She Won’t Reveal (49)
Nidhu
Bhusan Das
Professor Sanyal reached Anu’s bungalow
before sunset.Prafullada and Angshu were in the garden awaiting the arrival of
the wise man who had informed them by telephone before his hurried departure.
The garden looked great with April flowers smiling in the late afternoon. The
tranquil face of the professor was inspiring for the duo that has spent anxious
moments in the absence of Anu.The lushness of the flowers made them feel Anu’s
papa would recover and get back his health soon. They didn’t lose hope. The
arrival of the professor erased doubts, if any, in the mind of the two. They
took the professor into the guest room next to Anu’s.He called Sujata and
said,”Maa, I’m in the bungalow. The garden hasn’t lost its lustre.Prafulla and
Angshu are confident. The weather’s fine, comfortable.They didn’t come today-
Jerry and Nilu.”
“Okay
son, I hope to join you in the afternoon tomorrow. I’m coming with the plan for
launching the activities of the Charity immediately in consultation with you.
Anu and her parents are keen about it and depend on us,”Sujata informed.
“Anu’s at the still point.
She’s clear and well-ordered thought and is capable of taking reasonable decision.
She’s decided no more dithering and looking back, it’s time to go ahead, love
for people-in-need is superior to the love for an individual which is personal
in essence and cannot help one know oneself. She cannot and shouldn’t ignore
the sterling love of her parents and their desire to help the underprivileged.
She wouldn’t let her past hinder her journey into the future which holds possibilities
beyond the selfish love and friendship which yields only disaster and saps
human potential to transcend the mundane. She’d been stuck in a quagmire for a
long time. Now she’s free to go beyond. She’ll channel her energy through the
Charity conceptualized and concretized by her parents,”Sujata understood.
“Uncle my son and I will start
in earnest and immediately the activities of the Charity only if Anu’s also
100% earnest to go with and sustain her efforts. We wouldn’t like to keep you
and auntie engaged in and concerned about it round the clock. She should take
care of it whole time, and you’d be the guiding force,” said Sujata in the
dinner meeting at Arunima without mincing words.
“I’ve
no pull-back any more, am in it heart and soul. The Charity’s the younger child
of my parents, and I feel, sincerely, it’s my sacred duty as the elder one to
nurture and grow it, make it stronger and stronger,” Anu committed.
“My son reached the bungalow in
the twilight and found everything encouraging. Nothing wrong. Prafullada and
Angshu are happy to work for the Charity, Sujata reported. The three faces
beamed, and Dr. Arindam’s so happy that he would like to talk to Prof.
Sanyal:”Auntie I wish I could talk to your son now.” Sujata smiled and made a
call,” Son, uncle, Anu’s papa, would like to talk to you.”
“Please
give him, he’s so generous,”Prof. Sanyal’s eager.
“Hello,
Arindam speaking. So happy to talk. We’re grateful you’ve been empathetic to my
daughter.”
“Rather
I should be grateful to you that I could have so nice an auntie, and you’re her
father,” Prof.Sanyal turned emotional and his tone’s wet.
“Is’t?”
Dr. Arindam went monosyllabic, unable to believe.
“Is
wonderful, has gone through a lot of experience, experimented with herself,
and, perhaps, resolute now,” the professor explained.
“Let
it be so, my dear friend,”Arindam sighed, and unaware, struck an emotional
chord. The doctor had been lonely clutching the air since long. The contact
with the peer made him emotional and optimist. He found in him a person who
could be his emotional prop.
“The
garden here is lovely and lively and bears the spirit of auntie. A real
paradise where we may retreat to tide over hard times,” suggested the wise
professor.
“I’m
so happy that it’s going to be the launching pad of our effort to be rooted in
the sacred life represented by the children of God – they’re the poor people,”
the doctor sought to be spiritually true as Sujata looked at his glistening
eyes.
“True,
very true,” supported the professor, and continued, overwhelmed,”dream comes true.
You’ve the dream, your daughter could dream, and we share your dream. Here’s life,
we live in dream. Dream sustains life, creates and recreates life.
“Recreates…life!”
”You
shared dream with Anupama and you two created Anu and now your dream-child
recreates her.”
“You
and your maa Sujata have a role in the recreation. The phinix has risen, let’s
hope so, and you’ve helped,” the doctor’s grateful.
“Would
you talk to them?”Maqbool asked, his tone wet.
“How
can I?” she said, sobbing from behind the long veil.
“Let
me call them by phone,”Maqbool suggested.
“No,
please not,” she said with a snap.
“Okay
then, let’s go recite the Koran.”
She
rose, obedient to his suggestion. She’s learned certain verses of the holy
Koran and prays five times a day with her moms-in-law. They’ve come to love her
as she’s become devout Muslin after conversion following the official marriage
according to the tenets of Islam. Her family name now is Amina.She’s happy
being with Maqbool and in the family.
Sujata
left for Guwahati by air at 10 a.m. before the earthquake which also shook Kolkata. She reached Amlarem in
the afternoon. On the way to Amlarem from Guwahati she received an SMS from
Anuradha who requested her to know about her parents back in Jalpaiguri which
was hit by an earthquake.Sujata’s hesitant as she didn’t know the parents of
the girl who’s eloped. Sujata thought she would talk to her son and act
according to his advice. (to be continued on 28 May 2015 )
