KANNAGI

Preening in the mirror, I smiled to myself. I looked beautiful. Even without ornaments, I looked as beautiful as I was looking on my wedding day, twenty years back. My father was a rich businessman so was my father in law. In order to showcase their prosperity and power they showered finest of the ornaments and gifts upon me. Wedding was a fairy tale for me- new clothes with expensive embroidery, exclusive jewellery and extra pampering made it worth enjoyable affair.

When the groom arrived with the barat procession each and every woman of the household gasped in amazement.

“He is just like Deva (God) ascended on earth to marry you.” One of my aunts said.

“He is the most handsome groom I have ever seen.” another aunt claimed.

“”Look and see yourself, how dynamic his is.” my maid and best friend, coaxed.

I gathered all my courage but before I could…

Amma (mother) said, “No, never. It is a bad omen to see the groom before garland ceremony.”

By the time of garland ceremony I was so excited to see my groom as a child got excited to see a shooting star after a long span of staring at the sky. Adeline rushed through my veins and I thrilled. I realized it was love at first sight. All the other ceremonies were just like a dream. I came with Kovalan leaving all the near and dear except, Sakhi. She came with me. But as we approached his house, a fear replaced my excitement. I had never been away from mother.

His father’s house in Puhar was as big as my father’s. When he was helping me out of the cart, he extended his hand. I took it. All my fears vanished. He took me to an exciting journey of love and romance. I had not got truly accustomed with this new life when one day he came to me and said, “Now it’s time for me to shoulder my responsibilities. I am going on a business voyage. Wish me luck.”

I was dumbstruck. “How will I live all alone?”I managed to say with a sob.

“You are my strength. Make friends here. Strengthen your relations with Amma(mother) and others in the house. I promise I will return with a unique gift for you. Smile…”

I smiled. The prospects of unique gift kept me happy for only a few days. I started missing him very soon.  One day when I was staring blankly out of the window my mother in law came to me. She affectionately touched my cheek and said, “You are no longer a carefree teenager. Now you are a married woman. Learn to manage the kitchen household chores, servants etc. If you want a happily married life you have to learn them. From that day I whole heartedly started learning the skills that my mother in law considered key of a happy married life. Days, moths, years passed. I became perfect in managing the house.

 “Get ready, your husband is coming.”She told me one fine day. Sakhi got me ready just like a bride. The house became alive with festival spirit. He came with enormous wealth. Confidence and maturity were making him more handsome.

“You have become more beautiful.” he faltered me and handed a gift box to me. It had the most beautiful anklets I had ever seen.

“Do you know what is unique in them?”He asked.

“Their beauty.”

“No their sound. Other pearl filled anklets sound different but they has rubies inside them. I will recognize your footsteps from others. These anklets will sound differently sweet.”

Soon my anklets and his prosperity became talk of the town, that earned him  many friends and visitors. To accommodate them he built a new house. I shifted to a new house with him. That brought a whole lot of new responsibilities. I got busy in managing the house as my mother in law had taught me.

One day we went to the temple. There I saw a man selling a calf. It was looking sad and thin.

“What happened to it?”I asked.

“It lost its mother. I am too poor to support it. You are mother. Please buy it. He pleaded.

I looked  at Kovalan for his approval but he was looking at something… no someone else. An extremely beautiful woman clad in yellow sari and yellow floral ornaments was descending the stairs of the temple.

“She is the courtesan dancer, Madhvi.” The poor man supplied the information.

Caught red handed, he was bit embarrassed. He turned his attention towards me.

“Look at this poor calf. It has no one to look after.”

“And you want to look after it.”He smiled and bought it for me.

I tried to appear cheerful but in the back of my mind my husband staring that woman was disturbing me. Later we got back home. I got busy with the calf, Gauri and other household chores. In the evening when I asked about him a servant told me that he had gone to the, Madhavi’s place.

That was a jolt for me but I consoled myself that there was nothing to worry I had the key of happily married life. But I was wrong. The visits that started as a casual outing became addiction  within no time. Time passed by and he started living with her, leaving the grand house that he had built with meticulous precision. He left me with no one to find the difference     in the sound of my anklets from others. The adjectives-  Lucy, Fortunate that were earlier used for me were replaced by Poor, Miserable etc. It was quite hard for me to tolerate all this, so I cut off myself socially. My mom and mother in law tried to reach me out but I was too confused to listen to them.

The wealth of my house started draining into Madhavi’s house. Sakhi asked me many  times to return his servant empty handed, but how could I?  It was all earned by him. When my most priced  possession was there, how could I care for these metallic coins.

Years passed by, the ornaments on my body got less and less. I had only  Sakhi and Gauri with me. Now there was nothing to manage in the house, no servants, no food grains, no wealth. I spent my time with Gauri. It had became a cow. It gave us milk. It had no prejudice against Kovalan as Sakhi had.

In the evenings, I found solace in meditation. I asked mother Goddess to give me strength to wait for   Kovalan.    I felt her energy on my finger tips. Later through my hands and then after daily practice of so many years, it  felt as if I am in a cradle and mother Goddess is rocking it affectionately. Waiting for him became the only purpose of my life.

“Tonn…”a sonorous sound brought me back. It was Sakhi. She was scared.

“What happened?”I asked.

“You were glowing like a Goddess.” she said.

I brushed her off, “May be poverty and stress had made you crazy.”

Both of us giggled. A loud and hearty laugh, after a very long time. Kovalan’s servant was again at door.

“You are again here, don’t you see we have left with nothing.” Sakhi was mad with anger.

He bowed and kept silent. I took out the only ornament left with me, my anklets.”

“No mother I can’t take it. Master will kill me.”He said.

This made me realize that this was not Kovalan who sent him to get money but someone else.

Then I had no other option except Gauri to save my husband’s reputation.

“No don’t send it, it will die losing her mother for the second time.”Sakhi was desperate to stop me. But I was helpless.

He went away with the only support I had.

Next morning when I sat before mother Goddess for meditation, I saw Gauri she was not eating anything. There was chaos all around. A fat woman was chiding it. Suddenly Kovalan came. He instantly recognized Gauri. He caressed it and fed it.

How come it is here.”He asked his servant.

“It was the last possession Mother had.”He replied.

“What blunder I committed?  It’s time to go home. He said.

Ï opened my eyes it was not a dream. I called out Sakhi, “Decorate the house and light the stove, today I will cook. He is coming.”

She stared me with pity but did as I said. When the house and food was ready Kovalan was at door, after so many years. He looked pale and tired.

“Come have food.”I said. After so many years nothing changed between us but almost everything changed around us.

“Lets move to some other city and start a new life, I can’t stand peoples judgmental eyes here” He said.

We left for Madurai leaving our city back. The journey was tough but at last we reached there , surviving all odds. A kind man on the outskirts of the city gave his out house to us     to live. He promised to help Kovalan start up  his business here.

When I asked him to take my anklets and get some money he refused. But we had nothing except them, so he decided to take one anklet to the King’s jeweler and sell it. It was time he should come It started raining. I finished all my household chores alone, without Sakhi. Coming out of the flashback, I smiled at the mirror. A new life, a new beginning.

It was getting late enough to be worried. I once again stepped into the balcony and looked down. Except for a drenched street dog that was lying down miserably near the gate, there was not a soul to be seen anywhere. Rainwater had puddled under the lamppost. A breeze ruffled the mango tree in the courtyard and a few twigs  fell down and broke. Thunder rumbled in a distance .Did  I hear a soft knock at the door? I turned back there was no one.

I came closer to the door, there was a boy hiding behind it. He was crying. Oh! He was the boy who went with Kovalan to the jeweler.

