I was kidnapped for a day”.

“That’s funny kind, never heard of being kidnapped for one day” she looked at me with sarcastic smile on her face.

“I managed to set myself free within one day”.

“Wow! You’re a hero”  her eyebrow raised and gave a brief smile looking out of the window.

We reached the spot where the church located. We shuffled into the church. The Father was standing out in the front yard of the church.

“Hey Father” Isha hurried her stepped and embraced him. I walked slowly behind.

“Hey..So how was your days” asked the Father.

“It was great. I would be leaving by tomorrow”.

“Back to Houston..Lord bless you young lady” he gave brief smile from his face.

I introduced myself.

“Would you come in” Father gave his concerned.

“No Father thanks, we would be leaving for the sight scene” replied Isha.

“I’m happy you came here” he added.

“I just wanted to meet you for the last time. Every Sunday I had spent in the church I’m grateful to you”.

“Lord will always bless you” he placed his hand on her head.

We left the place after that little conversation.

“You did used to come here” I inquired Isha.

“Yeah..I did except for last Sunday which I had spent with you”.

We headed to move towards the other side of the road. Caught up a taxi and we were back to the city. The church was few kilometres away from the main area of the town. By the time we were back it was 2:00pm.