I am blue…a sad periwinkle…I deal with my sense of being blue, as a muezzin calls out from somewhere in the distance…the squirrels peek into the house from the branch of the pear tree…that girl down there, lying in her bed, is afraid to budge an inch, lest she experiences the cold bed on either side of her warm body. There is a nip in the air, and the girl has carefully tucked herself under a cream bedspread that covers her completely.
I am blue…and it’s five or so in the evening…the road in this quiet neighborhood lies like a dormant cobra…jet black from spurts of rain that it has had since early morning. And now the evening sun plays a game of ducks and drakes all across it…the leaves of the trees aiding the game and forming a tough myrtle canopy.
The girl blinks…and then squints…the sunlight’s got into her eyes…good…she’s finally moving out of her comfort zone. Now she stares at me. ‘Feeling lonely eh?'
‘Yeah I am…as if you care. The muezzin woke me up anyway…it’s not the sun…and by the way, I hate people asking me if I am lonely. It is a downright repulsive question’.
The girl shuts the window on my face, after this tiny interlude. She is going to tie her hair in a tight knot, light incense, make dinner, and wait for the man in the house to come back, tired after a hard day’s work. I know she is lonely, although she hated me asking her that. I watch her humming around the house in her sari…a dull salmon pink…she sings a folk song…much like the reaper.
My periwinkle gives way to black as the clock ticks on…I so completely hate this color. What’s with this black? So very cheerless!!!
- ‘What are you staring at? Yeah, I am lonely, and I am sad. I am aware of this daily ritual…me making coffee, and then dinner…drawing the curtains, switching on the lights, and waiting for him to come home…but I’m not sure if you have noticed…he never comes’.
- ‘Yes I have…I have noticed’.
- ‘Really? That’s a first. So…what do you suggest’?
- ‘Get a life. He is not reality. He’s never going to turn up’.
- ‘Life? Like what? Become something like you and rudely stare at young girls in their beds’?
We laugh. For the first time, I see her smiling. Suddenly, my own blackness stops bothering me anymore.
I am blue…and it’s five or so in the evening…the road in this quiet neighborhood lies like a dormant cobra…jet black from spurts of rain that it has had since early morning. And now the evening sun plays a game of ducks and drakes all across it…the leaves of the trees aiding the game and forming a tough myrtle canopy.
The girl blinks…and then squints…the sunlight’s got into her eyes…good…she’s finally moving out of her comfort zone. Now she stares at me. ‘Feeling lonely eh?'
‘Yeah I am…as if you care. The muezzin woke me up anyway…it’s not the sun…and by the way, I hate people asking me if I am lonely. It is a downright repulsive question’.
The girl shuts the window on my face, after this tiny interlude. She is going to tie her hair in a tight knot, light incense, make dinner, and wait for the man in the house to come back, tired after a hard day’s work. I know she is lonely, although she hated me asking her that. I watch her humming around the house in her sari…a dull salmon pink…she sings a folk song…much like the reaper.
My periwinkle gives way to black as the clock ticks on…I so completely hate this color. What’s with this black? So very cheerless!!!
- ‘What are you staring at? Yeah, I am lonely, and I am sad. I am aware of this daily ritual…me making coffee, and then dinner…drawing the curtains, switching on the lights, and waiting for him to come home…but I’m not sure if you have noticed…he never comes’.
- ‘Yes I have…I have noticed’.
- ‘Really? That’s a first. So…what do you suggest’?
- ‘Get a life. He is not reality. He’s never going to turn up’.
- ‘Life? Like what? Become something like you and rudely stare at young girls in their beds’?
We laugh. For the first time, I see her smiling. Suddenly, my own blackness stops bothering me anymore.
11 comments:
What a beautiful piece! Loved (and totally related to) the sentence where the girl doesn't budge an inch lest she lands on the cold sides of the bed :)
By the way, when is Amitava back?
Thanks....:) Amitava will be back hopefully on the 17th....jani na re...adhoc boddo
hmmm that's deep, and an extremely well written post.
durdanto lekha. this must be published. shotti. btw, Shubho Bijoya, babe. hope blr is treatiing u well. which part of blr do u reside in?
ritika...thanks so much
shubho bijoya aparna...and thanks for liking the post...i am in JP Nagar...were u staying in Bangalore at some point?
A brilliantly evocative mood piece...shubho bijoya ! :-)
subho bijoya to u too Casuarina...
oh JP nagar...thats where m bro once lived..near that ragiguda temple. we lived in the outer ring road- sarjapur for a year and then moved to old madras road- cv raman nagar..in the the lane behind Big bazaar. JP nagar is quiet, homely place, no? i hear there was a Puja too in tha area? Hope u had a good time. I hear the weather is awesome these days..:)
Weather is awesome yeah...and pujo-o hoy ekhane...it's a nice residential area..
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