“What happened? Where is my husband?”

“Jeweler says he is a thief. The King has ordered his execution in the amphitheater of the city.”He managed to say sobbing.

No it could not happen. Composing myself I said, “Take me there.”

I ran with the boy for the first time in my life, barefoot, in an unknown city for my life my Kovalan. When I reached there, bosom heaving, I was drained out. I tried to shout but the huge crowd was too loud. Till I managed to make my way through the crowd near him, he was hanged. My life was snatched away mercilessly.

In acute pain I could only shout, “Mother Goddess…” with my arms towards sky. I felt energy flowing through me, unstoppable energy. Now I was not an unnoticeable victim but an epitome of strength. Anger and hatred was oozing out of my eyes. The crowd made way for me. I went near Kovalan’s body.

“O King! What Neanderthal methods of justice you use? Give me back my husband, he was innocent.”

“He stole Queen’s anklet.” he stammered.

“This anklet” I pulled out my other anklet.

“What was your anklet filled with?”I asked the Queen.

“Pearls.” she whispered.

I tore open my anklet and red rubies scattered like blood drops all over. I started burning with anger and grief. The city where an ordinary woman could not get justice, she had to become Goddess todo justice with herself is destined to burn like hell. My curse fell on the city. King and Queen died leaving the city burning.

“Mother Goddess, take me with you.” I called her for a last time.

She came in a beautiful cart with Kovalan sitting beside her in all his old glory. My wait was over. We were together. A happy ending of my story.

BEING HENPECKED

Henpecked

Henpecked. This is what people call me. I am not a writer or poet. I am a simple Graduate in Agriculture. I did not choose that name rather it was given to me without ever being asked for it.

I had been an outstanding performer in school and hailed from a generally well off family. So my parents had easily gotten me married to a beautiful girl. But unfortunately, she was too intelligent and too practical. The problem was that she was more intelligent and more practical than me!

She rendered my full support when I told my parents about my idea of pursuing a career in farming. My parents who initially did not welcome the idea as my mates were drawing a respectable salary from a status quo corporate career. 

When I told my wife about my idea of fish ponds within the farm, she advised I obtain some technical help.

“I have read about it plenty.” I said in an attempt to defend my abilities.

“But things are quite different from books when applied to reality.” She tried to convince me.

I should have listened. Over confident with my ideas, I went ahead and suffered losses as all the prawns died due to white spot disease. I became depressed and my parents started coaxing me to leave the farming industry and expressing that it was not too late to join some corporate house. But my wife had faith in my idea.

 She asked me to contact the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. I did and roped in some experts who told me about the aeration, feed management, checking of oxygen and water level. I tried again and started producing 10 kg prawns daily to supply to the nearest five star hotel. I recovered all my losses. My education and hardwork, with her intelligence made us a very good team. 

This propelled us to expand from only farming to also growing vegetables, raising fish ponds, and poultry farming on our land. We became the most prosperous house of the village. Our next vision was to start up a dairy farm. 

But my mother was not comfortable with me taking advice and discussing such matters with my wife. Firstly, she asked me to not involve her in those matters but when I did not listened to her, my own mother started to call me henpecked. Soon the whole village followed the suit. When I came to know about it, I hated it. My priorities changed. I left the team spirit. Now my sloe motto was to get rid of that name. The more I tried to run away from it, the more it stuck to me. 

It became impossible for me to walk on the streets without thinking that people are talking about me being henpecked. In desperate attempts to change everyone’s opinion about me, I foolishly started opposing my beloved wife’s each and every advice.

“Don’t go to Pushkar Fair to buy a single buffalo. It would be too costly.” She tried to stop me.

But I saw the look on my mother’s face which only drove me to do anything to prove her that I was not henpecked.

“It has been just a week after demonetization. There will be confusion all over. Not every farmer is educated like you.” She again persuaded.

Now this had become a matter of my pride. I did not want to hear the advice of someone less qualified than me. Thus, I went. 

Thousands of traders, farmers, villagers and tourists were there in the five day Pushkar fair. But demonetization had taken a toll. Traders were clueless about the mode of payment. I thought I had to return empty handed.  Not just money my reputation was also at stake. The thought of my mother’s face with that sarcastic smile was making everything worse.

When I was standing beside a tea stall, arms akimbo, lost in the iota of self pity, two men who were sitting there offered me tea. That made me suspicious as demand of lesser denomination notes had skyrocketed, making even the purchase of tea a luxury.

“Come to buy a horse or camel.”One of them asked.

“Buffalo”. I replied.

“Which breed?” They were persistent.

“Murrah.” I was keeping it short.

“Buffalo. Murrah.” They repeated my words with great enthusiasm.  

“Ghanshyam of our village is also here to sell his buffalo of same breed.” They said.

That made me interested.

“Can you help me to crack the deal.” This time I was persistent.

 Within a few minutes a villager was there with a buffalo.

“You have a bank account?” I asked.

 “Yes.” He said.

After checking the buffalo’s   white mark, teeth, tail etc. I sealed the deal in rupees 50,000. But my gut instinct told me that something was fishy about those strangers. I had heard many incidences of people being duped in such fairs.

 Ghanshyam gave them their share of brokerage and went. But when I offered them brokerage, they strongly refused. 

“You are just like our brother. Ghanshyam is so arrogant.” They said.

Their humble gesture won my heart and made me repent my gut instinct. I thought it was my lack of confidence that was making me feel that. I offered them lift. After some distance we stopped at a roadside dhaba (eatery) for lunch. There they spiked my food and I dozed off. It was the humble dhaba owner who splashed some water on my face and woke me up. 

“Your friends had asked me to let you sleep for a while as you were quite tired.” He told. 

They tricked me and went away with my buffalo, leaving me alone with my gut instinct mocking at me. It was really hard for me to believe that I had been duped. 

What would Mom say about me? was my first thought. After some time, it became the only thought.

I went to the local Police station and lodged an FIR. The officer in charge asked, “What happened?”

I had to give him the whole account of my foolishness.

“Don’t panic. They must have taken the buffalo by crossing the river. We will soon find them on the basis of your description.” He said.

I was again on road wishing this road to never end. I did not want to face my wife or Mom. I was desperately praying some miracle to happen. My belief in God became quite strong.

“Please pull me out of this mess. I will always listen to my wife’s advice.” I urged Him.

 The next morning when I reached the village, I saw two policemen, and a buffalo.

“Do you know Subedar Singh’s house?” They asked.

“That’s me and this is my buffalo! Where did you find it?” I asked, not believing the sight in front of me.

“It was brought to the police station.” They answered laughing and narrated the whole incident for me.

“Those cons, took the buffalo along the river. But the current was quite strong. They tied their belongings to its horn. Buffalo crossed the river but the cons could not  make it and went away with the current. Someone found it on the banks of the river and brought it  to us. We had information about you so we came.”

Their story sounded like the answer to all my prayers. I thanked them with all my heart.

“Pleasure is all ours. Your name is quiet popular, so we wanted to meet you.” They said and went away. 

Before knocking the door and entering my house, I promised myself to always be henpecked as it suited me. Whatever name my mom or the villagers choose to label me as, I know they all love me. 

I smiled and knocked on the door, eager to show them the buffalo.

CHRYSALIS

CHRYSALIS

Stuck at a stand still in the middle of prime time traffic, Krishna looked around. Passengers with luggage some sitting, while some clung to the poles trying to not knock into the passengers beside them. Her eyes rested on a Kashmiri couple for a while then came back to her fellow passenger beside her. He was a young boy with his eyes closed and headphones plugged into his ears. A smile appeared on her lips. Looking at the boy, a wild thought came to her mind- holding her hand Peter Pan is taking her to Neverland, so that she will remain a girl…. forever.

