10th July,2015
Wind
flows swiftly into a room filled with the stench of cigarettes and alcohol. Raghu,
with a beard, looks depressed and angry with
himself and his family. He opens his wallet to order food and this reminds
him of her passport size photo with tiny innocent eyes,
ready for school, which is no longer with him. He tore it a
few years back as his parents insisted him to do. He was told by many that
she was a passing cloud, but remnants of her are still fresh in his heart.
Back in Colombo ... same
time
There
is a place in Lathika
where Raghu's
fingerprints still rest;
where his whispers still echo. There is a place where a part of him will
forever be a part of her.
11th July,2015
Early morning cool breeze flows over the
three coloured ocean and the sun tries to peep out from
behind the nimbus. Lathika, in her
favourite long gown, measures each step , small and delightful,
and looks at her mobile, hoping dad would
call her any moment.
From behind the green
painted outlet,
comes Anand with drowsy eyes, probably because of
last night's two
pints of black label . As he looks around to find a bench to relax and breathe in some fresh air , he sees a damsel with
curly hair
and
folded legs;
the
wind trying to touch her by pulling her gown up. The fact is that,
she is swaying her head from one side to the other,
talking non stop . It is getting harder to see her clearly,
but in the whole lot
of people,
she is one of
those that looks strangely familiar to him.
Oh,
God!
This has
never happened to me . She
is beautiful, gorgeous damn it.
My
heart never sang like this. What is
happening? How do I start ?
Anand
goes for
two rounds of walk on the small beach side. She is
still chatting on the phone. His heart pumps;
he has no other go but to sit beside her on the bench. She smacks her lips in
a loud kiss and hangs up. He
hesitantly
sits on the right side of the bench. She turns to him and gives him
a broad smile,
as if she
has
known
him for long... long time. He is confused, but returns her
smile.
Before
he starts,
she asks him if
he is
from India.
"Yes",
he replies.
"And
you?"
"I'm
Lathika.I've been
in Colombo for
the
past three weeks, to train
the local construction team of leading ABC about safety , service and
first aid.
It has been very
strenuous, getting up early and going to the
construction site and in noon offsite training. What
about you ?
What do you do?"
He tells her he is a Nephrologist,
working in one of the leading corporate hospitals in the
heart of Colombo." Wow Doctor".
Her
eyes gleam like
a ray
into his. Anand is still confused by her familiarity.
Understanding that it is
her
last few days
in Colombo, he asks her if they can walk on the beach for a while
and watch the waves. His eyes are on her toes
with blue nail paint and his green
sandals.
Blue
and green reflect
the colour of the ocean on to their left as the walk.
Out of no where they
starting talking ...... "My busy schedules in the
hospital has helped my girl to be
snatched away by a fancy MBA guy in Hyderabad", he says."
If it is
meant to happen it happens. My guy left me because he found his old
love after five years and I was a passing cloud", she tells him.
Anand
drifts
off thinking about Lathika and her ex-fiancé and he finds himself wondering if the
two of
them slept
together
. Suddenly her mobile rings and she picks it up. "Daddy, give me sometime.
I am busy.
I
will call you back". She turns to him and they
engage
in a
conversation;
time
just passes away.
We're people who met for
the first time.
Oh
please! snaps back lathika . I'm a grown up
and not love struck teenagers fixating on lovely eyes and great muscles!
"My
parents are far off in a village in Kutch and they really don’t care what I am upto as
they are busy with
their own business . I studied at
Manipal and
I had got this
offer to
move to Colombo and I have been here for the past three years", she hears him
say.
"Do
you want to have tea?", asks Anand in a
characteristic burst of confidence, as he doesn’t want her
to leave soon."
Of
course.
I would love to. It's slightly unbelievable that you just asked me to have Ceylon tea
with you.
You did , right?"
"Yes",
Anand nods happily. They walk towards the green coloured tea joints."
I love tea.
My
father makes the best tea ever", she says. As they both sip at their
tumblers, Anand
thinks of how
naturally and effortlessly he has slipped into a conversation with
a girl who was a stranger one hour ago.
The bill arrives and Anand pays.
The
Galle Fort beach pavement seems almost
deserted except for a few couples walking
in their sport shoes and a group of 20-30 people practicing
football. Lathika doesn’t talk for a while as they walk along. As the wind kisses them thoroughly, they walk,
often reaching dead ends at which they
smile and turn back." So you were away for a
long time from home?" asks lathika after a while.
Anand
nods. She doesn’t ask him why but he tells her “Because I like being
alone and feel
better in this place “. Lathika doesn’t allow him to complete his sentence and
tells him
that is good, sometimes
having your own space
change will give you a good fresh breath of life.
Again
the silence takes over and Lathika thinks about how it would have been sweeter,
had she
met him the day she came to Colombo. His confidence to come and sit beside
her,
the first look , the first conversation , the locking of their eyes
, and
smile;
it was
getting realistically unrealistic within hours. She is reminded of her
previous experience with Raghu, who left her just because of his parents and so
called old love. Anand is more
human and someone she
could a
see future with. Lathika tells him it's
10 Am,
time to go back to the hotel and grab breakfast. “When do you leave?"
asks
Anand. "Today
evening my flight is at 6.45pm."
