Rendezvous

With a flushed countenance she snapped her laptop shut and got out of her chair. She admired the brawny sun which was falling heartless behind the high-rise buildings. She sighed and lied down on her bed. Pulling the baby blue sheets over her head, she snuggled into her comfortable bed. She was a bit pensive about the meeting, but the tiredness of the day intervened in her thought process and she was soon fast asleep. She dreamed of a dove. When she tried to touch it, it moved away. She didn’t understand why. She was so desperate to touch it and she was ready to sacrifice herself, her heart and her soul simply to touch it for a fleeing second. It was just a moment’s grasp away, but it slipped through her pale, lifeless hands like so much sand between a child’s fingers. A moment later, the dove soared towards the moon as the breeze from the glide of the wings caressed her cheeks as if mocking at her. She looked up at the dove, a look of sorrow on her face. When the dove came between her and the moon, it cast the shadow of a bat on the moon. Startled, she gazed back at the bird. The dove had turned into a bat and with an ear-splitting scream, swept across the skies. With a jump, she got up in cold sweat.

The normally neat single bedroom condo was in a state of disarray. The cupboard was open and the bed spoke of an occupant who had extreme difficulty in choosing what to wear. The dressing table was strewn with several short and stout bars in shades varying from pale red to a bright shock of pink. The jewel box was intact, except for a string of pearls. The rings were sealed tight into their little compartment. The car in the garage below was missing as well, it was racing away towards the Mumbai Airport at break-neck speed.

She pulled into a deserted parking lot. After all this wasn’t the busiest hour of the day. The servants were already up, sweeping and cleaning the air-port. The only occupants of the waiting area were a few children, sucking at huge bars of MARS chocolate. Their mother’s had spread themselves across three or more chairs depending on their sizes and were sleeping. “I can’t believe this is me” she thought to herself. “This is something that I would yell at others for doing” she muttered to herself. I still have time to get out.

She heard Raj’s voice then, a muttering of some ill-formed syllables as his year long courting culminated with him on one knee, thrusting softly at her a bunch of red-roses. Strangely, he had said “Be my wife”, rather than the traditional “I love you”. It was a variation she liked. She shook her head. She thought to herself, “Ranjith isn’t Raj, he won’t hurt me”. Ranjith was nothing more than a chat friend initially. With time, Ranjith and she had grown as friends and confidants over the past year and a half. Strangely she had known him even while she was going out with Raj. “He has always been there for me, for my laughter and my tears” she comforted herself about Ranjith. She had found Raj strange. He was too manly, too aggressive and a lot more physical than her conscience told her was right. He reasoned, “You can’t stand by the river of life and stick a toe in. You ought to take a hearty swim”. She wanted somebody softer, somebody who would show their care for her. She closed her eyes. That was almost a year back. It was to be forgotten.

The accented voice came over the loud speakers, making the mother’s rustle as if someone had knocked on their bedroom doors. She sat up and waited for the gate number to be announced. “Relax”, she told herself. “There is nothing to be nervous about anything”. I am fucking nervous.

She tried to walk nonchalantly. But any bystander could have said that she was approaching a gate like a skittish student approaching a board where his results (read : fate) hung. She tripped over her sandals, glossy new ones which she was not accustomed to. Her hair was bunched up and tied in a pony tail at her nape. She was too cautious about her appearance today. She had seen his passport sized photo once, but then he could have grown a beard or wore spectacles, in which case, she could miss him. A handsome face with a muscular jaw and a set of twinkling eyes showing one’s passion for life. This was her mental image of the guy who she was going to meet. She watched the first passengers come out of Gate 3. He has never seen me.

The passengers walked away towards the luggage area. She examined each one’s face slowly. She saw a man of American-Indian descent with a blond on his arm. The face is a lot similar, but the eyes weren’t this small. A huge man brushed by her. He smelled strongly of vodka. He told me he does not drink. When everybody was gone, she thought to herself. Had she been tricked? “No, its impossible. And I know he loves me” she said to herself.

Then, she saw someone being wheeled out by an air-hostess. She stared at the face. The man thanked the hostess and turned towards the waiting area, his eyes searching for someone or something. Even from the distance, she could say it was him. She was taken aback, shocked. He never told me about it in any of our conversations.

She slid behind one of the large pillars. She was in a state of dilemma now. Maybe he was too shy to tell me about this. No, he should have told you about it come what may. He is a nice guy. Raj was, too. Raj was different, he never cared for me. Ranjith has not been totally honest with you. Is this guy your Prince Charming? I don’t see him fit within your framework. Would it have made a difference? I wouldn’t comment on that darling. Its up to you to decide.

…

Maybe she met him, maybe she walked away.