Since she was a girl she had a wonderful quality; the gift to read the minds of the people. Yes, she could make out what a person was thinking with just a second glance. But no one could quite read her. You would never have guessed seeing the sixty-year-old, Krishna, wanted  to live her life again, right from childhood. That was the reason while leaving home, a week ago, she could sense that her daughter-in-law was quite happy and relieved when Krishna’s bus had onset its departure from the station. Her daughter-in-laws, “Come soon Mamma! Miss you.” was superficial.

Krishna could not figure out what makes her presence undesirable to her daughter-in-law. She could not have survived a single day with my mother-in-law, Krishna thought sarcastically.

It had been very difficult for Krishna to adjust after her marriage. She entered a home with a terror of a mother-in-law, and husband who was less of a companion and more like a teacher. He always coaxed her to study, regardless of her unending household chores. Her only horizon were her kids- Avni and Akash, as they filled her with joy.

“Hoooonk…”The loud horn of the bus snatched her from her past to the present. She could not see of a single reason to why the driver had honked the horn. The bus could not move even an inch within the jam packed highway. Silence fell for a few seconds within the bus, but it was not absolute. Krishna could hear a soft, deep moaning. She knew it was the Kashmiri lady. She was in labour pains.

The picture of labour room, women crying in pain, started coming like a slide show before her. She closed her eyes tightly, but it did not stop. Tried taking deep breaths but it did not stop. Her nightmare refused to fade away and she was about to break down.  Suddenly, someone jerked her. It was that boy, her co-passenger.

“Aunty, are you all right?” he asked.

She just managed to nod. He gave her some water and it helped, but only temporarily. She took out a string of beads and started chanting some mantra that the life coach had taught her. She had spent the last week, away from her home, in his workshop to deal with such panic attacks she had been going through for the past year. Though she had doubts about its success. In all of this chaos and her chanting, she could clearly hear the ladies’ moaning. She knew things would worsen with time. Soon, the whole bus became aware of her plight. Her husband went out of the bus in search for some help, but returned with no luck. 

Everyone on board started advising him, making things only more difficult for the poor couple. Only Krishna was chanting mantras, indifferent to her surroundings. 

Past events were flashing before her eyes.

“Come on study, you are not that tired.” demanded her husband, coaxing her to study.

She was running to college, wearing a white coat. At-last earning respect from her in-laws as her career proceeded to a success. Her kids grew up, got married. Avni came home  for her first delivery. Her last breath….Her hope filled eyes.“Maa, you will save me right?” Her last words.

The leading Gynaecologist of the city could not save her own daughter. She left her career and cocooned herself in guilt and fear.

“Maa..” the lady screamed in pain and her voice penetrated through Krishna’s cocooned heart. It broke free from the chrysalis of despair and grief.  

She got up authoritatively, “Don’t panic, I am a doctor.” 

Her words changed the scene of the bus. She caressed the forehead of the Kashimiri lady and murmured, “Avni, this time I will not lose you. I am with you. Everything will happen naturally. You will be alright.”

“She understands only Kashmiri.” Her husband said. Krishna smiled and replied, “It doesn’t matter.” 

She did what she was best at, keeping the other passengers on tenterhooks. Within a few minutes, a healthy baby boy was on the bus. The crying sound of the new born brought cheer to not only the passengers of the bus, but to the people in nearby vehicles as well.

The couple thanked Krishna. The Kashmiri language was foreign to Krishna’s ears, but familiar to her heart. She looked at the new mother with teary eyes and a warm smile. The bus soon started crawling . With in a few minutes the road was clear as if it had been waiting for the baby's arrival. An ambulance was awaiting at the Toll Plaza, thanks to the smart phone in the hands of the boy sitting next to Krishna. One by one, they all three stepped off the bus.The woman turned to look back at Krishna.Her eyes were filled with gratitude. All the passengers waved at them as they were some long lost kin.

It was a smooth ride after that. They reached their destination very fast.Krishna got off  the bus to see Akash already there for her. He walked up and hugged her tightly.

“Mom, you are a hero! Look!” He exclaimed, showing her his phone. It was her with the Kashmiri women and her child. Someone had uploaded the whole story with the caption ‘New Life in a Jam’.

“Welcome home, Maa” Her daughter-in-law greeted. 

Krishna smiled because she knew it was a real welcome. A real home coming for her with a new life ahead.

