"How can I help you?" the old lady asked. I blurted out "Uh ... can I speak with Geetha? I ... I am her friend.'
"She is sitting in the staff room" she said pointing to a room on the right. I thanked her and went towards the staff room. The staff room had one huge rectangular table in the centre surrounded by chairs. And there she was sitting on one of the chairs reading a book. She looked so beautiful in that light maroon saree.
I summoned my courage and spoke "Excuse me". She looked up towards me and gave me that smile, the same smile that made me fall in love with her in the first place. It amost swept me off my feat. What I spoke later was barely audible. "Are you free now?", she nodded. "Can we go out for a walk? ", she closed her book, stood up and conveyed to the other staff sitting nearby that she would be out for a while.
I still don't understand to this day why she was ready to go out for a walk with a complete stranger like me. But that day changed both our lives. I believe that such is the power of love. Somehow it just connects two persons. Two complete strangers who never knew each other a few moments ago, now looking at each other as if asking 'where have you been all these years?'
We went for a walk to the army quarters nearby. I used to frequent this place as a child as it was by the sea shore and the favorite spot for us to have fun in the sand.
Both of us sat beside each other on the sand looking at the waves. Neither of us spoke for a few moments which looked like an eternity. I looked at her in her eyes and spoke "You know what, there is something in you that I like. Something in you that I was missing so far in my life till now." She nodded as if to say she agreed. I smiled.
"Can we meet often like this on weekends? I like this." She didn't say anything but just gazed at me. For me it was a signal that meant she was okay with the idea.
That's how it all started. We used to meet regularly on weekends at first and then slowly even started meeting on weekdays. First it was me who used to do most of the talking. Then guadually I learnt her sign language and started to understand her feelings, her each mood, her passions, her hobbies.
"She is sitting in the staff room" she said pointing to a room on the right. I thanked her and went towards the staff room. The staff room had one huge rectangular table in the centre surrounded by chairs. And there she was sitting on one of the chairs reading a book. She looked so beautiful in that light maroon saree.
I summoned my courage and spoke "Excuse me". She looked up towards me and gave me that smile, the same smile that made me fall in love with her in the first place. It amost swept me off my feat. What I spoke later was barely audible. "Are you free now?", she nodded. "Can we go out for a walk? ", she closed her book, stood up and conveyed to the other staff sitting nearby that she would be out for a while.
I still don't understand to this day why she was ready to go out for a walk with a complete stranger like me. But that day changed both our lives. I believe that such is the power of love. Somehow it just connects two persons. Two complete strangers who never knew each other a few moments ago, now looking at each other as if asking 'where have you been all these years?'
We went for a walk to the army quarters nearby. I used to frequent this place as a child as it was by the sea shore and the favorite spot for us to have fun in the sand.
Both of us sat beside each other on the sand looking at the waves. Neither of us spoke for a few moments which looked like an eternity. I looked at her in her eyes and spoke "You know what, there is something in you that I like. Something in you that I was missing so far in my life till now." She nodded as if to say she agreed. I smiled.
"Can we meet often like this on weekends? I like this." She didn't say anything but just gazed at me. For me it was a signal that meant she was okay with the idea.
That's how it all started. We used to meet regularly on weekends at first and then slowly even started meeting on weekdays. First it was me who used to do most of the talking. Then guadually I learnt her sign language and started to understand her feelings, her each mood, her passions, her hobbies.
I would often give my parents the pretext that there was some extra work at office and would be late home. Those were the days when I used to catch the last local trains while going back home.
Then there came a point in time when we decided that we should get married. It was not an easy task, as I thought my parents wouldn't easily agree to have a mute girl as their daughter-in-law.
But I was wrong. For thankfully, my mom and dad were rational and sensible enough to understand and accomodate. After seeing Geetha, they too started adoring her. We both got married on November 19, 1980.
We had 2 kids, a boy and a girl. They both did their engineering and are now on their own feet well settled, earning their own money and living in different countries.
Geetha and me stayed back in India as we felt that Mumbai was better and safer than any other place in the world. That was until last night.
I remember last night 26th November when I was in CST station. I was in the passenger hall to receive one of my friends and take him home. It was 21:20, still another 15 mins before his train would come.
I saw 2 young persons barging into the passenger hall. One guy took something from his bag and threw it towards me. I thought they were just some youngsters having fun. I do not remember much what happened after that. My shirt was filled with blood and my head was hurting. There was a deep gash on my forehead.
Before I could realize that these guys were not fun-loving youngsters, scores of people were injured or dead. I kept shouting at those guys but they never listened.
The police finally retaliated and killed one guy and captured the other. As the ambulances came to take the injured and the dead, I shouted at the paramedics to help me. But they wouldn't listen. I went mad with frustration.
Then I saw it. I saw my body being carried by the paramedics on a strether. A doctor came and covered the face. I was dead.
Now I am here standing at my bedroom window waiting for my only love Geetha to wake up. I feel a touch from behind. There she is, Geetha standing right beside me, as beautiful as ever before. I look at the bed for the last time. I know she would never wake up.
We both look at each other. She gives that smile. That is all I want. We both look up standing side by side towards the sky. The sun is shining very brightly now.
Then there came a point in time when we decided that we should get married. It was not an easy task, as I thought my parents wouldn't easily agree to have a mute girl as their daughter-in-law.
But I was wrong. For thankfully, my mom and dad were rational and sensible enough to understand and accomodate. After seeing Geetha, they too started adoring her. We both got married on November 19, 1980.
We had 2 kids, a boy and a girl. They both did their engineering and are now on their own feet well settled, earning their own money and living in different countries.
Geetha and me stayed back in India as we felt that Mumbai was better and safer than any other place in the world. That was until last night.
I remember last night 26th November when I was in CST station. I was in the passenger hall to receive one of my friends and take him home. It was 21:20, still another 15 mins before his train would come.
I saw 2 young persons barging into the passenger hall. One guy took something from his bag and threw it towards me. I thought they were just some youngsters having fun. I do not remember much what happened after that. My shirt was filled with blood and my head was hurting. There was a deep gash on my forehead.
Before I could realize that these guys were not fun-loving youngsters, scores of people were injured or dead. I kept shouting at those guys but they never listened.
The police finally retaliated and killed one guy and captured the other. As the ambulances came to take the injured and the dead, I shouted at the paramedics to help me. But they wouldn't listen. I went mad with frustration.
Then I saw it. I saw my body being carried by the paramedics on a strether. A doctor came and covered the face. I was dead.
Now I am here standing at my bedroom window waiting for my only love Geetha to wake up. I feel a touch from behind. There she is, Geetha standing right beside me, as beautiful as ever before. I look at the bed for the last time. I know she would never wake up.
We both look at each other. She gives that smile. That is all I want. We both look up standing side by side towards the sky. The sun is shining very brightly now.
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