He sat on the old country boat by the river. The high tide
was slowly picking up, as the sedate waves caressed the edge of the rotten
boat, making soft ripples around it. The moon was in full bloom and it added a
shimmer to the ripples around him. The bright end of the lighted beedi shone as
he took a deep drag, but the fire in his heart could put that to shame. As he
looked around the old river, he remembered the night when she was with him,
beside him, on the same boat, 5 years back. A lot had changed, the village,
Kavitha, Mahesh, Madhavan Ammaman, even the big demonic tree looked tired. But
the river was still the same. He
wondered how many like him the wise river had seen. How many souls lay deep in
its warm bed. Are they calling him? No. Its not time to go yet. This is not how
he wanted to go. At that very moment, he felt somebody crying from the middle
of the river. Somebody was fighting against the river, as if it was taking her
to the warm bed. He jumped out of the boat and swam in swift strokes towards
her. He knew the river would not resist him. They have known each other since
he was a kid. Just as he reached to the place he saw the splashing, the water
was still. Was he mistaken? No, he was sure that he heard the splashing noise
and the desperate cries. He dove deep to see if she had drowned. The moon light
gave him some visibility, but he did not need it. All of a sudden he felt a
soft, warm hand reach his shoulders. As he turned around, he say her looking
straight into his eyes, tiny droplets on her eyelashes shining like tiny
pearls. She had a thin sharp nose, tiny ears, thick lips, thicker than most
girls he had known, as if kissed by someone who doesn’t know how. She had a
long pear shaped face, ending in a pointed chin which gave a sense of symmetry
to her uncharacteristic features. She was beautiful, but what tranquilised him
was her gaze. For a long time he was floating, enchanted by her gaze, and
unknowingly being led by her. He could feel her fragile hands holding his
wrist, but he could not resist. He could not control his senses, for her eyes
were controlling him, taking him farther and across the river. Another
splashing noise! This time a dried coconut from the palm tree leaning to the
river came diving. It had bid its time on the top, until he had no strength to stay on top. Disturbed by the
uninvited coconut he suddenly came out of his trance, and she was not there anymore.
He looked around again, splashing the water around and diving deep in search of
those eyes. He again came to the top, only to be dejected. He was angry. He
looked around to see if someone was playing a prank on him. But who would dare
to play around with him in Thuruthambalam? Even his worst enemies would not,
leave alone some girl. He wondered what a girl would be doing in the river,
that too in the middle of the night. He swam back slowly to the shore, all the
while thinking of those big eyes and swollen lips. Was it a dream, or was it
not?
