She Won't Reveal 31

           She Won’t Reveal (31)

            Nidhu Bhusan Das

  No sooner had they left the house for the market than induced by her entheomania, Anu went to the worship room and tried meditation, perhaps, to know about the whereabouts of Thammi and communicate with Guruji. But she couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t come out of the distraction, and forget the embarrassment following the exposure of the triangle. She felt ashamed that the relation between Anuradha and Maqbool engineered by her had come into the open.”Anuradha and Maqbool have let me down,” she thought,” It’s better to have no friends than to have ones who cannot understand. Besides, it’s unwise on my part to encourage the relationship between the two belonging to two different religions having antagonistic stances accentuated by fundamentalist interpretation of one of them. My innocence often amounts to stupidity,” Anu concluded. She felt her problems weren’t over. Maqbool would remain an irritant.Anuradha will continue to nag.” I must come out of the vicious circle,” she decided.

“But how can I ditch Anuradha who has been my second self since we came to know each other online? How can I forget the intimate moments and oral articulation of our mutual amorous feelings?” thought Anu.

                 “Well, I may win Anuradha if she feels my love for her is stronger than that of Maqbool.But is it possible she is more inclined to me than to him against the principle of biological attraction?”Anu asked herself, diffident. She felt the desire to make a call to Anuradha but resisted the temptation thinking it would be wise to keep silence to understand her mind.

Anu now looked inward, saw a light. It’s a wick-light on earthenware as is used in her worship room. She concentrated on it and perceived it’s on her forehead. More concentration led her to feel her heart and mind were being illuminated and cleansed of impurities and getting placid. Now she could see the light perched on the heart of Anuradha.It worked like the PET scan doctors use to diagnose a health condition, as well as for finding out how an existing condition is developing and to see how effective an ongoing treatment is. Anu now saw the undulations of her feeling and emotion for Maqbool.She was yet to forget him and her heart still stretched towards her lover.Anu thought they might still be in communication despite her commitment to Sujata. Anu thought the girl wouldn’t be able to forget him. She once told her they had solemnized their e-marriage.” What’s e-marriage?”Anu asked the girl, surprised.“It’s online marriage, ma’am,”she said, inspired.

“How is it possible?”Anu queried.

“Ma’am, through Skype we did it,”Anuradha revealed.

“I couldn’t understand,”Anu’s candid.

“Through video chatting, ma’am,” said Anuradha.

“How?”

“We both recited from the Veda and the Quraan the wedding mantras and thus we’re in union,” explained Anuradha.

               Anu laughed away her fancy, and thought the girl is so simple and innocent. Now she thought if the girl could come away from the charm of Maqbool, she could have another plan for her to be safe, happy and within reasonable control reining her fancy. “But she mayn’t be able to live without Maqbool,”thought Anu.Her thought got disrupted at the excited call of Prof Sanyal,”Auntie! Where’re you? See what we’ve brought. Come down and plan the menu.” While Anu’s descending, the

                   Professor intercepted followed by Sujata and took her to her room to show the

dress, jewelry and footwear bought for her for the occasion. The exuberance and love of

the professor overwhelmed her. This was her first experience of getting so exuberant

parental love, and she felt bound to return it with filial affection for the man who, she

knew, bore a tragic burden. She hugged him like a daughter embracing her father

receiving gifts of love on such occasion. She came to feel it’s beyond her power to tear

the cord of affection the professor had bound her with. She smiled and tears rolled down

her cheeks. Taking the gifts onto her breast she began to sob. Were they tears of joy or

were they induced by the sad memory of having been deprived of parental love? She

exclaimed” Papa!” and continued,”bless me, Papa; take me to your lap. I need your

care.” The situation totally changed, and unexpectedly. A well of such an emotion

overflowed as Anu never experienced. A sense of deprivation unhinged her mind and thought and right that moment she might have got the feeling of a new type of

socialization. A catharsis relieved her and she tended to think anew about life and

living. She felt like coming out of an abyss of darkness to a new world of light, and the

room is again aglow. The professor said,”Auntie, let’s go out into the garden.” Anu

smiled and stepped forward.

                  In the kitchen the cook was busy preparing lunch. Anu had instructed her about the

menu. In the forenoon the garden bathed in the soft rays of the sun is soothing. The

leaves and grass again are green and soft for Anu. “Papa, the birds are so beautiful and

their song is regaling. How do you like it all?” Anu said looking at the professor, eager.

Professor Sanyal was taken aback. He was awakened to a new feeling as Anu had

called him ‘Papa’. It jolted him into a new responsibility.  The father arose in him.” Yes

Mom, we’re in paradise. This is the most blissful moment of my life. I cannot think I could

be a father.’ Papa’! It’s a call I could not expect. But now I’m. What could be more

blissful?” he said, with emotion profound.Sujata had the hands of Anu in her hands, and

the memory of the student life came back to her when the two friends were two-in-

one.”Papa, would you tell me what’s life divine?” asked Anu, looking up at the professor

with eyes which had acquired profundity.

“Joy makes a life divine, Beti (daughter),” said the professor, confident.

“Papa, are you happy, really?”

“Now I’m hundred per cent happy with my Beti and MAA.”

“Then Sujata is now my Thammi isn’t it?”

Sujata kissed and hugged her and said,” Yes, I’m my naughty Natni (grand daughter)”

Caressing her Anu said,” You’ll never leave me, promise?”

“We won’t leave you, dear if you’re no longer naughty.”

“Thammi, I’ll always go by what papa and you tell me to do.”

“That’s like a good girl.”

“I’m always good, am not I?”

“Not always, sometimes so naughty,” said Sujata lovingly.

The joyful conversation ended with the call of Prafullada to go to the dining room.

The lunch was ready.

               At lunch they discussed the birthday party, the cake, the decoration and

menu of the feast.Anu’s against illuminating the bungalow as suggested

 by Prafullada and Angshu because she felt pomp and splendour wasn’t acceptable

 in an area where poverty prevailed. The professor and Sujata agreed and

 praised the sensibility of Anu who had said,” Papa, it’s unbecoming that

 we would go for such pompous celebration when people love me for my

 friendliness with them.” ( continued on 18 December 2014)