Gone By (41 page)

I was so compact with my seat, it made me feel like I couldn’t even share a gentle movement of my body. So, compactly I was tightened into my place, that it began to give me slight hint of pain on my back. I just waited the time to come patiently until I would get down. The last three hours had passed in severe suffocation of my body bearing the whole lot of pain that began to crap in. While somehow I could shift my body and make a gentle movement. I stretched my arm to refresh myself to gain the strength all over again. So, closed to the destination we were heading towards the bus stoppage. Almost into city where I was suppose to land after enduring the long route.

Finally, I was into the capital city of Goa, Panaji. I managed to clip out my baggage from where I had settled it. Stood in queue along with the others until I could slide out my feet to touch the ground. I took my step out of the staircase of the Bus door, and gently could land my first feet touching the ground and the next followed. I walked out from the crowded area and started to look for Isha. I was searching for a slight hint about her presence. After few minutes search I could see her appearance gleaming before my eyes. I really loved the night sky that Day. She was on the other side of the station, but had come to search like the way I had been.

“Hey” she waved her hand as she walked closer towards me.

I passed a smile at the beginning, then waved her back.

“I had been waiting on the other side” she said as her voice seemed quiet exhausted.

As soon as her steps got closer to me, she gave me a warm embrace. I gentle curled one of my hand at her back while the other I had bag gripping on it. She looked at me for seconds and muttered out.

“You must be tired”.

“Yeah! I had a long session of silence” I uttered.

She peeked and smile. We were walking out of the station gate by now. Had to hire one taxi to reach the hotel where Isha had been staying the days. She had managed to booked a single room for me before hand. We caught up a taxi and headed towards the hotel. It’s been just a week I was away from her and now once again I added up into her life. I had no pre thought idea what would I feel when she would be leaving for Houston. Naturally it seemed we began to get closer to each other within no time since we met each other. I was sitting next to her inside. The window on her side was wide open. There came a rush of air which blew her hair abruptly.

I could see say inside me that moment, I really liked the smell of her hair. In course of time interval she did used to turn her face with short glance at me. I could pass only a brief smile to her. We were on the speeding taxi. Within fraction of few minutes we were standing into the porch of the hotel. Walked together to get into the main entrance. She pushed the main door and our steps added together to the reception hall. I was walking alongside her. She was holding my hand. I could feel the warmth of her palm after a week. Finally, we were before the receptionist. He greeted us welcome. Isha opted for her room key. So was I handed with mine. We shuffled towards the elevator.

“So, how far have you reached with your diary” Isha said.

“Well, yet to reach the end”.

“I’m eagerly waiting for the final end of it”.

“Yeah! I would definitely let you know the first”.

“What’s about your thesis” I intended to know.

“It’s going well and it’s wonderful”.

“ You know I’m really lucky I met you” I said.

“I just don’t know how to thank you actually” said Isha, as she pressed the elevator button.

We slid into the elevator and ascended into the upper floors of the hotel building. The elevator halted at the number of our floor. The door opened wide side wards. Took my first step out of the elevator and opened a room for her. She followed out behind me. The time elapsed out. I took a short glance to know, it’s 11:00pm. Before we departed for the night, I just handed her a book. Of course it was Novel. Isha had a great interest in reading Novel. I still do not remember the name of the book. It was wholly wrapped with a beautiful cover page.

“What’s this” she asked.

“Something I thought of giving you” being humble in my tone.

She accepted it from my hand.

“Thanks” she said.

I just nodded my head and marched forward bidding her good night. She gave a sweet gesture and passed a smile. I walked off towards my room. I had no knowledge where my life had been taking me. It’s the few moments that began to create a new thing into my new world. Earlier I felt like I was  a loser. When the light of my life began to shone once again, here I was standing in an open door room watching the crescent moon out of my window. On the other half, Anannya still hovered in my mind as a dream of past. A creation of my mind led me to write a book for her. And here on my diary with thousand words that were untold. I stood in silence beside the window viewing the dark nature. Besides, the gentle breeze came in through the window. I have no idea what Anannya must be doing right now, where she may be. I understand I lost the right to know all these things long ago. But one thing I really knew, she will be remembered forever in my life.

Isha scheduled the next day to visit some places which were indeed unknown to me. I passed that night in slow emotions and feelings. Whether to think from mind or from heart, I stood in state of dilemma. But, somehow the crescent moon helped me to get good tight sleep. That night I avoided to pen down on my diary. I thought about Peter that day. The only good friend I had. He knew everything what I had been going through into my life. Yes, it was a vice versa too. Perhaps a friend of such nature I wouldn’t even get a chance to meet again in my life. A Man of honour and respect is what he belonged of such category. I always had a separate outlook for him. A Man who taught me how to live a life with struggle, knowing the truth that he too had various equations of problems in his life. But, I could surely notice before my eyes, we were the best buddies.

It’s the month of spring, roughly I could remember the date, 10th March 2011. Isha was holding the Novel which I gifted her the night before. According to her scheduled plan we were in a beach. Well, I had never been in a Goa beach before. It’s the first time. Our feet stepped together through the shoreline. The sandy beach had a wonderful view of the deep blue line Arabian ocean. People say it’s one of the most exotic place one can ever feel. We were in Wagah beach. I never knew Isha was a party holistic girl too. As per I knew the beach had an access to all ages of people. In most of all I could see foreign tourist from overseas Nations. We were sliding through the line shore, and our steps added together. So small our steps were, that it made even the distance larger with no end where we were supposed to halt. I was holding bag at my back. I carried nothing more than a diary and pen in it.