"Oh!" Lathika
loves
this oh.
She
turns right and looks into his eyes
pointing out at her hotel Taj."
Okay,
that’s good. I live 5 blocks away and will meet you by 3 at the lobby." "
Yes,
I will be there." She
puts on
a fake smile but inside she feels like dying as her colleagues
keep texting her to come soon.
Anand walks towards the car parking and
keeps thinking how he would have no business doing anything
and meeting someone like her, as he starts the car and
looks at
the rear view mirror. Lathika walks elegantly towards the hotel. As she walks back to the hotel, she
suppresses her smile behind her bold look. Her colleagues at breakfast, are
surprised to see her smiling to herself
strange.
Later
she had a meeting at lobby with her local team, which went on till 1 pm. As
lathika goes back to her room, she makes tea and it isn’t better than the
one she had
in morning with Anand. As she sips the tea she
observes that the weather
is windy,
humid and cloudy and goes out into the
balcony.
She
sees the ocean in front of her and
her eyes wander on to the bench she sat on
this morning.
As she takes a shower, shouts,
"Will
see you at 3",
like a madwoman.
She skips lunch due to
late and heavy breakfast. Her
mobile rings
and she picks the call “
Where on earth are you ?", bellows her mother. "We have been
calling you from this morning. Is
everything fine?" " I am fine mamma, was busy in the
meeting. Will call you after
reaching the
airport."
Its
2.30 pm She comes down to the
lobby in her cute blue dress matching
her nail paint , clears her bills and feeling screwed up inside
, panics about
whether he will be there or not. What am I
doing? As
she flips through the in-house magazine, she hears a whispers Lathika from
behind. She shudders
and turns back in return to see Anand in
a blue shirt and beige trousers. Anand meets her eyes and she meets his. She is
not smiling but her eyes and heart are.
She
blushes and tells him that she is ready."
Let's
start at 3.30pm." "
That
should be fine to be at airport in 45 min through express way. Just 9kms from the hotel."
Every
moment is
magic . They hear the sound of rain ticking." Shall
we have tea?"
asks Lathika. In the lobby they sip their last tea, probably the last one
before they meet again.
Anand’s
driver brings his Honda vessel to the pick up point and hands over the keys. As
Anand takes his seat , the bellboy
places her luggage in the trunk. She
is still
little confused as she shuffles inside with Anand on her right. Lathika wants to beam at him and
wants him to throw his arms around her. Alas! Not happening
As
Anand zips through the road connecting to the express way ,
there are no words exchanged between them . Lathika is busy checking and
rechecking her wallet , for her print
out of ticket and passport.
He
smiles back at her . He doesn’t want her to just leave without
saying anything -
he’s searching for words to say to her , words that will make her stay ,
continue the conversation. Within a few minutes,
they arrive at the airport. She glances at him and he still smiles without
uttering a word. He helps her to get the trolley and the time arrives to depart.
They
are blank
about
what is next.
Lathika thrusts her hand out and Anand shakes it. He waves goodbye.
Both of them know that
there were
some magical things that happened today and this may unite,
them irrespective of the long distance.
Lathika enters the airport and moves towards check in counter.
Airport Crew (lady in her peacock feathered sari) :
May I have your passport, please?
Lathika: Here you go.
Airport Crew: Are you checking any bags?
Lathika: Just this one.
Airport Crew: Okay, please place your bag on the scale.
Lathika: Okay.
Airport Crew: Here is your boarding passes – your flight leaves
from gate B1 and it’ll begin boarding at 6:20. Your seat number is 23E.
Lathika: Thanks.
Meanwhile there is a beep on her mobile, a text message from
Anand .
It's
one word.
THANK
YOU
She
passes through immigration and gets into the security check.
When
she is
coming down to the boarding gate from the duty free shop,
she
see an
army security officer looking at her profoundly, as she passes by him. She looks at his badge that
reads Anand and she cannot stop her
smile . She has only ten more minutes
for
the boarding
to
start.
After boarding, she calls him and he picks the call within a single ring and
tells him that
the
flight is taking off ." See you soon", he says. Anand
replies “See you soon”, Lathika....
As the flight cruises at 35000 feet she thinks about
how everything seemed
too right. Could this be real? Could he really be this great, or is it
the beautiful setting we were in? Lathika is wondering about the day.
23rd December,2015
8.30pm
Lathika, in her blue crepe sari,
is at Kempegowda International Airport. Fresh breeze passes as
she eagerly looks through the travellers coming out. She sees a
guy with a blue shirt on the other side with
all his deep feelings in
his eyes. As
he nears her, He wraps his arm around her as he
looks into her eyes and curious smile and they kiss.
"So,do you need something to drink before we start?" asks Lathika .
"No, I am full. I am not sure what I can tell you though. Let's go home."
His passionate voice hits hard at her and they talk about their families and work
life as they drive .
As they pass through the tollgate , she looks at him
and holds his right hand.
Do you know something? I am
single. Anand !
I want
to be hooked to .... will you Marry me ?