Story: A tale of three daughters

A tale of three daughters
Once there was a very hard working farmer. He was blessed with a wife, three beautiful daughters and a very fertile farm. One day a sage arrived at his door step. The farmer welcomed him with open arms. He stayed with them for three days and became very impressed by the pleasing manners of his daughters. At the time of leaving he asked each of them a wish.
The eldest daughter, Durga said, “I am bored with this plain life put some adventure in it.”
The middle one, Devi said, “There is no doctor in our village so give me the power to cure humans as well as other creatures.”
The youngest, Amba said, “ I always misplace things and spend long hours to find them so please give me a book that can tell me where a particular person, place and thing can be located.”
The sage granted all the three wishes. From that day the farmer vested the responsibility of the cattle to Devi.
All went well for a few days but then she noticed that each night some cattle went missing. It was quite strange as there was no danger of the wild animals and no trace of any outsider in the farm. She shared the problem with her sisters and they all decided to keep a vigil on the cattle, at night turn by turn.
One night when Durga was keeping an eye on the cattle, she heard a thumping sound. She became alert and took position to attack the intruder. But she was taken aback to see a huge Giant before her. She put all her courage together and asked, “You are the thief of our cattle? Don’t you dare to move ahead?”
As against the conventional Giant, he replied in a humble voice, “O beautiful maiden, please forgive me. But my intention was not to trouble you. Each night I come to your cattle to eat some pests and leeches that feed on them but some cattle cannot bear to see me and collapse so I take them away with me.”
Durga asked surprised, “Who are you? Where do you live and why you need these pests and leeches to feed on?”
The Giant sighed, “My name is Gimo. I came from a far away land, Gimaland. It is the land of Giants. But no one likes me there. I am the black sheep of the kingdom. I do not like killing innocents to showcase my power. Neither I am good at magic. So they banished me. I live in a small hole just outside your kitchen window. I spend my whole day eating small insects, termites, flowers and fruits. But at night when you prepare dinner, the irresistible aroma of panchphoron ( a mix of five spices fenugreek, nigella seed, mustard seed, fenel seed and cumin seed) drives me crazy and I come to your farm and eat some leeches etc. on the cattle. Earlier it was too easy for me. But now when your sister Devi has taken charge of the cattle, the area is well lit and organized.”
Durga was surprised by the Gimo’s strange story but she was a courageous girl. She asked, “Can you return our cattle back?” Gimo gladly agreed. He took Durga to the backyard and entered a small hole and came back with the cattle in just a few seconds. Durga was amazed to see such a huge Giant entering and coming back through a tiny hole.
Seeing her amazement the Gimo replied with a curved smile, “I am bad at magic but some magic is in my blood.” His humor made Durga smile and she promised him dinner the other night and Gimo made her promise the secrecy of the whole incident.
In the morning, Devi was surprised to see the cattle back. When she asked Durga about it, “How do I know?” She replied.
From that night, it became a routine for Durga to bring secretly some food for the giant. Gimo was quite fond of her culinary skills. His praise encouraged her to prepare more and more delicacies day by day. Her sisters were surprised by the variety of food in dinner and her parents were happy with her interest in cooking. They thought that the time had come for her marriage.
But she became very upset with the talks of her marriage. That night when she went to Gimo with food she was very sad.
She said, “Now only a few days are left, my parents are seeking alliance for me. Who will give you food after my marriage?”
Gimo who was busy in chewing sprouts suddenly stopped, “O Hell! My tooth.”
He screamed and pulled out a large molar. First he laughed and then he started sobbing inconsolably, with the tooth clenched in his fist.
“I am so sorry. I was very upset today. Was anything wrong in the food that caused this?” She asked confused by his behavior.
Gimo sighed, “No it has nothing to do with the food. It is a good omen of the end of my exile from Gimaland. All I have to do is to go there and drop my tooth in the pool of wishes. The Tooth fairy will grant me a wish.”
“What is your wish?” she asked.
“I want to be human and marry you.” He simply proposed her.
That unexpected proposal made Durga very happy. She said good bye to Gimo as he was leaving for Gimaland with a promise of returning soon.
From that night Durga started waiting desperately for Gimo. But a sudden outbreak of leeches on cattle surprised Devi. She had to cure them by a particular medicine. She asked Amba, where to find it. Amba opened her book and said, “You can find it deep in the forest.”
She went to the forest early in the morning. When she was busy in collecting the medicinal herbs, she heard the sound of cracking of twigs. She was shocked to see a panther just a few feet away. Just when the panther was about to pounce on her, a muscular warrior came from no- where to her rescue. After a fierce fight the panther ran away. But it left the warrior with some fatal injuries. Devi was delighted as she knew he will be soon fine with her medicine. She had fallen in love with him, the moment she saw him. She took him home. It took almost a month for him to get well and tell his story of being at the right place on right time.
He was the youngest price, of the neighboring state Anuj. When his father grew old, he called all his three sons and said, “I want the strongest of you to become the king. The strength of a warrior lies in his sword. So go to the distant places and bring a strong sword. The one coming back with the strongest sword within a year will be declared my successor. ”
All the three princes went to different directions. Anuj travelled a lot of places. One day he came across a sage. He told the prince that the nail of a giant makes the strongest sword. Nails are made of a protein, keratin W. Animals and Giants often use them as weapon against the enemies. “But where can I find a giant?” he asked.
“Desperate ones find a needle in the grass. I am just talking about a giant. Usually a hole is the way towards Gimaland the land of giants.” Sage said.
After many difficulties he found the right hole and reached Gimaland. It was very easy for him to be there unnoticed because of his small size but to get the nail of any of them was a tough nut to crack.
After some time, he observed that only the King of the giants had long manicured nails, rest of the giants had brittle, broken nails due to hard work. The prince wanted the best so he decided to get the King’s nail. He started living in close vicinity of the king and observed that every Monday a barber came for his hairdo and manicure. The prince planned to pick up a nail from the waste. But man proposes and God disposes.
On Monday, the barber came. After trimming the kings nails he started massaging the moisturizer on his nail bed and cuticle. Tempted by the sight of target so close he picked up the nail and wrapped it under his robe, he was on the top of the world. But he stumbled upon a bowl of water and fell in it, splashing some water on the mirror that the barber and the King were using. They both noticed the splash and he got caught.
He could not believe his misfortune when they convicted him guilty of trespassing. An order to hang him till death was passed. He was brought to an amphitheater. The whole Gimaland was present there to see the death penalty of the tiny trespasser. He cried and pleaded for mercy but no one was there to listen to him except the son of the King, Gimo. He came with a thumping sound. He ordered to stop the hanging. He showed them his tooth as a gesture of authority to stop the order. Everyone bowed before him.
He went to the wishing pool and dropped his tooth in it. A tooth fairy appeared to grant him a wish. He wished the prince’s freedom and safety.
The fairy granted it and said, “You are a real prince Gimo you ignored your own wish for an unknown stranger.”
Anuj was set free. When he was crossing the jungle he saw the panther and Devi and eventually landed in farmer’s house.
His story unfolded the secret of delay in Gimo’s return and Durga started sobbing at her opaque future. After knowing the reason of her sorrow the farmer’s family became shocked. But Anuj came forward to help her.
He said, “I owe Gimo my life. I can take you to him”. Initially, the farmer had some reservations but after some persuasion he agreed to send his girls to Gimaland with Anuj.
When Amba asked them, “Do I open the book to find the way to Gimaland?” Durga took them to the hole in the backyard and said, “This is the way.” pointing towards the hole.
They all entered the hole and slid. In no time they were in Gimaland. Anuj guided them well through the city and finally they met Gimo. It was a pleasant surprise for him to see his lost love at his own place. But soon his pleasure was replaced by a sad smile.
“Sorry Durga, I cannot fulfill my promise. You go back. We can never share any future together.” He said.
“There is no U turn in love. It doesn’t bother me that you are a Giant. I will marry only you.” Durga replied.
“I cannot come with you right now. Some epidemic has hit our country. People are falling ill and dying in large numbers. You go. I will come after this is over.” He said.
“I can cure them.” Devi proposed enthusiastically.
With the help of Gimo, Devi set up a temporary shelter and started treating the infected Giants. Soon she found out that the reason of that infection was water. The water they were drinking lacked the required nutrients. The body became weak without those nutrients and weak body got easily infected.
“Earlier a river used to come into our land from deep forest but suddenly it stopped, may be due to scarce rain. So we have to move to alternate sources of water.”Gimo said.
Amba opened her book and said, “I can tell you the appropriate source of water. You can bring the water from Mt. Ginto to your land. That water is fit for your people.” Gimo stared her for a while, then he regained composure and said, “That is not possible. No Giant, even the most fierce warrior, has been able to reach Mt. Ginto. I am a Giant with below average capacity and valor. How can I bring the water to my land?”
“Together we can do it.” Anuj and Durga said at the same time.
Their encouragement raised Gimo’s morale but he could not convince his father about bringing the water to Gimaland. As always, Gimo was left alone by his father and his people. But his love and friends were there for him.
Devi decided to stay in Gimaland with Amba and treat the infected giants. Gimo, Anuj and Durga left for Mt. Ginto. Amba handed a map for the shortest route to Mt. Ginto. To keep pace with Gimo, Durga and Anuj tied themselves with him from long flexible and strong ropes.
While Gimo’s task was to clear the area for the water, Durga and Anuj kept themselves busy with the spiders, flies, bugs etc, which were no less than their size. After a tedious walk of three days, they reached their destination.
But the water fall was blocked by a huge rock.Too huge for Gimo too. Seeing such a huge obstacle they all filled with sorrow and remorse. But Prince Anuj got an idea. He asked Gimo to bring a huge log of wood and use it as a lever to move the rock. He did so and it worked.
The water of the stream came with full force taking three of them with its flow to the path they had made on their way to Mt.Ginto. The current of the stream was so strong that within a few hours they were in the Gimaland. The people of Gimaland welcomed the stream with cheer and applaud. It took the course of the old lake that used to come from the forest earlier.
Miraculously, it washed away the epidemic from the city within a few days. They all thanked Gimo and his friends for their help.
The King said, “Gimo, I know that you love Durga. So it be. I will make you human.” After that he looked at the pool of wishes. He dropped his tooth in the pool and the tooth fairy appeared and gladly granted his wish. The huge Gimo transformed into a handsome young man. The whole Gimaland cheered with joy.
Although they knew that Gimo was different from them but after witnessing his valor and selfless devotion during epidemic, they all wished happiness for him. Gimo and his friends left Gimaland after a tearful farewell.
Prince Anuj won the contest and became the King.The farmer was very happy to get suitable grooms for his daughters. He arranged for two grand weddings with the help of the villagers.
When, the friends teased Amba, “Where is your groom?” She took her book and smiled, “I will know when the time will come.” Both her sisters laughed, hugging her affectionately.

