NAYANTARA & NEELANJAN CHAPTER 4

My life kept moving every day without a halt without a break. But there was sufficient amount of emptiness that left me thinking of Nayantara to just come back once. From the time, she had promised to meet and till date; I expected her to meet me at the same spot. A week passed then a month and some more months. Impatient I was but I was still stubborn to meet her. At times, my heart and my mind seemed to be going their different ways. Sometimes I found it strange to find them both caught in a dilemma as that of mine. But there was no way they could have been different because both the mind and the heart belonged to me. It was in the month of March that I had met Nayantara and today it is the first week of June that I still wish to see her once. If at all she turns up, I am eager to ask her, “Nayantara, How fair it was of you to just betray my trust and cause me so much of disarray?”
My office people once again followed the same routine of paled departures. I just made myself comfortable at one of the windows, the blinds of which Sajjan Singh had left open. I watched out of the window and down the street. The sky above didn’t look good. I felt the monsoons were announcing its arrival. At a distance, I could see the sky turning grey. I realized Mumbai was getting ready for its first round of monsoonal showers. I never hated monsoons. But I neither loved them too. Though people traveled from distant countries to experience monsoons in Mumbai, I never was too fascinated by its tempting seduction. It was close to 7.30 pm, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Sajjan Singh.
“You don’t seem to be in a mood to go home!” exclaimed Sajjan.
Abruptly nodding my head, I walked out of the office and pressed the elevator button. Realizing it would take ages for it to come to a halt on the 10th storey, I made my mind to take a stroll down the staircase. Every floor that I passed stood witness to my dismay over Nayantara having gone missing. Then there were the Romeos & Juliets, the Lailas & the Majnus; adding that something special to their farewells to each others at the end of the day. On reaching the ground floor, I realized I had left my wallet in my office drawer. Luckily the doors of the elevator opened and I just pressed the button that took me straight to my office floor. Sajjan was about to lock the door. I requested him to lend me ten minutes. After I collected my wallet, Sajjan and I once again walked down the stair case. Exiting my office building, I once again walked to the same spot, I had met Nayantara. I settled down to let the calmness of the sea overpower my unpleasant senses. My calmness was short lived. A eunuch just couldn’t tolerate me enjoying the calm. The only solution I could think of was stashing a ten rupee note into its hand. The moment, I did that the eunuch quickly hid it in its blouse. Before it left, it said, “Whatever your heart wishes today, it will come true.” I was simply bowled by the irony of the situation.
Suddenly I felt some water drops settle right down on my shoulders. I looked up and I saw the first of raindrops making me go wet in a matter of 20 seconds. Even though, I tried protecting myself; it was not worth the effort. For the next 30 minutes, it rained like a nightmare. I was sure; Mumbai was under its first ever wet spell. After the rains subsided, I started walking towards Churchgate station. Every one was rushing wet, including me. All were in a hurry, I wasn’t. On reaching Churchgate, I was shocked to see most of the trains were running behind schedule. All the platforms were flooded by people. Every corner was crowded. People were making phone calls and they were looking at the overhead indicators eagerly. The indicators were showing nothing but a series of digital ciphers which at that moment of time only added discomfort to the already out of control situation. Inching backwards, I made myself comfortable near a Wheeler book stall. One side of it being of glass, I found a reason to pass some of my time. I started looking at the books that were beautifully arranged side by side and their titles and their authors. The arrangement was a thoughtful mix of national and international authors. From Chetan Bhagat to Paul Theroux, every one appeared there on an equal dais. At the same time, my ears were on alert to update myself on the announcement of the next possible train. Reports and rumors however confirmed, today’s night was going to be longer.
The first train that was announced after fifty minutes happened to be a Virar local. The crowd barged in uncontrollably. I decided not to take any risks.
I turned back and was about to turn my gaze towards the Wheeler book stall. At a distance, I found a familiar face running breathlessly. Every step she took was careful. From head to toe, she was wet. The expression on her face conveyed that she was worried of being late. The color of her lipstick might have faded but it still carried the traces of the cherry red shade she might have sported the entire day. Her dress was drenched. She was running. Before I could catch a closer glimpse of her, a guy accidentally dashed into her. This led to an accidental fall. Both the guy and the female fell down. In a hurry to escape, the guy just stood and once again got into motion. But the female took some time to recover from the sudden impact. Entire Mumbai was running home so no one seemed to have the time to lend her, a helping hand. Her hair was covering her face. Moved by her helplessness, I went closer to her and gave my hand to her. Without looking at me, she just caught a tight grip of my palm and then my wrist and then my shoulder. She brushed aside her hair which by now had covered her entire face. Her face became visible. The first word that I spoke that evening after leaving office was to her, “Nayantara!”
She looked at me confused. The train that was set to leave the platform blew the horn and ferried away half of the frantic crowd. I was in no mood to pay attention to it.
“You are Nayantara”, I said.
“What?” she asked.
“Remember me?” I questioned back.
“Who are you?” she questioned.
I replied, “I am Abhi… err Neelanjan. I am Neelanjan!”
She looked at me and then said, “I don’t know you Mr. Stranger!”
I was surprised by her denial.
By this time, some people had started gathering around us. Any ways there were a lot many already who were surrounding us.
I was feeling helpless and excited at the same moment.
I realized, I was still holding her hand and I just loosened my grip on her wrist.
She relaxed and pulled out a rubber band from her purse to assemble her open hair.
I just kept looking at her. She readied herself to leave. Just then an announcement was made that no trains would leave the platform till the rains in the suburbs subsided. At that moment, I was the only companion by her side and she was the only company I had.
I once again asked her, “Nayantara, don’t you remember me?”
She replied back, “Imaginations. Are they for real Neelanjan?”

- vociferous