By Kakoli Ghosh
- How long will you sit here counting the waves? Aren't you hungry? Let's go home now.
- Please let's stay here for a little while more, Urmi. Just sit beside me like this, wrapping your arms around my shoulder.
- Hey! Saikat! What are you looking at so intensely in my eyes! Please don't stare so passionately into the depth of my mind. I feel so shy.
- When the sun feels drowsy at the fray end of the day, your sand coloured eyes capture my fancy as sand dunes hold a desert.
- Saikat, why did you stop your writing? You have not even etched out a single word of your poesy since long. I feel so unhappy for such a waste of your talent.
The smouldering evening fuming at Saikat's cigarette end caressed the sea breeze passionately. The rolling waves chased the sea gulls as breathlessness splurges helplessly for life and its fresh air.
Urmi leaned on Saikat's shoulder; she entwined her right arm with his left. Saikat lovingly arranged the twirling fringe of her hair falling on her temple and said, " today there's no need for cooking dinner; will buy some chapatis on our way back home. Some leftover vegetable is there in the refrigerator, so no need to worry."
At an unguarded moment the absentminded night opened the latch of the evening and stepped out stealthily on the roads leading towards the town. The forgetful evening gradually walked away along the shore, barefoot, towards the far away twinkling line of waiting ships beyond the harbour. The line of lights hung like scintillating hopes in the vast void of indefiniteness.
Saikat called in a cloying voice, "Urmi!"
She crooned softly "uummmm!"
- Are you feeling sleepy, Urmi?
- uuummm, a bit....
- Want some tea?
- If you take, I'll sip from yours.
- Are you feeling cold in the moist sea breeze, Urmi?
Urmi huddled closer to Saikat, rubbed her face in his chest as if there lies the ultimate warmth of her life. The roaring silence of the lonely beach was curdling her milky smooth presence silently. Saikat felt that Urmi snuggled into his curve more and more for touching the rush of life running through his veins.
- "Hello! Mr.....don't sit in this desolate area, it's quite late . Now get up and leave the place without any delay" a guard came from nowhere and warned Saikat.
- "Let's go home now, Urmi. The medicine shop will also get closed, I've to buy the sleeping pills. All my emergency medicines had been finished last week. I'm becoming very forgetful these days, don't know why."
- "Why don't you read some books instead of taking sleeping pills! It induces good sleep. You have to quit smoking too. You know how much I feel disheartened for it. You smoke, my mind burns to ashes. "
- "I am trying to quit smoking. Please don't feel so. If you feel suffocated, my breath will stop. So don't ever tell me like that. Now tell me one thing Urmi, did you really like the name of our daughter? At that moment they were asking for her name to be registered in her birth certificate. So without any second thought the name Hiya, came up to my mind and I uttered that name instantly."
Loitering through the deserted lane, Saikat opened the rusty latch of the gate. Browny was waiting on the slab- culvert as usual, wagging his tail excitedly on seeing Saikat. It was already quite late, Browny was expecting some leftover food which Saikat might offer him . Saikat patted on his head and said " have patience Browny, good boy! Eat these salted peanuts for now." Saikat fished out a handful of salted peanuts wrapped in a wrinkled newspaper piece, from the depth of the right pocket of his trousers. The old pedler at the sea side has now known Saikat's taste. He prepares hot spicy peanut mixture specially for him. Browny also has started liking it now .
Saikat fumbled for the keys in the other pocket of his trousers. After a long struggle he found it half sunk in the cigarette packet. Entering the semi dark drawing room of the house he could see the neon light stripes from the street shredding the confined darkness inside the room as dream shreds deep sleep.
He forgot to buy the chapatis and the medicines . But he never misses to buy the jasmine garland from the little girl at the seaside. She sells fresh flowers and garlands wandering throughout the beach every evening.
Saikat adorned the large lively portrait of Urmi with the fresh garland and looking deep in her hazel eyes said, "our daughter Hiya wants to know about you Urmi...., how you looked like, how you used to sing and laugh, did you use to apply kohl in your eyes or not, and why her eyes are black and not like that of yours.... so many questions. Sometimes I get puzzled."
Lacing his fingers on Urmi's portrait Saikat smiled softly saying, "our Hiya looks exactly like you Urmi, that same small forehead, arched brows, curls falling on her temple, your heart warming smile..."
"Take away your gaze Mr...., I'm feeling shy now. Don't look at me so passionately", Urmi's portrait said smiling.
By Kakoli Ghosh