Story: The wood cutter

The Wood cutter

Long-long ago, there was a woodcutter. Circumstances forced him to opt for this profession otherwise he was a very good artist. He used to bring dried wood from the forests and sell them. In his free time he created art pieces from woods. Those art pieces fetch him handsome money .He was living a peaceful and happy life.

One day while he was wandering in the forest, in search of a dry tree, he saw a neon green flower on the bark of an Amaltas (Cassia Fistula), the Golden shower tree. When he went closer, the petals of the flower moved and he noticed that it was a butterfly stuck in the gum of the tree. It was trying hard to pull itself out of the gum but her efforts were not yielding any result. The woodcutter took out a sharp knife and scrubbed skillfully along the bark .In no time the gum was scrubbed off from the bark leaving the butterfly free.

The butterfly circled around him to express its gratitude. He bowed and grinned, “The pleasure is all mine.”

To his astonishment it replied in a human voice. “I am a magic butterfly. I have immense magical powers but I can’t use them for myself. Thank you for saving my life. You can ask any favor in return.”

But the woodcutter was a simple man. He was satisfied by his way of life so in spite of butterfly’s persuasion he refused to accept any favor from her. So it said, “On   your way back to home you will find a cotton field. In that field you will see seven cotton flowers emitting neon green light. Pluck them and run towards your house without looking back.”

Suddenly, a sparrow came flying towards the butterfly and forced it to hide in the canopy of leaves. The woodcutter spent his whole day working absent-mindedly thinking only about that magical butterfly who is so vulnerable.

On his way back to home it was dusk. He was surprised that he never noticed the cotton field outside the jungle. He was confused weather he should pluck those flowers or not. But when he saw them, they were too fascinating to have any second thought. He plucked the flowers and started running. But he could not resist the temptation to look back. The moment he looked back the whole field turned into a monster running fiercely after him and screaming loudly to get those flowers back. The flowers also started screaming. He got so scared that he ran for his life with flowers clenched in his fists and closed the doors and windows of his house, after entering into it. Baffled by the screaming of flowers, he put them in a bag and stitched its mouth as a pillow.

He could not sleep the whole night out of the fear that the monster might be knocking on the door. At the dawn he relaxed on the pillow of the bag and slept instantly. That morning he saw a very strange dream.

A beautiful maiden, Jwala was sitting on a swing and her friend, Maya was standing beside her. They both were talking about her Swyamvar (a contest for finding right groom).

“Its not tricky, it’s about intelligence.” Maya said.

“I don’t think I can ever get a groom.” Jwala sighed.

“Don’t loose heart your father had arranged this Swyamvar for you, with great expectations.” Maya comforted her.

Just then he woke up. He was sitting on the bed thinking about the strange dream and the unbelievable events of yesterday. His heart was doing somersaults at the thought of the beautiful princess, Jwala. Suddenly, the neon- green butterfly came to him. He was shocked to see it because he had closed all the doors and windows last night.

“Surprise! I  can do miracles for others, but only for others not for myself.”  It reminded him.

“I don’t need any miracle. I love my plain life. The last night’s adventure of plucking flowers was too much for me. It’s a wonder that I am still alive.” He said.

“That was a simple thing but you broke the rule.” It said unabashed.

“Don’t tell me that the strange dream I saw has any thing to do with your miracles.” He said.

“Of course, yes. These maidens will add some colors to your plain life. Jwala is the princess of neighboring state, Jyotinagar. But she is quite worried about her Swyamvar because condition of the Swyamvar is that she will marry the man who will treat her. She is suffering from a rare disease, self-combustion in which she develops strange burns on her body without any fire around her.” It said.

“Her problem is genuine. I really sympathize with her but I am not a doctor. The question, that how can I help her stares squarely in my face.” He said.

“You are an honest man with good heart. You can solve her problem.” She said and disappeared.

That day he neither went to jungle nor created any art- piece. He went to the market. There he met the local doctor. He asked him if he knows anything to cure self- combustion. The old doctor said, “I don’t need to know because I don’t want to marry the pretty princess Jwala. But I can tell you the reason. Her intestinal conversion of food into methane by methanogens, which when released through the pores of her skin, catches fire when triggered by her silk clothes generating static electricity.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit technical for laymen?” wood cutter asked.

The old doctor took a dig at him, “You seem too desperate to marry the princess. Just tell her to eat a lot of fiber food. Don’t wear silk. Take some nectar from the flowers of Amaltas.”  

Satisfied with the answer, he sold his wood and show-pieces at a good price and came home happily. That night he slept on the same pillow hoping to dream about Jwala. He thought that a little knowledge about self combustion did not entitle a poor wood cutter to marry a princess. Thinking on the same lines he drifted into dreams.

Jwala was roaming in the garden with Maya

“Don’t you think you are too optimistic about the Swyamvar? My father has been trying to fight out this problem since I was a little girl. All the prestigious doctors

failed. You think some miracle will happen this time.” Jwala asked.

“Yes, I talked about you with my friend Sukarma, the fabled neon green butterfly. The legend says that it is our good deeds that destined us to be Sukarma’s friend. It will tell your problem to its other friends and together we will solve your problem and find a groom for you.” Maya explained.

Jwala hugged and thanked her for  being such a nice soul.

That morning the woodcutter woke up to a light knock on his door. That was the village weaver. He wanted the woodcutter’s help. To repair his loom as the only carpenter of the village was out and every one in the town was aware of his artistic skills. It took him just one hit of the hammer on the nail and the loom was fixed. The weaver became very happy and asked, “How can I repay you, Sohum?”

“There is no need of any formality. It was just one hammer on the nail.” The wood cutter asserted humbly.

“But only you know where to hit the hammer.” The weaver persisted.

“Some day I will weave a magnificent piece of cloth for you.” He promised.

When he returned home he found Sukarma waiting for him.

“Only a few days have left for the Swyamvar. What have you thought?” It said.

“What can I think I am a simple wood cutter? I am neither a doctor nor some educated and sophisticated prince. I don’t fit into the shoe of  the groom of a princess. She deserve someone best.” He said.

“May be you don’t have so many worldly possessions but you have a heart of gold that is always desperate to help others. You are the only one who can win this Swyamvar.”  It said.

Those words encouraged him. He had fallen in love with the princess, the instant he saw her in his dreams. The Swyamvar could be considered as the last straw on camels’ back. And he could not afford to miss it.

He again went to the village doctor and asked him questions about self- combustion with a curiosity that only a child had. The doctor gave him a few books that were available on the subject and wished him good luck.

He spent the whole day reading those books and drifted into sleep the moment he put his head on the pillow.

He saw huge bunches of Amaltas flowers. He also saw Sukarma, carrying the nectar of those flowers. A drop of that nectar dropped into princess Jwala’s water. The moment she drank it, she got an instant relief from her burns. She danced with joy and her joy filled the whole kingdom with prosperity.

Next morning he started preparing for the Swyamvar with full force. When Sukarma came to him, he asked about the nectar of Amaltas.

“Yes, we collect the nectar of these flowers. It is our staple diet. Although these flowers are seasonal but we preserve huge barrels of nectar for our food.” It said.

“Can you provide me some nectar?” he asked hesitating.

In answer Sukarma flapped its wings twice and the barrel of nectar was there.

“Anything more you want from me.” It asked to an amazed wood cutter.

“I also wanted to present a dress to the princess but…” he sighed.

“Oh! Don’t loose hope. Take this pillow to your weaver friend. He will make the most beautiful sari out of it.” It suggested.

