LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
I was totally bemused and heard little of what the lady had uttered. All I could draw from her erratic movements and words was that she was after something. Instead of immediately studying them, I thought it was necessary to help my aged limbs to a faster pace so that I could save a cute little puppy that was foolishly running to the main road. “Good Heavens!” I was just in time. A slight delay would’ve cost his life. I yelled out,” Thanks a lot mate, you’ve saved him,” with a gasping note.”Take care you old man," retorted the driver and went away.
I took a hurried look all through his body to see if he had any bruising. No, fortunately. But the tiny creature was still whimpering, in need of consolation. I slapped him slightly on his back saying,” you rascal, do you s what would’ve happened? Not again!” I knew it was a mischief forged by his folly.
Although it was more than dusk and almost dark, it did not take much long for me to sense that somebody was watching. I still had the pain in my back and shoulders and so I took my time to turn. It was a svelte lady who seemed old- should have surely retired from a regular job or could be even as old as me. The very next thing I saw was a stare - very sharp that I felt it emitted fire. I was taken aback and mumbled,”Er.Actually he isn’t mine. But I was rescuing him”. When there was a relaxation from her part. The graceful woman now sported a benign smile and said,” you have done exactly what I wanted you to do, you old geezer.” Before I could possibly react, she corrected herself saying, “Don’t take it serious, Sir. I used it in a rather a friendly way as we share the same motherland. “I now had to gape in wonder that this blonde would be an Indian”.
As I saw her with my eyes wide open, it was clear. She was candid and I love that. And when she spoke, her eyes said it all. I kept gazing her face that glared against the flashing headlamps of the motor vehicles that strode in the adjacent thoroughfare. As I saw her face, I felt as if I were held against a zephyr. I found myself zonked with an excessive dose of philtre. In all, I felt soaked as we kept strolling till we reached a diversion. Cutting short her officious talk, she said,” So long, sir. I’ve to go. It’s pretty late than usual. Anyway thanks a lot for saving my puppy”.
She wasn’t a sort of chatterbox and said nothing that usual folk speak. Her voice had the sparkle of a mountain stream that left me ravished in an unknown land. As she swaggered along her path, I tottered in my way, that probably reflected our lives, one successful and another a real failure.
I was shaken, completely, and thus had to retire early that night. Crawling on the bed for hours like an insomniac, I slipped back by about five decades. Everything that happened ‘then’ began rushing in my mind, debouching from every available space, fresh and fragrant as ever.
I was a lout, but she was , what I then called a fairy. My gang, my attempts that failed, the pranks, the image makeover, all coughed up. Ay! Begad! She abhorred everything about me, I felt and whenever I tried to earn more and more of her attention or acquaintance, I ended up with more and more contempt. I can still remember the best compliment she gave me in the full glare of the class,” You are an incorrigible idiot.” And one fatal day was Convocation and even that day, she managed keeping my unwanted, forlorn frame away.
Never did I hope to see her again in life. But, He is a conjurer. He juggled my life like a ping-pong ball and He chucked me all over. But I should not complain. He assigns roles to everyone and this is what I got.
Genarally, I’m gregarious by nature and when I when I suddenly kept myself away, it obviously drove my cousin crazy whom I was visiting this vacation. That weekend, he took me off on a weekend holiday to rejuvenate my spirits. Even amidst mountains, valleys and springs, my obstinate, obsessed mind declined to revert. I was now convinced that I’m a branded lovelorn and a stupid who cries over spilt milk. My cousin was much stronger than me as a person and thus succeeded in pulling the matter out. The Result: He was more annoyed than ever.
But, in my heart, the flavour of a fervent desire to have her was still lingering even after decades of those events. Mine was a mundane existence to her, yet my breath had her scent all through: from then, till now.
Musing about her, day and night, I didn’t realize that my time to return was fast approaching. On the day before my flight, I lethargically strolled to a public park at dusk. For sometime, I stood at a corner, peering through the grille where children played. Suddenly, a man, almost of the same age as mine, approached and said a silly Thank you. This confounded me, as I had never seen him before! Realizing that I was in need of explanation, he continued,” You must know her quite well, my good old wife,” he said pointing to a lady a few yards away. Heavens! It was the lady whose puppy I saved some days ago! She was my dream, my love, and my life. I cried to myself,”Oh God! Show mercy! Not anticipating a shock like this. I kept looking at the gentleman, with a feeling that is really hard to explain. And when I looked at her, she smiled gracefully, as winsome as it was, long ago, when I lost myself. Unknowingly I closed my eyes to gather the feel of the smile, something I longed for all my life. Her man looked flamboyant and energetic, a true cavalier. He was taller and lighter than me and his attractive, athletic build seemed to mock my drooping, old flesh. He took me around the park telling a lot about his life, career, the life in the West and so. I could hardly grasp a thing or two as my mind lay obsessed with my fate that I keep rabbitting about. I kept turning back to see her as frequent as possible.
