nmalik121
July 18th, 2007, 10:42 PM
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/3231/ladysn7.jpg
“I knew this was in offing,” said Gagan looking at her engagement finger. The obvious sadness was trickling down from his voice.
“I love you Gagan, and I am only yours, you tell what should I do?” Sneha repeated her commitment towards him in a deep voice.
“We have now only one option left, we should get married against the wishes of your parents,” he said holding her hands.
For a moment, her eyes began gradually sinking and after a while, there was pin-drop silence.
“Even I want to marry you Gagan, but is it a wise thing to do?” she sounded worried breaking the uncomfortable silence.
“Yesss…” Gagan emphasized on his words.
“We will leave for Mumbai, and there we will marry legally in court and temple,” Gagan suggested.
“Why Mumbai?” she asked.
“Mumbai is the right place for people, who marry against their parents’ will. And for first few days, it won’t be easy for them to locate us there, till then we will get all the legal documents to fight with any false charges from your parent’s side,” he revealed the details.
“Okay,” she smiled.
…........
“Hello…yeah…tickets are booked, Rajdhani Express will leave the platform at 4:30 in afternoon, I will wait for you there on the station entrance,” Gagan was euphoric in his voice on the phone. After all, he was going to marry his first love. It was a special day.
“Are you listening me, Sneha?” he asked, this time in bit louder voice than usual.
“Yes…I will be there.” reply came from other side.
…........
Sleep was nowhere in sight. Sneha was changing the sides on her bed.
It takes just a second to step across a threshold or held back. In that moment, the mind seeks excuses frantically. And it surely finds the most convenient one. She too did.
…........
As Sneha approached her way to the station entrance, Gagan, wearing a blue check shirt and jeans, was standing near a Chai-stall. It was an unusually cloudy day.
“Strange…today you are bang on the time, not late as usual,” he grinned and turned towards
“Gagan…” she whispered.
The tone of subdued voice seemed out of character in the energetic, lively woman Gagan knew of.
“What happened? Is everything okay?” he gazed into her eyes, somewhat anxiously.
The look in her eyes said it all.
“You can’t do this to me, Sneha, I have come here leaving everything behind forever,” he urged, holding her by the shoulders, with his intense misty eyes, his voice quivered.
For a moment she was covered with numbness all around.
He gave her one last look. Tears trickled down his cheeks. Those tiny, appealing eyes, as usual moved her deeply.
Train began to move leaving all love, life, myriad dreams, hopes behind. She was plunged in the deep inky darkness.
…........
That last look still hounds. Sneha is engulfed by a sudden sense of loneliness. She still couldn’t forget those heart-rending and muted sobs.
“Forgive me Gagan, please forgive your Sneha,” she mumbled the words in half-consciousness, bending over the cold hand, a deluge of tears streamed down wetting it.
“Huh, Jhumpa was not coward like you,” she said to her image in the mirror. She was elated today, what she couldn’t do, Jhumpa did it. She felt liberated.
…........
“I knew this was in offing,” said Gagan looking at her engagement finger. The obvious sadness was trickling down from his voice.
“I love you Gagan, and I am only yours, you tell what should I do?” Sneha repeated her commitment towards him in a deep voice.
“We have now only one option left, we should get married against the wishes of your parents,” he said holding her hands.
For a moment, her eyes began gradually sinking and after a while, there was pin-drop silence.
“Even I want to marry you Gagan, but is it a wise thing to do?” she sounded worried breaking the uncomfortable silence.
“Yesss…” Gagan emphasized on his words.
“We will leave for Mumbai, and there we will marry legally in court and temple,” Gagan suggested.
“Why Mumbai?” she asked.
“Mumbai is the right place for people, who marry against their parents’ will. And for first few days, it won’t be easy for them to locate us there, till then we will get all the legal documents to fight with any false charges from your parent’s side,” he revealed the details.
“Okay,” she smiled.
…........
“Hello…yeah…tickets are booked, Rajdhani Express will leave the platform at 4:30 in afternoon, I will wait for you there on the station entrance,” Gagan was euphoric in his voice on the phone. After all, he was going to marry his first love. It was a special day.
“Are you listening me, Sneha?” he asked, this time in bit louder voice than usual.
“Yes…I will be there.” reply came from other side.
…........
Sleep was nowhere in sight. Sneha was changing the sides on her bed.
It takes just a second to step across a threshold or held back. In that moment, the mind seeks excuses frantically. And it surely finds the most convenient one. She too did.
…........
As Sneha approached her way to the station entrance, Gagan, wearing a blue check shirt and jeans, was standing near a Chai-stall. It was an unusually cloudy day.
“Strange…today you are bang on the time, not late as usual,” he grinned and turned towards
“Gagan…” she whispered.
The tone of subdued voice seemed out of character in the energetic, lively woman Gagan knew of.
“What happened? Is everything okay?” he gazed into her eyes, somewhat anxiously.
The look in her eyes said it all.
“You can’t do this to me, Sneha, I have come here leaving everything behind forever,” he urged, holding her by the shoulders, with his intense misty eyes, his voice quivered.
For a moment she was covered with numbness all around.
He gave her one last look. Tears trickled down his cheeks. Those tiny, appealing eyes, as usual moved her deeply.
Train began to move leaving all love, life, myriad dreams, hopes behind. She was plunged in the deep inky darkness.
…........
That last look still hounds. Sneha is engulfed by a sudden sense of loneliness. She still couldn’t forget those heart-rending and muted sobs.
“Forgive me Gagan, please forgive your Sneha,” she mumbled the words in half-consciousness, bending over the cold hand, a deluge of tears streamed down wetting it.
“Huh, Jhumpa was not coward like you,” she said to her image in the mirror. She was elated today, what she couldn’t do, Jhumpa did it. She felt liberated.
…........