An Anonymous Quest:

Once upon a time, I had a dream...I was walking on a lonesome lane, snowflakes around and the mist. It was dark and the birds were enjoying the warmth of their nest, amid the melody of silence I got passed the white leaves quivering in the chill of the night when I entered a garden, a garden of secrets, a garden of lies...Lies that tempted me to accept them as truth. Aroma of roses, black roses they were sparkling and elegant, welcomed me with their presence. A tender voice it was, the voice of that tranquil rose, expressed her wish to be mine and I separated it from her life. It smiled and gestured me that the aim of  her life is now fulfilled as it is adorning my hand lying there cold and dead but sparkled beauty. I looked at other flowers and they were saying a good-bye... a farewell to me, a farewell to that rose. I looked around and gradually the garden faded away into nothing. It was gone, gone were its flowers. I was standing there all alone knowing not what to do, where to go, whom to call...I was still wondering when I saw a young lady with indescribable beauty, sitting alone by a white frozen brook and the sky turned green. She looked at me , her eyes heavy and bright. With snowy white flood like hair and lips like a blooming bud of red rose she gradually levitated and with an unearthly soothing voice called out my name. Mesmerized I was oh I had no choice for it was divinity-in-form, calling me. I walked to her and stood there for sometime, speechless. I asked in my mind who she was. With a celestial voice and waving presence, she spoke " I am the moon, the separated diamond of your earth. Oh the earth, called me with all its beauty  and charm, made me descend from my abode, the space where I dwell, alone and silent. I want to merge into this lake but oh...today its frozen. Look into my eyes, do you feel the sorrow, do you see the misfortune and the agony! People look at me and forget  my existence, oh who cares looking into the sky...Now that I descended, I don't want to go... I wish to be here for eternity, a place full of life and laughter. But I am cursed, I am cursed to return to my dark arid abode. How can I forget, for the world I have to shine. It was I who called you into this dream...Live it, remember it. I wanted someone to listen to me, to look at me and never forget. I want to reside in someone's memory, in someone's heart. Always remember, I am life, I am beauty, I am love.....and I too have a dream..."

Saying this she looked around as if absorbing every possible thing into her heart, as if extracting the joy from everything to give her warmth of memory when she returns to her life... 

She looked at me tenderly, then with grave cold eyes looked into the sky. Her expressions became serious and spreading her arms wide, she levitated high towards the sky with a shriek and dazzle.....

Today, after 50 years of that dream I still wait for her, sitting by a brook in the night beside a garden. But Oh everything is there but her.Every night, I waited, with a false irrational hope, that she might descend again into this world and call out my name...But may be it all ended with that dream, with that one night... though her wish came true. She still resides in my heart, in my mind. 

 Today, sitting under a tree, when I looked at her, there she was, in the dark sky, making the night look beautiful, I decided one thing.. Now that I am awake, let me take a pen and in this night, under her light.... Let me write...Let me write a tale about my endless quest for a beauty which was captured once upon a time by my fortunate eyes ...

-kaavya

The bus stop

Me : I want to say something

Girl: me too ...

Me: I love you

Girl: I love you too, sweety.. You are so...

“Kaavya!!!(shouting...) Kaavya!!! Wake up you sleepy head! Its your first day of college, you should not be late..”

Came an elderly repulsive voice of my mother. After that girl said “ I love you, SWEETY..” in my beautiful dream, the sudden voice of my mother calling out my name really seemed repulsive..

It was my first morning of college. From the past few days, I was totally engrossed in daydreaming about college life as is shown in television. I thought, as soon as I will enter the college, few crazy guys will be seen as singing, playing guitar n doing such stuffs, smoking girls wearing nice dresses would dance around..(Of course none of them materialized in later years). Anyway, after the call, I reluctantly opened my still-half-dreamy-eyes, brooding upon that virtual girl, got ready for college. ‘Kaavya, beta I am coming with you. I will escort you to the bus stop...”

WHAT!!, its not school anymore Ma, i am not a kid that i will go with you everywhere. Stop worrying, I will manage.

“You are still small in my eyes” said mother.  Mothers do have an instant logic to everything which renders other speechless. I had to agree, I was left with no choice.

“okay, now come on, hold my hand, lets go” mother said. NO WAY...please Ma, grow up... m not going to hold your  hand n go to my bus stop..NEVER.. Fortunately she agreed. Thank god.

It was a rainy morning. Bus stop was very close to my home, just a couple of minutes by walk. We reached there soon. As soon as we arrived, began her instructions. “Listen, be a good boy in college like you always have been till now. Don’t take drugs, don’t smoke, don’t drink.  Treat every boy as your brother n every girl as your sister.” She said.

Now, the last part of her instruction was difficult for me to digest. I nodded half heartedly. “ why it looks like you don’t agree? Such a lazy nod ?!” she exclaimed.

