She Won’t Reveal (38)
Nidhu
Bhusan Das
A shadow eludes
My right leg itches to rise
The left one sticks, why?
If desire engenders fantasy
Reason brings back to reality
The conflict is interesting.
The
flight took off on time from Guwahati. Anu and Sujata were side by side in the
economy class. Once the plane stabilized in the tranquil air, the two went
transcendental.Anu looked out through the window and scanned the gliding white cloud.
She saw a lotus floating in the air and moving abreast the plane. She sees the
lotus always when in meditative mood. The lotus induces her to remember and
murmur Gayatri Mantra: “Aum Bhur Bhuva Svah/Tat Savitur
Varenyam/Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi/Dhiyo Yo Naha Prachodayat” (Oh God!
thou art the Giver of life/Remover of pain and sorrow/The bestower of
happiness/Oh! the Creator of the universe/May we receive thy supreme
sin-destroying light/May thou guide our intellect in the right direction).
Anu’s
mind’s on the ascent with the ascent of the plane. It happens. Our spirit goes
high when we’re afloat in the space. We can be imaginative and even our soul
can go and have a tryst with the Immanent Soul. When in meditation Anu’s such
experience. She often has such a tryst with her Thammi.She felt, Thammi’s with
her now. She’s accompanying her to Kolkata.”Yes, Thammi’s always with me,
whether I feel it or not,”Anu’s happy to think. Does Thammi like her more than
anyone else, even her son who’s critically ill? Arunima Devi’s been in extreme
agony since Anu drifted away from her parents. She loves her son and
daughter-in-law because they’re perfect humans with goodness and humility.
Anupama’s a perfect wife and mother. At deathbed her husband told her to take
Anupama as their daughter-in-law. His son and Anupama’s father were present at
the time Anindya Chatterjee let his wish out and breathed his last.Anupama’s
the only daughter of their family friends physicist Tarun Sen and Bithika.Arindam
and Anupama were then first year MBBS students of Calcutta Medical College
& Hospital. They weren’t lovers but came to know they would be through
marriage. They kept honourable distance from each other, and none in the campus
had an ilk of the idea that they’d be together in a negotiated marriage. It
remained a closely guarded secret.
They’ve
been devoted to each other and to their mother and mother-in-law. Arunima
Devi’s really happy. But her trouble began when Anu came to construe that she
didn’t get the care expected of her parents. She knew they loved Anu and had
high dream about her future. But Anu couldn’t be convinced. She wouldn’t like
to wean them away from the devotion to their profession and philanthropic mission.
At the same time she wouldn’t see her granddaughter unhappy living with a wrong
notion of being neglected.So, she struck a strong bond with the young angel.
They’d a psychic and emotional live-together. But Anu’s misconception couldn’t
be removed, and she continued to suffer from an ontic problem which eventually
engendered her problematic nature, difficult to deal with.
Anu
began to come to terms with reality after a series of faux pas.She’s relieved
to realize Thammi’s her co-traveller to Kolkata in the crisis she’s in and
which she’s destined to resolve for the survival of the family known for its
philanthropy, rich tradition and human values transcending the feudal vices.
Sujata
let her friend introspect, and was preparing for the role she would be required
to play in any eventualities. She felt she’d an onerous task ahead to resettle
Anu in the family.
Back
in Guwahati, Prof. Sanyal’s anxiously awaiting the news from Kolkata.
Anu’s
tryst’s disrupted when the pilot announced at 4 p.m. ” In about 10 minutes we’re
to touch down Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Airport. We’re on time.” She took the
hand of Sujata, her heart pounding. The plane taxied to the tarmac. She
followed Sujata as they disembarked. Sujata telephoned Anu’s mother, “We’ve
reached auntie, and will come straight to the clinic. How’s uncle?” She tersely
replied,”He’s now in bed. Come. I’m here. Our car waits to take you.Anu knows.”
They
came out of the terminal and boarded the car. Anu’s being taken into the car by
Sujata who felt her friend’s losing control and her weight’s by now almost
totally on her.” Is it she’s in worries about her papa? Is she in seizure? Stress,
doctors say, may trigger seizure affecting the hormone cortisol,”Sujata’s
anxious. Soon after the car began to move, Anu started vomiting, and her body
loosened and she was laid on the seat of the car, Sujata sprinkling water on
her forehead and eyes. The chauffeur understood he must rush to the clinic. The
passages was easy and smooth for a few kms but soon the devil of traffic snarl
immobilized the automobiles on the VIP Road which appeared to be a still
picture of stuck vehicles in a idly busy mega city. Both Sujata and the
chauffeur felt uneasy and helpless.Sujata’s rubbing Anu’s forehead. They
reached the clinic about an hour late. Dr. Anupama’s pacing in the corridor.
The chauffeur rushed to inform her about the condition of Anu.Problems come in
chain and Dr. Anupama’s now burdened with problem upon problem.Anu’s taken to a
cabin and treatment began in no time.
Father
and daughter were in the same clinic. The cause of illness was the same-
emotional distress triggered by juvenile summary judgement of the daughter and
the consequent pain and suffering of the father in silence which gradually
crippled his inner mechanism of resistance. The father didn’t know his daughter
had flown back to him, and was now in the cabin near his with oxygen musk on.
Anupama prays for a cathartic to come for the father and the daughter in the
clinic two and a half decade from now their child was born. She remembers the
day- 10 September 1987 at 6 a.m. precisely. It’s a moment of
joy and the father treated everyone in the clinic with sweets. They’re so happy.
Arunima Devi’s present and equally happy at the clinic. “Anu cried a lot at
birth. She’s so naughty and lovely. But as she grew she became more and more
reticent and silence became her eloquence,” sighed Anupama told Sujata reminiscing.
At 9 p.m.
Anupama and Sujata left the clinic for ARUNIMA at Salt Lake
The
chauffeur told they were back home, and Sujata helped her come out of the car.
They staggered up the stairs and the chauffeur rang the doorbell. The domestic
help opened the door. The chauffeur went downstairs to his room. The dinner’s
ready. Anupama asked Sujata to change, wash and have the dinner.”Sujata, dear!
You must have been tired and hungry. Eat whatever’s available. We’re in
disarray.”
“I
ain’t tired auntie. You go and get ready for the dinner and I’ll follow you.
We’ll eat together,” said Sujata, empathetically.
“I
don’t feel like being hungry. I’ve hunger for peace only, dear.Can you feed me
with peace?”
“I’ve
come for that, auntie, and you’ll get back peace and joy, certainly.”
“I
cannot believe I’m so lucky.”
“You’re
lucky; your daughter’s come to stay with you. Your baby will resurrect in the
clinic where she’s born.Recall, auntie, she’s born on 10th September
and tomorrow’s 10th September, only the year’s different.”
“Are
you sure?” asked Anupama like a child.
“Let
tomorrow come. Now it’s time for dinner and then we’ll sleep together. Am I
also not your child?”
“You’re,
I feel it, believe me.”
“Well,
let’s eat and have rest in sleep till the next sunrise.”
Like
a pre-school girl Anupama followed Sujata, and after dinner they went to
bed.Sujata cajoled her into sleep. (continued on 5 February 2015 )
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