Beyond The Sunset - 6
by Tanuja Chatterjee
(Kolkata, India)
Back to Chapter 5
Chapter 6 "Leave my arm Roy, you're hurting me!" said Anubha trying to wriggle out from his hold.
"Leave you! No way! But I don't mean to hurt you, so, ..." said Roy loosening his grip without letting off her hand. "Is that better?" he continued with a smile.
"Yeah...but leave my hand...!" she said again.
"Why?"he asked.
"I feel embarassed!" she answered softly.
"Oh I almost forgot...I didn't mean it...really!" Roy continued, "...Let me hold on ...just a bit longer Abha!"
Life is eternal and so is the warmth of hearts..." she thought, "...it transcends time, space and distance! Her journey so far had been undeniably interesting... with myriad streaks of unfathomable moves of heart. They had found each other about thirty years back...then lost touch completely...to rediscover each other all of a sudden, yet again, on a fine bright sunny day. Yes, holding hands did have its charm...even today. Was it all purposeless! What was the calling!" she wondered.
Studying the changes Anubha could identify the interplay between her everyday life and persistence of ancient memories, the scale at which she lived all these years convinced her that it wasn't anything short of any living memorial. Her road towards spiritual practice, those historic occurrences and the people who contributed generously to make her what she is presented a better understanding of the events opening up before her now.
"A bit longer?! Why?" she continued.
"Will you ever understand Abha! Your "whys? haven't ceased yet?" Roy answered without a spare of glance.
"I always understood! I still do. It is the only thing I have of my own, that affectionate lingering solitude!" She answered turning serious 'etched out their blueprints upon my heart' composed those struggles' and I stayed connected and reconnected 'time and again' to honor them!
Listening to her speak, moved Roy and he suddenly came to a halt before that big statue in the fore lawns of Victoria.
"Gigantic! Isn't it awesome Abha!" he said still holding her hand trying to ignore what she just said.
"This is Queen Victoria in bronze. Look at the craftsmanship! Every age comes with unprecedented talent, don't you think so!" she answered with equal zeal.
"The times change Abha, but the matters of the heart don't. All these years couldn't cease to reduce the warmth of our hearts... the charm of holding hands like this is proof enough that our beings are eternally linked ....look... at present... it's through our sense of touch." He remarked as he slowly let go off her hand.
"Thanks!" said Anubha,and fell silent, as if she wanted nothing more.
"Don't be lost in your own thoughts Abha...say something. These are treasured moments...let's not slight them, at least," said Roy almost instigating her to talk.
"We departed without a proper good bye." she continued. "It hadn't been easy at all...but how does it matter now! This is a strange life...an eye opener. As I look back I feel all that happened should have happened...be it your decision to move on without me...it helped me evolve. I'm happy today for you helped me to change myself and my outlook." she spoke with confidence and ease.
Her cell buzzed and she stopped to answer the call and Roy watched her with equal fondness of those yester years, to reflect and to look at 'now what! where to...' from here!