He went to the weaver and asked him to make a sari for him. They both were surprised to see the rolls of soft off-white and golden yarn in the (bag) pillow. But the weaver was more surprised to know that the simple woodcutter of his village was going for the Swyamvar of the princess.

The news spread like fire in the jungle. Soon every one poured into his house with some advice or some gift because he was friend of every one in the village. His simplicity and goodness was cherished by all.

Then the day of Swyamvar came. He left the village with a barrel of nectar, a very beautiful sari and lots of good wishes. He was taken aback by the grandeur of the Swyamvar. His hesitation grew stronger as he thought that a princess deserves greener pastures not his little cottage. But Sukarma rubbed off his thoughts.

“Princess Jwala deserves a loving husband not some prince who is greedy of power and position.” It said to encourage him.   

It was a morale booster. In the Swyamvar, every candidate made huge claims about his remedy for self combustion but Jwala and Maya knew that they were fake as those remedies had been applied earlier by them. The wood cutter stood out of the rest not because of his simplicity but because of his remedy. He gifted the Princess a sari to wear. The moment he told the princess that there is no need to wash it as it will not catch dust or stains. Maya recognized him that he was the one whom Sukarma had sent. She pointed towards him to tell Jwala that he is the right person. Then he said, “Mix a spoonful of nectar whenever you drink water.”

After the gifts session was over. The king announced that all the candidates would be his guests for 15 days. His aim was to observe the candidates closely. He wanted a groom with humanity and compassion. His daughter was different from other princesses. Her disease had made her introvert and sensitive so a different groom was required for her.

The fifteen days flew quickly amid the celebrations of the   Swyamvar. Now  came the day when Jwala had to choose her groom amongst the candidates. She was looking like a fairy in the off white sari with golden border. Her ornaments were made from the yellow flowers of Amaltas, instead of gold. The result of the remedy she had applied was evident form the glow of her skin. Her beauty made even the most handsome prince skip his heart- beat. She was holding a traditional rose garland in her hands. She came near the candidates and made her choice. Her choice shocked all except, Maya and the King. Yes, it was the poor wood cutter, whom she garlanded.

The King arranged for a high profile wedding and insisted the wood cutter to live with them. But both Jwala and he refused his proposal and went to his village after taking the blessings from the King. Maya also bade her friend a tearful farewell.

 The villagers greeted them with a warm welcome.

Sukarma had decorated his house with Amaltas flowers. Jwala danced with joy as she had never seen such a beautiful house. Sukarma smiled as it was an omen of prosperity for the whole village.

She bade farewell to the newly wed and grinned, ”Do not try to cure any disease by reading books as a single misprint will leave your patient dead.”

Every villager grew an Amaltas tree for Jwala. The village became very prosperous. Jwala and the wood cutter lived happily ever after.

Q-What was the name of the wood cutter?

Keep it simple...silly!

Keep it simple…silly!

Every doctor and staff of the Emergency of the Rukma Devi Meghraj Hospital, Jaipur was sleepy. It was 11.30 pm. In this not so small city  people still believed in no night life. Disturbing their peace a policeman entered with a couple, dressed in formal party wear. The man was dressed in an expensive black evening suit and the woman was clad in a designer midnight blue saree with blue sequins scattered all over it. Her sapphire jewellery was the cherry on the cake. Even in this city that is famous for its jewels and tourist destinations such extravagant dressing sense was rare.

“Where is your Medical Officer? “The policeman asked in a shrill voice. The frustration of performing his duty in these hours of night was evident from his tone.

“What happened?” asked Mohan ji, a senior male nurse at the Emergency ward.

“These rich spoilt…”

The policeman was cut in between by a young P.G. student, Sapna. Cascading hair, watery eyes and an innocent smile, she was just looking like a cute girl next door. It was hard for the policeman to believe that she was a doctor. He stared at her to believe his eyes. Reading the suspicion in his eyes Sapna said, “I am the Medical Officer in charge. I will give the certificate.” Then she addressed Mohan ji giving him a form of Certificate of Drunkenness, “Mohan uncle, get this form filled.”

After giving  the form to him she went to bring Breathe Analyzer machine.

“Name?” asked Mohan ji.

“Pratham Meghraj”. The man said. The authority in his voice made it clear that he belonged to some elite family of the city. His voice had all the qualities of an eloquent speaker. That made him fit for a job that required a lot of public speaking.

“Jawaibabu (son in law)!” Mohan ji shouted in such a loud manner that the Emergency ward transformed into an epitome of  the city that never sleeps. A shocked Sapna turned to look into the most handsome eyes of the world. The eyes of her husband who jilted her, only a day after their wedding. She never thought in the last six years that she would meet him again. She had thought that the cruel chapter of her destiny had been closed. The entire Emergency ward swirled around her. She had to hold a corner of  her table to regain her composure.

The other two doctors  on duty, who were her class mates jumped in excitement. There was an obvious curiosity in all her classmates about her husband. They used to mull over the subject that who would be that stone hearted billionaire that jilted such a beautiful and good natured wife just a day after their marriage, what must be the cause of the conflict, was that a love or an arranged marriage? The questions were many but no one ever got the guts to ask the answers because Sapna had   always guarded her privacy with huge effort.

“Sapna Meghraj! He is your husband Pratham Meghraj.” They declared as if Sapna was having any confusion. With a forced smile she nodded and they both went to shake hands with him. This was the first time she saw him that night. He had become more handsome in the last six years. His boyish charm had been replaced by the manly confidence, although the stress of the night had taken its toll. His expensive black suit was crushed and his tie was loose. The dark circles around his eyes were telling the story of few sleepless nights. But then also, he was Pratham Meghraj, the trustee of the hospital. His usual confidence was there in his body language.  The girl whom he was playing escort was clinging to him just as a creeper to a pillar for support. Sapna required no blood test or analyzer machine to ascertain that  she was drunk. She was extremely beautiful. With her half open eyes and half smile she was lost in her own world. A sharp knife of jealousy stabbed Sapna’s heart.  But as far as Pratham was concerned he was watching Sapna with an intense look as if he was reading her mind.

“Sapna! Come here.” Anirudh asked her to come forward and meet Pratham.  Then he and Ketan (the two doctors) withdrew themselves, excusing for the blood test. His stare was so disturbing that to break it Sapna broke the silence and said a polite “Hello.”

“Hello doctor.”  He smiled a warm smile and walked away for the test. As long as they were there Sapna felt that everyone was observing her, even the policeman, as if it was she who was drinking and driving. The policeman was surprised that the thin doctor, the cute girl next door in Khadi Kurta (shirt) and patiyala salwar (lowers) is Mrs. Meghraj, the daughter in law of the one of the most successful and prestigious business houses of the city.

After a few hours of ordeal, when Sapna finally came out of the hospital to go home, she found Pratham standing with his creeper all around him, shaking hands with the policeman.  A big  black car was also there. That reminded her of Pratham’s red open jeep.  “People change their vehicles too change as the time pass.” She thought.
The case was resolved.

“Could I drop you somewhere.” Pratham asked.

“You had already dropped me. ”She thought but could not utter those harsh words. Although it suited best to her situation but the line was too filmy.

“No, I have an Activa (scooter).” She said pointing towards her two wheeler.

They both went to their separate ways, in their separate vehicles, for their separate destinations thinking about each other, their love, their joy and their shattered dreams.

Sapna made some futile attempt to get some sleep in her room. But her heart was walking down the memory lane six years back.

