*{This literature work contains mostly fiction induced with some of my own experiences. I wrote this just for fun. The characters are fictional, if any character or incidents are similar to anyone. It is pure coincidental. It’s just a piece of literature. Hope you like it.}
The beautiful golden rays of the sun reached out of the window and gently touched my face. I opened my eyes, laying on my back I realized that it was morning and no one was in the hall room except me. While rubbing my eyes I remembered that I had texted something to Priyanka but couldn’t exactly recollect what I had replied. In a hurry I took my phone which was placed at the side of my bed. Going through my phone and seeing no such messages, I understood that I was just had an exhilarating dream.
Nagesh Bhaiya entered the hall wearing his polyester t-shirt and a thick wool towel wrapped around his waist. The towel was big to cover till his knees, he then quickly slided his shorts swiftly within a fraction of seconds. He had been provided barracks and had been spending his time among his fellow male colleagues. They all must have customised themselves for spontaneous, decency and discipline which he didn’t stop to follow even in here. Some habits don’t die so easily, his security force trained mind should be reason he got up so early and he looked so much ready for the day. I must have been observing his steady military decorum resulting in a long stare that he gleamed at me with his mischievous smile. I turned away breaking the eye contact from him towards Aamir. He walked out of his room holding his towel, soap, brush and toothbrush. It appears as if he was waiting after Nagesh bhaiya for his turn to go to the bathroom. Again, I took out my phone and was scrolling through my social sites to check for any new updates or information sent by anyone.
My notifications being blank or has nothing useful to me didn’t let me in any disappointment but I wasn’t very happy about it either.
Nagesh bhaiya noticing my gloomy face asked, “Do you have any girlfriend?”
I shook my head side to side mumbling, “No…No I do not. ” Thinking about Priyanka I reassured to myself that technically I was not lying.
Aamir who was just about to enter the bathroom joined in our conversation projecting his bare upper lean torso. Aamir unknowingly poking into my wounds inquired about why I didn’t have anyone. Now, Aamir looked so young and inexperienced. He was not exactly the person whom I was expecting to get a relationship advice from. The puberty hit beard on him hid his fair baby face but his body was lean and muscular, enough for Michelangelo to get inspired to sculpt a body, said otherwise
I asked in soft voice, “So?… You…You have any girlfriend?”
He chuckled, “Girlfriend?! I’m married and I have a son.”
Nagesh bhai and I was shocked to hear that cause he looked like he must be in his late adolescence. What’s up with this young looking married people showing up before me?- was my thought. I never thought to pry in someone else private affairs. So, I never bothered to ask Nagesh bhaiya about his private life and he never shared his whole story with us. I assumed he must have not been able to get a bride for himself and was waiting for the right person. It so happens that Nagesh bhaiya was married and he too had a rightful heir of his own.
Our short morning revelations got over soon. Nagesh bhaiya was drying off his wet towel by spreading it on the red pipe of fire sprinkler which ran up his bed and led to the kitchen roof. Meanwhile, the happily married young blood was taking his bath, I stretched myself up and went towards the kitchen sink to wash myself up and brush my teeth using my index finger. We three, after completing our morning routine headed back to our corners. Attending calls and reporting everything to my folks, talking to my parents, aunt and my granny has now become a chore which I enjoyed and hated at the same time.
When things settled down and I was idle again. The dream which I had and the thoughts of Priyanka really bothered me deeply. It has been a long time since she talked to me. Priyanka Thomas, a beautiful girl with silky short hair and pale skin would always gets noticed even among the crowd. She is loud, very competitive and had a keen observation skills. We met each other for the first time in a small christian convention event in Mumbai on 2016 where I was introduced to her and her whole family too.
She has two younger siblings, a girl named Divyashree and the youngest brother named Tony. She had come to the convention event for the first time with her parents who had compelled her to attend it and so did my parents forced it on me. We became good friends and we were still in touch because of facebook. Soon she went back to Goa as her father had to move in as per his job transfer requirements and also her mother got a new job there. We both still maintained a healthy reaction like good friends. Though we verbally fought every time, we respected each others view.
One day out of nowhere she asked me out and on 12 January 2020, sunday, I secretly went to Goa with a friend, boarding an unreserved train to meet her. Meeting her after a long had fallen head over heels for her for on that day. She confessed her love and I thought for awhile and went in with it. That day I had spend a considerable amount of time with her and it was a like fairy tale which became a reality and now turned into a beautiful moment to look into. Now, it’s all vanished, I have no idea what has become of her. Lately she had been accusing me of not loving her and ignoring her but it was far from the truth, I loved her very much and I didn’t want her to be distracted or lose her valuable time because of me. I had even openly reasoned my thoughts but she objected it by stating that I was lying. Last time I talked with her, we didn’t even quarrel or put up any fight. This happened out of nowhere that she completely stopped talking. In her ignorance period she kept posting her happy status and later I was blocked out.
On January we were committed and on February a Malayalee, South Indian, Kerala guy from Canada, who was her college friend’s distant relative wished her happy valentine’s. He wished her even before I did and also knowing that she was seeing someone else was killing me. She shared up with me but it bugged me off as she didn’t shut him off completely by stating that she was committed but rather replied him with a – thankyou. If it were me in that situation, in some kind of role reversal roleplay, I would have been have tagged as some dubious fake lover. I wished I was over thinking as my heart ached so badly that my tears rolled out of my eyes. I was lucky that no one noticed me like that as everyone had left the room to visit the neighboring room. Like memories flashing before the eyes of a dying person I remembered things about.