I did some vigorous nods n literally said three times- ‘yes I agree to what you said’. Sometimes I have to lie to her else she would keep bugging me.

Well, as it was raining, the weather was cold n pleasant. It was 12^th Aug 2008. N during this time , rainy day is a boon.

Suddenly from behind came a sweet melodious voice “excuse me, what time is it”

I turned back. It was a girl, a beautiful girl to be precise, with large bright eyes n with some undefined hairstyle, she stood there with a questioning expression. I noticed every time a gust of wind blew n she adjusted her meticulously combed hair. Fair, average height, innocent looks, eyes ears nose lips eyebrow were at the places where they are meant to be. That is all it takes to make any girl adorable by looks.

Suddenly I thought, oh, she asked me something, I should reply. I cleared my voice, looked straight into her eyes, took a deep breath n the moment I was about to speak, guess what, my mother replied- Its 7:15. Are you also going in C3 bus?

“Yes aunty, it is my first day of college” the bful girl said.

“So what is your branch beta” my mother asked.

“Mechanical engineering, its the best engg branch.” Now girls do have the habit of glorifying the things they are dealing with.

“Oh yes beta. Mechanical engg is really in demand in today’s market” came mother’s reply as if she has already analyzed the entire market trend.

So beta, where do you live? ..

the beautiful girl n my chance snatching mother began to chat which seemed endless. They chatted almost everything within 15 mins. Women really have this natural gift from God.

I was just standing there like a neglected idiot. My mother even didn’t introduce me to her..OMG. I tried to enter the conversation in the middle but every time they overlooked my comments n kept the chat to themselves. I was now PURELY waiting for the bus. N both of them forgot that I exist. After few mins, suddenly mother said to her-“ I should go now, I have a lot of things to do at home. I hope you people can manage.”

Bful girl: “sure aunty, don’t worry. It will be fine. We shall manage.”

I was glad  due to two reasons:

1)      My mother was leaving

2)  She used the term “we” which indicated she know that i exist.

“Okay kaavya beta, be good n all the best for your first day”. Then pointing to the girl she said “ Kriti beta, all the best to you as well, n don’t worry, kaavya bhaiya will help you out if there is any problem.”

The last part of the statement really pissed me off. When on earth I became her BHAIYA! That is the most dangerous thing with Indian parents. If you go out with them, really when you will return home, You will end up become the bhaiya of many girls suddenly!

The bus stop now contained me n the bful girl. I become blank when there comes such occasion. I though what to talk. There was nothing coming to mind. “you are really an idiot, can’t even talk to a girl”

“So, what’s your branch?” she asked

Me: umm....(I really forgot my branch), okay, well, any guesses?(I shifted the question to her n earned a few seconds to think what my branch was)

She: mechanical ?( saying this she smiled)

By that time somehow i regained my memory n said: No...its electrical engg.

She(unconcerned about what i replied) : do you like cats?

Its really difficult to trace the trajectory of a girl’s thinking pattern. Its just like mathematical singularity, where you can’t apply any logic or reason to trace out the solution.

Me: cats, umm....no...i just hate cats..you know their fur causes disease. They are just disgusting.

She: I have 5 cats at my home. I love cats. How can you hate such a lovely creature!!

Me in mind(damn! I should have said I love cats...)

Me: ohh...you mean CATS..yeah..i love cats...they are so cute.

She: But you just said you hate them, right?

Me: no no...i  thought you are talking about dogs. Sorry..( i agree i set a new benchmark for the lamest reply ever)

She: but dog’s fur don’t cause disease..! but you said, they do. You sure you were not talking about cats initially?

Me: Actually my G.K is very week...I thought dog’s fur causes disease..haha..(you can’t say I didn’t try to save myself)

She: Its okay...

Saying this she giggled n tapped my shoulder.      I liked the tap.

Suddenly I saw the bus coming, C3 was boldly written at its front end.

Me: hey...the bus is coming... you ready to go? (I said that confidently with a smile, as if her bus catching responsibility was now mine.)

She: no, you go...

Me: why...won’t you come?

She: no...you go.. I will come later.

Me: but how, there are no direct bus available apart from this college bus.

She: I know... okay look Kaavya.. Don’t tell it to anyone. But my boyfriend is coming in 5 mins to pick me up. You carry on.. it was nice knowing you.

Me in mind( oh god...NOO...boy friend n that too before even going to the college....surely she is going to set a record of maximum no. Of boyfriends)

Me: oh..ya sure...don’t worry I wont tell it to anyone.(ahh..I was heartbroken..)

Saying that I got into the bus, where seniors were waiting for their morning preys.

PS: I don’t claim the story to be true. ;-)

-Kaavya