Her Baba (father) was a male nurse at RDMH. That’s why she got acquainted with Mummy ji, doctor Kamal Sadana’s wife. Mummy ji insisted Baba to drop her at their   house after school. Baba also thought it was a good idea as their house was a huge plot with  a small structure at the center. The boundary was covered with lots of mango and jamun trees. That was much like a small cottage in a farmhouse. But it was out of the reach of the neighbors. The area was fast developing into a posh locality, thanks to the boost in the real estate in the city. Those posh neighbors neither had time not the inclination to maintain any relationship with a middle class nurse. She was a teenage girl then. Always busy with school, tuitions, friends and confusion about career.

When first time Sapna met Mummy ji, she told her don’t call me Aunty, call me Mummy ji. She showered her   unconditional love to that motherless girl and at the same time fulfilled her desire to have a daughter. Their son Mehul da became a good friend of Sapna. Their home became her second home.  She used to spend a lot of time with Mummy ji, helping her in cooking, gardening and other household tasks. Mummy ji was a very simple and loving lady. She was proud of Dr.Sadana’s dedication towards his profession. She wanted Mehul da to become a doctor and continue the legacy but he opted for management. He completed his Masters degree from IIM, Ahmadabad and started a consultancy at Jaipur. Although he had a promising career ahead but Mummy ji’s dream remained unfulfilled. Her inclination towards the profession of doctor made Sapna sincere about her career. She decided to take Pre Medical Tests (PMT) with full dedication and become a doctor like Dr. Sadana. Her decision got full support from Sadana family and her Baba. Mummy ji left no stone unturned to gather the information about best coaching centers for PMT in the city and got her admitted to the best coaching center of Jaipur.

Those were the days when she first met Pratham at Mummy ji’s house. His red jeep was a subject of fancy for Mummy ji and her. He was Mehul da’s classmate at IIM, Ahmadabad and as both of them were from same city they became friends. But Mummy ji always cautioned Sapna to stay away from him as he was rich, famous and handsome. That was her biggest mistake. That caution increased Sapna’s curiosity and drew her towards Pratham. One day, when Sapna was going for her PMT coaching, Pratham offered her a lift. Turning a blind eye towards the warning bells that rang in her ears she accepted the offer. That journey took her to the journey of love. Soon that became a routine for both of them. Her friends used to tease Sapna about her billionaire boy friend and some tried to intimidate her citing her friendship to Pratham as a possible reason for her failure in PMT. But no fear had the strength to stop her. Her friendship with Pratham was her motivation to study too hard and become a perfect match for him.

There, at the Meghraj Mansion, Pratham was also lost in his thoughts.

 Even the circumstances were playing villain in his love story. In the last six years he had desperately waited for the day to meet Sapna. But he met her today in such an odd circumstance. The first thing he wanted to do when he landed to this city was to meet her. But either due to jetlag or some hesitation he could not do so. In the evening, when he got ready to meet her, Mom announced that they were going to Sona’s engagement.

Sona was like a kid sister to him. She was the daughter of his Mom’s best friend. She was getting engaged to her sweetheart after much chaos. But Pratham’s support to her had made the miracle happen, finally she was getting married. Although both the families were ready for the wedding but there was a slight tension due to their different backgrounds and culture. The bride was Rajasthani and the groom was Punjabi . So Sona needed Pratham for a moral support. Party was in full swing. The glamour and the grandeur could not hold his attention and he tried to sneak out of the party many times. But he did not get the chance without getting noticed because after Sona, he was the center of attraction due to his complex marital status. By the end of the party, Sona drank so much to celebrate that her fiancée asked Pratham to drop her home. While driving when he looked at his watch to see if there was time to meet Sapna. He absentmindedly crossed the red light and the policeman caught him. Sona’s drunken state added to his woe and the policeman took him to the hospital for drunkenness test. Their own hospital, where Sapna was pursuing post graduation. Destiny granted his wish to meet her but in its own ruthless way. Sapna didn’t even bother to talk to him. She was behaving like a stranger.

At the hospital, Mohan ji was also lost in his thoughts.

Sapna’s Baba was his best friend. It had been a tough time for him to bring up a five year old girl single handedly. The untimely demise of his wife was a big jolt to him. But little Sapna’s innocence, brought him back to life. They become support for each other. Soon his only aim of life became Sapna’s happiness. He was aware of Sapna’s soft feelings towards Pratham. When one day, Mrs. Meghraj came to him with an offer to buy his house, he did the greatest mistake of his life. He proposed to give that plot in dowry to Sapna, if she and Pratham got married.

“You are also thinking about Mr. Meghraj.” Ketan teased Anirudh.

“What an idiot he is! Leaving Sapna he is dating some other girl.” Anirudh said.

“You should be glad about that. Everyone knows since how long you are hoping that Sapna will walk out of her marriage….. towards you.” Ketan said.

They both laughed and the night passed.

The alarm bell rang and pulled Sapna back to the present. She got dressed and went for the jogging with Papa ji. Dr. Sadana became Papa ji after Baba’s demise.

“You are very quiet today.” Papa ji observed. She just smiled; her introvert nature had never let anyone invade her privacy. So Papa ji also remained silent. When they reached home she stumbled upon the same old red jeep. Pratham was there. He was with Mehul da. Mummy ji gave her two mugs of coffee.

“He is back. Go and meet him.” She said.

“Yes I know he is back. I met him last night at the hospital.” Sapna replied.

That shocked Mummy ji and Papa ji got his answer. She went to Mehul da’s room with coffee mugs. Mehul da picked his coffee and said “I need some more sugar” and left the room with that excuse. They were alone in the room like the early days but the difference was that earlier they had many things to talk about, now they didn’t know from where to start.

“We need to talk” Pratham said.

“Yes, tell me.” She replied.

“Not here, I will pick you up tomorrow evening.” He said.

“But I have emergency duty….”

She was interrupted by Mummy ji, who was probably peeping through the curtains, listening the conversation. She could not let her deny Pratham’s proposal. Deep in her heart she had nourished a feeling that they are made for each other and would unite once they became independent.  Now after a long gap of six years the moment had come.

“Duty Duty Duty.. She is damn serious about her duty. I will ask for your leave if you can’t.” Mummy ji said and offered some biscuits to Pratham.

“She will be ready by 5 tomorrow evening.” Mummy ji declared.

He nodded towards the ladies and left.

Today was Sona’s Sangeet and the onus to handle Sona’s whims lied on him. His presentation on the suitability of Vegetation and Surroundings was   also due. There were a lot of tasks ahead. When he reached home Mom was having her breakfast.

“Come, join me.” She said.

He was not in a mood to talk but his Mom was his world. He had never blamed his Mom instead he blamed his destiny for his broken marriage.

“You went to her. How was her response?” she asked.

“Cold”. He sighed.

“Think once more. It is very hard to forgive. Especially when the loss cannot be compensated.” She said overburdened with guilt. Her intention was not to dishearten him but to make him aware that he had to deal this matter with great care. Six years ago he choose to be on his Mom’s side not because he believed that she was right but because he knew that his Mom’s anger would subside in very short time. But now Sapna had a very strong reason to be angry.

But Pratham was confident that luck would favor him this time. If he could forgive his mother, then Sapna could also do the same. What she did was out of anger and rage but nothing more than that. He could not think on the same lines as he got an urgent call from Sona. So he went to deliver a live presentation on Skype. When he came out of his room Sona was waiting   for him.

“I have been waiting since an hour. What were you doing?” she said.

“I was doing some work.” He smiled.

“What do you do?”She asked.

“I tell people the importance of the right vegetation at the right place. For example we all know that Uttrakhand tragedy happened due to lots of rain, over flowing rivers, unplanned constructions in the name of development but there is one major point we all miss. Earlier the mountains of Uttrakhand were covered with Oak trees. The leaves of the Oak trees make the black soil in due course of time which very well for undergrowth and thus preventing soil erosion. But now these forests have been replaced by Pine forests which are useful for us but cannot stop soil erosion. Understood. This is my job” He said.