I felt weird as she did everything in an oddly planned order. During the time I had been ignored, first she did was to unfriend me from facebook, then blocked me on instagram and later on whatsapp. Me, patiently waiting to hear her reasonable excuse was left hanging. So finally,I asked her about the everything. She played the complete Uno reversal card like always blamed it on me saying it was my fault. I blocked her as my anger flared up to it’s peak but later upon forgiving, I unblocked to find that she had already blocked me there too. Virtually I was blocked by her on every possible social platform that I was in contact with her. She could have at least tried solving out or ended the realtion by simply speaking out her mind, I believe that either someone is giving out her some stupid advice or she really likes someone else who has replaced me. She has been spoiled by lot of pampering and unwanted attention which she receives from a bunch of friends, followers, relatives, seniors, acquaintance and I, being a complete loner, now feel that I didn’t appreciate her presence much. Funny even my friend with whom I went with to meet her has suddenly sided with her. Anyways, I accepted her actions as she has taught me a very valuable life lesson. If she feels safe and secure away from me then I’ve forgiven and forgotten everything, that’s all to it. If I were to reason that my parents, cousins, aunt, uncle and granny are with me it would be hilarious too as their way of loving me is always with a statement that I can’t do anything on my own. Before I could sink in my degenerative and depressing thoughts any further both Nagesh and Aamir bhai entered the room as it our breakfast was delivered to us by the covid volunteers.
Our cold Upma (Upma is a thick porridge from dry-roasted semolina or coarse rice flour.) was served openly on a disposable plastic plate for three of us separately which included a wooden ice cream spoon and the peachy pink tea for respective person. Why I don’t know each time I have a hope that the tea would be better but it still proudly maintains it’s distinctive sour medicinal taste every time. I took the first bite of my breakfast and I could swear that it tasted the same as the dinner I had eaten the previous night. I asked others for a reaffirmation as the coronavirus can also really affect our taste buds. Calmly having his meal, Aamir explained to me that the basic masala ingredients they used to make the curry last night is also used in my morning breakfast. My will for existence was decreased effectively after eating that but I was relieved that it wasn’t the virus’s fault and my health hasn’t got any worse. Nagesh bhaiya after having his breakfast remarked that we won’t be able to recuperate and survive on this breakfast in this isolation camp. By stating it loud, he crumbled his disposable plastic plate to throw it out in dustbin.
After having our stale upma for breakfast we each had our medicines. Those pills made me feel nausea and made me sit again on my bed. While Aamir went iside his room, Nagesh bhaiya visited his companions. I was feeling like a lost cost soul as I was surfing on web through my phone it didn’t help me feel any better. So, I just powered off my phone to stand by mode to save my phone’s battery.
I reached out for my jute bag to get my water bottle only to find the sterile boiled water from my home will be over soon. Placing my bottle back inside my bag I found an old brochure folded unevenly which I unfolded it. A childish smile appeared on my face the brochure was from a church seminar which was organized a youth organization. I was part of this organization, only as a seat filler and to pay their registration fee. The brochure covered topic of Mathew 6:25-34.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Mathew6:25-34)
I remembered the part of the same verse which I dreamt about Priya’s text. I raised that I never called Priyanka as Priya in my whole life. Maybe I had some divine premonition or something. Priya literally in hindi or sanskrit means beloved. I had a vision of a holy biblical verse from Priya that is my beloved God sent as a assurance. I raised my eyes towards the heaven and thanked God for not giving up on me as everyone did.
My phone rang, it was my own “beloved” father’s call. He informed me about things happened on his side. My clothes, a bedsheet, a towel, soap, toothbrush, phone charger, sanitizer, an extension board and a toothpaste were arranged. My father’s cousin felt sorry and offered to help us on his own. Also, the highly revered senior vicar of my parish church have arranged an electrical kettle, electric steamer, lemons, coffee powder, a extra bedsheet, spoon, a steel glass, fruits and some biscuits. Both of them have handed it to covid officials and these officials would hand me any time soon. I was so thrilled that I jumped off from my bed and started grooving to my own beats for 5 seconds as no one was in the room watching me.
I heard a covid volunteer calling out my name loudly from the elevator- PETER GEORGE! ROOM 1204! Nagesh bhaiya opened the door and was holding onto my bags. I acquired my parcels from him and seeing that several bag have arrived for me, differing various size from small to big. Most people staying on the twelfth floor left their room and gathered at their own doorstep to form a small crowd who where there to witness this all. Nagesh bhaiya approached me and taunted saying, “Are you planning to stay here forever?” A demure guy like me blushed. I thanked God and prayed that my uncle and priest be blessed for their kindness. Later on, I learned our church vicar had sought the help of Varghese family for certain items, a fellow church member from Govandi, an area by the isolation camp, whose son was in same youth organization that I participated in. They provided the vicar with electric steamer and other eatable items. I really felt grateful and wanted to thank them all properly someday.
My father’s cousin, my uncle called me up and listed out things that he sent out to me. Before ending the call he he also said that he has kept a KJV bible and a notepad with pen for me. As I took the holy bible carefully and I opened up the bible to read random verse which first came in my sight. The verse I read was – “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshuva 1:19) Unaware of all this commotions, Aamir came outside of his room offering me an apple…
~J George Thomas
(to be continued…)
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