P 3. Revisit

Janet is glad to be back in the world of the living.... and rushes about making her wishes come true........soonest...

3. Revisit

Rrrriiiiiiigg.......The alarm went off promptly at 5 am. Flinging away her sheet, she promptly leapt off the bed, restraining her customary habit of lolling about for another half an hour. Oh, boy! was she glad to be relieved of the ordeal, of the ghostly dream, and to be alive...wow! She walked about bare feet, relishing the sheer pleasure of the smooth coolness of the tiled flooring. John, her son was fast asleep, and she knew it was pointless trying to wake him up. She hurried through her morning chores.

“I’m rejoicing night and day, as I walk the narrow way,

for the hand of God in all my life I see;
and the reason of my bliss, Yes, the secret all is this:
that the Comforter abides with me..........”

“Mom, here’s your oats”, She shouted above the choir playing on the television, as she placed a bowl of hot steaming oats on the table. Mom began her day with listening to the “Good word” on the TV in full blast, making all others squirm and plug their ears from under their sheets....

Handing over the remaining chores to Sarah, her sister in law, she hurried out of the kitchen.

She preened before the mirror, draped in a pale blue silk sari with yellow design. She had plain features.... nothing great to coo about. Her colleagues though maintained that even at 50, she looked not a year over 35, and she and John often passed off as siblings! Her raven black hair had begun to gray and thin out though of late, which of course nagged her. No complaints today! Post the eerie nightmare and to just find herself alive, called for celebration. There were several unfinished tasks at hand.

Her two little nieces were already at the computer fighting for the ‘mouse’, before big brother John would arrive and take over! Switching on her laptop, she gave some finishing touches to her ’powerpoint presentation’. Today was ‘Women’s international day’ and she was to make a presentation at the Town Hall. Peeping into John's room as she made her way out, she was met with loud singing from the bathroom shower. “So the naughty fellow had decided to turn a new leaf….Good”. She smiled to herself.

The car arrived on time and she was on her way to the college. Unable to suppress her new found elation, she made small talk with Rajesh, the driver, who had surprise writ on his face. Her long journey of nearly 25 kms was spent reading books or making notes en-route, interspersed with nothing more than a ‘Hello’ and a ‘How-do-you-do’. Her other pastimes were sudoku or crossword during the drive. Today she felt on top of the world, for she had come back from the land of the dead! Now, to get done with the pending works, make the world a better place for herself and for those around her, for ‘before the axe really fell...!’

Oh, and the sari. Janet loathed the five and a half metre long piece of fabric, which only came in her way, causing her to stumble and retarding her efforts at a graceful stride, besides of course unnecessarily exposing body parts. But today, she’d taken special efforts for her dear friend Arun. Aah Arun. She’d called him for lunch at the ‘Shanghai inn’ and she was going to tell those words that he’d waited and perhaps given up all hopes about. She smiled again, “Arun is going to faint when he hears it from her. But he deserves it, and so does she. Life is short (she realised it on time!), and what’s wrong, nay why not make it nice and happy for oneself and for your loved ones....”

They had met on a train, five years ago, during one of her outstation stints.. Casual introductions had run deep and they discovered having shared several common thoughts and convictions, and even life experiences! A divorcee himself like her, and of the same age as her, he’d found new hope in her friendly, confident and outgoing nature. The attraction was mutual. But she’d stopped short at that, refusing to go any further. They had at last resolved to remain good friends, and so it had been, till now. They talked over the phone almost every day, sharing the day’s events, the fun and the frustrations, laughing, singing and sometimes even fighting over issues and cutting off the phone, only to make up soonest, with due apologies. Five years had passed like a dream. Today, she had dressed especially for him.

The college building stood on a hill top on a sprawling area of 30 acres. The greenery and the natural stream flowing by its side lent it an enchanted look. Pausing for a moment, she savoured the splendour displayed before her. Strange, she hadn’t noticed any of it in the past two years after she’d joined work here! She went through the routine administrative works in the morning, perusing the letters, giving out instructions. She handed over the remaining works to her Deputy and the Office Superintendent and was once again on her way.

This time she was headed for the Town Hall. She dismissed her driver and was ushered in. She knew many of the speakers…..

******

She stressed vehemently on not just ‘liberation’ for women, but for status at par with men. Woman’s tryst with equality has to begin from the place of her birth and at the hands of her parents or caretakers. The multitude of reservations ‘for upliftment’ of girls and women, actually put them in the ‘backward’ category. Instead, she expressed the need to liberate them from such reservations by preventing 'discrimination' cropping up between them and their male counterparts right from birth and through their period of growth and development through life, education and work…. “Nip the evil in the bud” by educating boys and girls to respect one other. She also called for heavy censorship on media that undermined the image of women through plays, commercials etc. And if all this sounded too farfetched and impossible, she called for passing of laws on rational use of weapon by women for self-protection, and fast track courts to deal with related cases.