And when we finished a big circle, we saw two young men and ladies. She introduced them to me as her son and daughter with their spouses. The daughter looked a carbon copy of her mother and I wondered if there could be someone, just like me who has crushed his life for this junior fairy. My eyes moistened as I saw them all together and said,” I wish I had a family just like this! Today,I feel my life is worthless”! to which they asked in unison, “Are you not married?” I pretended to smile and looked into her eyes that had compassion to me for the first time ever. “You form a very nice couple. You are very lucky, I said, amidst uncontrolled emotion. She was extremely satisfied of this compliment and her face lit up at once, drying away my tears.
“You must be our guest, tonight” she said, trying to cheer me up. “Sorry, I can’t, I’ve got to catch a flight at half past two in the night “I said.
“Back home? India?”
“Yep, my job’s over here for now.
“Then you must surely visit us on your next trip” she said, handing me her card.
As I saw it, I marveled at destiny, as these details were always denied to me while graduating long ago, in the University of Mysore.
I did not forget to fondle the cute little puppy that made it all happen. And after that was done, I could no longer stand there.” Goodbye”, said I, with an eagerness to walk away. Then, the couple came up to me to shake hands with me. When she outstretched her hand, I quickly lent mine, to feel the same depth and charm that was there when she did on only one occasion-fresher party.
“Let’s meet again in life, bye,” I said, cowering. She boasted an impressive smile, characteristic to her and I went away without looking again.
A few steps away, I saw the azure sky, turning colourful just like her beautiful life. The sun was almost on the other side when I said,” Thank you God! You have kept her happy. What else could I ask for?”
Unable to guess if she recognized me or not, I grew more and more impatient. I went to the airport much earlier than needed begging God to make me meet her again. As I stepped in the lounge, I saw my dreamgirl waiting for me. I broke down saying,” Even a murderer is freed after seven years of sentence. But I’m not pardoned for the sin of loving you, even after 50 years. She could control her tears no more and hugged me tightly not willing to release. A little affection and care was all that I had hoped for and the day I was waiting for, all my life had finally come, but definitely not in the way I wanted. We must accept what He gives. To live a long and happy life with her, I know I must wait for another life or possibly many more. That is why I don’t want to free myself from the arduous chain of life and death. After all, life is beautiful. Isn’t it?
I was totally bemused and heard little of what the lady had uttered. All I could draw from her erratic movements and words was that she was after something. Instead of immediately studying them, I thought it was necessary to help my aged limbs to a faster pace so that I could save a cute little puppy that was foolishly running to the main road. “Good Heavens!” I was just in time. A slight delay would’ve cost his life. I yelled out,” Thanks a lot mate, you’ve saved him,” with a gasping note.”Take care you old man," retorted the driver and went away.
I took a hurried look all through his body to see if he had any bruising. No, fortunately. But the tiny creature was still whimpering, in need of consolation. I slapped him slightly on his back saying,” you rascal, do you s what would’ve happened? Not again!” I knew it was a mischief forged by his folly.
Although it was more than dusk and almost dark, it did not take much long for me to sense that somebody was watching. I still had the pain in my back and shoulders and so I took my time to turn. It was a svelte lady who seemed old- should have surely retired from a regular job or could be even as old as me. The very next thing I saw was a stare - very sharp that I felt it emitted fire. I was taken aback and mumbled,”Er.Actually he isn’t mine. But I was rescuing him”. When there was a relaxation from her part. The graceful woman now sported a benign smile and said,” you have done exactly what I wanted you to do, you old geezer.” Before I could possibly react, she corrected herself saying, “Don’t take it serious, Sir. I used it in a rather a friendly way as we share the same motherland. “I now had to gape in wonder that this blonde would be an Indian”.
As I saw her with my eyes wide open, it was clear. She was candid and I love that. And when she spoke, her eyes said it all. I kept gazing her face that glared against the flashing headlamps of the motor vehicles that strode in the adjacent thoroughfare. As I saw her face, I felt as if I were held against a zephyr. I found myself zonked with an excessive dose of philtre. In all, I felt soaked as we kept strolling till we reached a diversion. Cutting short her officious talk, she said,” So long, sir. I’ve to go. It’s pretty late than usual. Anyway thanks a lot for saving my puppy”.
She wasn’t a sort of chatterbox and said nothing that usual folk speak. Her voice had the sparkle of a mountain stream that left me ravished in an unknown land. As she swaggered along her path, I tottered in my way, that probably reflected our lives, one successful and another a real failure.
I was shaken, completely, and thus had to retire early that night. Crawling on the bed for hours like an insomniac, I slipped back by about five decades. Everything that happened ‘then’ began rushing in my mind, debouching from every available space, fresh and fragrant as ever.