“Had you come to India early we could have saved Uttrakhand.I am thinking to cut a few dishes from the menu of main course and donate the money saved to Uttrakhand victims.” Sona smiled.

Nature offers solutions for many problems but solution for Sona’s problem of   a last minute SHOPPING was in Jaipur’s pink colored marked.

“Are you crazy? In this era of e- shopping you want me to accompany you for shopping.” He shouted as shopping was his greatest nightmare.

But Sona’s emotional blackmail dragged him to the Zohri bazaar, the most happening market of the city. Pratham was cursing the day he played cupid for Sona and her sweetheart.

This city offers a market culture where shopkeepers invite the buyers into their shops saying. “Please come, just have a look.” It was full of activity and color. Soon Pratham came out of his bad mood and began to enjoy Sona’s last minute shopping spree. Suddenly, he saw Sapna and Mummy ji moving out of a Saree store. They also saw him holding the shopping bags and enjoying the company of Sona.

As they move towards their car Mummy ji asked, “Who is that girl?”

“I don’t know. But I have seen her She was with him that night when the policeman caught them. They all came to the hospital for    certificate of drunkenness.” she said.

“Had he started dating her?” Mummy ji was getting desperate to know more.

“How would I know? It’s good if he is moving ahead in life. It’s the time    we should take some bolt step.” she said.

Pratham who had come to meet them, was just behind her at that time. He wanted to invite them to Sona’s wedding. But Sapna’s attitude of moving ahead in life gave him some negative response. So he slowed down his pace and let them walk towards their car. After that he could not concentrate on Sona and asked her to make it fast. As the hours passed and he dwelled more on Sapna’s response he got sure that there was minimal chance she loved her. She must have got a new man, that’s why she wanted to move ahead in life.

That day he engaged in a brawl with a motorcyclist for just causing a mere scratch, scolded the poor  watchman for opening the gate after three horns and found a lots of fault in the food at lunch time. Sona was surprised to see such a behavior as this was not the usually composed and sober Pratham. But she was too excited about her Sangeet (dance ceremony before the wedding) to pay much attention to anything else.

Sona’s Sangeet was based on rajasthani theme. She was looking like a fairy dancing in the clouds. The colorful ambience and the vibrant rajasthani costumes added to the mood of the party. Pratham noticed that he was also the center of attraction in his Jodhpuri. Many mothers introduced their charming girl to him.  But none could provoke  the desire to move ahead in him. His desire was to move back to the moment when he and Sapna were lovers. He was lost in his thoughts when Anirudh called him.

“Hi! Mr. Meghraj, enjoying the party?” he said.

“Of course, Dr. Anirudh. You were with Sapna that day.” Pratham replied.

The mention of Sapna’s name brought a pink glow on his face. Pratham was enough sharp to notice it. Then Anirudh made his feeling clear about Sapna’s future course of action during their conversation. His comments gave a hint to Pratham that he could be the man with whom Sapna wanted to move ahead in life. He made   some excuse and left early from the party.

He went to bed cocooned by the memory of his wedding.

Jaipur was a small city and it didn’t take long for everyone to know that he and Sapna were dating. Everyone was surprised. He was rich, arrogant and handsome. She was middle class, down to earth and beautiful. But opposite attracts and the bond between them got stronger and stronger as the time passed.

One day, when Mom told him about Sapna’s father’s proposal, it was like a dream come true. A marriage proposal from Sapna’s father was a pleasant surprise. He knew that his Mom loved him more than anything in this world as he was an only child and the best thing she had ever got from a devastated marriage. He had never seen his father nor he was interested to know about the whereabouts of that person. But her approval and hurry for the marriage seemed strange to him. The date was fixed. Sapna was very happy. Others were shocked. But no one knew the secret agreement between her Baba and his Mom. But that came into light when Sapna was sent back home only a day after the      grand marriage.

“Your father is a cheat, a liar. The plot on which you are living is not yours. Then also he promised to give that plot in    dowry. Go back to him and tell him, we don’t have any place for cheats at our house.” His Mom’s harsh words were loud and clear in his ears.

He just kept watching her helpless. His attitude, confidence, arrogance.. Nothing was there. Only his tearful eyes conveyed her “I will fix it up, just have some patience.” The extent of humiliation was same for both of them. Their parents had humiliated them who loved them the most in the world.

That fateful day when she returned home and told her Baba what had happened, he got a heart attack, the killer one. Sapna was left alone. Everyone came to sympathize. Pratham and his Mom also went there but overburdened with guilt they could not ask her to come back.  They thought only time could heal such wounds so Pratham went to USA for further specialization.

During that time of distress Mummy ji stayed with Sapna like a shadow. She took her to her home and said, “Don’t let one relationship take your everything and leave your soul void.”

She cleared the PMT with flying colors and got admission in Jaipur Medical Collage. Then she cleared the Pre PG and became a student of RDMH. It was Pratham who bore her expenses but neither had she initiated any communication nor he dared to talk to her. Their single parents were the emotional burden to their relationship.                                                                                                                                             

That morning brought a busy day for Mummy ji. She kept herself and Sapna busy in the preparations for the evening. She took her to a Spa - Saloon and did her complete makeover. Finally, many hours later when they emerged out of the Saloon , Mehul da’s expressions with an open mouth told Mummy ji that  she had achieved what she had wanted.

Later when Pratham came to pick her up he was shocked to see her ready for a high profile party instead to her usual sober and casual appearance.

“What happened you don’t find her good?” Mummy ji asked seeing him shocked.

“No she is always good.” He said with a smile.

Pratham was only thinking about the venue of their date. That attire was fully in appropriate for the Kapoor Chand Kulish Smriti Van, an artificial forest created by the department within the city. There was greenery all over due to rainy season. The chirping of birds made it more romantic. But then also he took her there only to find that it had been closed as the timings were only till 5 in the evening.

“Oh Sapna! I am so sorry.” He apologized.

But his apology added fuel to the fire of Sapna’s anger. She came out of the car and said, “ Why should you be sorry now, when you  were not sorry when your Mom kicked me out of her house, you  were not sorry when you jilted me just after our marriage for no fault of mine, you were…”

“Ahh…” a sharp scream cut her in between and she turned and saw Pratham’s pale face filled with pain. Perspiring profusely he could barely utter “snake”. A snake had bite Pratham through his sandals. It was common in the rainy season in such greenery. But it was not the time to blame him for the venue or his previous mistakes. She ran towards him and quickly tied a hanky around her ankle.

Then she asked him, “Calm down, everything will be all right you are with a doctor. Don’t worry. Within 10 minutes we will be at the hospital.”

But Pratham hold her hand and said, “Please don’t leave me otherwise I will die.”

“I will never let my love   die.” she said. 

These words brought immense relief to Pratham and he did exactly what he was told.  She had already ranged at the Emergency for the anti venom injection and everything was under control within an hour. Everyone in the ward knew that her reason for the leave was not the headache but heartache.

When Pratham’s Mom came there Sapna started to move out. But she stopped her.

“How is he?” she asked.

“He is out of danger now.” Sapna said.

She started narrating the whole incident of the snake bite and the medications but his Mom cut her in between.

“Keep it simple silly. You still love him. If you can love him, you can definitely forgive me. Please forgive me. I was mad in anger. But I am ashamed of it.” She said and gave her a tight hug. The tears from their eyes washed the malice in their heart.

Everyone at the ward was smiling on this happy ending and Pratham smiled too as from the very beginning of the outing he knew that his venue and timings for the outing were perfect.

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