Jhumi in Tribulation

                                                      Annu Chaudhury

                

                 Uff! It’s terrible. The city appears to have come to a standstill. Traffic snarl and cacophonous chorus of honking of automobiles. This is a usual scene in Kolkata. Jhumi is new in her day-to-day life in the metropolis.  Fresh from Viswa Bharati University, she joined an advertising agency as media manager only last month through a campus selection process. She won a first class in mass communication and a gold medal. Perturbed, she looks   from the rear seat of her car and finds with ennui the dead sea of stationary vehicles ahead as far as the eye could see. She understands, it’s unpredictable when she could reach the office. She is aware, in the absence of work culture and respect for hierarchy, a section of the employees are in the habit of hurling caustic remarks in their gossips at senior colleagues behind their back. They cannot swallow the fact that Jhumi, a university fresher aged only 24 is their immediate boss. They invent stories about her tender feelings and imaginary relationship. She feels hurt and maintains honourable distance.

                Jhumi telephones the general manager to inform him of the jam in which she is held up for about half-an-hour and the resultant uncertainty about the time of her arrival at the office since a political procession has jeopardized the traffic system. Who does not know Kolkata is notorious as a city of processions? The AC is on and tired of the delay, she dozes and drifts into a reverie.She is now deep into her memory of student life. All along she studied in co-educational institutions. Her round face, wide eyes, pointed nose, black strong hair, yellow skin attracted many classmates, but none dared to propose as she was grave even in school days. Her female classmates also grudged her because she was the heartthrob of many a boy, and over and above she was the topper in the class. Now she has developed a tender feeling for someone she has not seen. She feels it’s strange but cannot deny the truth. A debate goes on within.

Yes, he is handsome.

Is it all to consider?

We cannot deny its importance.

Why does he love me? He says I am beautiful.

We don’t know each other but have seen the photos on the Facebook

Yes, the primary cause of our proximity is our looks, she concludes.

             Jhumi, as a student, didn’t have time to think about anything but study. She didn’t notice any advances of her male classmates towards her. Things have changed since a month. The acceptance of a friend request has brought about the change. Hassan Mahmud is a talented boy of 27. Jhumi and Hassan are my friends.  I know Hassan from college days. I was senior to him by one year. He sent the friend request as my friend, and she accepted his request for the same reason.  A PhD in Physics, he is now engaged in a research in astrophysics. His Kashmiri features and complexion, oval face with a dimple on the left cheek are enticing. While at college in Kolkata his girl classmates would often mill around him and push the tip of their index-finger into his dimple for thrill and fun. Everyday several girls would propose to him which he would reject outright.Jhumi and Hassan have in this a commonness. Preoccupied with studies, both could avoid being ensnared by love request.

          Hassan, as I know him, can well hide his inherent arrogance behind the veil of a sweet smile on his pomegranate lips. Within a week of their becoming friends in the virtual world, he proposed to Jhumi. His words enthralled her, his handsome features set her dreaming.Hassan proposed by phone. What was pleasing to her was the phraseology he used. It had the elegance and melody of an Urdu couplet. She could have the taste of his regaling tone when she received the call. ‘Here is Hassan, dear. May we have a few minutes together, now?’ The suddenness of the proposal and the politeness in the tone was astounding to her. She could not speak for seconds. Then laboriously she uttered,’Y-e-s.’ She could not understand having been together by phone is surreal. Yet it was a wonderful time for her, first time experience of oral love. She took a couple of days to accept the proposal on 16^th May 2013. Since then she waits for a ping every now and then from Shrinagar and dreams of an Eden in Kashmir.

              They are in virtual togetherness. Does it guarantee union of two minds? Socio-cultural environment, structured thought which becomes habit control individual mind. So, it is intriguing if there can be harmony and union of minds. It’s truer in case of the two. They have different backgrounds, structures of thought. The same desire, therefore, may not lead to a union. Inhibitions pull back. Jhumi can transcend, Hassan cannot. He cannot ignore familial and social constraints and possible injunctions. He has the pure emotion and tenderness but cannot have the ecstatic moments. She can ignore any impediments on the way to love, but he cannot enjoy the bliss of ecstasy.Inhibitons come in the way. His heart bleeds as he cannot advance towards the desired goal. He is in dilemma. He dithers. Sometimes he telephones Jhumi to pour out his mind, sometimes he fails to react adequately to the messages she sends waiting for poignant moments to come. He says: busy now, at office or will be back to you soon, dear.This prompts Jhumi to look forward and be frustrated.

              A debate continues in Hassan. He classifies love and tries to prioritize - love for parents, family, religion and the beloved. He fails and broods .He does not have any idea as to which one should be foregrounded. Dilemma leads to inaction which deprives him of the ecstasy Jhumi experiences.  So, a common ground is absent. Jhumi decides to withdraw. After three days of silence, Hassan called tonight. Jhumi could not but accept the call. He said, voice wet, “This is my last call. Respond or not, I love you… am going to Delhi. There I will change my SIM.” They cried profusely. What next?. They don’t know. This is the day of reckoning for Jhumi.

           She tossed about on bed all the night.