CHAPTER
4
WHO COULD
WAIT FOR HEAVEN?
My eyes were wet as I
sank to the floor. There was pain in them but those teardrops
poured
a deep happiness into my heart. I hugged the laptop and closed my eyes for some
time.
Why? Why? Why did you take so
long to tell me?
I
could feel her presence in my veins. That moment was untold, unpredictable and
not
less than a dream that had come true. I felt a tingling in my stomach and
anticipation
that
I couldn’t explain to anyone. I felt captivated, charmed, ecstatic, elated and
joyous…all
at the same time. My lips stretched into a broad smile and my eyes filled
with
tears of patience, love and dedication.
Those
pages stayed in my life forever. For a moment I couldn’t understand what had
happened—I
had found the one for whom I had left everything, my friends, my family
and
my life. All my dreams came to life once again. In my madness of love, I took
my
cell
phone and dialled her number and then suddenly our old days came in front of
me. It
was
tough but I disconnected the call and at the same time, I called Varun. Those
rings
seemed
much longer than the other day. I was walking in the room, smiling alone with
tears.
‘Again
you’ve called me in the middle of the night. Do one thing, come marry me and
be
with me forever. Can’t you see me happy?’ he said in an unclear voice.
His
tinkling voice made me laugh but I couldn’t because I remembered and realized
something.
I followed his words and responded, ‘Varun, I’m serious. I wanted to tell
you
something from so many days but didn’t have the courage to say it. We both are
very
good
friends, we know about each and everything. Even I know that you’re thinking
the
same
thing now.’ he fell silent.
‘I
was just looking at my mail and I got her back in my life,’ I said in a very
low
voice.
Suddenly he asked, ‘What did you say?’ I replied in the same tone, slow and
low,
‘I just got her mail. She’s coming to Chandigarh next week.’
He
started shouting, ‘You bitch…bastard…fuck off…you got her back. I’m so happy
for
you. Tell me everything from the starting, how and when?’
‘She
has sent me a long mail. I knew that she loved me a lot and she has written
everything
in it and has given her number so that I can contact her. I don’t know how to
react.’
‘Then
what are you doing? You have her back…the one you waited for so long. I
salute
your love story, man. You won’t believe in the morning my right eye was
flickering
and
now I know the reason why,’ he seemed emotional but happy for me.
There
are some beliefs about flickering eyes in Hindu mythology. Some people
believe
it brings good luck and some believe it brings bad luck. If a man’s right eye
flickers,
it’s a good sign for him and if his left eye flickers, then it is considered
bad. In
case
of women, it’s the opposite.
‘This
should be a great meeting, so I’m going to Kurukshetra tomorrow. You sleep, see
you,’
I said.
‘Good
night. I haven’t seen a crazy guy like you. Inform me whenever you reach
here,
meet her and meet me if you get time from your so called shona,’ he teased me
but
there
was sweetness, love and care in his words. He disconnected the call. I threw
the
phone
on the bed and walked to the kitchen and had a glass of water, moved to the
wash
room
and washed my sleepy face.
I
booked a flight ticket for 5.00 a.m. as she used to leave 9.00 a.m.
so
that was perfect time to give her a surprise. I texted Neha early in the
morning—This
may
surprise you but the day has come to meet my girl. I’m leaving for kurukshetra,
boarding
the
flight, so switching off my cell phone. Thank you for being with me, my dream
has
come
true today.
‘What
will I gift her, I don’t have anything to give her! If I don’t get anything in
the
morning
in Kurukshetra, then…’ I felt helpless, as I had nothing to gift her. I looked
at the statue
of
Lord Shiva and smiled with pleasure. I picked the red sacred thread and kept it
in a
box.
In Hindu religion, marriageable maidens pray to Lord Shiva for the husband of
their
choice.
They even fast on Mondays to push their wish list to Lord Shiva. According to
Hindu
beliefs, the month of Saawan, which begins mid-July, is auspicious for
unmarried
girls
and if they observe somwari vrat (fast) on either one, two or sixteen Mondays,
they
are
blessed with good husbands.
Therefore,
I picked up the thread as a sacrament of Lord Shiva. I came downstairs.
‘Should
I call an autorickshaw?’ Manoj, the security guard asked. He always took care
of
me and I used to sit with him whenever I felt alone and we shared a strong
bond. He
used
to discuss his problems with me.
‘No,
I’ll catch one from the next crossing. I’m leaving for Kurukshetra, you take
care of
yourself.
I discussed about your salary with the manager of the society, hope you’ll get
it
this
week.’ I patted his shoulder and picked up my bag.
‘Thank
you,’ he looked happy.
I
caught the cab at the next turn after walking for five minutes. My heart began
racing
the
moment the cab pulled into the airport parking lot.
I
could sense the excitement of passengers waiting to be flown to their far-flung
dream
destinations like me.
‘Lover
Boy,’ my mind said to me in a honeyed voice. This happened after almost two
years
when my mind and my heart felt the same thing at the same time, ‘Lover Boy’
else
my
mind always talked about pros and cons, and my heart always talked about love.
I
reached the airport. There were different kinds of people there. The smell of
sweet
perfume
mingled with the smell of jet fuel. I recognized the smell of fading perfumes
that
women
were wearing. The whir of wheels on marble and concrete mixed with the
mechanical,
yet pleasant, voices on the public address systems calling for someone to go
to
the nearest courtesy phone, or announcing that flight 346 is now boarding at
gate 7. As
I
joined the queue at the check-in desk, I could see groups of people talking
about travel
and
what they would do when they arrived in Delhi. They seemed excited. Their faces
were
brimming with happiness. I developed a virtual relationship with the passengers
who
were travelling to Kurukshetra; it soon seemed like I knew every one of them.
There
was still an hour to go before I reached my destination. I felt the thrum of
the
engines
at take-off and the vibration of the plane during the flight in my skin and I
could
feel
the fragrance of love all around. I closed my eyes and smiled alone.
‘What
happened?’ A cute baby girl sitting next to me with her mother pinched my
hand
softly, raised her eyebrows in naughtiness, and blinked. I smiled at her. He
mother
held
her hand and said, ‘Baby, sit properly.’ I touched her cheeks softly and asked,
‘What’s
your name?’
Before
her mother could say something, the baby girl answered, ‘My name is Mukta
but
Mamma calls me Mukku beta.’
‘Hawww
shoo shweettt…’
She
looked so cute and her babbling voice won my heart. As I heard a couple behind
me
chatting about the weather in Kurukshetra, it looked as I expected…so romantic.
Things
become
pink, days become long, and nights become short when you fall in love. Life can
change
anytime, so just live the day and consider it the best day of your life.
Knotting
threads of romance in my heart, I was on the way to meet her.
The sky seemed dark when you were sad,
Morning became bright when you were glad,
Your laughter changed the mood of thousands of
people.
The world needs you to be happy,
Your smile made my life forever…
My love doesn’t demand to meet you every day,
My love doesn’t demand to talk to you every moment,
I just love you every night in my dreams,
And that is enough to make my day.
My love needs to be with you forever…
I won’t promise to build a castle in the desert for
you,
But I can give a kiss on your forehead every morning,
You made me the winner of this world,
But I’d love to be a loser in love with you.
And
the plane landed at the Delhi airport and I took the taxi for my destination….
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