Non-erotic Dawn at Midnight By Pinuram - {Completed}

[usaiha2]

My flight landed at Mumbai in the late morning. 


The moment the flight touched India, I felt as if I was roaming inside my world. I felt that even if I die, I would not regret, because it was my motherland. My flight to New Delhi was in the evening.

I called Maithili---“Hello, I am back.”

She was surprised to hear my voice---“What?” she sounded very happy on hearing me.

I smiled, looking at Abhi---“Yes, I rejected the offer and I returned. I could not find peace there.”

---“Oh! See I told you beforehand that there is nothing like home.”

---“I was skeptical about my son so I had to return. It was not due to my motherland or home. I am still in search for a home, sweet home.”

---“Ok, ok. I understand.”

I paused for a little and took a deep breath before divulging that I met Abhimanyu the day we left for Bordeaux.

---“I have something to say. You will not believe.”

---“I will believe whatever you say and from the quiver of your voice I can fathom that easily.”

It was my turn to get surprised “Did he called her and informed her that he met me?”

---“What do you mean? Did he call you?”

---“No. But the tremble in your voice shows that you met him.”

A long breath exhausts from my chest “So he has not called her, but how come she would know.”

#

My heart was pulsating while I told her about my failed meet.

She cursed herself again---“See, my vengeful words still haunts me and that is not allowing you two to mingle.”

I said to her in an agonized voice---“It was not your fault, Churni. By the way I am returning via New Delhi.”

---“Again via New Delhi, why?”

---“I have to give some papers to a friend of Dr. Sarkar.”

---“When is you return flight to Kolkata?”

---“Tomorrow evening. By the way, thunder does not strike twice in one place, so I don’t expect to meet him this time.”

---“Where are you going to stay?”

---“In a hotel.”

My son was becoming restless as the time passed idly.

He kept on nagging me---“Mamma, I want to go home.”

I kept on consoling him---“Ok, honey we are going to home.”

I kept on telling myself “I will search for a home for my entire life, but it will be out of my reach.”

#

It was late evening, when the flight landed in New Delhi Airport. 

Few days back, I stood in this tarmac waiting for my departure and I met whom I wanted to meet for long time. My eyes were again searching for him “Will we meet again?”

I called Dr. Sarkar’s friend Mr. Pannikar, he said that he has arranged a hotel for my accommodation in C.R. Park and he would pick me up the day after from my hotel. He also told me that he wanted to talk to me regarding some of my papers in IIT-Delhi. I asked him the name and address of the hotel. I called the hotel to confirm my stay.

Abhi walked by my side to the conveyer belt. We were waiting anxiously to pick up my baggage.

#

I was on the phone talking to Maithili---“Hey, I have arrived at New Delhi. I am returning home tomorrow evening. Have you visited my place to check?”

---“Yes I visited once to check your place. How is my son doing?”

I looked at him; he was smiling at someone standing behind me. I gave a queer look at him to see him smiling and waving again. My heart skipped and raced very fast.

I was still on phone and I turned back. I was praying to HIM “This time I want to talk to him, dear God. Yes, this time I won’t let him go.”

My Unicorn was on the floor, kneeled down and was smiling at my Angel. He outstretched his arms to him.

I whispered to Maithili---“I will talk to you later. I got to go.”

#

My heart was racing like a wild horse; I felt a huge turbulence inside my chest. I bit my lower lips to restrain my tears to drip from my eyes. He looked at me over his specs and smiled at me. My son, walked slowly towards him and he took him in his lap. My nose flared up and eyes were filled up to behold the sight, both my precious entwined in their arms and smiling sweetly at my sniveled face.

He stood beside me; his left side arm touched my right arm. It sends me shivers in my arm.

He asked my son---“What is your name?”

---“Api”

He laughed out looking at me. He paused a little and then gently nodded his head---“How are you?”

#

I was looking at his face all the time, waiting eagerly to hear him say something to me. I lost my voice and nodded my head “I am fine.”

I held the trolley handle hard and looked the other side to hide few drops that trickled down from the corner of my eyes. I stealthily rubbed the corner of my eyes with the tip of my finger.

I heard him ask---“You are coming from Mumbai?”

I nodded at him while looking for my luggage on the conveyer belt. I looked straight to hide my tears from him.

---“I was in the same flight. Which row you were?”

My face became red and my heart skipped faster as I came to know that he was in the same flight.

My eyes were wide open and I looked at him---“Fourth row, and you?”

He threw his age-old mischievous smile at me---“Penultimate row.”

He clasped my son on his left arm; with his right, he was holding the trolley. My fawn nestled comfortably on his lap as if they knew each other from the very beginning of their existence. Abhi had his teddy on his lap and was looking at his face.

He winked at Abhi---“This is your teddy? What is his name?”

He looked at me and then at him---“Teddy.”

He laughed out at him and turned towards me---“That day, you were on some international flight, right?”

---“Yes, I was going to Bordeaux.”

He was unable to hear the name of the place---“Where?”

I repeated my words again---“Bordeaux, France.”

He was surprised to hear that. He constricted his brows and gave a queer look at me---“France, that’s great. Someone lives there?”

---“No. I went for a physics convention over there.”

“Wow….” he was amazed to hear that “That’s good. Really good. So you are working somewhere?”

#

My heart was beating faster inside my chest every moment I heard his words pouring into my soul. I was losing myself; I waited too long to hear from him.

I nodded my head; I was looking intently at his face, our eyes met again. His eyes were glistening with some unknown pain same as mine. My heart and soul was writing inside my chest. I tried hard to overcome my pains and wear a smile on my quivering lips.

He rubbed his nose on Abhi’s sweet face and then asked him---“You are sweet, just like your mother.”

Admiring my sweetness indirectly made me weak. I slowly moved near him to get his touch. His left arm touched mine. My bags were coming around the corner.

---“There are my bags.”

#

He put down Abhi on my lap, my fingers touched his while he handed my son on my lap. He looked at me and lingered his fingers a bit on my hand. My breath stopped and for a fraction of second, his face was red. A deep breathe exhaled from his chest as he turned towards the belt to pick up my bags. I clenched my right fist, tired hard to quench my thirst my touching him again. I clasped my son to control my overwhelming empathy.

He bent down to pick up my bags and straightened. He turned towards me---“Any more bags?”

I was breathing hard trying to subdue my feelings rising from the abyss---“Two more.”

---“So you have any relatives here?”

“If I don’t have, will you ask me to stay with you?” I held my breath and paused for a moment. Abhi was looking at our faces. My sweet filial was unable to understand all what was happening inside me. He might have fathomed his mother’s heartbeat on his little chest, thumping like a huge drum.

---“I have some work at IIT-Delhi tomorrow, a meeting with a person. I will be staying at a hotel. I will return to Kolkata by evening flight.”

#