She Won't Reveal 23

           She Won’t Reveal (23)

                      Nidhu Bhusan Das

 Anu’s closeted by Sujata and Prof. Sanyal in her room.Sujata’s morose and broke, but the professor’s steady. He knows he must help Anu regain her balance and strength. Emotional excesses cannot help in the situation.So, he began casually,” Auntie, we’ve come to taste the food you cook and listen to your music.Sujata Maa tells you’re a fantastic cook and a brilliant musician. She always sings of your versatility.”

“Son, I cook sometimes but don’t find time for music here,” said Anu smiling sadly.

“But today you must be free, auntie. I won’t have you busy otherwise, I mean with your routine tasks,” the professor insisted.

“I’ll be busy with you, if it’s pleasing for you, son.”

                The stage’s thus set by the experienced professor. The cloud begins to disappear. The gloom recedes. An ambience for free exchange of views inches forward.

“Now no burden of thought, no other preoccupation, only delighting talk,” the professor suggested.

“And I’ll kill you if you don’t follow what my son says,” said Sujata forcing a smile.

“I cannot but value what he says,”assured Anu.

“That’s like my buddy,” says Sujata, hugging her.

                    She remembers the days when Anu’s rocking, kept the company of friends cheerful, and wouldn’t let anyone feel gloomy. Throughout the student life she’d been their cheer leader. So sweet’s her personality, assuring’s her presence. She still feels Anu’s her sibling. They’re roommates in the hostels. They sat for the LIC recruitment exam together. Both opted for the north-east. They’ve been in regular communication by phone. They know everything about each other. She’s a guitarist par excellence. Even after Arup opted out of the love relation, she didn’t lose her sparkle, though she’s hit hard. She would share her agony only with Sujata, but never allowed the pain to translate into gloom. Such was her psychological strength.Anu knows how to weather storms. She’s also the potential to create storms to her perils. This time the resignation, Sujata feels, is a fatal blow – she’s torpedoed herself.

“Auntie, how would you define freedom?” asked the astute professor.

“When the mind’s free, son,” replied Anu smartly.

“That’s right. How can we’ve our mind free?”

“When we can think, imagine and feel free.”

“I see, you’ve profound idea! Do you think you’re free?”

“No, dear.It’s difficult to be free.”

“Why? You’re now free from control and intervention of any kind.”

“That’s true. There’s no external control. But I feel disturbed, somehow.”

“Would you elaborate, please?”

“I’ve the feeling none believes me.”

“But we believe and love you, understand you.”

“I know, yet I cannot rest assured. There’re forebodings and premonitions.”

“What forebodings and why?”

“I don’t know son. I’m afraid everyone’ll desert me, very soon.”

“Maybe, this isn’t what’s going to develop. Okay, we may talk on it later on. You’ll never be alone if you can tackle problems, if any. May I go see your beautiful garden, auntie?”

“Should I go with you or you’ll be there alone?”

“No no…it’s nice to be alone in a garden. Meanwhile, you two friends talk and share.”

                  The professor thus took leave and went to the garden where Prafullada’s found brooding. Professor Sanyal didn’t know Prafullada. He guessed the person beside a pitcher tree couldn’t but be the gardener. If he’s the gardener, he’s Prafullada. The gardener isn’t aware when he’s become Prafullada of all around. His first name’s been extended with the addition of the suffix ‘da’ and none’s interested about his last name or the family title. Perhaps, he himself often remains oblivious of the fact that he’s ‘Prafulla Das’.This happens. The gardener took it as usual. Only when one day Anu called her ‘Dada’ he’d a unique feeling. Now this feeling is a trouble for him, a pang which he cannot bear. “I think you’re Prafullada,” said the professor going close to him.

“Sir, I’m Prafulla Das, the gardener.”

“You think a lot on gardening, brood like a creator.”

“No, not that, sir. I’m a simple man…cannot…”

“What you cannot? Please tell. You look sad!”

“Sir, you must have seen ‘weeping pine’ somewhere.”

“Yes, I’ve. So what?”

“Don’t you feel for them? Haven’t you ever thought why they stand straight yet keep their little branches and leaves downcast?”

“Why Prafullada?” asked the professor to understand what symbolic meaning the gardener reads in the posture of weeping pine.

“They’ve the head high but the spirit low. They don’t have the desire to reach up to the Spirit behind the Creation.”

“You mean, they’ve the posture, not the spirit”

“You’re right, sir.”

“Would you draw an analogy between the pines and the people around?”

“There’s but I wouldn’t have the audacity to specify any person.”

“I’m told you don’t like the place any more. Is it?”

“I like the place but not the psychospace dominating it for some time.”

“You can change it being a person respected by all here.”

“Is it?” asked the gardener with a sly smile flashing like a lightning.

                  The professor understood the gardener’s the earthy wisdom and can read the mind of people around if and when he feels it necessary.Prafullada isn’t happy, and has, possibly, taken a decision because his dream of living in a tranquil ambience has been shattered somehow. He found the bungalow wonderful with Anu as the icon of spiritual beauty and beatitude. Prof.Sanyal’s confident Prafullada’s the only person who can bring back the blessedness of the bungalow. He hopes to have a successful talk with him after lunch. He’s told the gardener they’d have lunch together. He goes round the garden and enquires about the plants, the flowers and their maintenance. He’s said the creator shouldn’t leave his creation. It’s against the law of heaven. The Creator of the universe’s omnipresent in his Creation. He may be disturbed when we human beings out of lust seek to dominate the Earth and even the outer space, but the Creator never abandons His handiwork. Had the force or power left the universe, it would have crumbled and chaos would follow leading to its extinction.

              Prafullada’s evidently cheered. He’s happy to understand that he’s a role to play to restore joy in the house. Never before did he hear such an interpretation of the role of a creator. He tells the professor all about how the garden’s laid and the role of enthusiastic Anu in the planning. He says he’s sad that Anu’s lost that enthusiasm, exuberance and humility which once made him so happy.” She might be pursuing something elusive,” he’s said. The professor hasn’t agreed and said tersely,” We shouldn’t come to a hasty conclusion. Human mind’s a complex and puzzling phenomenon, and it’s really difficult to gauze the psyche and its working.” ( continued on 20 October2014)