Nawafar woke up from deep sleep. She was lying on the rocks somewhere near the river bank. She could feel the touch of sun on her face and it felt so warm and comforting to be just lying there without any movement after hours of fighting against the furious torrent of the river that brought her here. She smiled to herself. Her eyelids felt heavy and she did not feel like opening them. Not yet. She always enjoyed playing little games with herself, and this time she wanted to feel her whereabouts through sounds. She could hear the rustling of the leaves in the wind, the birds that were calling each other. One of them sat somewhere near and sang his song to attract other birds. She was amazed that the birds were not afraid of her human presence. They seemed to be aware of her mood and for a moment she thought that they are a part of her own self. Reflections of her own thoughts. The monkeys were playing somewhere at a distance. She always loved their presence, their playfulness and human like appearance.
She opened her eyes...
He was sitting on a rock near by breathing slowly as if in fear that the sound of his breath might frighten her. His deep set eyes were fixed on her and she knew that he recognised her instantly. She also knew that it was him, but she couldn't hide her surprise at discovering that a person sitting opposite was a man and not a young boy. It confused her, as she remembered him as a companion to her childhood games and the thought that he might have been leading life while separated from her never entered her thoughts.
Rajkumari stood confused at the crossing unable to decide which way to turn. All around her were high buildings with advertising banners that screamed of different pleasures of life awaiting you if only you had enough money to spend.
Why feel sorry... said one.
Why feel sorry? Rajkumari thought for a moment, but that moment confused her even more as deep inside she did feel sorry for many things happening around her and within her. She felt sorry for the lonely woman lying on a hospital bed, for the dog standing confused in the middle of the crossroad, for the child who had not seen his parents for the last ten days as they were too busy with their work. And in a way she also felt sorry for herself... She was a third world Rajkumari thrown suddenly into a middle of this speedy city with its beautiful inhabitants who knew so well how to live, while she was confused about life at every step she took.
The people around her were so beautiful with their perfect bodies. The grand master looked at her with contempt the other day as she could not fulfill the requirements of joining the club - he could not find the box to put her into... And was he really a grand master anyways? Somehow his long beard seemed like a marketing gimmick to her, but once again she was nobody to comment on such things as the worshippers of his perfect body were at his feet day and night.
Hey girl... why do you look sulky? somebody shouted from a fast moving car, Come and join us for a fun ride... Why don't you just go to the shop and get yourself a plastic bear to play with?
Rajkumari turned her face the other side. There was a tear in her eyes that she wanted to hide from all those wise and beautiful people who were marching all around her.
Her eyes were fixed on his face and she could not help smiling gently as she was trying to examine every line around his eyes and trying to imagine the histories hidden behind every single one of them. Was he looking at her in the same way?
She could be sitting like this forever... simply looking at the man in front of her and trying to gently strike his thoughts with her smile. She couldn't move, scared that a man in front of her might be just a mirage, a creation of her imagination, but somewhere deep inside she knew that it was not true. She couldn't move, but at the same time all her being wanted to sit close to him, with her head on his shoulder. She wanted to grow up for him and make up to him for every line on his face, for the coarse touch of his hand. She wanted to see him smile and listen to the most subtle changes in his voice in order to know his ever changing moods. That was enough, she did not have the courage to ask for more. She didn't need more... she was happy sitting next to him on a stone looking far away towards the lands that none of them had seen before...
She opened her eyes...
He was sitting on a rock near by breathing slowly as if in fear that the sound of his breath might frighten her. His deep set eyes were fixed on her and she knew that he recognised her instantly. She also knew that it was him, but she couldn't hide her surprise at discovering that a person sitting opposite was a man and not a young boy. It confused her, as she remembered him as a companion to her childhood games and the thought that he might have been leading life while separated from her never entered her thoughts.
Rajkumari stood confused at the crossing unable to decide which way to turn. All around her were high buildings with advertising banners that screamed of different pleasures of life awaiting you if only you had enough money to spend.
Why feel sorry... said one.
Why feel sorry? Rajkumari thought for a moment, but that moment confused her even more as deep inside she did feel sorry for many things happening around her and within her. She felt sorry for the lonely woman lying on a hospital bed, for the dog standing confused in the middle of the crossroad, for the child who had not seen his parents for the last ten days as they were too busy with their work. And in a way she also felt sorry for herself... She was a third world Rajkumari thrown suddenly into a middle of this speedy city with its beautiful inhabitants who knew so well how to live, while she was confused about life at every step she took.
The people around her were so beautiful with their perfect bodies. The grand master looked at her with contempt the other day as she could not fulfill the requirements of joining the club - he could not find the box to put her into... And was he really a grand master anyways? Somehow his long beard seemed like a marketing gimmick to her, but once again she was nobody to comment on such things as the worshippers of his perfect body were at his feet day and night.
Hey girl... why do you look sulky? somebody shouted from a fast moving car, Come and join us for a fun ride... Why don't you just go to the shop and get yourself a plastic bear to play with?
Rajkumari turned her face the other side. There was a tear in her eyes that she wanted to hide from all those wise and beautiful people who were marching all around her.
Her eyes were fixed on his face and she could not help smiling gently as she was trying to examine every line around his eyes and trying to imagine the histories hidden behind every single one of them. Was he looking at her in the same way?
She could be sitting like this forever... simply looking at the man in front of her and trying to gently strike his thoughts with her smile. She couldn't move, scared that a man in front of her might be just a mirage, a creation of her imagination, but somewhere deep inside she knew that it was not true. She couldn't move, but at the same time all her being wanted to sit close to him, with her head on his shoulder. She wanted to grow up for him and make up to him for every line on his face, for the coarse touch of his hand. She wanted to see him smile and listen to the most subtle changes in his voice in order to know his ever changing moods. That was enough, she did not have the courage to ask for more. She didn't need more... she was happy sitting next to him on a stone looking far away towards the lands that none of them had seen before...
