Friday, April 3, 2009

Story contd...
















Jaya was fourteen then and Shiv sixteen, both childhood friends would sneak out in scorching summer noons to nearby mango groves. Jaya would spread her frock and catch the mangoes Shiv dropped from above. When the branches were low she would climb on his shoulders and pluck juicy ripe mangoes. As she lay now on he bed staring at the ceiling the warm fragrance of mango flowers surrounded her. Shiv was already asleep, in moon light the room was bathed in blue light and his straight nose looked so aristrocratic. Jaya cimbed down from the bed. She parted the lace curtains and took a deep breath little white flowers had floated down from the Parijat tree. The tiny white flowers with orange stems, how in early mornings she and Shiv would string these flowers on long twigs and offer these garland to th stone deities. Jaya turned to look at her husband now in another world unaware of the turmoil in her heart. A faint smile touched his bow shaped lips, Jaya left the window and came to his side. In the blue light his black hair were shaded blue. She touched a strand, how peaceful he was in his sleep,she tucked the white sheet around him. Quitely she tiptoed out from the room,once in the kitchen she lit a candle and looked for the letter in the newspaper stack. She pulled out the letter with shaking hands. The blue folds she pressed with her sweaty palms and tore open the envelope, his familiar slanting writing was before her. Tears made her view hazy, as she read"Jaya i am coming back for you, i do not ask you, i take it that we will leave together for Japan which is my next posting. Do i need to say any more, wait for my call and be ready."The letter had ended but her tears continued to fall, "how can i Krisna, is it so easy as this, wait for me?"Jaya burned the letter in the wavering flame of the candle. She tenderly placed the ashes in a small silver box meant for keeping trinkets. Water in the copper jar was cool, she felt the soothing of nerves as she drank direcly from the jar. She crossed the rooms to the bedroom and stood gazing at Shiv, her breath still uneven,her face still moist. She quitely settled herself on her side of the bed hearing his even breating she closed her eyes and let her mind drift to those days.....

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