I was a lout, but she was , what I then called a fairy. My gang, my attempts that failed, the pranks, the image makeover, all coughed up. Ay! Begad! She abhorred everything about me, I felt and whenever I tried to earn more and more of her attention or acquaintance, I ended up with more and more contempt. I can still remember the best compliment she gave me in the full glare of the class,” You are an incorrigible idiot.” And one fatal day was Convocation and even that day, she managed keeping my unwanted, forlorn frame away.
Never did I hope to see her again in life. But, He is a conjurer. He juggled my life like a ping-pong ball and He chucked me all over. But I should not complain. He assigns roles to everyone and this is what I got.
Genarally, I’m gregarious by nature and when I when I suddenly kept myself away, it obviously drove my cousin crazy whom I was visiting this vacation. That weekend, he took me off on a weekend holiday to rejuvenate my spirits. Even amidst mountains, valleys and springs, my obstinate, obsessed mind declined to revert. I was now convinced that I’m a branded lovelorn and a stupid who cries over spilt milk. My cousin was much stronger than me as a person and thus succeeded in pulling the matter out. The Result: He was more annoyed than ever.
But, in my heart, the flavour of a fervent desire to have her was still lingering even after decades of those events. Mine was a mundane existence to her, yet my breath had her scent all through: from then, till now.
Musing about her, day and night, I didn’t realize that my time to return was fast approaching. On the day before my flight, I lethargically strolled to a public park at dusk. For sometime, I stood at a corner, peering through the grille where children played. Suddenly, a man, almost of the same age as mine, approached and said a silly Thank you. This confounded me, as I had never seen him before! Realizing that I was in need of explanation, he continued,” You must know her quite well, my good old wife,” he said pointing to a lady a few yards away. Heavens! It was the lady whose puppy I saved some days ago! She was my dream, my love, and my life. I cried to myself,”Oh God! Show mercy! Not anticipating a shock like this. I kept looking at the gentleman, with a feeling that is really hard to explain. And when I looked at her, she smiled gracefully, as winsome as it was, long ago, when I lost myself. Unknowingly I closed my eyes to gather the feel of the smile, something I longed for all my life. Her man looked flamboyant and energetic, a true cavalier. He was taller and lighter than me and his attractive, athletic build seemed to mock my drooping, old flesh. He took me around the park telling a lot about his life, career, the life in the West and so. I could hardly grasp a thing or two as my mind lay obsessed with my fate that I keep rabbitting about. I kept turning back to see her as frequent as possible.
And when we finished a big circle, we saw two young men and ladies. She introduced them to me as her son and daughter with their spouses. The daughter looked a carbon copy of her mother and I wondered if there could be someone, just like me who has crushed his life for this junior fairy. My eyes moistened as I saw them all together and said,” I wish I had a family just like this! Today,I feel my life is worthless”! to which they asked in unison, “Are you not married?” I pretended to smile and looked into her eyes that had compassion to me for the first time ever. “You form a very nice couple. You are very lucky, I said, amidst uncontrolled emotion. She was extremely satisfied of this compliment and her face lit up at once, drying away my tears.
“You must be our guest, tonight” she said, trying to cheer me up. “Sorry, I can’t, I’ve got to catch a flight at half past two in the night “I said.
“Back home? India?”
“Yep, my job’s over here for now.
“Then you must surely visit us on your next trip” she said, handing me her card.
As I saw it, I marveled at destiny, as these details were always denied to me while graduating long ago, in the University of Mysore.
I did not forget to fondle the cute little puppy that made it all happen. And after that was done, I could no longer stand there.” Goodbye”, said I, with an eagerness to walk away. Then, the couple came up to me to shake hands with me. When she outstretched her hand, I quickly lent mine, to feel the same depth and charm that was there when she did on only one occasion-fresher party.
“Let’s meet again in life, bye,” I said, cowering. She boasted an impressive smile, characteristic to her and I went away without looking again.
A few steps away, I saw the azure sky, turning colourful just like her beautiful life. The sun was almost on the other side when I said,” Thank you God! You have kept her happy. What else could I ask for?”
Unable to guess if she recognized me or not, I grew more and more impatient. I went to the airport much earlier than needed begging God to make me meet her again. As I stepped in the lounge, I saw my dreamgirl waiting for me. I broke down saying,” Even a murderer is freed after seven years of sentence. But I’m not pardoned for the sin of loving you, even after 50 years. She could control her tears no more and hugged me tightly not willing to release. A little affection and care was all that I had hoped for and the day I was waiting for, all my life had finally come, but definitely not in the way I wanted. We must accept what He gives. To live a long and happy life with her, I know I must wait for another life or possibly many more. That is why I don’t want to free myself from the arduous chain of life and death. After all, life is beautiful. Isn’t it?