“Wow! It’s a good book” said Isha, as she showed me a brief sign of the Novel.

“Yeah! I haven’t read it”.

“You haven’t read it and gifted me”.

“I thought I would be hearing it from you” I could slightly blush out a smile on my face.

She smiled and patted on my side arm. After a long walk for about minutes finally we came across a place where we could lastly let ourselves to halt. It had a good environment around its surrounding. Of course we were seated under a coconut tree. Besides, the scenic view of the rising sea waves influenced the presence of a blessing day. Isha was seated next to me. The breeze blew smoothly from all direction. Few distance away, were the people from whom we had diverged. We were away from the crowded area. The floor of the beach area had a loosely packed sand dunes. Walking on sand was a new kind of experience for both of us in Goa. Though I had been in many beaches, but this was something widely different from the rest I had. In addition to that I had one of the most wonderful company with me. Yes! I was talking about Isha. I could remember the time when I had to walk alone along the Versova coastline in Mumbai. That moment I yearned deeply for Anannya. But, how could it be so accidental or the luck,  here I was with the one whom I never thought off.

Isha peeked at me for short duration and uttered “What’s their inside the bag”. Before I replied her back, I was glaring with fierce at the deep ocean.

“I have the diary”.

“Really” she said with anxiousness.

“Would you like to read it”.

“Of course...did you write the last night”.

“No..I avoided the last night” mumbling my voice.

“Pass it to me..I can’t wait to read the rest part of it”.

“Do you really want it”.

“Yes!” her tone seemed very insisting.

“You wouldn’t enjoy the beach sun or the sea waves”.

“C’mon, they are the secondary for now..and I’m enjoying the view and the moment”.

“So here take it” I gently handed her the diary.

I could see the excitement in her eyes. I never knew what made her so addicted towards my writing. Perhaps I could never figured it out. For sure I knew she liked reading books, but what’s the speciality that contained in my diary I could never know that. She began to flip pages. I could just watch her close.

“I can ensure that this has got a good contained. Indeed it’s one of the best story I have been reading” said Isha flipping some more pages.

“Do you think so it can”.

“Of course you’re a good story writer. Moreover it’s your own life story. I liked it” said Isha looking at me deeply.

I just nodded my head. For the moment it was I, who had been so awkward with my thinking. I never thought anyone could like my story. I looked at Isha nearly very close while she kept turning pages of the diary. For long minutes I had been staring at her constantly. I really loved the way she read it. And I could watch at her on and on. I couldn’t even interrupt her a moment. So engrossed she looked into it that I never intended to talk to her for the moment. Neither she wanted to exchange words. She was lost into my diary and I was trying to make friends with the surrounding nature I could view. I could only hear the birds chirping and the roar of the sea waves which were rushing harshly into the shore. Besides the coconut tree provided us with its shades.

As the day began to grow bigger, the beach began to get crowded in higher number.

“Do you know surfing” Isha said suddenly.

I couldn’t expect she would mutter out a words. As for the last half hour she had been quiet with completely indulge into the diary.

“I wish to learn it”.

“I find it very interesting sport”.

“Yeah! it’s a sort of solitary sport” I said.

“You have been very touchy with the words you have written here” she said taking a glance at a page which she flipped to read.

“I don’t know it’s just the words from my deep heart”.

“I don’t know how Anannya would feel when she reads this”.

“Well, all I can say is that she would feel good about me”.

“Are you so sure of it. What if she gets hurt” said Isha giving a stressful look at my face.

“Oh! Then I’m extremely sorry to her. It’s all for her..there’s nothing more I could do”.

Isha passed a smile on this. She closed the diary, instead she began to chat with me. The soft sand comforted us. How so ever the ambient was joyous and charming. She handed me back the diary. I gently inserted, placed into my bag.

“So, when are you going to complete the rest” she said keenly.

“Well, before you go back to Houston”.

“That’s excellent..I would wait for it until I could read the whole” Isha said.

We were still seated on that same place for the last one hour.

“Should we walk back” I hinted her.

“Yeah”.

We forwarded our steps and gradually faded away from that place. The beach had a lots of shoreline cafes and restaurants. We decided to get in one of the restaurant for a break of the day. Isha had spent almost the 23
days of the month in India. Just a week left to go back. Before I had met her, she had been already here for more than a couple of weeks. Fortunately it’s the accidental meeting we had in Mumbai. She wanted to spent the last week with me before she could settle back to Houston. For both of us it had been a very hard life. She had to overcome grieves over her Father’s departure from the family. Whereas on the other hand I had to get stronger in my heart for losing someone who I had loved more than myself.

We stepped in to a restaurant. And settled ourselves with individual chair. Nothing much the order has been but just a cup of coffee would give a full time relax and the feel of joy. She sat just in front my eyes. It was a open wall cafe, hence nothing obstructed the view we could see at. The breeze blew silently. It gave a shrill touch on body and swept away the tiredness of the day. Isha’s hair had been interrupted by those silent breeze. It kept on flaring from all direction. And I could sense she had been tired all through settling for more than a dozen times. She looked much better with open hair.

“So how far have you done with you thesis” I raised my voice softly.

“Well, I just gave a beginning to it. I intent to complete at home”.

“Can I have a one look of it”.