Boy that was exhaustive! During the light refreshment that followed, Janet was glad to meet up with several old time colleagues and acquaintances. But her heart was elsewhere. Soon after, she was off for the ‘rendezvous’, with a song in her heart and wings on her feet.....

True to his word, Arun was waiting at the gate. His eyes nearly popped out as she slid beside him in the car. “Jane, you look ravishing today! So tell me, what’s the agenda, hmm? ”

“Arun, do I need an agenda to see you?” she pouted. “But thanks. I had a sudden wish to see you, and there...” He drove in silence. She was aware of his thoughts then “Aaargh! Janet, the abrupt and unpredictable one”. Haha, wait till I spring the real surprise..

“By the way, I am impressed by your presentation today. Such revolutionary thoughts..!

“You mean you were there in the hall?” She couldn’t believe her ears.

He smiled nodding, “Yes. I knew it’s going to stir up a hornets nest and it did. Indeed there’s much fodder for thought.”

“Thanks dear”. She couldn’t ask for more. This was her day..

They had Chinese noodles and then Arun ordered the dessert. Janet seemed to be in another world

“Hey you jabberpot, a penny for your thoughts?” He teased her.

Janet stammered, “Arun, there’s something I want to tell you.”

Arun frowned, “The management giving you trouble?”

“No silly, it’s you...”

“Who, me? What did I do? Jane come out, and make it quick. I’m concerned. There’s something bothering you.” He was in earnest.

Janet looked into his face. Why oh why hadn’t she met him before? She blinked hard to shut out her painful past. “Forget it, forget it” She commanded herself. “Look at your present. So what if it's late? He cares.... go ahead you fool, before it's even more late...”

“Tell me Jane, and get it out please... please”. She saw the selfless concern in his eyes. “You know I’m there for you, tell me, what can I do for you?”.

That was it. He had adapted himself to share life with her in whichever way she wished to. He cared, he really did. Her heart burst with the rush of emotions. Should she tell it out? “Stupid fool, dallying still, after what happened. Janet, OUT WITH IT, before this too passes...!.” She urged herself..

“Arun, I love you ....”, she gasped, “too much”

He smiled indulgently, “I know Jane, and I love you too”

Now she got impatient, “Not that silly, it’s even more..”

“Ok. Tell me?” He looked into her face, not daring to touch her..

“Let’s get married”, she blurted out.

There, at last. It was out. Pin drop silence. She leaned back and shut her eyes, deep peace spreading within her. She waited and waited. No response. Anxious and a wee bit embarrassed, she opened her eyes..

“Arun, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have....”

“When and where?” Arun was smiling.

“Uhh, right now.” She was relieved, and happy at last. She reached out and they held hands, oblivious to the stares from the other tables.

Dessert came, Black currant ice creams for both! Wow!! Her joy knew no bounds....

“God, this is too good to be true”, She squealed, and got a warm squeeze on her hands.

They slurped the ice cream together..

Walking hand in hand toward the car, her thoughts wandered again. “Arun”, she struggled to peek through the haze of memories that were, “The other day I’d had Black currant ice cream by the beach, with the kids, and then it's all a blur. I’ve total amnesia about what happened thereafter, and am seriously concerned about that bit......”

“Don’t worry, You’ll never forget what happened after this one.” Arun laughed aloud. “Where to now? ..the church or temple”

“Anywhere you wish” Her ecstasy growing. She really didn’t care...........

“No, your wish”

“No yours.....”

”Yours.......”

“Noooo”

"Hahahhahahahhahahahha. “Laughing together they walked to the car.

-----------------

The evening beach was packed with people.

“Let’s sit here and watch the sun set. What say?”

“Anything you say Arun”. Janet smiled into his eyes, as they lowered themselves into the cool sand..

Scooping a handful of sand, she let it run through her fingers, breathing in the saline air. Life was indeed beautiful!

Far in the west, the orange sun made its slow descent in all its pristine glory. The two sat mesmerised as the huge waves soaked in shimmering golden hue came lashing on the shore.

“That’s a huge wave..!” Before he could finish, it was on them…

SPLASH! The spray hit her right on the face. “Ouch! I’m drenched! Arun…”, she groped for him… “.. Arun!!.........Arun?”

She looked around. Where’s Arun? Panic growing she again looked. Where was the beach, the setting sun, the sand, the waves? Darkness everywhere…!

“ARUN???” Her parched throat ached. More water splashing…

****** ** *

prev chapter